Did the Collins Family Own a TV?

[Roland]

We all know Collinwood was ON TV, but did the people living there actually own one?  We certainly never see one and no one to my knowledge ever mentions one.  Yet, in all those rooms, not a single television set?

We know they do have a radio since Mrs. Johnson reports hearing about Burke's plane crash on one I believe.

Any thoughts?

[barnabasjr]

There has been a lot of chatter here and there on these boards regarding the only TV set that was ever shown, in Buffie Harrington's room in 1970PT.

[Midnite]

We know they do have a radio since Mrs. Johnson reports hearing about Burke's plane crash on one I believe.

Carolyn blasted a transistor radio in the drawing room so she could dance with Buzz.  But years later, the radio in the drawing room got broken after she played it for Adam; apparently he much preferred classical over pop music. 

The transistor that Roger gave David got ripped off by Michael.

And Julia had a radio in the Old House basement.  I'm trying to remember what instrumental was playing, but I bet someone here knows.

At the Collinsport Inn, there was one in Burke's room and another in the diner.  Or maybe the same one moved around like the phones at Collinwood.

There has been a lot of chatter here and there on these boards regarding the only TV set that was ever shown, in Buffie Harrington's room in 1970PT.

Page 2 of the active topic "Favorite very brief characters" has a screen cap of one other TV seen.  Or click:

[loril54]

We never saw a family room.  Where would they have put the TV? On top of the Piano? The bedrooms didn't have a TV?

Can you imagine David running around with a Phazer,(sp)?

[Gerard]

The entire family probably went over to Buffie Harrington's place (at least in PT) once a week to watch My Three Sons.  Carolyn and David did nag Roger about getting a set of their own, but he dismissed their requests, saying that it was just a "fad" on which the family was not going to waste its money.

Gerard

[David]

 

I hope they had a TV.
How else would they watch Dark Shadows?

David

[barnabasjr]

Page 2 of the active topic "Favorite very brief characters" has a screen cap of one other TV seen.  Or click:

Hmph! Will wonders never cease?! I totally missed that one, or any mention of it! Thanks Midnite!

[Gerard]

I hope they had a TV.
How else would they watch Dark Shadows?

Mrs. Johnson wouldn't've let them if they had one.  She would've insisted on watching The Galloping Gourmet which came on opposite "on another network."

Gerard

[Mysterious Benefactor]

My thought has been that TVs, like bathrooms, are simply in a part of the house that we never see. 

Carolyn blasted a transistor radio ... The transistor that Roger gave David ... Julia had a radio in the Old House ... At the Collinsport Inn, there was one in Burke's room and another in the diner ...

And, of course, we can't forget the phonograph in Carolyn's room (and featured in the episode in the current slideshow and in Ep #101 for the 14th's):

In Ep #100, Carolyn actually has a phonograph in her room!

All the better to practice her Blue Whale dance moves in the privacy of her bedroom. 

[loril54]

All the better to practice her Blue Whale dance moves in the privacy of her bedroom. 

She probobly watched Where the Action is, with Paul Revere and the Raiders. Or maybe it was Shindig.

[Lydia]

If there was a TV at Collinwood, then residents can't have watched much on it, what with no cable back then, and daily thunderstorms.  If there was an antenna on the roof, then somebody (Julia, maybe) spent half of his or her waking hours up on the roof in the wind and the lightning, re-attaching it after every gust of wind.  And if the antenna was in the attic, then the ghosts would have a glorious time wiggling it around in order to entice people upstairs for some fun and games.

[loril54]

If there was a TV at Collinwood, then residents can't have watched much on it, what with no cable back then, and daily thunderstorms.  If there was an antenna on the roof, then somebody (Julia, maybe) spent half of his or her waking hours up on the roof in the wind and the lightning, re-attaching it after every gust of wind.  And if the antenna was in the attic, then the ghosts would have a glorious time wiggling it around in order to entice people upstairs for some fun and games.

Thank You,  LOL

[Luciaphile]

I like to think that Mrs. Johnson had a set in her room and that the family would sneak in and watch their favorite shows. I also like to think that Mrs. Johnson was a huge fan of Rawhide...

[markyboo]

I have to agree that as isolated as Collinwood (and Collinsport) seemed to be that television reception was probably very poor in the days before cable. I lived in rural Virginia as a wee one in 1964 & we were able to get only ONE station on our television! For a solid year we were able to watch programs only on the NBC affiliate! I remember how thrilled I was when I would visit my grandmothers & be able to watch shows like THE MUNSTERS & THE ADDAMS FAMILY that were on other networks.

Also, DS took place only a few years after Newton Minow's infamous "vast wasteland" speech about television. It's easy to imagine a sophisticated, cultured grande dame like Elizabeth Stoddard sharing such sentiments & discouraging Carolyn & David from spending too much time in front of the tube. I would imagine Liz would have handed them one of the thousands of books that were seemingly everywhere in Collinwood. And let's be honest - can you imagine the Collins family settling down in front of the TV on a Sunday night watching Ed Sullivan like one big, happy family?

[MagnusTrask]

I think they should have had a scene where David and whoever was the girl that storyline, running home from school, anxious not to miss their favorite show at 4:00... they say all the kids at school do the same thing...they run into a previously unseen TV room and switch on "The Galloping Gourmet".