I Thought I Was Crazy Until They Invented the Internet

The Friendly Friends are all roughly the same age, and all grew up in relative proximity to one another on the East Coast of the US. I say this because every so often one of us brings up a very hazy memory from when we were young'uns that none of us are 100% sure actually happened.

With the invent of teh Intrawebs and the Intertubes, it is much easier to determine if these things actually happened or if we are all batpoop crazy.

One of those particularly hazy memories is a pair of Saturday morning TV shows that we all vaguely remember. They were only broadcast on local Philly TV and they were on at some ungodly hour that only a six or seven year old eating bowl after bowl of Count Chocula would be up at.

These shows were StarStuff and The Candy Apple News Company.



Prior to actually searching for proof of their existence, we discussed what we remembered of them in an attempt to verify that either 1) we were all sane and remembering an actual TV show or 2) that our parents had entered all three of us into the same LSD test.

So, without further ado, The Friendly Friends Roundtable Discussion of StarStuff and The Candy Apple News Co.:

Sweaty Irishman, your moderator:

Let me start by asking a few questions about StarStuff & Candy Apple News. First StarStuff. Am I wrong to think that that space girl was HOT? Do I remember right that they played old Laurel & Hardy shorts? In regards to Candy Apple News, was there a talking Radio? Was their a bird living in the cuckoo clock?

Not exactly the same Space Girl from saturday mornings long ago.

FFMatt:

I barely remember Star Stuff. Looking at screen shots I know I saw it once or twice and probably dismissed it as a contact high given by the formative years during the 70's.CANC was on in the morning when I got dropped off and was waiting to go to school. Without the gory details it didn't raise anything but still-tender divorce children feelings

This was after he accused the Sweaty Irishman of being a "jerkass."

Jewbacca:

To answer Sweaty's questions, Space Girl made little Jewbacca's jammies tight. She was very hot and ranked up there at the time with Wonder Woman and Wilma Deering.

Wilma Deering. COLONEL Wilma Deering.

They absolutely played old Laurel and Hardy shorts. I remember the kid on Earth loading up big clunky cartridges into an ancient computer and "watching" them with the space girl. For what reason, I have no idea.

As for Candy Apple News Co., I do remember a talking radio, but I seem to remember that it only spoke in radio speak? If that makes sense.

And I believe it was a bat that lived in the clock and gave book reviews. I remember the book reviews because they once had a book on that I had just read (Encyclopedia Brown Chooses His Own Adventure Under the Giving Tree or something) and I felt this unbelievable closeness with my TV.

Now, a question for you two, did the Earth Kid have a black uncle?

The Earth Kid was white by the way.

Sweaty:

I believe he did.

I tried sticking an 8 trak tape into my Dad's Apple IIe computer. What didn't happen? No Laurel & Hardy shorts played. What did happen? My Dad took away my Zaxxon privileges.

Wow. No Zaxxon privileges. That is a very harsh punishment.

Sweaty also had this observation of FFMatt's childhood:

It's amazing how different life is through a kids eyes. As close as we were as little kids both in relationship and proximity and I never saw or noticed anything in regards to your living situation. In fact, I think I was more jealous than anything. All I saw was two homes, two Christmases, twice the gifts on birthdays as well, all the macaroni you could eat and you get to have astro turf INSIDE your kitchen!

Jewbacca, trying to get back on track:

Zaxxon is probably one of my all time favorite arcade video games. Truly ahead of its time.

I think that Space Girl was from the future. And that's why Earth Kid had to show her Laurel and Hardy shorts, to explain what life was like on Earth in the present....and that the copyright protection had apparently lapsed putting them into the public domain. No way they had the money for the rights.

FFMatt, catching up:

There was a black man, but I don't recall if he was anybody's uncle

Jewbacca:

I vividly recall an episode where Earth Kid was in bed with a broken leg and his black uncle came and sat in his room and showed him how to make a bird feeder.

So. Is it any wonder with these memories that we weren't 100% sure these shows existed? We never did get around to discussing Candy Apple News.

Based on our recollections, this show may or may not have featured:
1. A girl living in space
2. In the future
3. Who may have been considered hot by males between 8 and 12
4. Who spoke to a boy on earth
5. Living in the present day
6. Via an ancient computer
7. On which they watched Laurel and Hardy shorts
8. With his black uncle

Yikes. Again, how can this possibly be a real show?

FFMatt used his Internet prowess and came up with this website that explains it all.

For The Candy Apple News Company go here.
Check it out. And I had forgotten all about those silly space puppets.