I love Nick at Nite. It's just such happy TV but it's also so much more. When my girls were newborns I knew the schedule from start to finish. I would hear Greta cry, see 3:06 on the clock and think "Well, at least I can watch "Cheers" It was my touchstone~when my life was upside down it was comforting to see Norm was still at the bar, Lou Grant was still in charge, and Alex P Keaton was still the cutest guy ever.
They have recently added one of my favorites, "Mad About You", to the lineup. While I was folding a mountain of laundry and watching Paul and Jamie's antics, I was wondering why I like it so much. While I do like Paul Reiser's dry wit, Helen Hunt borders on annoying. Then it hit me. I had an Oprah Lightbulb Moment. (Well, I think Oprah is more refering to life change than medicore sitcom revelations, but hey. It works.) When "Mad About You"-show about newlyweds~started I was a newlywed! So I applied this theory to other shows I enjoy and EUREKA! I love older episodes of "Roseanne" (with the real Becky!) as that is so much like how my family was in the mid-80's. (Shout out to my sis Darlene!) What woman of childbearing age has not watched "A Baby Story"? (Except for my sis Darlene) When the US was embroiled in Vietnam what was popular on TV? MASH. Now as we are fighting a global war on terror, what do we love? 24.
TV is so much more than entertainment. It shows us ourselves and has the power to inspire us to do and be more. Med school enrollment went up right after ER premiered. Who among us has not wished for a marriage like the Buchman's? Parents like the Huxtables? Friends like Chandler and Phoebe? A boss like Lou Grant? A hot crime-fighting boyfriend like Jack Bauer. . .but I digress. Why do you love the shows you love? Next time you plop down in front of the boob tube to bond with the 4077 or the gang at the Peach Pit, think about why.
Autumn Whipped Ricotta Dip
1 day ago
3 comments:
You are of a different era than me, but I can still relate to your thoughts here. You are a true communications major at heart, and quite eloquent. Of course I watched more saved by the bell than 90210, and I watch the O.C. and Greys Anatomy now...so I will hae to think a little bit more aobut my reasoning behind those...
I find that the older shows that I watch are the ones that remind me of times or people that I'm very fond of -for example, right now I'm watching tons of reruns of Seinfeld - and it reminds me of evenings at Dave's house at Calvin. If I watch 90210 it is because it reminds me of the time in my life that I lived with my best friend, Happy Days reminds me of my sister, etc. I don't really identify with the characters or situations (except the Fonz because hey - I'm cool like that), but for a brief 30 minutes I'm back in the nasty, smoky lazy boy at Fuller watching Seinfeld with Dave, Mark, Nate, Swets and DeBoo, or drinking wine with Kim and Brent watching 90210.
Yeah!!! I love TV!
Post a Comment