The 1st 40 Images I Can Recall From T.V. And The Cinema In My Youth
These are the first 40 TV shows and films that I can recall at all in my earliest memories. Not all of them were my favorites, but these are the ones that have had a lasting impression of some sort from those earliest years. Rather than pick my favorites as a child here, I decided to just literally go with whichever 40 shows standout to me in my earliest memories. For whatever reason, these made a lasting impression on me in some way before all others.
Most of these I was watching by the time I was 5 or 6, and some even much earlier. A few near the end I got into when I was about 7, and the last film from when I was 8. I have listed them in the order of my memories as best I can, and entirely from that alone.
One thing that is quite surprising to me, is that only one of them I saw in the theatre. All the rest I saw on a television. Whatever other films I saw in the theatre as a young child, I don't actually recall seeing them. Somehow, I became a theatre regular by the time I was 8 or 9 nonetheless.
Most of these I was watching by the time I was 5 or 6, and some even much earlier. A few near the end I got into when I was about 7, and the last film from when I was 8. I have listed them in the order of my memories as best I can, and entirely from that alone.
One thing that is quite surprising to me, is that only one of them I saw in the theatre. All the rest I saw on a television. Whatever other films I saw in the theatre as a young child, I don't actually recall seeing them. Somehow, I became a theatre regular by the time I was 8 or 9 nonetheless.
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- CreatorWilliam Moulton MarstonStanley Ralph RossStarsLynda CarterLyle WaggonerTom KratochvilThe adventures of the greatest of the female superheroes.This was I believe my first ever favorite television show, I can recall watching it as early as 2 years old. It is the first show I can recall at all.
- CreatorErnie CoombsStarsJudith LawrenceErnie CoombsJani LauzonAn amiable man teaches preschool subjects with his puppet friends using games, songs, and the infinite number of costumes inside his tickle trunk.Honestly, I don't seem to even recall any cartoons until later. For whatever reason, these are the first things I ever recall watching. This and Sesame Street are bunched together in my early memories as in, I'm not really sure which I even got into first.
- CreatorJoan Ganz CooneyLloyd Morrisett Jr.StarsJim HensonFrank OzCaroll SpinneyOn a special inner city street, the inhabitants, human and muppet, teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.The main kids shows I watched as a real youngster were Mr. Dressup and this.
- CreatorKenneth JohnsonStarsBill BixbyLou FerrignoJack ColvinA fugitive scientist has the curse of becoming a powerful green monster under extreme emotional stress.Once I saw this, it quickly became my favorite show. I also recall watching this at 2 years old and I remember that the show scared me to some degree at times, but still I recall I was always anticipating watching it. While at the same time I recall feeling a little apprehensive of what I was about to see before every show in the beginning. I remember being somewhat confused by the fact that it both startled me to some degree, and excited me. It's the first thing I can ever recall where I got this kind of unique feeling, and even at the time I found that alone to be somewhat interesting. The fact that I both loved it to some degree, and that I was somewhat frightened by it. I was amazed by it.
- CreatorJim HensonJack BurnsStarsJim HensonFrank OzRichard HuntKermit the Frog and his fellow Muppets put on a vaudeville show at their theatre, bringing in a famous celebrity to help out for each episode.I fell in love with the Muppets I believe as I started watching it right after The Incredible Hulk episodes ended.
- StarsCarol BurnettVicki LawrenceThe Ernie Flatt DancersTelevision show featuring skits by Carol Burnett and her comedy troupe.After the Muppet Show, I always recall Carol's show coming on, and I recall even getting into it to some degree at only 2 and 3 years old. Even as a real youngster, I recall this show getting quite a few laughs from me, though I likely didn't understand half of it. Carol was amazingly funny, and this show was great T.V.!
