Sitting in front of my family's massive wood paneled television, watching the Canadian export "You Can't Do That on Television" is one of my earliest childhood memories.At that point in time, I referred to the show as "Nikelodeon" because my brain hadn't developed to the point where I realized that shows had names.
But whenever I would waddle up to my parents pimp 70s tube and turn the knob, I'd click 3 magical times to the right to get to my favorite show.
What was it that captured my attention so? Was it the green slime? Was it Barth's method acting as he growled his famous "I heard that!" ? Might it have been my crush on a certain Canuck named Alastair? Or Lisa Ruddy's binge eating? Maybe it was a girl named after a moose?
Or could it have been an amalgam of all these fine elements, prepared into a fine stewy broth that created the warm feeling inside my pre-school self that I recall now so fondly.
To this day, whenever I hear the William Tell Overture my mind goes to the place of kids in lockers, firing squads and the thought that one day, just maybe, when I am particularly indecisive and exclaim such, slime will fall from the heavens atop my head. A girl can dream....
I remember the first time I saw Monty Python I was like-- they stole their opening from You Can't Do That On Television!
ReplyDeleteAlissa - I can't even remember the wooden TV?!?!? In the den? Yeah - I think it was in the den!
ReplyDeleteI was completely addicted to this show. Completely completely.
ReplyDeleteActually, I was briefly on a quest to find this:
The actors from YCDTOT were all cast in this weird alien abduction sci-fi movie made for Nickelodeon -- like, it starred some subset of Kevin Kubachesky (sp?) and Moose & Lisa Ruddy, but they were playing it SERIOUS. Maybe it was affiliated with that other creepy show on Nick, "The Third Eye?"
Anyway, I tried to track it down some years ago, but it was before the internet was what the internet is... perhaps I'll try later tonight...
ps. READY.... AIM...... Wait! Wait! Stop the execution!!