The "Saturday Morning TV" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just thought I had to add another story about TV when I was younger; like 60 years younger.  I'm talking back in the early 50s to early 60s.  Happy days when there were no cell phones, computers, iPods, iPads, ..... get the idea.  The days of yesteryear when a black and white TV was all there was.  And, most of the time the TVs were the size of a breadbox.  But, kids in those day were happy campers because we had Saturday morning shows to watch that were great.  

At least back then they seemed great.  Covered Wagon Theater, which usually began a commercial or two after the Test Pattern and the photo of the American Flag (with the National Anthem being played) disappeared.  Covered Wagon Theatre was broadcast on Lancaster's WGAL-TV Channel 8.  The show would start soon after 7:30 AM when "Rocky" Ridel, who was dressed as a cowboy, introduced "Covered Wagon Theater."  He would tell us about the show and during intermission of the one hour show would come back on and talk some more.  "Rocky" Ridel did everything live from the TV station, even the commercials. He also was a radio personality who wrote to the Mayor of Lancaster asking if he could me named a U.S. Marshal.  After gaining that prestige, he told the kids who listened to him that they would get a deputy badge if they would promise to obey the law.  I never knew it back then, but "Rocky" eventually became a minister.  

Well, "Rocky" would introduce many of my favorite TV shows on Saturday morning.  Shows such as The Cisco Kid, Wild Bill Hickok, Davy Crockett, Fury, The Gene Autrey Show, Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Wagon Train and Sky King.  My parents never seemed upset at all the killing that took place on the shows and all the blood that was shed.  Since all shows were in black and white, blood wasn't any big deal.  Those days are long gone and the violence that was once confined to the movie screen has found it's way to the TV screen.  Not sure how easy it would be to be a parent today with cell phones, computers, iPods, iPads, ..... get the idea.  My granddaughter seems to have her iPhone permanently attached to her when she visits, but I must admit that the last time we visited with our daughter and her family in Maryland, Carol and I took our granddaughter to supper with us and the three of us had a great time talking for over an hour.  And .... the cell phone sat on the table without being touched.  Westerns are no longer popular as they were 50 years ago.  Now everything has to be real.  Reality shows today are the Westerns of years ago.  I must admit I do like a few of them, but they will never replace my favorite heroes from the past.  How could you ever replace a guy who wore a white hat, black mask, used silver bullets and called his horse Silver?  Now that's a hero!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - Notice my story is entirely in black and white today!