TV Parents

There's a point in every nerd's life when they imagine, before they realize how truly cool their parents are, other people as their parental ideal. I, not being a nerd of course was otherwise no different. A father who had heart to heart talks providing guidance and sense to a maddening world =and always with kindness and understanding. A mother who always sympathized, always understood, was protective and ready with love and a hug.

Some of the subtle differences between my real family and my TV ideal is that I always had the time frame of when my TV family would offer up these talks and hugs- once a week at 8pm on CBS. You could watch Batman instead but come on! And my TV parents always had real nice background music in their parental moments while my real parents usually turned the music off when they needed to speak to me.

My TV parents did tend to wear silver jumpers at first but soon comforted me in plush velour garb. I too would later proudly wear my two toned sweatshirt. It may still survive waaay back in a closet.

Professor John Robinson had played Zorro in his previous TV life so he never was far from protecting me and Will from giant plastic crabs and other threats. He did this with a mixture of pseudo karate and a dancing strand of hair. Later when the show became a goofy mockery of what it originally was- the fear of becoming Lost in Space with evil lurking in the guise of Dr.Smith- to a comedy show with giant carrot and lettuce people chasing a very flaming and delightful Dr. Smith as he shrieked and pleaded chewing up scenery as no one has since. I'm not sure if TV Dad/Professor Robinson knew quite how to approach his role when this type of nonsense circled around him. He seemed lost- should I be serious and heroic? should I make funny faces and pratfalls? He was probably relieved not to be on camera. I also can not remember TV Mom/Maureen Robinson ever hitting anyone/thing/carrot. TV Mom was probably stuck on ways to offer hugs in her caring way.

Will, Penny and especially Robot were my best friends at least for an hour a week. Those were good times together although they never showed up for any of my birthdays. One Christmas I received the best Robot toy, which ;ater survived a friends' toss down the stairs. Although the toy company feared that a gray robot wouldn't appeal to the masses so it is oddly bright red and blue. Perhaps my real parents were trying to connect with my TV parents- if so, this still stands as a magic Christmas. I still have him, Robot, 40 plus years later.

There was Major Don West who at one point probably saw this show as a fine oppotunity to become a dashing leading man but he too was lost in the big shadow of Dr. Zachary Smith. And Judy, she was the fairest of them all. Or at least equal to all my TV marriages (before you-know-who and before 1970) Judy (Lost In Space), Mrs. Peel (the Avengers), Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched). While a decade later, my fellow fellows followed Marcia (Brady Bunch) as she filmed a Streets of San Francisco- this was different from an 8, 9 years olds' TV marriage. Also, despite what my former comrades will say, Marcia (Maureen McCormick) waved to me.

After three years, my TV parents left me without really saying goodbye. They never made it home, never sent anyone to continue what we had begun together. I didn't see them too often after that- and only once that I can remember together on a Family Feud reunion show. Even then they really didn't speak to me.

But in those years my real parents were always near and if they didn't provide many warm heart to hearts, or hugs, I did know that they would be there to pick me up if I fell. Today even as one has left and the other struggles with weakened legs and uncertain balance, their reach and care for me is a love unspoken. Their legacy is the music I will always feel.



(just for a mark in time> SF has elected mayor in standing, Ed Lee although he is backed strongly and financially by old SF powers brokers-Willie Brown & Rose Pak. Occupy movements -lacking organization but heartfelt as an effort to protest the banks control over all of us and the deep root of this country/ the world's financial crisis. 49'ers are 8-1. Maria and I will meet with Dexter's teacher tomorrow who is unfairly picking on this fine young man. That needs to stop.