1961 Nostalgia

[pwd72s]

season one, episode one, Route 66. The journey of Todd & Buzz begins...

[Dixie]

I vaguely recall that show, probably in syndication. Okay, to be honest, I don't really recall the plot, actors, or anything else. Only that they drove a totally awesome car.

[pwd72s]

The road trip show...two buddies touring the USA in a 'Vette, exciting adventures...it was kind of a big deal back in the day.

[thingmon]

Good year for the Vette.

[shadowjack1]

That first episode was in Mississippi heading to New Orleans. Route 66 is hundreds of miles away.
Still enjoyed the show.

[Danimal16]

My Mom LOVED this show. So do I.

What was revolutionary about Route 66 was that it was filmed on location. It is a blast to look where a particular episode was filmed and then use Google Maps to see what became of that location. There was one particular episode that if I recall correctly was filmed in Minnesota at a brand new high rise Sheraton? Hotel. The hotel was torn down and replaced. Many of the episodes are like time capsules of the early 1960s.

[speeder]

The show made absolutely no sense but it was made in a time when television was all about fantasy and escape from your dreary life.

"Hey, frat brother, let's jump in your new Corvette and hit the road! We have no money but if we don't eat, we'll never have to look for a place to take a schit! One light jacket ought to do it, let's go!"

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by speeder

The show made absolutely no sense but it was made in a time when television was all about fantasy and escape from your dreary life.

"Hey, frat brother, let's jump in your new Corvette and hit the road! We have no money but if we don't eat, we'll never have to look for a place to take a schit! One light jacket ought to do it, let's go!"

I am not sure I would go that far. The main characters were not Frat Brothers, one of the characters was a Vietnam Veteran. Yes, a Vietnam Veteran years before the war became of great interest to the public (I think the show ended in 1964). I think it was George Maharis who played the part of the Vet.

Each show was a story onto itself and as I said before, each one a bit of a time capsule of the early 60's.

[speeder]

A Vietnam vet in 1961? I was not aware of that.

[speeder]

I had never seen it, (I was in diapers when it came out), but recently watched the first episode on Prime. Suffice it to say that realism was not a big concern in those days.

[rcooled]

As a kid and fan of the show, I remember it being a big deal when the new C2 appeared in the '63 season.

Here's some 'Route 66' trivia picked up from the 'net:

"If you see who’s driving the Corvette in every scene, you can figure out that it’s Tod’s car. But how did he get it? According to the story line, Tod, the clean-cut college kid, was given a new Corvette by his father. Buz worked for Tod’s dad, who owned a shipping business in New York. During the summer, Tod worked there too...that’s where they met. When Tod’s father dies of a heart attack, Tod was left with his new Corvette and a failed business. That’s when he and Buz decide to hit the road to explore the country and find themselves."

"Because the show was filmed in black and white, and to light the scenes properly when the guys were in the car, the Corvette’s color had to be neutral and not reflect too much light. The color for the pilot and early episodes was most likely Horizon Blue. Afterward, the color was Fawn Beige, and finally Saddle Tan on the last Corvette in the show."

"In initial seasons, they used several first-generation C1 Corvettes. The duo drove a 1960 Corvette in the pilot only. In following seasons, they appeared in new '61 and '62 Corvettes. In the middle of Season 3 and in Season 4, they drove a 1963 Saddle Tan Corvette Stingray convertible."

"The show used three to four cars each season. That was probably just to keep the cars looking as new and fresh as they could be."

"The show was initially going to be called 'The Searchers', but it was renamed because of the movie with the same title."

[pwd72s]

Memories of a night in '62, maybe late '61? Standing on a sidewalk, looking through a Chevrolet dealership window, staring at an arctic blue '62 Corvette, thinking it was absolutely gorgeous...

Denis is right..route 66 was a silly show with a silly subplot. I loved it...

[speeder]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Memories of a night in '62, maybe late '61? Standing on a sidewalk, looking through a Chevrolet dealership window, staring at an arctic blue '62 Corvette, thinking it was absolutely gorgeous...

Denis is right..route 66 was a silly show with a silly subplot. I loved it...

It was absolutely gorgeous. Nothing wrong with your taste! ++

[Bob Kontak]

I remember several shows at that time but not a clue of content. I was six or thereabouts. Killing time while Mom took care of my two year old brother. 1962. Mostly reruns but some shows were new.

Lassie
Sea Hunt
Roy Rogers
77 Sunset Strip
Route 66
Flipper
Car 54

Things got real when Johnny Quest started. (Meaning I remembered the story - 1963-ish?)

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Denis is right..route 66 was a silly show with a silly subplot. I loved it...

Its way better than a stupid show with a stupid subplot, like CHiPs, or Bewitched.

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by speeder

A Vietnam vet in 1961? I was not aware of that.

About two years ago I binged watched it in remembrance of my Mom. That topic came up in the early episodes.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0690444/

[KNS]

Great show. It was before my time but I first caught it on 'Nick at Night' in the 1990s and watched every episode. Lots of big name actors before or just as they were coming into their own. Great seeing America with uncrowded roads (and the obesity problem was non existent).

Glenn Corbett was the Vietnam vet when he replaced George Maharis in '63.

Watched a lot of the episodes again a couple years ago on ROKU.