I even recall being disappointed when I first saw this show starting a few times. To me at that time, it only meant that two of my favorite shows were over for the week, Hulk, and then The Muppet Show. It didn't take long however before I had some love for this show too. So I stopped being so disappointed at the start of this show fairly quickly. I believe it was my Mom that actually told me to watch it originally. She was a big fan of this too. Though I don't ever recall watching it with her, but she would tell me that she thought Carol was funny, and before long, I got it. Though as stated above, at this age, I was likely only getting about half of it. - CreatorPaul PlaydonRick RosnerStarsErik EstradaLarry WilcoxRobert PineThe adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers.Well I was a kid and I had one of those little CHIP's motorized cycles when I was 2 or 3 years old. I only vaguely recall the show much at all in those years really, but I definitely liked the bikes and did watch the show regularly as a youngster. Nothing but the bikes really stands out to me about the show however, at least until I was a little older, and then I do have a few memories of it.
- CreatorSherwood SchwartzStarsBob DenverAlan Hale Jr.Jim BackusFour men and three women are stranded on an uncharted island following a torrential storm.Definitely among the first shows I ever recall. I enjoyed it for years.
- CreatorWilford Lloyd BaumesStarsGavin MacLeodBernie KopellTed LangeThe romantic and comic tales of the passengers and crew of the cruise ship, Pacific Princess.The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and I Dream of Jeanie are 3 shows I recall my Mom watching a good bit, and then because of that, I also got somewhat into them and recall enjoying them all to some degree in my youngest years.
- CreatorGene LevittStarsRicardo MontalbanHervé VillechaizeWendy SchaalThe mysterious Mr. Roarke runs a unique resort island in the Pacific Ocean that can fulfill any fantasy, but they rarely turn out as expected.I only recall this show so much as a kid, but I definitely do recall watching it with my Mother when I was still very young. I recall the show mostly from watching it more when i was a little older however.
- CreatorSidney SheldonStarsBarbara EdenLarry HagmanBill DailyA United States astronaut finds his life vastly complicated when he stumbles on to a bottle containing a female genie.This was one of my Mom's favorites back then. Though they were only reruns. Perhaps she recalled it from her younger days a good bit.
- CreatorWilliam BlinnStarsDavid SoulPaul Michael GlaserAntonio FargasTwo streetwise cops bust criminals in their red-and-white Ford Gran Torino, with the help of police snitch, Huggy Bear.This became another of the first series that I started to follow as a kid. I recall loving it for the most part. I had a number of toy cars that were replicas of the car in the show. I can't even recall now what kind of car it was, but red with the white stripe. I definitely still recall how it looked. I think I watched this series for a while again when I was around 10 or so, but I'm not sure I've seen a full episode since around that age or so.
- CreatorDorrell McGowanStarsLondonHarvey AtkinAllan RoyalThe wandering adventures of an intelligent German shepherd dog.This is what my Mother would literally call, "A good little sucky show.". That's basically what my Mom would call any decent show that always ended with everything working out perfectly and warmheartedly. I recall watching it a good bit as a youngster. Honestly I'm not even sure if it was this version, or the older version of the show that I(We) watched, but likely some of both I wouldn't doubt.
- StarsMel BlancJune ForayDaws ButlerTV series featuring the classic Looney Tunes animated shorts.I think Bugs is the first cartoon I can recall watching much and getting into.
- CreatorBob HommeStarsBob HommeRod ConeybeareIn his castle, a giant and his friends tell stories and play music for the young viewers.I was a fan as a kid for sure.
- StarsFred RogersBetty AberlinDavid NewellFred Rogers explores various topics for young viewers through presentations and music, both in his world and in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.I always thought Fred Rogers was pretty weird. He just seemed too uptight to me or something. Taking his shoes off to put on another pair of shoes for the house, right from the start of the show he had me thinking, something may be seriously wrong with this guy, lol. I was a kid that spent a lot of my time at the beach, with no shoes. So perhaps that's partly why it and he seemed so odd to me. I was often outdoors with bare feet, and here this guy seems like he wants to shower with his shoes on. I always liked the show when it went off to the make-believe land or whatever it was called. Though I'm not so sure I enjoyed the rest of the show much. Fred always seemed so lame and odd to me, even as a youngster.
- CreatorGarry MarshallStarsRon HowardHenry WinklerMarion RossThe Cunningham family live through the 1950s with help and guidance from lovable and almost superhuman greaser Fonzie.I must have been about 5 or 6 when this show started appealing to me, though I'm sure I saw episodes of it even younger than that. It too was another show that my Mom, and basically all the grownups I knew also enjoyed.
