The Case for Kiddie Nostalgia - Part 1

It has been a long while since I put together a weekend edition of Judge & Jury. Commitments, general business and a lack of inspiration have all played their part in keeping me away.

But not today - no, I have been inspired by a conversation I had a few weeks ago to revisit the past and some old childhood friends with whom, through the magic of DVD, it may be possible to be reunited. If any readers in blogland can think of people I may have forgotten, please let me know.

Now, by way of introduction, we were discussing some TV shows from years past. My age showed through in a lot of the discussion, mainly in the extra detail I was able to bring to the recollections that my more aged brain had stored uselessly within its cells. The oddest thing about these shows, that I recall both with fondness and a mild amount of horror, is how they appear to have influenced me and my current tastes. They are shows I think I will one day have to obtain on DVD to relive, yet at the same time, I do fear that they may not be quite the shining beacons of child entertainment excellence that I once thought they were...

And so, enough introduction; now lets get on to it, with hyperlinks where I can find them:

1. Star Fleet / Bomber X

Memories: I think this was the show that started our particular geek discussion, and for both of us, it was a fairly vague memory of supermarionation and Japanese robots.



I am a bit of a Sci Fi space battle nut, so what I mainly remembered was lots explosions and encounters, though mostly the fights all ended up fairly inconclusively, and there was a space ship and a robot... and that was about it. I seem to recall at the time I had the realisation that this was a Japanese series, or at least dubbed, but who cared? As long as there were space ship and things going bang I was happy.

Influences: Perhaps I can trace my enjoyment of Japanese manga back to this show. Hideous dubbing and exaggerated expressions, large eyes and confusing storylines - I was weaned on them. I doubt Star Fleet will in any way be comparable to the incredible Gundam: Seed (well, besides the fact they are about space ships and giant robots... actually, they are fairly comparable), but if it took me to that place, then it was a great start.

DVD: Actually, it can be bought, now I come to look for it! Amazon UK! And if the NZ dollar was actually worth anything, I might have to buy it! Wonder what the chances of Real Groovy getting a copy are...


2. Mysterious Cities of Gold

Memories: I think this came a bit later that Star Fleet / Bomber X, but this one for some reason stuck a lot longer in the memory (see Influences).

I seem to recall I missed the earlier episodes, but when I got into it, I really got into it and had to make it back from school to make it, come hell or high water. Esteban and his gang of youthful adventurers found amazingly eco-friendly craft and went wandering around South America in search of El Dorado. I loved the cheesy opening song, the Japanese-y animation (though apparently this is a French coproduction) and I learned something at the end of every episode, as I recalled there was a "fabulous real South American facts" section at the end. Entertaining and informative - a parent's dream!

Influences: Well, this year I am off to explore one of those mysterious cities deep in South America. I am not touring the whole continent or anything, but I am very certain my desire to visit the sites of ancient Incan civilisations were in no small part instilled through watching this show.

DVD: Again, Amazon UK has a version or two on its books. For some reasons, I think the Mysterious Cities of Gold would hold up better than Star Fleet, but still the unfavourable exchange rate holds me back. Perhaps once I am back from exploring those cities myself...

And finally, as I have other things to do today:

3. The Lost Islands

Okay, this one I feel a certain kind of shame writing about (considering what I have just written, I know this might sound a bit ironic), but then, this was an Australian series. But it keeps coming up, and once you hear the theme song (yes, please click this link), everyone who was a child in the 80s will remember the man whose face was in a mask (with a very english accent on the "ask").

Yes, Tony, Mark and David, Anna and... the other one were lost on a deserted island that was also lost in time. It was all about young people struggling against oppresive adults, though these youths were armed with knowledge denied the local inhabitants. There was a hint of mystery, a touch of danger, and quite a bit of subterfuge and awful effects, and I seem to recall the Australian lad ended up as the good natured leader, and again, it was quite addictive. But did they ever get off? I don't recall...

Influnces: For me, the TV current series Lost is always linked to this early, cheaper version. They aren't a huge amount alike, to be honest, but the whole "mysterious isle" thing for me is the strongest link. However, the Lost Islands never really made me want to get stranded on an island somewhere - though I ended up in New Caledonia for 9 months, so perhaps it had more of an influence than I thought.

DVD: No sign of it, and actually, I am quite glad of that.

Verdict: Oh, the 80s! Youth! So many memories! And, as I remember more of them, I will share them all with you and see if you too recall these blasts from the past! 75 reminiscences out of 80.