Henry Mancini’s iconic theme immediately evokes images of The Pink Panther whenever and wherever it’s heard. Revisit this classic cartoon.
Join shazbazzar and JediShua as they celebrate Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, Chinese New Year, and Groundhog Day with The Pink Panther on Radio Shack’s entry level home computer, the TRS-80 with jokes, news, and a history lesson.
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Bubble Wrap, Groundhogs, a Rooster, and the Pink Panther
If the rooster hasn’t crowed yet to wake up your family with his built-in alarm cluck, why not show your appreciation for bubble wrap by twisting and popping a sheet to get everybody’s day going? It’s the year of the rooster in China, Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day in the West, and the prevalent prognosicator from Punxatawney is just about to place his predictions about the weather this week. So plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and enjoy 77 minutes of TechnoRetro.
In the NEWS…
JediShua reveals forty year-old news via a recent IO9 article about the Death Star trench from Star Wars: A New Hope. It just may be that the trench run takes place someplace you hadn’t expected. And the star of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, and The Dick Van Dyke Show is laid to rest in Connecticut over the weekend.
Aftershocks of 1977
The computer era gets rolling in 1977 with the release of three popular home computers. Commodore’s PET is revealed, the Apple II begins production, and Radio Shack gets in the game with a fully assembled home computer, complete with monitor, for $599. The TRS-80 started in earnest on February second as the design stage of this memorable computer began its trek from concept to store shelves in 1977. Affectionately called the “Trash 80”, this home computer would soon be found in schools, small businesses, and homes in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Most GenXers had at least some interaction with the TRS-80 during their youth, learning to program in BASIC, rolling through the numbers on tape drive counters, and generally just having fun as computers began their quest to take over the world from every house on the planet.
Saturday Mornings
Introduced as part of the title credits of a Blake Edwards film starring Peter Sellers, the Pink Panther graced television screens in our youngest days every Saturday morning. With music by Henry Mancini and William Lava, these animated shorts were small on talk and big on “show, don’t tell” as the curious character provided hours of physical comedy in brief segments on The Pink Panther Show. JediShua and shazbazzar remember their experiences with the Pink Panther, as well as The Ant and the Aardvark, while listening to various performances of the iconic theme song. PLUS: shazbazzar agrees with Scott Ryfun that the Aardvark sounds a lot like Bernie Sanders.
Toys in the Attic
Fisher-Price has been an iconic part of kids’ playtime for nearly a century. From building neighborhoods and cities with Little People to trekking in this world and others with Adventure People, childhood imagination has had a wonderful springboard through their toy lines. This week, shazbazzar and JediShua remember playing doctor with the Fisher-Price Medical Kit. Originating in 1977, this doctor’s kit came with a stethoscope, reflex hammer, thermometer, syringe, and more, giving curious kids a way to play doctor at home on the couch — even on dozing parents!
History Lesson
Of course, there’s a lot taking place on February second in fictional history, but this week is loaded with past and future events from Potter to Prometheus and everything in between.
So pour a bowl of cereal, plug in your ear buds, and start thinking PINK this Monday morning with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!
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Join shazbazzar and JediShua each week for a look back at the ’70s and ’80s as they share the fun and also fandom of their youth with their families, friends, and EarBuds. Topics include TV, film, music, toys, and games of the ’70s and ’80s as well as franchises which have continued into the 21st Century, like Star Wars, TRON, Lord of the Rings, and The Pink Panther. TechnoRetro Dads is a blend of new stories as old legends are then passed down from one generation to the next.
If you’re a TechnoRetro Dad, the child of one, or just want to relive the joy of the ’70s and ’80s today, then this podcast is for you!