Baby Boomer nostalgia Archives - Retro Reminiscing Video and Pictures

NEWHART: THANKSGIVING FOR THE MEMORIES

Remember when Thanksgiving episodes were part of our regular television watching?

On November 24, 1986, Newhart gave us a Thanksgiving episode that still makes me laugh today.

Throughout the entire episode, Dick Loudon was looking forward to one thing: carving the Thanksgiving turkey!

He talked about it, anticipated it and even bought special carving knives for the occasion. You could tell this was going to be the highlight of his Thanksgiving.

But nobody told Larry, Darryl and Darryl!

The celebration began at the mansion of Stephanie’s wealthy parents before everyone eventually ended up at the Minuteman Café.

When Dick’s big moment finally arrived, instead of letting him carve the turkey, the brothers simply tore it apart with their bare hands!

After spending the entire episode looking forward to carving that bird, watching Bob Newhart’s reaction was priceless.

Here’s something I didn’t know. This was actually Newhart’s 98th episode, directed by J.D. Lobue, and it originally aired on CBS at 9 PM on Monday, November 24, 1986.

The episode was written by David Mirkin, who later became an executive producer of The Simpsons.

Larry was played by William Sanderson, while Tony Papenfuss and John Voldstad played his almost completely silent brothers. The two Darryls finally broke their silence in the show’s 1990 finale.

And remember that wonderful opening music? It was written by Henry Mancini, the composer of The Pink Panther theme.

Newhart ran from 1982 to 1990, ending with one of television’s greatest surprises when Suzanne Pleshette appeared beside Bob in bed, revealing the Vermont adventure had apparently been a dream.

But I’ll always remember Dick spending an entire Thanksgiving episode looking forward to carving that turkey, only to have Larry, Darryl and Darryl ruin his big moment in seconds!

Do you remember this Thanksgiving episode?

#Newhart #BobNewhart #Thanksgiving #LarryDarrylAndDarryl #ClassicTV #1980sTV #1986 #TVNostalgia #HenryMancini #TheRetroSite

THE 64-COUNT CRAYOLA BOX — OUR CHILDHOOD’S ULTIMATE UPGRADE!

That meme about kids today wanting the latest electronics is so true. Back when I was a kid, all I wanted was that big box of 64 Crayola crayons!

It took a lot of begging, but I do remember finally getting one. Mom knew I’d be quiet with those crayons!
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And remember that built-in sharpener on the back? That alone made the big box something special.
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I did some digging and discovered Crayola introduced the 64-count box in 1958. Before that, the company’s original box back in 1903 had only eight colors.
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I even found a 1962 newspaper advertisement selling the big 64-count box for 57 cents on sale, regularly $1. Adjusted for inflation, that’s about $6.35 on sale or $11.15 at regular price in 2026 dollars.
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And here is something I never knew. In 1990, Crayola retired eight of its old colors, including Maize, Raw Umber and Lemon Yellow.
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People were actually upset enough to protest! There was even a Raw Umber and Maize Preservation Society trying to save those childhood favorites.
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In 2025, Crayola brought back eight retired colors for a limited time. Apparently, some of us never outgrew our attachment to those little sticks of wax.
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Of course, eventually some crayons broke, the paper wrappers disappeared and the sharpener filled up with colorful wax shavings.
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But opening that big box and seeing all 64 colors lined up was something special.
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Forget the latest electronics. Give me a coloring book and that big box of Crayolas!
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Did you have the 64-count box, or were you stuck with the little box of eight?
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#Crayola #CrayolaCrayons #64Crayons #VintageCrayola #1960s #1960sNostalgia #ChildhoodMemories #VintageToys #RetroCommercials #VintageCommercials #ColoringBooks #BabyBoomerMemories #RetroToys #TheRetroSite

Lawrence Welk’s 1975 Halloween Special Gets Cringeworthy!

Lawrence Welk brought out all the haunts and clichés for his 1975 Halloween special. That last clip is cringeworthy! As the meme says, “If you were forced to watch Lawrence Welk as a child, you may be entitled to compensation!” Say what you will, but we are still talking about him over fifty years later!

When Tippee-Toes Tiptoed Into Trouble

Leave it to the early 1980s to give us a controversy over a baby doll’s bare bottom.

Mattel’s Tippee-Toes was one of those dolls that was supposed to look cute, innocent, and lifelike. She could crawl, and like a lot of toy commercials from back then, the ad was aimed right at kids sitting in front of the TV, probably during cartoons or family programming. But then came the part that got people talking: the commercial showed the doll’s little bare backside.

That may sound pretty tame today, but back then one viewer found it offensive enough to complain to David Horowitz, the consumer advocate best known for Fight Back! with David Horowitz. Horowitz was the guy people turned to when they felt a product, commercial, or company needed to be called out. He built a career on standing up for consumers, testing products, and bringing viewer complaints into the spotlight.

The issue even made its way to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1982. Horowitz appeared on Carson and discussed the Tippee-Toes commercial, reportedly showing both the original ad and the changed version after complaints were made. It was one of those perfect Johnny Carson moments where something small, silly, and strangely serious all came together on national television.

Looking back, it feels almost impossible to believe this was a controversy. We grew up with talking dolls, creepy ventriloquist dummies selling chocolate milk, clowns selling cereal, and commercials that would probably send today’s internet into a panic. But a baby doll’s bare bottom? That was enough to get a consumer advocate involved and Mattel’s attention.

It’s a funny little reminder of how much TV, advertising, and what people considered “offensive” has changed over the years. Tippee-Toes was just trying to crawl across the screen, but somehow she crawled right into consumer TV history.