24 Carat Star Time

I actually grew up - as many American did - watching TV.  I can still remember things a lot of you probably never experienced, much less forgot:

• when - even American! - TV wasn’t broadcast 24/7 and there was the Indian Head test pattern when nothing was being broadcast

• when Sunday afternoon didn’t give you much more choice than Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins
• when Minnie Pearl was the belle of the Grand Ole Opry
• and Lawrence Welk covered the screen of our old black and white TV with “wunnerful” bubbles

I can still remember feeling underprivileged because most kids had a color TV before we did. But I also remember the feeling of ultimate “coolth” I felt when my sister and I got our very own TV for our bedroom.

So, here’s the deal: Anyone who knows me also knows what an insomniac I am. Since discovering that about myself, I guess, going to sleep in front of/with the TV on has been a nightly ritual. I tried reading in bed, but I (still!) find most books so fascinating that I can’t put one down even when my eyes are begging to be shut and not one iota of information manages to penetrate my sleep-addled brain.

On the other hand, I can gently slip into sleep during (almost) anything on the tube.

For years during the cooling-off period of my marriage, as well as once I moved out again on my own, settling down for the night accompanied by my set program of favorite re-runs or shows was an extremely comforting ritual. There’s nothing like a couple of episodes of Cheers or Frasier to put you in the mood for a pleasant night’s slumber! And who wouldn’t expect to sleep like a princess after spending some quality time with the ever-lovable Mr. Ed!

But men once again began to get in the way of me and my nightly passions. Don’t get me wrong! I’m as open to a romantic encounter as the next girl, but instead of staring at the ceiling whilst he’s snoring loud enough to saw down most of the trees in Scandinavia, I’d rather be sharing a laugh with The Fresh Prince! 

Being a Libra, however, means I am willing to compromise in order to maintain balance and harmony around me. My first attempt at achieving that balance came via my laptop and new dsl internet connection.

In other words, I discovered comedy on you.tube (warning: adult content)!

The problem with comedy, however, is that it’s there to make you laugh. And though I can control myself some of the time, too much Chris Rock  (again: adult content warning) has been known to force me to forego my vow of nocturnal silence. Much to ChessMan’s distress.

Fortunately, around this time I discovered my own personal usage for a specific feature on my handy-dandy Palm Treo - the mp3 player. To avoid any more of the wrong kind of bedroom drama, I decided to concentrate more on audio pleasures - and discovered Old Time Radio!

It all started off with suave sleuth Nick Charles. I have ALWAYS been a fan of The Thin Man movie series, and smiled my way to sleep for almost a whole week while listening to Nick and Nora solve their latest crime. 

I then moved on to The Saint, never before realizing that one of my all-time favorites - the great Vincent Price (remember Dr. Phibes, Ronda and Saskia?) - had been cast as Simon Templar for a successful run on radio. My opportunity to spend evenings with Vincent were extended not only by his Lux Theater performances in classics like Dragonwyck and Laura, but I also became a fan of another one of his radio series, The Price of Fear.

I won’t even begin to tell you about what went on between me and Raymond Burr - aka Perry Mason - in the silence of my darkened bedroom, for fear that ChessMan will fly into a jealous rage. Move over, Della Street! Get out of my way, Paul Drake!

One of my favorite new-found friends, though, is the inimitable Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve. I don’t think I had ever consciously even heard of this character, who actually got his start as a series of figures with the same last name on the old Fibber McGee and Molly radio program, before deciding to download a few sample episodes. But from the start, The Great Gildersleeve established itself as a bedtime must.

With his somehow catching pomposity, Harold Peary created a character who managed to win me over many decades after he originally came on the radio scene. With his smart-alecky nephew Leroy, his mostly level-headed niece Marjorie, the “little family” quickly became a constant bedtime companion. The family’s charm was greatly intensified for me by the presence of Birdie Lee Coggins, their black maid portrayed to perfection by Lilian Randolph. Although originally laden with many of the stereotypes rampant at the time, Birdie quickly established herself not only as a solid, sensible and beloved member of “the little family”, her wonderful singing voice was highlighted several times throughout the run of the series.

And how many of you knew that Richard Crenna later played Marjorie’s husband, Bronco?