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Something you loved years ago, but looking back, it's shit

217 replies

RaraRachael · 15/12/2021 19:59

I loved a kids' series in 1984 called The Box of Delights. I remember it being a magical Christmassy adventure. I got the DVD and tried to watch it at the weekend. Considering it was aimed at kids, it was unintelligible and unwatchable.

I also felt the same about The Goodies. Laughed myself silly at them when I was a kid. Watched a rare repeat and didn't laugh once - utter, utter rubbish.

What are yours?

OP posts:
Berlinkreuzberg · 19/12/2021 09:36

Brittas empire, Ever decreasing circles, Sorry (mother in it heavily reminiscent of my own). Tried to watch Salems lot a few weeks ago for Halloween with DS 2 14, now that was hammy.

Berlinkreuzberg · 19/12/2021 09:41

Now Jewel in the crown was good, not dated at all.

JustJustWhy · 19/12/2021 09:46

On Golden Pond has also aged well.

cheapskatemum · 19/12/2021 10:13

Came on to say "Jim'll Fix It". Hindsight is a wonderful thing...

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RaraRachael · 19/12/2021 14:37

I remember being terrified as a child of a story in Doctor Who called the Green Death, where giant maggots escaped from a Welsh mine. I bought it on DVD and it's SO bad - I swear you can even see strings pulling the maggots along Grin

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Anaximedes · 21/12/2021 06:41

I hated the Box of Delights the first time around. I don't know why I remember that distinctly but I do. I had to ask to be allowed to NOT watch the TV. Grin

lazymum99 · 21/12/2021 09:29

All the Doctor in the House series. I used to love these.
Remember laughing hysterically with my late Dad at The Goodies. Wow it is really not funny now

Shallwegoforawalk · 21/12/2021 12:47

Ally McBeal. Totally the must watch at the time in my early 20's but ouch it has not aged well.

hivemindneeded · 21/12/2021 13:12

I once got hold of a film of History Boys to watch with my mid-teen sons. Did the same with Withnail and I. Memories of them both being hilarious when I was a teen. Squirmed in embarrassment as DC said, Why do you keep making us watch films about paedophiles praying on young boys?

Especially History Boys, I had forgotten how tolerated his awful behaviour was, as if he was a scamp not a lecherous man abusing his position as a teacher.

Grim. I thought the same about most Alan Bennet Talking Heads. So many of them were really repulsively sexually perverted. He had a reputation as this dear old doddery sweet gent but there is so much absolutely grim stuff in there.

RatherBeRiding · 21/12/2021 14:43

Starsky and Hutch! Adored it back in the day. Caught the tail end of an episode recently on some obscure channel and Oh. My. God. how bad was it??

I'm actually embarrassed that I used to think it was the bee's knees!

Mookie81 · 21/12/2021 14:54

@LeftieLucy

Dumb and dumber. Loved it when it came out, me and my friends used to quote it all the time, sing the mockingbird song. Put it on to show the kids how funny it was and it was honestly the biggest pile of 💩
No, I still love it 25 years later! Grin
kwiksavenofrillsusername · 21/12/2021 17:40

@Shallwegoforawalk

Ally McBeal. Totally the must watch at the time in my early 20's but ouch it has not aged well.
It really doesn’t age well. I rewatched it a few years ago and it’s very much of its time. The Ling character is particularly embarrassing. She’s the Asian ice queen stereotype and the way she’s sexualised is gross. Ally looks like she’s having a nervous breakdown half the time and I have no idea how a woman who mutters and sings to herself in court managed to keep hold of her job. The bosses are complete sleazebags.

It’s also hard to watch knowing what was going on behind the scenes, with so many female cast members suffering from anorexia and mental health issues.

Hen2018 · 21/12/2021 17:52

90% of the Box of Delights was filmed in the 3 small towns nearest to where I live! I never understood the plot as a child. Should read the book, really.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 21/12/2021 18:29

No, I still love it 25 years later!

Ahh yes and when I make a wrong turn , the correct response is always Huh , I thought the Rockie Mountains would be much Rockier than this

Grin

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RaraRachael · 21/12/2021 18:46

Hen2018 out of interest, where was the Box of Delights filmed? I can't understand how I loved it aged 22, yet didn't have a clue what was going on now. I have the book but have never read it Hmm

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NoMoreChocolateCoins · 21/12/2021 18:46

House of Eliot. Used to love it. Saw it again a few years ago. Dreadful.

whiteroseredrose · 21/12/2021 19:05

Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise haven't aged well. But I think Porridge and Dads Army are still great.

I've just watched Gilmore Girls for the first time and loved it. I still like Friends and the first Cold Feet. But How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory really not!

sonsmum · 21/12/2021 19:43

ha..Box of delights (I loved the theme music!)
I had always caught snippets of 'Tales of the Unexpected' as a kid, and was captivated (most likely as was not meant to be watching it). I bought a boxset some years later (boy was I disappointed!)
Also, 'Twin Peaks', I thought i had loved it as mainly had only heard the soundtrack and saw a few snippets. Again when I saw it I was majorly disappointed!

SchadenfreudePersonified · 21/12/2021 21:33

@bizboz

Button Moon. It really just does look like a button hanging from a black box.
DO NOT DISRESPECT BUTTON MOON!

QUEENIE JELLY WILL HAVE YOU BEHEADED FOR THIS!!!

inlimboland · 21/12/2021 21:41

The Fast Show

JustJustWhy · 21/12/2021 21:56

@inlimboland

The Fast Show
I think the Fast Show still holds up quite well, whereas Harry Enfield and Friends...
dimples76 · 21/12/2021 23:49

@NoMoreChocolateCoins

House of Eliot. Used to love it. Saw it again a few years ago. Dreadful.
I loved it too but I think it was just the clothes and the music.

I loved Box of Delights as a child. I listened to a radio play of it in more recent years and had completely forgotten most of the plot. Think that my memory was based on the initial train journey, home-coming and anticipation of exciting things happening.

Lanique · 22/12/2021 05:44

I was thinking about the Box of Delights the other day, thinking I might be the only person alive that remembers it (badly - I can only recall the music, the scary man and the very ending) and was wondering if it would still be as magical now as it seemed to be back then. Well I never. I've been fascinated by the thoughts on it here!

SATC was always appalling to me even back in 2001 or whenever. I hated the spoilt, whiny characters and the obsession with sex (ooo so edgy). I never rated Friends either.

I must disagree with a pp and say I still live Disney's Little Mermaid Blush I have happy memories of it because my little sister had the video and I used to watch it over and again (while no one else was in).

One programme that has IMO aged really well is Gavin and Stacey. I also still enjoy The Royle Family.

Lanique · 22/12/2021 05:46

Funnily enough my friend was telling me yesterday about how she'd watched an old episode of the Darling Buds of May and that it was utter shite. We both agreed that old programmes do seem generally crap now - the acting is atrocious.

Egghead68 · 22/12/2021 05:55

Mind your language

Doctors’ daughters