Robo-James' Time Machine: The Kids from C.A.P.E.R.

Before The Jonas Brothers, before iCarly, before Hannah Montana—yea, even long before Saved by the Bell—there was the Saturday-morning live-action kids’ show. Like any good child of Generation X, I have chunks of my brainsphere better reserved for remembering physics equations and American history instead stuffed with memories of Electra Woman and Dyna-Girl, Lidsville and Shazam! Earlier this year, Will Ferrell tried to monetize this Gen X nostalgia with a big-screen version of Land of the Lost.

No one will ever try to make a movie, successful or otherwise, of The Kids from C.A.P.E.R. I cannot remember exactly what it was about, except that there was crime fighting, secrecy and a character who went nuts when he heard the word “bananas.” I remember that it existed for a short time, debuting on NBC in 1976, the year of the Bicentennial and Swingtown. And I remember that I loved it. Watch with me the credits of The Kids from C.A.P.E.R., reader, and then let us savor the details:

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Robo-James' Time Machine: The Golden Age of Wheel of Fortune

The Tuned In Jrs. have recently become fans of Wheel of Fortune, which addiction we’ve been supplementing by Tivoing reruns of the 1980s episodes currently airing on GSN. Among their discoveries: Vanna White’s job was much more physically taxing. Below, someone’s YouTube tribute to the old puzzleboard, on which she then had to turn the [...]

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Robo-James' Time Machine: How TV Taught Me to Be Jewish

My father was Catholic, my mother is Jewish. That means I was always Jewish, technically and culturally. In practice, as a kid I went to Catholic church; when I became a good teenage atheist, I stopped going to church, but I never had any Jewish religious education. I was always aware, through my Mom’s family, [...]

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Programming Note

OK, I know what you’re thinking: Didn’t Poniewozik just go on vacation? And you’re right, I did, although in my defense, I don’t actually take real vacations, because TV criticism is not a real job. Normally in August I take off two weeks in a row; this year I had to reschedule one week because [...]