Eagerly anticipating the release of the fourth Indiana Jones movie, I thought I’d do a bit of reminiscing and with a smile and a tinge of ‘missing the good old days’ write a post on my top five childhood heroes.

5. Luke Skywalker

Coming in at number 5 is Luke the Jedi Knight. Star Wars (released in 1977) was the first movie I ever saw… at the grand old age of 3. What were my parents thinking?! Maybe they just wanted a break from me for a couple of hours… so what better way to keep a 3 year old happy for 2 hours than to send him off to the movies to watch Star Wars with his 12 year old brother?

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4. James Bond

In fourth place is Bond… James Bond. Looking back, the Bond films of the eighties were quite immoral. Luckily, because of my age, most of it went over my head. I must admit (along with the rest of the male population of the western world at the time) I dreamed of being 007. Drake… Mandrake.

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3. Macgyver

In the number three spot is good old Mac. I still don’t know if that was his first or last name… and I still haven’t got that Swiss-Army knife I dreamed of getting for Christmas all these years. I can remember the theme song like it was yesterday. Actually, it was yesterday. Isn’t Youtube wonderful?

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2. The Greatest American Hero

Who can forget Ralph Hinkley? I was so obsessed with being the Greatest American Hero that I sang the theme song in front of church when I was 7. I wonder if God spoke to anyone that Sunday morning? I’m sure one could get some sort of spiritual principle out of it if they tried hard enough.

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1. Indiana Jones

And the winner is… Indiana Jones. No one else comes close. I remember as a 10-year-old going with my 19-year-old brother to the Auckland Civic Theatre (the best movie theatre in the world!) to see Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. Literally glued to my seat… heart racing… adrenaline pumping as the screen widened and immortal theme music began. Then, lying awake late that night… not being able to sleep… replaying the movie over and over again in my mind. Then seeing the movie over and over again.

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Other notable mentions (in no particular) that didn’t quite make the top 5 but all came close:

• Bo and Luke Duke (Dukes Of Hazzard)
• Buck Rogers (Buck Rogers In The 21st Century)
• Starbuck and Apollo (Battlestar Galactica)
• Michael Knight (Knight Rider)
• Ponch and John (CHiPS)
• The entire Cast (A Team)

Yep, as you can see I am definitely a child of the 70s/80s… and proud of it!