The Fairchild Channel F and Jerry Lawson

Often overlooked, the Fairchild Channel F was an important step in the evolution of video game consoles.

In a recent article, I discussed the TV video game show, TX PIXXX. Most of my memories of the video games they played on it were on the Intellivision. But it turns out that early episodes of the game show featured games on the often-overlooked The Fairchild Channel F (originally the Video Entertainment System). This was a console I only had a passing interest in getting at the time. I wouldn’t get to play it properly until only a few years ago at a friend’s house. The controller might have scared me, but the games on this system were very playable.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Would play again!

The Fairchild Channel F, short for "Channel Fun" was released by Fairchild Camera and Instrument in November 1976. Developed by gaming pioneer Jerry Lawson, the system was notable for its quickness to market and its use of cartridges. Lawson’s led the team that developed and refined the cartridges, and to many (myself included), he is the father of the form factor.

Unfortunately for the Channel F, the Atari VCS would come to market not too long after it and would dominate the market. This is when they changed the name from Video Entertainment System to Channel F since Atari’s system was the Video Computer System (VCS). Fairchild would eventually sell the brand to Zircon International in 1979, and they would keep the brand going until 1983. Although it was a losing effort.

(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)

ONE COOL VIDEO

Jerry Lawson passed away in 2011, but we are lucky enough to have some videos of him online where he talks about his career. In 2005, he was the keynote speaker at the Classic Gaming Expo. He was there right at the start of video games, and his life and career intersected with other luminaries in the field. The entire speech was recorded and posted by VG Legacy.

TEN THINGS RETRO

👻 Real Estate - Good news for home buyers and lovers of horror. The house used in the film, Poltergeist, is for sale. Amazingly, after all these years, it is still very recognizable.

🎵 Music - 10 years ago, the 8-bit ode to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, Kind of Bloop was released. It was one of the earliest Kickstarter successes and would result in a lawsuit for its album cover. For its anniversary, they are releasing the album to download for free.

🕹️ Video Game - The Nintendo Virtual Boy, with its red color palette and VR helmet, looked very futuristic. Unfortunately, it didn’t resonate and wasn’t a huge success, but it has become a cult classic over the years. If you are a Vision Pro owner, you can relive the glory of the console, without owning the original hardware.

🔗 Website - Caldor was a chain of stores that was founded in 1951. At its height, they were making a billion dollars a year, but in 1999, they closed their doors forever. The Caldor Rainbow is the only site on the internet dedicated to keeping the chain’s memory alive.

🚀 Toys - With all the Colorforms playsets they made, it’s amazing that they were never able to get a license to make a Star Wars one. Now, because of a very talented maker, Scott Serkland, we get a look at what a set might have looked like.

🎥 Home Movie - I loved hearing about my Mom’s trips to the 1964 World’s Fair. It sounded like a magical experience. She didn’t have a camera to film the experience, but others did, and recently a film was found in a thrift ship, digitized and put online. It’s like time traveling into her memories, and I kept hoping to spot my Mom in the footage.

🎨 Art - Almost 40 years ago, Andy Warhol sat down to see what he could do with a Commodore Amiga. Recently, an engineer revealed they had the floppies with Warhol’s work on them. They offer a revealing look at an artist playing with technology.

🍳 Cooking - Vincent Price loved to cook. In 1971, Thames television did a six-part cooking show series with Price called, Cooking Price-Wise. It seemed like the show would never get seen again, but recently it was announced that the entire series is being released on Blu-Ray.

⚙️ Technology - In 1994, IBM released Simon, which in retrospect was one of the earliest attempts at a mobile smartphone. It might have been clunky, but it was way ahead of its time.

🍔 Book - The few times I have been to other countries, if I can, I try to visit a McDonald’s. It is a bit of home comfort, but it is also interesting to see how McDonald’s can be slightly reinterpreted. If this sort of thing interests you, check out one person’s world-traveling visits to McDonald’s in 50 countries, McAtlas.

FROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE

Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.

One Year Ago…

🖍️ Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man Activity Books

Five Years Ago…

👾 Retro Arcade Games on Magnum PI

Ten Years Ago…

🍔 Do you remember Burger Queen?

Fifteen Years Ago…

📺 Retroist Mr. Belvedere Podcast

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