The Swedish Chef is funny

When we moved to Aspen Springs in September one thing we DID NOT bring with us was the cable company.  We realize that there is next to nothing on television that we have any desire to watch - and this move was as good a time as any to cut out the cable.  The "appropriateness" of television has been declining for years, though we'd been keeping cable for a few programs here and there.  Even some of the cute cartoons for little kids had become pretty much off limits (in our opinion) because of the commercials.  Ugh.  We just didn't need the girls sitting through all that.

So, are we TV free?  Nope.  We have a television.  It's in the basement.  And it does get used.  We can rent movies on DVD or borrow them from the library.  We also have Netflix through the wii.  And, we have the ability to watch all sorts of great stuff via Mark's MacBook.

We do screen the films we watch (both as a couple, and those we watch as a family). One reliable guide is Decent Films Guide. This site provides analysis from a Catholic Christian perspective.

There are a couple good things about this set-up.  We can choose shows that are OK for the girls to watch and add them to the Netflix queue.  They get a little entertainment and it's commercial-free.  We find that after a day of school and chores and playing outside, they appreciate and enjoy a little television time.  If it happens at all, it happens while I'm getting dinner together.  Sometimes one of them will choose to do something else - or help me in the kitchen - but normally I get some alone-time and a peaceful dinner preparation.


We have rediscovered some of the old shows that were fun back when we were kids (and well before)... The girls are currently on an Addam's Family (the 1960's TV series) kick.  They also really enjoyed the Dennis the Menace series from the late 1950s.  When Grandpa was here for a visit a few weeks ago, we watched some skits from The Carol Burnett Show and all had a good laugh.  We especially enjoyed anything with Tim Conway.



As a family, we occasionally watch an episode of I Love Lucy after dinner.  A recent favorite was the episode in which Lucy wanted to learn about wine making while visiting Italy.  It is certainly a classic.  Isn't it wonderful that these old shows - that parents and children can enjoy together - are still available to us?



And, just this week, we found some snippets from The Muppet Show.  We were nearly in hysterics over the Swedish Chef!  (bork, bork, bork!)



There are lots more examples of shows/movies/series from the past that we can watch together as a family.  What are some of your favorite oldies-but-goodies?