World Television Day 2020: Here’s A Trip Down The Memory Lane With The ‘Idiot Box’
This World Television Day 2020, it is time to look back to some of the nostalgic moments related to the ‘idiot box’
It was back in 1996 when the United Nations General Assembly announced November 21 to be the World Television Day. This decision was made after the UN recognized that the television had become an integral part of the human civilization as it emerged as a way with which people not just entertained themselves but also got to know about worldly developments. The growth of the internet may have transformed the world to be deemed as a global village but it was undoubtedly the television which introduced people to international standards, not just in India, but globally. Read below to know some of the nostalgic moments one might have lived with their television sets –
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Waking up early to watch the morning cartoons
Be it The Smurfs, Garfield or Friends, or The Flintstones, Sunday morning cartoon shows were a rage among kids who woke up early even on a holiday from school in order to enjoy their favourite cartoons. The morning cartoons were not just entertaining but also acted as a companion for the morning breakfast of kids.
Watching cricket matches with family
Cricket has been one of the most loved sports in India which can be defined by the moments people hold close to their heart which stem out of the sport. Watching cricket in front of the ‘idiot box’ as a family where the younger ones would act out the entertaining shots from the game was a common thing. While the OTT transformation has given people the opportunity to seek out their own entertainment which has had an impact on those family gatherings to watching a sporting event, the feeling of oneness and the joy of watching your home-team win a match is still unmatched.
Staying up late to watch horror shows
There was nothing like staying up late night till 11 to watch horror shows only to get scared and miss the majority of the night’s sleep. While staying up till 11 does not feel like a task now, back when the television was the primary source of entertainment as kids, it was something we looked forward to. Shows like Aahat and Ssshhhh…Koi Hai are still spine-chilling to watch.
Music channels
Remember the music channels? there was a time when people could not easily access their favourite music by just clicking a few options on their mobile device. People can now simply use music streaming platforms to get their favourite music but there was a time when they would have to sit in front of the TV for hours before their favourite track showed up as a music video. While the music channels still exist on the traditional cable television service, they are not viewed as frequently as they were back then.
Watching television premieres of films
Before OTT made it easy for people to access movies within weeks of their release in cinema halls, people had to wait for months before they could watch a movie they missed. Getting cosy in our own homes with a big bowl of popcorn while a relatively new film plays on the traditional cable channel will always be a novelty which cannot be compared with the new-gen way of binge-watching films.
Promo image courtesy – Bruna Araujo on Unsplash