So today I was thinking about some of my favorite shows from childhood. Yes to the obvious, like The Golden Girls, Full House (I was young), and Mr. Belvedere, but I also adored the sh– out of newsmagazines like West 57th, Saturday Night with Connie Chung, and Primetime. What can I say I was a weird kid.
I wonder what happened to Wesley. He was a babe!
My favorite, of course, was the granddaddy of them all. No, not 60 Minutes, that was FOR granddaddies. Nope, I worshiped at the alter of Barbara Wawa and Hugh Downs. That’s right, i’m talking about 20/20.
BABES.
20/20 apparently still airs, hosted by Elizabeth Vargas and David Muir. But whatevs, none of that matters. It was the 1980s when it counted, with Downs and Walters at the desk. And while today 83-year-old Barbara is everywhere–she’s like the Betty White of journalism–Hugh leaves a much more quiet life since he stepped down as host in 1999.
This Thursday, Hugh turns 92. But I was so excited to talk about him today that I could not wait till then. So happy early birthday Hugh! Please cohost The View one of these days, they need a male counterpart.
The DVR Files 
I watched 20/20 religiously every Friday night. I made for great post ABC Sitcom viewing. Eventually though I started to get really paranoid about everything, from robberies at ATMs, to medical waste at the beaches, lap seat belts and even the dangers of cults trying to recruit teenage boys with the practice of “Flirty Fishing”.
Eventually my parents banned me from watching it. It was the only television show I wasn’t allowed to watch. As an adult I’ve acquired a bunch of episodes and it still somewhat terrifying (not Unsolved Mysteries terrifying, but up there)
Yessssss. Do you remember when they showed the exorcism? It gave me the willies!