Growing up, television wasn’t anything like it is today. We didn’t have hundreds of channels, endless streaming options, or binge-watch weekends. Nope. We had three networks plus PBS, possibly some fuzzy channel might come through and that was it. If you wanted to watch something, you planned your life around it.

There were no remotes in our house—you got up, walked over, and turned the dial (and if you were the youngest, that was your “job”). Thankfully I had a little sister! Cartoons weren’t on 24/7. They came on only on Saturday mornings, which made them feel like pure magic. And every so often, ABC would air an After School Special, supposedly to teach us something valuable about life. Oh, and don’t even think about watching TV at dinnertime. In my house, dinner was eaten at the table, together, with conversation. Looking back, that rhythm of life feels like such a good time, simple and connected in ways we often miss now.

Weekly Traditions

My TV schedule was practically set in stone. Monday nights meant Little House on the Prairie, where I dreamed about running through the fields with Laura Ingalls. Sunday nights were The Wonderful World of Disney, which was so important to me that my Gramma actually bought another TV—so I could watch Disney while Grandpa kept to his ritual of 60 Minutes.

During the week, my stepmother always had the soap operas going—Days of Our Lives and Another World. And like most kids of my generation, I spent plenty of time with Eight is Enough, The Brady Bunch, and The Partridge Family.

Childhood Classics

Of course, I grew up right alongside Sesame Street, Romper Room, and later, The Electric Company—all the shows that felt fun but secretly snuck in lessons. And those Schoolhouse Rock snippets? They’re the reason I still sing the Preamble to the Constitution and know exactly how a bill becomes a law.

Saturday Morning Gold

But if I’m being honest, the crown jewel of childhood TV was Saturday morning cartoons. Scooby-Doo, Josie & the Pussycats, Captain Caveman, Marvel superheroes, Great Grape Ape, Jabberjaw—one after the other, all morning long. Pajamas, cereal, and the TV humming in the background—it’s still one of my favorite memories of childhood.

Looking Back

Those shows weren’t just entertainment; they were part of the rhythm of life. A simpler time when families talked over dinner instead of scrolling through phones, when cartoons were a once-a-week treasure, and when Disney on a Sunday night felt like the biggest event in the world.

And maybe that’s why those memories hold so much weight for me now. It wasn’t just about the TV—it was about the connection, the routine, and the joy of being a kid in a world where life moved a little slower.

XOXO, Jani