I hope this makes my fellow Gen Xers as happy as it made me.
Damn kids today: When we saw this during October, it usually meant that something wonderful, like a It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was about to start. When we saw it in December, it usually meant a Rankin/Bass special was about to transport us to a land where Bumbles Bounce. If your parents didn’t get the TV guide, seeing this was like finding a treasure map, and the few seconds of darkness between its ending and whatever came next, always felt like an eternity.
Like the sound of a 56K modem connecting, it’s a familiar and visceral reminder of a time that’s long gone. I don’t know about the rest of you, but it makes me incredibly happy, like finding an old friend.
Ohh! I had to edit and add this comment from reader Magic_Al:
“To a kid, this was the television equivalent of gift-wrap. You hope it’s going to be a toy but it could turn out to be a sweater.”
Absolutely, Magic_Al. That is the perfect way to describe it. I wish I’d thought of that!
That little animation was the signal that for the next 30 minutes, the television belonged to me and my sister. I’m trying to think of a contemporary signal, but I can’t.
Dude, I know EXACTLY what you mean. Even though it’s not the right season for it, as soon as that clip finished, my mind immediately filled in kids skating on an icy pond singing, “Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer …”
An old friend indeed. š
Yep, takes me back about 30 years. A time when you could leave your doors open all night and not worry about it.
It also made me think I have school tomorrow.
Laters, Mark.
I wish I was special.
I remember that deal too – but right now I’m more stuck with a song that will be in my head all day long. It started the second I read the title.
That gives me a little warm shiver.
I felt the same way this week when I found an old Disney special about the making of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland WITH Karen Allen and John Rhys Davies, and a Muppets at Disneyland special from 1990. Different generation, same warm fuzzies.
Wow. Yeah, everything you said.
That’s so awesome. And here I thought it was going to be a Radiohead video or something. Which would have also been cool but not nearly as personal.
=)
Do you remember how disgusted and depressed you were when they played that little intro and then it turned out to be some stupid news thing or something for our parents? I remember practically crying one time because I was just sure a cartoon was coming on and it was some political special.
@MJBUtah: Totally!
“YAY! There’s a special and it’s going to be . . . RONALD REAGAN?! BOOOOO!”
That was the best thing to see except for what always came after it. For some reason I always relate it to the Charlie Brown specials and nothing else, don’t know why.
The hair on my arms stood up on end. That rocked. I hated when that came on TV and it ended up being something for grown-ups.
I haz the goosebumpz of nostalgia!
I also get those goosebumps when I hear the 20th Century Fox intro trumpets. Doesn’t matter what movie it is, I think it’s going to be Ep 4.
NICE FIND!
I was rather found of the more epic ABC intro that meant a Bond flick was about to start.
And of course there’s always the HBO intro that was just SO FREAKIN’ AWESOME it had its own documentary.
I also liked the freaky vector-animated Mickey Mouse that Disney used in the early 80s. They should bring that one back.
I had a little dance I would do…it was adorable I assure you and not the least bit shameful.
Here is the closest thing for me, having been born and raised in England:
I was born in ’86, so Doctor Who had been cancelled by the time I knew what I was actually watching on television, however my Dad had an extensive library of Doctor Who on video which I would watch extensively. On slow days when I had nothing to do, he would take one of the videos, put it in to the VHS player, and I’d have no idea what I would be watching until the first episode of the serial started.
The distinctive sound of the chime/jingle that the BBC used on their videos in the early-to-mid 90s still sticks in my head today, and when I heard it I knew I would be watching Doctor Who soon.
Heh… the power switch on that 56K Modem (which I couldn’t get to work) is in the OFF position. Maybe that’s why it won’t work for me?
Wow, that pulled me right back in time. Thanks for that–nice to remember days when a TV special made the whole world seem right.
Wow. I clicked the video with few expectations, but it was like you’d strapped me down in a DeLorean (well, THE DeLorean). The hair on my arms stood up.
“Tonight on CBS, Barbara Walters talks to Henry Kissinger.” Nooooooo! š
The Peanuts specials were a staple in our house. Everything stopped when the piano started.
Good find!
I sort of remember that one. I also remember the HBO one that shows up in the ‘similar clips’ at the end, mostly because I liked the background musicssadfgasjhk
Uhm..music. My cat says hello, by the way… nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Fantastic. Amazing how such a little thing triggers such a base response.
Oh by the way, I was walking through CostCo and saw the most bitchin Millenium Falcon I have ever seen. I immediately thought back to my MF and then thought Wil would love this one.
Go check it out, you’ll be tempted to buy it, just like I was.
OMG! I totally forgot about that thing! They never have anything like that anymore. If you do see something similar to it, it just means your TV show is going to be interrupted by the Prez.
That right there, my friend is why I follow you so much. We live our lives in the same time. We may be completely different people (i.e. you’re a nice guy, I’m an ass, you’re a celeb and I am significantly unknown, you make your money the way I wish I could but I work for the man) but we share something great.. childhood in the late 70’s early 80’s.
