Alone in the Car: Family T.V. shows

Sherwood Schwartz, the creator of the long standing television series "The Brady Bunch" and "Gilligan's Island." died July 12th, 2011 at age 94. I was not a regular/re-run watcher of either show, but it made me think of how many shows were produced with a G rating.


I can safely say I would have no hesitation letting my children watch Lucy packing candy, Dr. Cosby celebrating his parents' 50th anniversary, or the Waltons saying goodnight.  Did you realize the Flintstone Cartoon was actually 18th in the 1960 t.v. ratings?


As I have done a quick research of the top shows per the first year of each decade, it seems that we began to drift away from family viewing around 1990. No research paper here, folks. Just a down and dirty, precursory look at the top shows since 1960(about 50 years). 


I wanted to do this because my themes in Alone in the Car have been serious, as this one. But I wanted to add a bit of smiles to our summer days too. We need some balance to our lives. Thus, some suggestions for new t.v. shows to go into production. You think who could play the parts:


1. A period piece combining "A Christmas Story" and "The Sandlot". Lots of  kids with no drugs, alcohol, divorces, murders, abuse, prejudice, or war story lines. Just kids being kids. Like how to explain what happened to the box of nails Dad just bought which you used to build a pirate ship from an old shipping crate. Or how you saved some money, bought a nice handkerchief at the Five and Dime, let Grandma show you how to sew it into a rose corsage for Mother's Day, and then tried to dye it a pretty color of cranberry red...


2. Historical fiction about merchants in Philadelphia around the days of the Revolution/Constitution. In and out of the story line come the VIPs of the day. This is not an ideological show, as Hollywood tends to do sometimes, but one to honor those who were willing to give all. And they were just men and women who had sense of humors too.


3. A retirement village is the setting and every year they host an annual jigsaw puzzle competition between themselves and 5 other retirement towns which is the base of the story line all year and concludes the season each year too. Awards include Miss/Mr. Congeniality, Speedoe/
Speedbuck, and It's All in the Details.


4. America loves their entrepreneurs. In this case it is a family affair where each person feels so inclined to follow their love of invention. For example, taste tests are in order which calls for asking friends to help out but they are a little gun shy after some of the experiments they have tried already.....At the end of each show, a real American inventor is noted. For more information see your local library, website, etc. etc.


5. Make life simpler, people are always saying. Ok, let's do it and so the pact begins between husband Carl and Lydia with baby Juliana presiding. Some make changes to their home, some to their jobs, but Carl and Lydia say they will just start with their car. They are getting a much smaller one, not necessarily for energy savings, which is good, but they find they carry sooo much stuff. Especially now with the baby! So if it can't fit into the car, so be it.....