A Nostalgic Scrapbook of 70's and 80's Kodak Moments for a Trip Down Memory Lane (September 25, 2024)

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Sep 25, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

There was a time, dear reader when we had to watch TV live. We raced to the bathroom during the commercial breaks and flopped onto the floor 2" from the screen when our show came back on. And if you missed the broadcast, you were missing out. There was no way to rewind or look up the Sparknotes version so you could still talk about the latest Star Trek episode with your friends at school the next day–that was it.

Live television.

Strangely, a lot of us have grown accustomed to streaming, playback episodes, or even watching TV from our phones and Live TV has gone out the window. But kids nowadays could never comprehend memorizing the commercial jingles so you knew exactly how much time you had in the kitchen to grab snacks and they will never understand the worry of approaching your parents to beg them to let you tune in to your favorite show… Because as we all know, one show was all you got back in the 70s and 80s.

So there are certainly perks to the modern era of TV, but there was something special and electrifying about those childhood days where the kids of the '70s and 80s would actually have to make an effort to enjoy their favorite shows. Back then, things meant a whole lot more because it was so ephemeral. Don't look away because you just might miss something…