This clip – Goodnight Kiwi – reminds me of my childhood. In the olden days TVNZ (the New Zealand broadcasting corporation) used to close down (both chanels) at about midnight (occasionally at motzei shabbat they would go a little bit later).

For little kids it was very exciting to stay up late enough to see ‘Goodnight Kiwi’. It was a sign of manhood to stay up that late.

I remember once on an afternoon children’s TV show they broadcast this clip, just so the little kids could see what it was. That was very exciting.

Nowadays when there are 30 billion channels and the TV never sleeps this is just a meaningless piece of history. There is no more excitement left in TV because everything is available to everyone at every time. Even though TV was dangerous even in the 70s and 80s (and I dare say I lost many braincells from staring at the ‘box’), the dangers and threats were of an altogether different order. The most salacious thing on TV was Coronation Street (and we couldn’t understand what they were saying because they spoke with Mancunian accents. I was so disappointed to arrive in England and find that some people actually spoke normally). The most violent programme was ‘The Professionals‘ and the most scary (by a long shot) ‘Dr Who‘!

Alas for those that have gone and are no more.

Good Shabbos Kiwi (and cat)