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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To sometimes wonder what my mum was thinking?

334 replies

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 15/01/2023 22:52

I was born in '91 to give you an idea of just how young I was.

She used to let me stay up and watch murder shows with her like Jonathan Creek and Midsomer Murders Confused I'd actually go into my primary school the next day and discuss the previous nights episode with the dinner lady who also watched MM! I have an 11yr old and I wouldn't dream of letting her watch either of those shows! She'd also record stuff like South Park and Stressed Eric etc (she watched them herself so she knew full well what they were like!) so we could watch them in the mornings.

There is a particular episode of JC that gave me nightmares for years, I man had (I think) been trapped in a cellar which flooded and he drowned. I still remember the moment they opened the door and he was at the top of the stairs with his arm outstretched, and he was all yellow and waxy looking 🤢

It's only recently that I've begun to wonder what on earth she was thinking! I'm not sure if there's even any point asking her because she'd probably get all defensive and tell me I was attacking her parenting 🙄

OP posts:
Wavescrashingonthebeach · 15/01/2023 23:26

@NeedMoMoney

Omg Eurotrash that was so surreal. I remember one where these people in mad polyester suits were wiggling across the floor like caterpillars think it was some kind of fetishism so strange hahaha

TheWayTheLightFalls · 15/01/2023 23:26

Yeah… born in ‘86 and still have an issue with clowns and drains.

hadntbeen · 15/01/2023 23:27

Born in 92. Watched pretty much everything - was fine

Bobshhh · 15/01/2023 23:27

Jonathan creek was family viewing for us as children, I think you're overreacting slightly!

elfd · 15/01/2023 23:28

I was born in 1981 and used to stay up to watch prisoner cell block H, full of grown up topics that must of gone straight over my head, sometimes it didn't finish until 1am onwards. I remember falling asleep and my Dad carrying me up the stairs. I also remember staying up to watch I think it was called great expectations, I loved the music and video at the beginning. A silhouette of a black female figure dancing possibly in a flame. Also remember the equaliser. Some evenings we would go to the local social club for a game of bingo, I used to take my homework for in between games, that went on until 11pm. I was never late for school. In those days people smoked indoors and I remember the social clubs being Smokey places, I must of stunk of smoke afterwards.

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 15/01/2023 23:28

I'm really quite surprised you don't see anything wrong with it, I started watching these things from age 5! You'd let a 5yr old watch them?

OP posts:
Circumferences · 15/01/2023 23:29

What happened to make up so precious?

You seem very sheltered.

Reindear · 15/01/2023 23:30

Omg stressed Eric! He had that vein that popped out and strangled him?! I had forgotten all about him 😂

ladydimitrescu · 15/01/2023 23:31

I was born in 91 - my favourite film aged 6 was nightmare on elm street. Kids are all different. Mine would be terrified, but I was obsessed with all things horror from very young, was never scared and grew up perfectly normal.

MilkyYay · 15/01/2023 23:32

Yanbu op. At 5 or 6 most children would have been in bed when programs like that were on.

Its not terrible, fine for older children but id say its not suitable for a child under about 9. Im 6 years old than you & i thunk mainly watched it at about 12 or 13 or so.

allthegoodusernameshavegone · 15/01/2023 23:35

I loved prisoner cell block H, seriously op your child hood viewing was tame. The kids programmes of the 80s were scarier than those you mentioned, Google noseybonk

Teenagehorrorbag · 15/01/2023 23:36

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 15/01/2023 23:28

I'm really quite surprised you don't see anything wrong with it, I started watching these things from age 5! You'd let a 5yr old watch them?

I don't think I ever watched JC but have always loved Midsomer Murders. But my 14yr old DD hates gore and she won't watch it now as she says it's so graphic. I'd never noticed before but it really is - you always see the deaths or murders in full gory detail with lots of splashy blood!

No way would I let a young child watch that.

Eyerollcentral · 15/01/2023 23:36

Have you led a very sheltered life? If this is all you have to dredge up please do not embarrass yourself by repeating it your mum or any other person

NamaraMc · 15/01/2023 23:38

Lovemydoggiesomuch · 15/01/2023 22:55

My mum died a few years ago but I regularly wish she was alive to ask her questions that she can only answer.

