The Andy Griffith Show
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| Clockwise from bottom right: Barney, Andy, Opie, Gomer |
The Show: If you grew up in the South, you have at least heard of this show, if not seen most of the episodes often enough to quote them by heart (don't get me started on "Opie's Charity"!). The show is about widower Andy Taylor who is the sheriff of the small, backwoods North Carolina town of Mayberry. He lives there with his young son Opie, his Aunt Bea, who keeps house for them, his faithful (albeit bumbling) deputy Barney Fife, and many other good friends and neighbors.
The Lessons: A part of the reason the show has been so popular for so long is because of its strong stress on family values, of being honest, kind and true to your word. Many of the talks that Andy and Opie have together are full of little pearls of wisdom, from both ends of the conversation. You also learn how fun it can be to pick on somebody who takes everything seriously (aka Barney).
Murder, She Wrote
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| Jessica Fletcher |
The Show: The main character is Jessica Fletcher, a retired English teacher from the small town of Cabot Cove, Maine, who becomes a world famous mystery writer after her nephew publishes the manuscript she had written while recovering from her husband's death. After she becomes published, she encounters murder mysteries every time she turns around, and solves every single one of them.
The Lessons: It is very important to be observant and notice details. It is always those little things that get overlooked that help Jessica piece together what really happened. It is also very important to research whatever it is you are investigating so that you understand it thoroughly.
Alias Smith and Jones
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| Left: Hannibal Heyes Right: Kid Curry |
The Show: I know I've already talked in-depth about this show in a different post, but I thought it was worth mentioning again, because...
The Lessons: ...it is chock full of little history lessons. It teaches you about nitroglycerin, how safes used to be cracked, the Bannerman Detective Agency, different kinds of gambling schemes that were used in the Old West, that the practice of fingerprinting was begun in the 1880s/90s, and many more little gems. For a history buff like me, that's pretty cool.
The Monkees
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| Clockwise from top right: Mike, Peter, Davy, Mickey |
The Show: The show is about four friends, Mike, Mickey, Davy and Peter, who make up the rock band "The Monkees". They go through many misadventures as they try to get work in and around LA, such as stumbling into spy rings, being mistaken for other people, competing with other bands, and getting Davy out of his frequent romantic issues.
The Lessons: First off, stick to your friends. Even though the guys all come from different backgrounds and have different personalities, they are always there for each other, even when their knee-jerk reaction is to run the other way. You can also learn that sometimes it's ok to just have fun and be goofy! Life was meant to be enjoyed, as long as you do it in a harmless way. Let the inner kid in you loose, ride with the windows down, try imitating Davy's English accent and sing along at the top of your lungs! (Speaking of singing, the Monkees also had some pretty good songs. My personal favorites are "Daydream Believer", "Sometime in the Morning", "She", and "I'm a Believer").
Gilligan's Island
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| Clockwise from right: Skipper, Mary Ann, Gilligan, Professor, Mr. Howell, Mrs. Howell, Ginger |
The Show: Their theme song pretty much sums up the show, so I'll just share it instead of explaining it myself. :)
The Lessons: If you know the basics of how a bicycle works, you can make just about any kind of machinery that you might need anywhere. (Ok, ok, this is one of the ones where I'm stretching it a bit. But you have to admit, all the different contraptions the Professor comes up with in that way are pretty amazing). You also learn the importance of carefully checking the weather forecast before taking a trip! Especially one on the water. ;)
Columbo
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| Lt. Columbo |
The Show: The main character is Lt. Columbo of the LA Homicide division (you never, ever learn his first name. He is always just "Lieutenant"). He always acts like he doesn't quite know what's going on, but in reality he has a razor sharp mind. One interesting part of this show is that at the beginning of each episode you see the murder actually occur, so you know all the time who did it and get to watch Columbo figure it out.
The Lesson: Sometimes it's an advantage to not appear intelligent. People begin to underestimate you, and then at the right moment you can zing them with the fact that you've had them figured out all along.
F Troop
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| Left to Right: Sgt. O'Rourke, Cpl. Agarn, Capt. Parmenter, Wrangler Jane |
The Show: Have you gotten the idea that I like Westerns? I do. But this one is a bit different from most others in that it shows "how the West was fun!" (quoted from the back of the DVD case). F Troop is a US cavalry fort that is commanded by the sweet, naive and accident-prone Captain Parmenter. His two assistants are Sgt. O'Rourke and Cpl. Agarn, who run an (illegal) souvenir business behind the Captain's back with the nearby Indian tribe, the Hicawis. All of the soldiers in F Troop have problems which prevent them from being really professional soldiers, e. g. a bugler who's tone-deaf, a lookout who has "20-900" vision, and so on. And in the nearby town lives Wrangler Jane, who has her Stetson set on marrying the Captain.
The Lessons: That no matter how sneaky you are (or try to be), you're never going to win 100% of the time. Many of O'Rourke and Agarn's schemes end up blowing up in their faces, sometimes literally. So it's better to be open and above-board with everything you do.
Home Improvement
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| Top to bottom: Tim, Jill, Brad, Randy, Mark |
The Show: The show follows the Taylor family: dad Tim, who is the host of the DIY show "Tool Time"; mom Jill, who is trying to become a working mom but always ends up staying home; and the three boys, athlete Brad, smart-elec Randy, and momma's boy Mark. Between family misunderstandings, the boys growing up, and Tim's great ineptitude as a handyman (and his obliviousness of the fact), the Taylors are kept on their toes.
The Lessons: My mom pointed out to me some time back that this show has a lot of good lessons for marriage in it. Unlike most TV couples, Tim and Jill don't just have an argument and then have a mushy make-up after both begin to feel guilty about their part in it. These two have an argument, brood on it for a bit, try to make it up, have another misunderstanding, think about how they might have been a part of the problem after all instead of it being all the other person's fault, and then eventually come to a compromise. They work through their many differences and come out as better people and a closer couple at the end of it. That's what you have to do in real life, work things out and come to a mutual agreement where both people give up something for the good of their relationship. If I ever get engaged, I'm letting the Taylors be my marriage councilors. ;)
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