Wow. I remember being at my grandparents' house in Georgia on the day DS first aired, watching the first few episodes, and thinking it was pretty neat. Then we came back home, and the local ABC station wasn't airing the show. Boy, was I one pissed-off little fellow. It take another 3-plus years before I ever got to watch it on a regular basis; and then, all too soon, they pulled the plug. But -not- being able to watch it every day during that period made it all the more magical for me. In the end it's worked out, as I've watched the entire series twice, and many portions of it up to a dozen times.
What a great milestone.