If you were following my status updates last night, you might have seen one (I won’t say an odd one because even I know that typically means most of them) that I posted about “Swamp People,” a new series that premiered last night on History Channel. I would love to talk about that and have plenty of material. I could even start with my text string with my buddy Cliffy, who was watching it back home last night and we were texting throughout it, more for translation matters than anything, but still.

But I won’t say anything more than you should watch it. It’s going to be pretty good.

The reason I’m so easily dropping that subject? Well, duh, isn’t it obvious? The writer for Howdy Doody Show died today.

Now, I don’t know a whole lot about the show. It ended 11 years before I was even born. It was in black and white, and even though I’m feeling older by the day, my whole life has been lived in a color TV world, which says a lot since we didn’t have much money. Now when I was a kid I did have a little 13-inch portable TV that was black and white. And I’ll get to that in a minute. But overall, my life has been all color all the time.

No, I don’t really have any connection to the show, at least not enough that made me really care much about this story when I saw it. I just like saying Doody. So that’s something.

But also it made me think about something. As we all get older–yes, even you young fuckers who are reading this, you’re getting older too–it just gave me pause and I took a moment to think about the things from my life that I will miss when I see that a writer for a show, or an actor, or whoever dies. It’s kind of like when Walter Payton died. I totally remember the bar I was in and everything about hearing the (incorrect) story on ESPN that night. It was a bad night. And for anyone who knows the stories from Greenville, it was actually the Bunny costume night. Enough said on that subject for now.

So, who or what will I get a little nostalgic about when I see it come to an end? Here’s a little list:

  • The illustrator, or as I say ‘cartooner’, for the Super Friends. I loved watching that show when I was a kid, ie the reference to the 13-inch black and white TV. I used to take that TV with me to my dad’s restaurant on Saturday mornings when he’d let me go in with him early and I’d sit in back and watch that while they made the breakfast deserts which are like a equal to the Cinnamon Twists from Taco Bell. I think we should have royalty money from it actually because my dad’s restaurant was also a Mexican place. I love telling people the name because it always makes them laugh and ask, “Really? No fucking way.” But yeah, really. It was called Trickie’s Texas Tacos and it was cool. It didn’t work out and he had to sell the restaurant and tried to make it work again for a little while in a small trailer (I can’t get away from them) that was like a food truck. Anyway, I loved the Super Friends. My favorite? Zan and Jayna, the Wonder Twins. And the monkey, Gleek. Boo-fucking-yah. LOVED THEM. If you ever come across a Wonder Twins t-shirt, I’d love to have it so just buy it and I’ll pay you back.
  • The writers for the West Wing. I think LOST may be my favorite series of all-time, and if not, then it’s at least in my top three. But I don’t think there was ever better writing, every episode, than the West Wing. I’m not political and it may seem weird that I loved that series so much, but it is the only TV show that I own the series on DVD. I was a huge ER fan too, or at least the early years, and totally love Seinfeld and King of Queens and Cheers and Saved by the Bell and a bunch of other great shows, but West Wing just is the most watchable over and over again. I think LOST will also be that way since I’m in season four of re-watching the whole series. For now though, I will feel bad when the West Wing people start biting the dirt.
  • MASH. Anything to do with it, the writers, actors, whoever. I am really dating myself but I grew up with this show. It was always on, whether new or re-runs, and it was must-see TV before there was such a thing. And it was funny shit. Stupid, idiotic and sometimes sad, it was always worth watching. I saw Alan Alda in the final season of West Wing and he did a great job, but it’s still weird to this day not seeing him in a surgical gown and mask.

So those are a few things I’ll get nostalgic about when someone kicks the bucket. It’s not a complete list as I have other likes and interests, but it’s good enough for today.

And now, something that I won’t miss when they’re dead? These people associated with today’s worst movie scenes ever. I have to admit, however, that I laughed my ass off at a good portion of this. It wasn’t just stupid, it was funny. I just can’t believe this was released as a movie, and I can’t verify that it ever was released other than it was on YouTube. But anyway, enjoy it like the car wreck that it is.