- CreatorIvan GoffBen RobertsStarsKate JacksonFarrah FawcettJaclyn SmithA wealthy mystery man named Charlie runs a detective agency via a speakerphone and his personal assistant, John Bosley. His detectives are three beautiful women, who end up in a variety of difficult situations.I didn't get all that into this show as a real youngster, but it still stands out to me to some degree way back then, because my Mom was a fan, and I do recall catching some episodes with her at a very young age that I still recall a little of. I recall liking it, but it wasn't interesting enough to me at that age to follow it regularly. I watched it more some years later around age 9 and upward.
- CreatorLarry GelbartStarsAlan AldaWayne RogersLoretta SwitThe staff of an Army hospital in the Korean War find that laughter is the best way to deal with their situation.I think this was basically my Mom's all time favorite TV show. I definitely recall it when I was very young to some degree, but of course it was years later when I really began to fully appreciate it.
- DirectorRobert StevensonStarsJulie AndrewsDick Van DykeDavid TomlinsonIn turn of the century London, a magical nanny employs music and adventure to help two neglected children become closer to their father.I'm quite sure Bambi was actually the first film I ever saw in the theatre. Though I must say, I don't really recall it, I rather only recall my Mother talking about it. I think I do have some memories of the day, but actually none of the film that I can recall. This is the first film in the theatre that I can recall to some degree. Even this though, I seem to recall going to the movie with my Sister, more than I recall much about the film. But I do have some fairly foggy memories of the vieweing itself.
- CreatorLorenzo Semple Jr.William DozierStarsAdam WestBurt WardAlan NapierThe Caped Crusader and his young ward battle evildoers in Gotham City.I recall enjoying this Batman series quite a lot as a youngster.
- CreatorDon NichollMichael RossBernard WestStarsJohn RitterJoyce DeWittSuzanne SomersThe misadventures of two women and one man living in one apartment and their neighbors.One of the first sitcoms I can recall. My Mom enjoyed it, and soon I also became hooked.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.Still recall watching this quite young, and then getting into the toys for some years.
- CreatorStan LeeSteve DitkoStarsPaul SolesPeg DixonPaul KligmanOriginal cartoon series based on the web-slinging Marvel comic book character, Peter Parker, who, after being bit by a radioactive spider, assumes extraordinary powers.I recall getting pretty into a Spider-Man cartoon at one point, and I began watching it regularly. I believe it was this original series.
- CreatorGy WaldronStarsTom WopatJohn SchneiderCatherine BachThe adventures of the fast-drivin', rubber-burnin' Duke boys of Hazzard County.I think I got fairly into this show when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I do recall it being fairly fun as a kid.
- CreatorGlen A. LarsonStarsLee MajorsDouglas BarrHeather ThomasThe adventures of a film stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter when movie work is slow.I recall when this show first came out and I became a big fan of it at a very young age. I remember being like 6 or 7 years old and wishing I could have a bathtub to layback in and smoke a cigar out in my front yard, just like Colt Seavers. Lol, memories! I also recall being stoked when Hot Wheels put out a replica of his big brown truck, which of course I had to have. It was around this same time that I became a huge fan of those old chocolate cigarettes that came in packs that looked just like real cigs. Remember those things? At 6, 7 years old, I thought those things were stylin'. The 1970's and 80's were certainly a much different time than today.
- CreatorDonald P. BellisarioGlen A. LarsonStarsTom SelleckJohn HillermanRoger E. MosleyThe adventures of a Hawaii-based private investigator.This became like a Mom and Dad and son sit around the TV on whichever night it came on, and watch on a weekly basis. It's really the first show I recall watching regularly with both of them. Anyway, I soon began to love this show at a very young age.
- CreatorGlen A. LarsonLeslie StevensStarsGil GerardErin GrayFelix SillaA 20th-century astronaut emerges out of 500 years of suspended animation into a future time to become Earth's greatest hero.I use to watch this with my grandparents and a bunch of other family members nearly every Sunday night as a kid. I was a pretty big fan of it at 6 and 7 years old. Then we'd watch the Wonderful World of Disney right after, which of course was a different Disney production every week.
