Anyone taking up TV viewing after several years is likely to miss the kind of programmes that used to make people stay late and wake up early
“Watch your son closely as he turns 15” is a familiar remark heard by parents when their child reaches that crucial age. For me, it’s an age that heralded an end to my co-education schooling and the start of my romance with the TV. It was also the time of the 13-episode drama serials that I craved so much. School ended and then came college. Bad marks got me rid of science, but not books. Then college ended and university started. The university brought love, in fact, a lust for books. They protected me from the TV set for quite some time.
Once again, taking up TV viewing after so many years, the thing that I miss is the channel for which I used to wake up at 7am to catch the five-minute cartoon clip with such joy that nothing else can compensate it.
I still search for the coloured spectrum of rectangular lines arranged vertically on the screen which appeared more often than welcome in those days. The colour spectrum was followed by a flower and with some words of apology written on the screen.
David Hasselhoff’s captivating and exquisite car was the orbit of my fantasies and dreams. Later followed, the Defender of the Universe, Voltron, and the super hero conjured by the power of five rings, Captain Planet. Another favourite were the dramas. They were good, rather remarkable serials that they produced in those days. No need to mention any names. Everyday, we tried to finish our supper before it was time for Drama Hour. Even the servants refused to clear the table while the drama was on. My father was the only person whom one could track down at this hour in his study, finishing up some book or adding piles of cigarettes to his ashtray. His interested started as soon as our’s diminished.
Now, there are some 20 channels to be selected from. Most of them are news and information-based. News reminds me of my father’s favourite TV programme throughout the day. The sole purpose of this programme, I thought then, was to help people in correct their watches. Whatever it was, my father used to call it a bundle of lies but still watched it.
Late night TV viewing was absolutely out of the question at that tender age. I was jealous of my sisters who used to tease me about being able to watch TV long after I had gone to bed. I still don’t know whether it was really the case or not.
After having surfed all the channels, I am still searching for my ‘spectrum’ and ‘inverted butterfly’. Maybe someday, I’ll find my channel and will tune into the programmes that were my lifeline at some point in time.
Anyone taking up TV viewing after several years is likely to miss the kind of programmes that used to make people stay late and wake up early 
