Did They Have TV When You Were Little?

The other day, my son yelled for me to come and see something on PBS. Of all the things I thought it might be, I confess that a vintage clip from Zoom was not one of them. But it was in fact a clip from the original version of the children's series that now, in its 2006 form, is one of my children's favorites.

For those of you who did not know Zoom then, it was sort of a "kid power" notion which featured an all-child cast (not even a grown-up host, for crying out loud). They did skits, songs, read letters other kids sent in (following the directions and address sung to a very catchy tune), and performed science experiments you were encouraged to try at home (of the baking soda and vinegar erupting volcano variety).

I really, really loved that show. I thought the kids were beyond cool and that Boston (where the show was produced) must be the coolest place in the world if they all came from there. I had a secret burning desire for them to read one of my letters on TV -- a desire unmatched since I was four and used to cross my fingers and close my eyes every time the lady on Romper Room said her Good Morning, wishing that this time she would say my name. My mom thought the show was really inventive and would watch it with me some times. I remember her saying, "See? Those kids are just like you." And I remember thinking that that was impossible. No matter how many times I did my little songs or dance routines in front of my bedroom mirror, I could never be as good as the Zoom kids.

Well, like so many things from our childhoods when viewed through an adult's eyes, the clip from the original Zoom revealed a different version than I remembered. But, it was funny what stuck out to me the most. The kids were barefoot, everyone's hair was really long and pretty wild, and the boys all had those Brady Bunch striped bellbottomed pants on. But that wasn't the surprise. After all, pictures of me and my brothers from that time reveal similar get-ups. The surprise was in how revolutionary the whole thing looked. In a tiny, not adequately-lit studio these kids looked as if they were left alone and pulling it off spontaneously, by themselves. Along with their ultra-casual appearance, the kids were cracking each other up, having real conversations, and were singing and dancing with below-professional entertainer abilities. This added so much to the energy and excitement -- and I realized, that as a kid, I probably was convinced there were no adults around at all. Cooooool.

There is certainly great TV out there for kids, and as much as violence and gore has bumped the spectrum in one direction, PBS and sources like them have raised the bar in the kind of content available and in the promotion of TV as a valuable learning tool. But there was something in that Zoom clip that is really no where to be found now. Beyond the DIY aesthetic that can be found on some local cable access, the show promoted the idea that the kids had something interesting to say, which is different of course, from saying everything (interesting or not) TO them.