Every week we take a look in the RTÉ Guide archives to check out stories from years gone by. The interests of teenagers, especially teenage girls, have long been looked down on by adults, and on this week in 1971, one teenage girl had had enough and made her feelings known in the letters page of the RTÉ Guide.
"I have waited for weeks, hoping somebody would write in praise of The Partridge Family, but my waiting was all in vain," she wrote. "I am a 17-year-old schoolgirl and a keen pop fan. I was very disappointed by the disappearance of Like Now from our screens and find The Partridge Family a very good substitute. I was appalled at Mr Seamus Brennan's letter saying that the above-mentioned programme, along with others, 'were scratched from the bottom of the American film industry barrel.' Mr. Brennan is entitled to his opinion, but I wish he would realise that RTE are doing their best to please all and, on the whole, I and many others think that RTE are doing a very good job in catering for the public, both young and old. If Mr. Brennan dislikes The Partridge Family, Nanny and the Professor, etc., I'm quite sure he has the ability to turn the switch on his television to "Off.""
The young fan had more to say to Mr Brennan.
"I also disagree with him when he says that the viewing hours are too long. Why should all the people who pay TV licences do with reduced viewing time? I think programmes such as The Partridge Family, Arnie, Hawaii Five-O, The Virginian, Mannix, Lancer and Storefront Lawyers arc terriific. I hope to see the return of The Avenger, lronside and High Chaparral in the near future."
What Irish boys could learn from Keith Partridge
The writer also had words for the teenage boys of Ireland. "Finally," she wrote, "I would like to see some of the Irish boys taking a leaf out of Keith Partridge's book, as when he sold the car he loved to take his girl-friend to a picnic, in a recent episode. Some of our Irish boys won't even pay for their girl-friends at the dances.They meet the girl at the dance afler she had paid for herself. I am not the only person with these opinions. I know others who share my views and I hope to see more in future." She signed herself "David Cassidy fan."
And she wasn't the only young person who contacted the RTÉ Guide to defend the shows they loved that week. Another youthful viewer wrote, "I feel I must write and make a few comments on some letters which have appeared recently in your Letterbox page. Why is that programmes for the younger generation are always being described as trash, rubbish etc? I refer in particular to Arnie, The Partridge Family and Nanny and the Professor."
"These programmes are excellent entertainment for young people," the writer continued. "There are lots of programmes every night for adults, yet no one asks that these programmes be cut out. But every time RTE shows anythinefor the under-21s, two-thirds of the people of Ireland start howling. Many letters have appeared, also, thanking RTE for showing Jeanette MacDonald - Nelson Eddy films. Yet most of the people who write in have seen these films years ago. Seeing a film once should be enough,so let me see more modern films instead of these worn-with-age film sof yesteryear." The letter was signed "Mayo Viewer".
