Sometimes, it’s the really mundane things that can illuminate the past. And we’re not talking about ancient archaeology either – take this 25-year-old TV guide for a start. What can we tell about life in Singapore 25 years ago? Not just what the hottest shows were, that’s for sure!

For those of you who aren’t old enough to remember the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, if you look really closely, there’s the SBC logo on the bottom left corner of the magazine. Check out the cover price of the guide – 50 cents! Not counting the freesheets, you won’t be able to find a newspaper selling for 50 cents today. And of course the stars! This cover looks like it was taken in front of City Hall, although I have no idea what their names are.

What else can we tell about life in the 1980s through the pages of the TV guide? Read Laokokok’s observations about My Old TV Guide Magazine through the advertisements, programming line up and channel offerings. Back then, we only had three channels and today we have nine free-to-air – not to mention over a hundred more on cable. Now, that’s progress.