Me too, it's the pain of the loss every single time 😪

Justleaveitblankthen · 15/01/2023 23:39

notangelinajolie · 15/01/2023 23:26

Tame. Me and DD used to watch Most Haunted 😱

Same with my DS 😅
I think he must have been above primary school age though.
I remember we had to put the big light on and watch something mild for half hour afterwards, more for my benefit really 😂

Eyerollcentral · 15/01/2023 23:41

elfd · 15/01/2023 23:28

I was born in 1981 and used to stay up to watch prisoner cell block H, full of grown up topics that must of gone straight over my head, sometimes it didn't finish until 1am onwards. I remember falling asleep and my Dad carrying me up the stairs. I also remember staying up to watch I think it was called great expectations, I loved the music and video at the beginning. A silhouette of a black female figure dancing possibly in a flame. Also remember the equaliser. Some evenings we would go to the local social club for a game of bingo, I used to take my homework for in between games, that went on until 11pm. I was never late for school. In those days people smoked indoors and I remember the social clubs being Smokey places, I must of stunk of smoke afterwards.

I used to love going to stay at my aunt’s as they let me stay up to watch prisoner too. Loved it, though as you say half it went right over my head. We were always sent to bed as soon as Cagney and Lacey started but that was only because my mum loved it and wanted to watch it in peace 🤣

Eyerollcentral · 15/01/2023 23:43

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 15/01/2023 23:28

I'm really quite surprised you don't see anything wrong with it, I started watching these things from age 5! You'd let a 5yr old watch them?

Yes. Although most five year olds would absolutely not have been sat glued to either of these shows as they would be bored to tears. I suspect you weren’t either. You may have been in the room when they were on fgs.

TrollMunter · 15/01/2023 23:44

I’m very protective of what my children watch after being exposed to all sorts of inappropriate films /tv. You can’t ‘unsee’ it once it’s been shown. Parents are way too relaxed about what their kids are exposed to.

amispeakingintongues · 15/01/2023 23:44

My mum letting me watch JC is probably one of the highlights of her parenting.

Born 1990

Colourmix · 15/01/2023 23:44

My mum used to watch Freddy Krueger and similar with me when I was about 6 and find it really funny that I ‘wasn’t bothered’. I just didn’t want to look like a wimp but I’d have so many nightmares every time we watched one😨

PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 15/01/2023 23:45

Jonathan Creek has quite a mix of gruesome and benign storylines - it got noticeably darker as it went on.

The episode you mean is 'The Three Gamblers' - it was the last Maddy Magellen episode. The next one was the Christmas special 'Satan's Chimney' which introduced the new sidekick, Carla Borrego and in my opinion is the best episode ever made.

I was in my mid-twenties when JC started. I do remember some scary 'Tales of the Unexpected' from my youth; I was also allowed to watch the last series of 'Tenko' which aired when I was 10! As an adult I watched the whole thing on cable TV and later got the DVD boxset.

TeeHeeQuodSheAndClaptTheWindowTo · 15/01/2023 23:45

I am familiar with all the episodes of Jonathan Creek, and the bit you’ve remembered is literally the only bit like that in the whole of the eleventy billion episodes they made! I would have thought a comedy crime mystery which had a clever reveal would have been good family viewing by the time you were eleven.

NeedAHoliday2021 · 15/01/2023 23:45

@elfd i was born in 82 and if I couldn’t sleep I sometimes went downstairs and if I interrupted prisoner cell block h I was allowed to watch it with them before going back to bed. I also watched bottom and Monty python far too young. I feel like I’m a fairly normal person 😂

Spiderboy · 15/01/2023 23:46

Similar age here. I watched MM with my mam. Never South Park but that wasn’t her thing. Many of the kids in my class did though, I felt left out.

Hillsmakeyoustrong · 15/01/2023 23:46

I remember watching the Woman in Black (not the Daniel Radcliffe version) one Christmas as maybe a 12 year old and I can honestly say I've never got that awful woman's face out of my head 😂. Midsomer Murders was a mild murder mystery by all accounts and I slept very well afterwards!

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