Comfort TV

I grew up in the tv generation. It wasn’t the central focus of our life, but sitting all together at the end of the day and relaxing with some good tv shows are some of my favorite memories. Sometimes, my sister would sit in the corner and read a book because she didn’t much care for tv, but didn’t want to be alone. We’d run around to get each other if one of our favorite movies was on. All the ‘edited for tv’ movies I watched and had no idea how much of it I was actually missing, but it meant I was allowed to watch movies I otherwise would not be. Friday nights, my mom and sister would watch the TGIF line-up and my brother and I would watch our more mature shows like ‘Brisco County, Jr’ and ‘X-Files’.

So, I’ve been among the others thrilled to be catching up with and remembering old shows I had forgotten about. Shows that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like they’re a warm blanket and a comfy spot on the couch. I found ‘Mad About You’, and I love the show even more now that I’ve been married for 13 years. It’s even better watching it with my husband. Oh, how I’ve missed the simple 30 minute format.

Then there’s ‘Blossom’. The obvious feminism set next to one of the piggiest of boys is so 90’s. The first episode has to be one of my favorites. It’s all about her getting her first period and her mom not being there. Her dad tries his best to help and him and her brothers take her out to eat to celebrate her big day. And Mrs. Huxtable explains it all with frosting on a cake! Reminded me of my mom drawing on the inside of a cereal box for me and my sister.

‘Murder, She Wrote’ has been putting my youngest to sleep. She likes the show, but she’s out in about 2-5 minutes when I put it on. I love the writing and the Jessica Fletcher character. Even if I can figure it out before the end, it’s fun. And ‘MacGyver’ has been absolutely wonderful. Such an awesomely wholesome male role model! I remember every single episode with such clarity. We must have watched them on rerun a lot. Even the theme songs set me to smiling.

Occasionally we watch ‘Golden Girls’ or ‘Full House’ (the original one). ‘Star Trek: Next Generation’ is a staple in this house. I’ve also taken some fun strolls down memory lane with ‘Eerie, Indiana’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. It’s an interesting concept to me. There is so much of my youth tied to cinema and tv in a way no other generation really had. It was the boon of teenagers with money to burn and a market to be exploited. Kids with lots of free time. A tv in every home and VCRs too. Check out ‘The Last Blockbuster’ for a real trip down memory lane.