We're slowly losing them - our television heros
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vestdennis — 11 years ago(July 21, 2014 10:23 AM)
I was in high school when The Rockford Files was on prime time. It was my favorite TV show period back then (Sanford & Son my favorite TV comedy). I also loved The Streets of San Francisco & Barnaby Jones but Rockford was way ahead of the rest!
James Garner was so real, so believable as Jim Rockford (and anyone else he played). His handsome good looks, Oklahoma accent & easy-going manner & sense of humor were his trademarks. I have every season on DVD b/c today so much on TV isn't worth watching. -
Boricanator — 11 years ago(July 21, 2014 10:43 AM)
Today we've got 300 channels of reality crap where young people are given free alcohol and locked in a house with cameras all over it, and we watch the drama unfold. You tell me if we've progressed or regressed.
I understand how you feel. I hate these reality TV shows more than you. However, I think you are being unfair to todays TV. We've had great shows with cutting edge writing, acting and directing. Here are a few.
Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, the Goodwife, House of Cards and several others. This cutting edge TV has been a relief for those of us tired of the same repetitive things in movies.
So, let's enjoy the wonderful things both eras have to offer. -
ThePowerToArouseCuriosity — 11 years ago(July 21, 2014 07:46 PM)
The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad are the exception to today's television. I'm referring more to the reality crap such as Kardashians, Big Brother, Jersey Shore, scripted talk shows like Springer. It's utter crap.
Nor do I think you coiuld really watch TWD/Breaking Bad with your children after supper.
IMDB - where I can relive my TV shows from the 70's and find new messages posted just hours ago.
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ceiag — 11 years ago(July 21, 2014 11:58 AM)
Like you, I always planned to let Jim know how much he meant to me, but didn't. I think he would have been politely unimpressed.
I have been a fan since the early Maverick days, when I was too young to know why he impressed me so much. I have Rockford on disc, but I will have to leave watching it for a while.
RIP and condolences to Lois & Gigi & Kimberley
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Captain_Augustus_McCrae — 11 years ago(July 22, 2014 03:54 PM)
As a toddler I watched him on Maverick, and I was a fan from the word, "go". Films and TV shows were always improved by his performance. At the top of the Cool Guy List there are three names- Steve McQueen, James Coburn and James Garner. No one today comes close.
So long, Slick.
"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae -
w22nuschler — 11 years ago(July 22, 2014 06:28 PM)
I always enjoyed James Garner. I have seen quite a few interviews over the years and really was interested in the man himself. I did not always agree with him, but I still respected the guy because he seemed to be honest. I always loved Tom Selleck and I know he had a lot of respect for Jim and he took h2000is advice to not break his contract and do his hit tv series Magnum PI.
My favorite roll he did will differ from most. I loved him in Support Your Local Gunfighter and Support Your Local Sheriff. I also loved him in The Great Escape.
I never liked him as much on Rockford or Maverick and I'm not really sure why. -
svengali64 — 11 years ago(July 22, 2014 07:27 PM)
Great thread guys. I think the TV companies tried harder back then. A lot of these shows from the 70s and 80s are now dated of course, but they still entertain. I am no prude, but there isn't a lot of shows that everyone in the family can watch together nowadays. Can you imagine the Waltons being commissioned now? Maybe I am just getting old, but I miss Kojak, Columbo, The Streets of San Francisco, Magnum, Miami Vice, anything from Gerry Anderson, Airwolf, Alias Smith and Jones-god l could go on and on. Getting back to James Garner, he struck me as a very classy guy. The Great Escape and 36 Hours are my favourites and The Rockford Files from his television work. Another one of childhood heroes has gone and I send my heartfelt sympathies to his family. RIP Jim.
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dick-409-354965 — 11 years ago(July 23, 2014 09:22 AM)
I'm glad TV Stations like ME TV exist in which I can watch all my favorite shows from the 1970's when I grew up. Rockford Files, Cannon, Kojack, Streets of San Francisco etc. I love the 70's because it was the decade of the Cop shows. I remember watching Starsky and Hutch in my HS days and Baretta. James Garner RIP.
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anthny_platt — 9 years ago(April 25, 2016 09:01 AM)
Why was TV so much better in those days? More focused writers? Is this like baseball expansio5b4n? Less teams meant more talent per team.
Now, so many writers are working that shouldn't be.
A combination of things, I think. For one thing, television was new. When a medium is new, people are likely to try to make art with it, and people are liable to try anything to see what works. Eventually, all they want to do is make money with it, and they stick to the standard forms that are proven to make money. Once it 'grows up' that much, it becomes insanely boring. For another, the censors prevented the writers from just going for the cheap sex giggle. So, they had to find more imaginative ways to entertain. And even those shows which favored the cheap sex gags, like Carol Burnett, had to find indirect and imaginative ways to do it. I'm not a big fan of censorship, but the ways they skirted it made for more subtle humor, and good puns, and funny innuendo, which was actually funny, not just a way to force you to giggle out of embarrassment.
Oh, and television was always better 'back then' because all the garbage is long forgotten. Only the good stuff has survived. Although Antenna TV is running both Mr. Ed and My Mother the Car, for some unexplainable reason -
Liz01219 — 11 years ago(September 04, 2014 05:17 AM)
I didn't get a chance to watch the Emmy's.
I hope they gave James Garner the same send off as they did Robin Williams.
Garner had 95 acting credits, was Oscar nominated and had 2 very successful TV series. -
cjhangen — 9 years ago(April 07, 2016 09:08 PM)
I'm about a decade behind you television-wise but I wanted to chime in and say that I appreciate your post and it's sentimentality. I completely relate to that feeling of watching 'your family show' with the folks. Or heck, playing hooky in school and watching your favorite older feel-good shows on daytime syndication (cough cough Bewitched and Press your Luck). How about Three's Company after school?
There are still lots of great old shows that, as of today, still have most of their stars. Just to name one of many, Taxi. I was just watching some episodes last night and realized that the majority of the cast, who ranged in age from young to middle aged adults (from a 1978 show, of course) is still alive and well.
Without trying to sound too saccharin I guess what I am saying out loud, to myself as well, is to find the good examples and make sure to appreciate those ones, right?
