Davey and Goliath

We are told and constantly reminded you can never go back. However, if there is a cycle to our nostalgia for fashion, I only hope and pray that television shows like this, with their wonderful messages, come back into fashion. Can anyone remember a show from our kids' generation that they can look back on and feel as we feel about this one? I can't. Let's just keep reminding everyone what a profound difference it made for us as adults to have been raised on shows like this one.

I can recall waking up super early on Saturday mornings and this was on from 6:00AM-6:30AM. I never thought about it as being overly religious, I was so busy enjoying the adventures of Davey, Goliath, Davey's family and friends that this never seemed to cram anything down my throat, but some early morning fun. Now, years later, I sit and watch the one DVD I have with three episodes, including the thirty minute Christmas special and while I recognize a bit more of the moral theme, I still don't feel like I'm having anything forced on me....but pure nostalgia and fun. I remember watching the holiday specials for Easter and Christmas and much like the Rankin & Bass holiday specials, my holiday wouldn't be complete without a dose of Davey & Goliath and now enjoying a few episodes, again, I will probably feel the same way, come this Christmas!

Some of my best memories as a boy were getting up early on Saturday mornings to watch "Davey and Goliath." they were enjoyable, moralistic without being heavy-handed about it, and the characters were very much like people you knew, not goody-goody types. Unfortunately, kids today are very different, and I doubt that they would respond to it the way our generation did (I'm 42 now). Still and all, a good show, despite what the authors of "Saturday Morning Fever" have to say, and I still get a nostalgic twinge when I see it on cable TV these days.

Incidentally, I didn't realize until I saw IMDB's profile that upright father figure John Hanson was voiced by Hal "Otis-the-Mayberry-town-drunk" Smith. Talk about diametricaly opposed!

It aired as a segment of the children's show "Boomtown" in the Boston area. Boomtown was hosted by Rex Trailer, and he sang (and played guitar) for his own special intro to Davey And Goliath. I still remember the words:

This is the story of The Lord This is the story of The Lord The way they tell it may be new But every word is true This is the story of The Lord

Imagine a children's show host getting away with that in today's world!

I'm happy to report that those of you who subscribe to Comcast Cable in the Boston area can find the show playing occasionally on the Boston Catholic Television Channel, which is also known as the Religious Channel, usually Channel 56 on the listings.

is regularly broadcast. I agree with most previous reviews, that this is a sad commentary on our broadcasting system, in America at least.

What was so universal about this show is while it did have a message, it was not heavy-handed, nor sanctimonious. Davey and Goliath get into regular mischief, he learns a lesson, but it is not overly preachy, nor is it violent and imbecilic(which is what we see today).

The writing is insightful and humanistic. How refreshing to know that, at least in the 60's and 70's we had access to quality children's programming.

I hope it is possible to buy a complete set of DVD's. My seven year old is just beginning to appreciate this. 10/10