I’ve never seen Big Brother. I watched the first episode of the first season of Survivor, and my only experience with American Idol was my mom and sister forcing me to watch during a visit home a few years ago. None of which is to say I’m not a TV person — I most definitely am a true-blooded American in the respect that the first thing I do when I come home at night is flip on the tube. When I’m making dinner? TV’s on. When I wake up on a Saturday morning? Let’s see what’s on. Often sports are my entertainment of choice, but I’m also quite satisfied with a bad movie here and there.

I don’t know if I’m missing out on some sort of cultural significance by skipping the more popular shows. While I may not be up-to-date with what qualifies as “Must See TV” (do they still call it that?) it occurred to me recently that I’ve still got a set of trusty fallbacks I know I can always count on to kill my brain cells in bulk.

For the past year, I’ve worked a compressed week — Tuesday through Friday. When I found out a few weeks ago that we would be going back to a five-day week, one of my first thoughts went something like this: How am I going to watch The Price is Right, followed immediately by Full House? It was a scary thought. I’ve become quite addicted to these shows that formed a large part of my childhood. Watching them as a 20-something should feel more…pathetic…but somehow it doesn’t, and I think I know why.

There’s a comforting notion about a cast of characters that you know inside and out. There’s something empowering about a storyline you’ve seen either once, twice or a million times before — so many times you know what happens next whether it’s the pilot, the third episode of the 8th season or the series finale. I’m that way with a number of shows. Within a few lines, I’m usually able to point out what happens in this episode of Seinfeld or Friends; I know the complicated back story of the show that ultimately became Saved by the Bell.

In fact, I love these shows so genuinely that I’m able to look past their flaws.

Of course Saved by the Bell started in Indiana as Good Morning Miss Bliss, then shifted to California. The cast grew up, graduated, mysteriously returned for another year of high school — and then went off to college at California University even though Zack had qualified for Yale with his 1502 ACT score.

I’m also at the age where I most of my favorites were originally seen in syndication, so my idea of timeline is completely screwed up. Until recently, I’d never see the last episode of The Cosby Show. Thank God for YouTube. My favorite series conclusion was The Wonder Years — one of the few shows that got it right and didn’t leave anything for speculation. One of my all-time favorite series, Roseanne, also has one of my all-time least favorite endings. It was all a dream? Really? Wow, talk about depressing.

I don’t know what this will all mean in 30 years. Will I still remember? If so, will I care? Surely the people around me won’t, so I’ll be left with my own memories of characters, people I felt like I knew. I’m OK with that. Until Nick at Night replaces MY shows with American Idol and Survivor, I guess. Then I’ll have to go out and, I don’t know, live in the real world.

2 Responses to “Familar faces”

1. Natalie Says:
   August 30th, 2009 at 10:29 am

   One of the highlights of visiting San Fran was getting to see the Full House house. I mean, I got chills. It’s like the Lincoln Memorial.

2. Carroll B. Merriman Says:
   December 24th, 2009 at 9:30 pm

   I’ve been reading a few posts and really and enjoy your writing. I’m just starting up my own blog and only hope that I can write as well and give the reader so much insight.

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