The pong-pong noise when connecting with 28.8 and faster modems always terrified me. The first 28.8 I had was a Hayes v.FC that could only be upgraded to the final v.34 standard by a little chip-swapping kit you could get from the manufacturer. The first time I dialed somewhere, that noise convinced me I had done something horribly wrong when plugging the replacement PLCC.
So yeah, the 56k modem simulator link made the hair on the back of my neck stand up again, 14 years later.
Wow, does that ever take me back. Now I’m all gooey with nostalgia, which is not something I should be right now — we’re about to get into a teleconference with our unforgivably-bad web “design” vendor, and II need to drop the hammer on them.
I can almost see Santa on a Norelco Razor head
Here’s a good one:
and this one complete with Atari sponsorship and cheesy Superman narration:
Wow, that took me back. It really does make the hair on the back of my neck stand up… now I want popcorn and a quilt.
Aw, hell yeah. Seeing that made me think of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Rudolph and (for some bizarre reason) TV showings of The Wizard of Oz.
I just showed that to my almost-7-year-old, and she said, “I don’t get it.” *sob*
I feel left out being Canadian š Yes we have your channels as well, but I stick to the Canadian networks.
I still have my modem in my tower cause you never know when you are going to have to use a 56K modem to send a fax or something. I also still have a 3.5 floppy in my tower that I refuse to get rid of every time I put new parts in it.
I couldn’t sleep last night because of tonight *only a few more hours to go* Now how lame is that?
Please don’t forget to tell people about Friday. But if you do, I will post it in a comment sometime this week. Now I am just rambling.
That’s soooooo weird.
I was just thinking about that “Special” opening the other day. I wanted to find it on YouTube. My wife is a couple years younger and is just outside the age range.
One more thing lost on those Damn Kids Today (TM). They need to include that on the DVDs for the holiday shows.
The General Cinemas bumpers are the movie theater equivalent for me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5mNAZ_bGjE .
And I’ll never be able to separate the 20th Century Fox bumper from the beginning of the original Star Wars.
hahaha. That sound would create a stampede in my house when all four of the kids came running from wherever they were to the TV.
I want to go rent some animated holiday special and stay up past my bedtime snuggled under the covers on the couch with my mom, now.
Bittersweet memories, on so many levels.
Rikki Tikki Tavi!
Man those cobras were creepy.
Fie! I really thought Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin was going to start up right after that.
Now I have to go ransack the child’s room for the VHS copy of it. Yes, that’s right. A VHS copy of it. It lends to the whole old school feeling when watching it (that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it).
Oh wow! I never would have remembered that on my own, but it really took me back. That makes me so very happy. Thanks for sharing!
OMG! Squeeeee!!!
It does still give me that little butterflies in the stomach feeling.
My memory is playing filthy tricks on me: It says a 56k modem, and the painful wait for Dizzy on a Spectrum tape-loader, sound very similar…
Wow! That gives me almost the same jolt in heart rate and adrenaline as hearing an ice cream truck play “Turkey in the Straw.”
Clay
YES!!
My mantra whenever it came on: “Please let it be Strawberry Shortcake…please let it be Strawberry Shortcake…”
(and now I’m going to have to sing “Creep” the next time I play Rock Band…)
Thanks for the memory – I had forgotten about the CBS Special intro. Now I have a strong urge to watch the gallant WWI Fighter Ace do battle with wily Red Baron in his trusty Sopwith Camel.
To a kid, this was the television equivalent of gift-wrap. You hope it’s going to be a toy but it could turn out to be a sweater.
The sound of the modem (we had a 14k) takes me back to the early days o’ the Internet and dialing into AOL/Compuserve/Prodigy, hearing the modem noises, and getting a busy signal most of the time. That meant starting the process all over again!
Anyone remember ABC After School Specials?
The HBO one was always my favorite. As I remembered it, it meant Star Wars was about to be on TV.
YES! Oh how I miss that intro. I got that same feeling of being a 6-year-old waiting for the special presentation when I saw that.
And speaking of special presentations, I LOVED your Criminal Minds episode! AWESOME performance. I didn’t see a reminder here, so maybe it hasn’t aired in the U.S. yet?
I wonder if the writers ever thought of this situation.
http://abstrusegoose.com/68
Thanks for taking me back! I was hoping “The Great Pumpkin” clip was the whole thing because my 2-year-old son was watching it with me. I’ll have to find out when/if it’ll be playing, soon. He and I watched the Rankin/Bass “Rudolph” last year, and now that he’s a year older, I think he’ll appreciate it even more this December. Hooray for passing on traditions!
talking about special intros and everything, what about the outros and everything. I remember this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMD_5_dEO9E
Me an my husband still sometimes will say it after a program has ended. Some of our friends look at us weird when we do that………..don’t know why….. Ahhhhhh…..the good ol’ days!!!!!!!!!!