Growing up, Dad was pretty anti-TV. He was strict about us not wasting our lives in front of screens - perhaps an easier battle than in today's world. He had an exception though - Friday nights. When we moved to Hazelton from High Level, Dad had a job again as a high school teacher, and access to some school equipment - namely the old VHS players and TVs. The school principals would allow Dad to bring home the ugliest, crappiest, oldest player and TV after work on Friday as long as no one noticed and he brought it back first thing on Monday. I suppose the idea was, if my Dad broke it, no one would really notice or care.
Looking back on it, this would have been quite the chore. The player and TV were nothing like modern-day panels and players - the photo here is of the actual VHS player he'd bring home. It was top-loading and gigantic - a "dinosaur" as Dad called it. He'd have to lug that darn thing plus the TV into the van, then unload at our house. It didn't stop there - as a no-TV family, our living room wasn't set up for show-watching - so he'd re-arrange the furniture, and set it all up.
One of our favourite things was getting to go to the video rental store on Friday, where we'd debate and try and convince each other to rent a certain movie or favourite show. Occasionally Dad would choose a movie. We'd gather up the rentals and head back home in a state of excitement.
Us kids would gather up around the TV, sometimes on the couch but often sitting on the floor in front of the couch. As the oldest, I often had the pleasure of putting the VHS tape in and getting it running (sometimes having to rewind the tape first). Dad would often make popcorn in a massive bread bowl as we started watching our chosen movie, and then bring it in for us.
Sometimes if the show was interesting (he had a soft spot for Disney movies, and anything silly or off-colour) he would come join us, laying on the floor, sometimes with kids piled on top of him. It was in this environment, and with this old VCR that he first introduced us to Star Wars properly - and that original trilogy became one of my favorites. One of his favorite movies of all time was inspector Clouseau - he would howl with laughter, sometimes laughing so hard he would literally be ROFTL. One of my motivations for becoming employed ASAP (age 10) was to have a few extra dollars in my pocket to rent my own movies.
Friday nights were special, and they'd often be followed up by Saturday morning breakfast - pancakes or Dad's famous grain cake with homemade syrup.
I am happy to report that we mostly followed this model - we at times have been quite strict with our kids and screens, including allowing only 1 "screen night" per week. I am writing this because I was away on a long trip, came home, and we just had a Friday night movie night that felt very familiar.
The difference is that I have it much easier - no lugging around dinosaurs so my kids can enjoy their Friday night movie :)