By David Weiner
Growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, TV Guide was a magazine that I relied on religiously, planning my schedule around the week’s shows and specials as appointment television in “the before times,” when there was no streaming and there were no VCRs; if you missed it on TV, you missed it completely, unless you were lucky to catch a rerun.
Those of us of a certain age remember how integral this magazine was to our weekly channel-surfing entertainment existence. The much-anticipated Fall Preview issue was double the size and an exciting look at what may be your next favorite TV shows. And I’m sure many of you, like me, even clipped photos and spotlights out of the TV Guide and taped them to your bedroom door, wall, or corkboard above your homework desk.
Some memorable clips that remained taped on my door and corkboard for an eternity until the newsprint started to yellow included the amazing Frank Frazetta artwork touting the three-hour ABC premiere of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA; the STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL; Monster Week ads for The 4:30 MOVIE; and the myriad color breakdowns of brand-new shows in the annual Fall Preview issue — from PLANET OF THE APES to LOGAN’S RUN and THE MAN FROM ATLANTIS, and the behind-the-scenes spread of the max-sized miniature SUPERTRAIN model.
The magazine always had a “Cheers ‘n’ Jeers” section, which was their way of inserting recommendations and criticisms on TV programming and watching habits. I enjoyed reading that section as a kid, hoping that if they mentioned a favorite show, character, or actor of mine, that it would get a “cheer” and not a “jeer” (although a jeer often boiled down to an opinionated criticism of a network or organization for doing something that went against the morals of the “Insider” critic, or amounted to a generally unpopular decision).
So, to find out that my ‘80s horror documentary series IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS made it into the “Cheers & Jeers” section this past summer, and as the reason “alone” to get a subscription to AMC’s Shudder horror streaming platform, makes my inner kid’s heart sing.
I didn’t even realize that they still published TV Guide. I thought it disappeared for good in the modern streaming age. A friend of mine, who still has a subscription to the magazine, brought the mention to my attention and was kind enough to save the issue for me to keep (the TV Guide “Cheers & Jeers” cover with IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS art layered on it is a mock-up for this article, not the real deal).
Sometimes it’s the unexpected little things that mean the most to you. Especially when it ties directly to your childhood. Right?
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