Today is my dad's 56th birthday. Normally we would be going out for a birthday dinner somewhere, however 2020 had different plans unfortunately. We're doing something that's a lot more scaled down, given the pandemic unfortunately. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to write about how my dad played a role in making me realize (albeit slowly on my part), how I wanted to get into the film and television industry. A lot of this influence came from the classic television shows we would sit down and watch (and still watch) together that goes all the way back to my childhood.
One of the first old television shows I remember watching that had a strong effect on me was M*A*S*H. The show follows a medical unit in the Korean War that finds that laughter and tomfoolery is the best way to contend with the war. I'll never forget, my dad put it on one day on Hallmark Channel when I was 11 years old. The first episode I ever saw was "The Gun", which followed a vintage Colt .45 gun being stolen from a general and the hijinks that ensued. Needless to say, I got hooked on M*A*S*H, and my dad and I would watch it every day after school for two to three hours. I watched some of my favorite television characters, saw classic episodes that ranged from a sniper attack to a poorly-aiming kamikaze bomber known as "5 O'clock Charlie". The unique thing about M*A*S*H is how it balanced humor and the seriousness of war. The show was considerably more dramatic in the later seasons, but still made it to 11 seasons and is one of the highest rated television series in history. I was too young to realize it at the time, but watching M*A*S*H exposed me to my first show featuring an ensemble cast, unique plot framing devices (the "Dear..." letter episodes), how to balance differing tones, and how to create believable characters. Thanks to my dad, these things slowly seeped into my brain and helped me recognize them in other shows I have watched since. It always comes back to M*A*S*H for me. I even wrote my application essay for film school about Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda), M*A*S*H's lead character. To this day, we still watch M*A*S*H every night...its actually on right now as I write this!
My dad also set me on the path to becoming the massive Batman fan I am today. He used to tape episodes of Batman (1966) for my brother and I every week and we would watch them on the weekends. We also watched the movie, where I found that "some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!". The trademark ridiculousness of the show; from shark-repellent spray to "Holy _____ Batman!" phrases by Robin made this a personal favorite of my dad's. Some gifts he has gotten from us over the years include the William Shakespeare bust that opens the Batcave and a figurine of Batman in his surf getup for his surfing contest against the Joker (yes, really). Looking back on it, I have a better understanding of how the character of Batman has survived generations. I've always considered Christian Bale to be my Batman, while my dad's is clearly Adam West. The best part about the character is the continued reinterpretations by each generation as time goes on. After all the movies, television shows, comics, video games and books I've consumed of Batman, its extraordinary that it all started with that classic show. The show that in one episode found Batman challenging the Joker to a surfing contest, no less!
Nowadays, we spend a part of our evenings watching Barney Miller reruns. Barney Miller follows the NYPD's 12th Precinct's detective and the wacky characters they come across every day whilst doing their jobs. The unique thing about Barney Miller is that nearly every single episode takes place within the squad room, rarely venturing outside the walls of the precinct. The setup is very reminiscent of a stage play almost. To be honest I wasn't all that high on Barney Miller but once again, thanks to my dad, it started to grow on me. From time to time, an episode will end and my dad will say to me, "that's some good writing right there Dave". It amazes me that after all this time, I'm still learning from older, classic television shows we watch just like I did when I was a kid all those years ago. And the fact that my dad knows what I want to do in life makes me all the more grateful for it.
These are just a few shows my dad introduced me to that put me on the path I'm on today. There are countless more shows he introduced me to that shaped how I watch the plethora of programming in today's day and age. It took me a long time (21 years to be exact!) to realize that I wanted to build a career in film and television by creating content, and it really started back when I was just a kid watching television with my dad. I just didn't know it yet. Some of my fondest childhood memories are the simple ones: sitting down and watching a good television show together. I'm fortunate that I'm still able to do this, looking forward to the memories we'll continue to make and the shows that we'll continue to watch.
Happy Birthday, Dad.
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