As a 10-year old in the mid-60's, the Fall Preview TV Guide was much anticipated for a number of reasons that, sadly, I don't think exist anymore.

It was a 'thick' TV Guide, with full-page stories about the new (and some of the old) Prime Time shows of the new season. For me, it was the ONLY place that I could see what Batman & Robin, Hogan's Heroes, and Laugh-In looked like..in COLOR...as we watched on the old upright cabinet Magnovox and didn't get the new RCA until somewhere around 1969-70.

Also, back in those days the 'season' premieres were aligned in the same week (maybe two)...so it was a big hub-bub with all the new shows kicking off at the same time. Nowadays, there's new shows starting all the time...even during the summer (and not as 'replacements') and the 'new season' gets more than a bit muddled...

Those classic years when you had to choose whether you were a "Lost in Space" Fan or a "Star Trek" Fan...and the cornucopia of choices like the "Smothers Brothers", "My Mother the Car", and "Time Tunnel" to decide between and you would scan the TV Guide for the entries with DEBUT in bold boxed lettering.

Maybe it was more structured then...at times, I feel bad for my kids that there's really no sense of anticipation at this time of year...even looking forward to Saturday morning cartoons has imploded and not even part of their mind-set. There's cartoon channels 7x24x365 now.

And when was the last time anyone "missed" having a TV Guide in their house. I think (perhaps aside from a popular gentleman's magazine, which I just bought for the car articles, of course)it was the first magazine subscription I ever took out for our college dorm room.

I don't know, it's clear times have changed, but there was something very tangible back then that was special around this time of year.

I'm glad TVWW is bringing the spirit of that back.

Phil
Franklin, NJ

PS: Now I have that "It's About Time" theme stuck in my head...

"It's about time,
It's about space,
About strange people in the strangest place..."

Oh brother..

[Dear Phil -- We may have been separated at birth. I remember my enthusiasm for the arrival of each year's Fall Preview TV Guide issue as my personal version of Steve Martin in The Jerk: "The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!"

And I would make decisions, then and there, about my viewing patterns for the entire fall. Back then, there were no VCRs, of course, so we HAD to CHOOSE!!!! -- David B.]

Phil is so right. The anticipation of the Fall TV Season way back when was quite exciting. As I mentioned before, the TV Guide Fall Preview Issue could only be compared to the Sears Holiday Catalog for family excitement and anticipation.

Everyone had their particular favorites, circled them, and hoped for the best. But with 5 brothers and sisters, the majority always ruled -- which was usually my father.

And is it just me, or has the season been pushed further and further back with each passing year. Maybe I'm just getting older, but it seemed to me that as soon as the Jerry Lewis Telethon was over the new shows started. I notice some won't even be airing until October.

Am really, really looking forward to tomorrow's recommendations, and in particular the don't watch -- saves us all precious time.

So thanks to you all in advance for this very special undertaking.

Very bizarre or is that bizarro. I was thinking Phil's thoughts as well. I have not watched a single show on regular network TV (ABC,CBS, NBC, or that upstart channel Fox) in over a year. I have OnDemand from Comcrap and don't even bother. If it ain't on AMC or TNT on basic cable it passes me. (Except for Pawn Stars!) Though I am anticipating Boardwalk Empire.