LocateTV Blog

Are you using LocateTV to find back-to-back episodes of Little House On The Prairie, making a bad week at work seem that bit more bearable? Searching for old Tom Cruise movies so you can remember how innocently iconic he was all his pre-Scientology, pre-patriarch 80s splendour?

If the feedback from our private beta testers is anything to go by, LocateTV is certainly helping to fuel TV and film nostalgia. Being able to find when and where all your favourite old shows are on can provide a cultural comfort blanket to insulate you against harsh present day realities, especially when most of the new US shows seem to be focused on psychosis, hardcore sex and death.

The internet is a natural breeding ground for nostaliga, allowing people of diverse nationalities, ages and beliefs to bond under the uniting banner of ‘hey, does anyone remember…’ Some of the most effective video virals and online communities are based around the communal reminiscences of the mid-twenties Generation Web 2.0, reflected in the strength of 80s nostalgia from sites such as 80sNostalgia.com and Child of the 1980s. Forums such as Retrojunk and Retrolounge are full of members enthusing about repeats of childhhood shows or DVD releases of forgotten films. The first LocateTV search performed at our triallist event back in August was for Thundercats, and the coming movie will be a big win for the box office if net buzz is anything to go by.

In some ways it raises worrying questions about our need to retreat from our real lives into a rosy-tinted utopia moaning that ‘things were better then’ and evoking the safety and fantasy of childhood. On the other hand, it keeps some truly classic productions from being buried in obscurity, gives a sense of the development of film and televisual history, and is a welcome reminder in a novelty-hungry medium that we are heavily indebted to the great, quality work of our forebears. And some of those shows are just downright good.

Which old friends have you been reunited with through LocateTV? Have you found yourself searching for retro film and TV just as much as current offerings? Share your top nostalgic finds showing each week and we could make it a regular feature.

Goodnight, John boy.

Lottie