- CreatorJeff HarrisBernie KukoffStarsGary ColemanTodd BridgesConrad BainThe misadventures of a wealthy Manhattan family who adopted the children of their late African American housekeeper from Harlem.I was pretty into this show for a while as a kid.
- CreatorRick HuskyStarsWilliam ShatnerHeather LocklearAdrian ZmedThe weekly adventures of tough-as-nails veteran police officer Sgt. T.J. Hooker, who rides the beat with his rookie partner Vince Romano.I don't ever recall watching Star Trek the TV show as a real young kid, but I do recall Shatner from this. Of course, I watched tons of the original TV Star Trek later on.
- DirectorNicholas MeyerStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyWith the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.I must have been about 7 when I saw this, and certain parts of the film still stand out to me in my memoires from way back then. I'm not sure I had seen any other Star Trek shows before this. I may have seen a few TV episodes, but I just don't recall them in my very early years.
- DirectorDaniel PetrieStarsKenny RogersDiane LaneErin GrayA race car driver is driving to a race in a motor home with his race car on a trailer. His car gets stripped of parts. He ends up with 6 orphan kids on his way to the race.This being a racecar film, for whatever reason it stills stands out to me as something I watched and enjoyed when I was very young. It also has Erin Gray in it, who I recognized as being from Buck Rogers.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsMichael BeckJames RemarDorsey WrightA street gang known as the Warriors must fight its way from the Bronx to its home turf on Coney Island when its members are falsely accused of assassinating a respected gang leader.This became my favorite film for a while as a young kid. I thought it was just as good as Star Wars, or maybe even better at the time.
- DirectorPhilip KaufmanStarsKen WahlKaren AllenJohn FriedrichThe Wanderers is a teenage, Italian gang in Bronx, NYC, 1963. They have their confrontations with other gangs. Drugs and weapons are uncool. Adult life awaits them.After seeing The Warriors, gangs films began to interest me. So I rented all that I could find. Soon, this film also became one of my all time favorite films at a very young age.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonBruce SpenceMichael PrestonIn the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community escape a horde of bandits.Once I saw this film, I couldn't stop renting it. It soon became my all time favorite live action moving picture of anything I had ever seen before. I still love it to this day. It's not in my top 10 anymore, but it's probably in my top 100 or so films still. Top 150 likely for sure.
- CreatorGary David GoldbergStarsMichael J. FoxMichael GrossMeredith BaxterChronicles liberal ex-hippies Steven and Elyse Keaton, their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.I recall becoming a big fan of this from the very start of it. I also recall even getting my parents into it. Soon, it became one of their favorite sitcoms of the time as well.
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsNastassja KinskiMalcolm McDowellJohn HeardA woman who was orphaned from a young age finally reunites with her older brother. Matters start to go awry when she slowly discovers the true nature of her family.Somehow I saw this film far younger than I should've. Not that it really mattered, because of course I didn't understand it much at all anyway at that age. I figure I was no older than 7. I just recall how I was so interested in this films mysteriousness, but I couldn't understand it, but I felt it was definitely interesting nonetheless. To this day I can still recall watching it a couple times at that age after somehow someone allowed me, a 7 year old kid to rent this. I was enticed by it, and perhaps the naked Kinski, though I don't even recall that aspect of it from back then. I just recall it being the most odd thing I had ever seen at the time, and that it had an entirely different sort of feel than anything else I had ever seen. It certainly peaked my interest enough to stand out to me as one of the most impacting and interesting things I saw on a screen as a youngster.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsMeryl StreepKurt RussellCherA worker at a plutonium processing plant is purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing worker safety violations at the plant.When I first saw this film at what I'm fairly certain was 8 years old, I was blown away by it. No previous film or TV show had really gotten under my skin, quite like this one did. I thought it was both a shocking and amazing film. The impact it had on me stayed etched deep in my memories for years. The acting is so great, I still recall growing up and having the thought of this film come into my head here and there so many times over the years. To me, it will always be just one of those films that I'll never forget. It's truly one of the films that changed, not only the way I look at the world to some degree, but also the way I look at film in general.