Monday, April 13, 2009

Gotta Love 70's TV Programmes ...

I'll happily admit it - I'm a geek ... I love technology ... I love watching old TV shows on dvd ... and I love many of the things that designate me as a "Geek!!"

Over the last couple of months I've been watching the first five seasons of Hawaii Five O on dvd (season five arrived as a gift at Valentines Day !!!).

Watching the Jack Lord and his crew fighting crime in Hawaii has made me appreciate what a radical (and VERY GOOD) programme Hawaii Five O was ... they had episodes on pornography, drug use - from heroin to marijuana, homosexuality, gang violence and a wide myriad of other issues that you seldom see in modern tv programmes much less one that began it 10 season run almost 40 years ago !!!

The content of the episodes has at times been startling and remarkably frank and blunt, but what I've enjoyed most of all is seeing the cast of characters who have made their appearances in supporting roles ... many of Hollywood's biggest names have played a part somewhere in the Hawaii Five O pantheon ...

Today though, seeing Andy Griffith playing a hapless villain was a bit of a stretch ... yet as the episode (I'm a family crook - don't shoot) unfolded the character he played seemed more Mayberry than Honolulu ... I suppose that's the danger of typecasting ... from Mayberry to Matlock ... Griffith remains the quintessential "Every man"!!

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