TV Needs More Family-Friendly Shows
Last night I was watching the Happy Days 30th Anniversary Reuinion, and it was a pleasant, nostalgic look at a beloved show. I never really watched Happy Days, but my husband did, and used to sigh at the fact I had no clue who Pinky Tescadero was.
While I didn't watch Happy Days faithfully and only caught it's re-runs, there were a lot of shows that I did watch as a kid and have fond memories of: The Cosby Show, Growing Pains, and Who's the Boss are among those shows. Yes, I look back at a couple of them and think, "This show is sooo cheesy and stupid." But as a kid, I loved them!
It all made me think, 20 years from now, what family sitcoms or shows from today would my kids be able to feel nostalgia over while watching a 20 year anniversary/reunion special? Well, the answer is...none.
We don't really watch TV as a family because there just aren't any family shows on TV anymore. These days the emphasis is on edgy, sophisticated, adult shows that are completely inappropriate for kids. I remember Thursday evenings at 8:00 was my night for Cosby. Up until last year the show available at that time slot was Friends, and I would never let my kids watch that show.
There are a lot of shows that my husband and I watch together, but only after the kids are in bed. We enjoy Alias, Veronica Mars, The Amazing Race, and CSI. The only show we sit down and watch as a family is American Idol. I have heard my friends praise Extreme Makeover: Home Edition as being a family show, but we haven't been able to catch that one yet.
So is that it? Reality shows? I that the family fare for this generation of kids?
Well, I guess I can see it in a positive light- my kids just won't be watching that much television. And so they won't be developing the bad TV-watching habits my husband and I have. So, as adults, they probably will have other hobbies and interests to occupy their time because they just didn't grow up watching TV shows. Hmm... maybe the networks should take note.
While I didn't watch Happy Days faithfully and only caught it's re-runs, there were a lot of shows that I did watch as a kid and have fond memories of: The Cosby Show, Growing Pains, and Who's the Boss are among those shows. Yes, I look back at a couple of them and think, "This show is sooo cheesy and stupid." But as a kid, I loved them!
It all made me think, 20 years from now, what family sitcoms or shows from today would my kids be able to feel nostalgia over while watching a 20 year anniversary/reunion special? Well, the answer is...none.
We don't really watch TV as a family because there just aren't any family shows on TV anymore. These days the emphasis is on edgy, sophisticated, adult shows that are completely inappropriate for kids. I remember Thursday evenings at 8:00 was my night for Cosby. Up until last year the show available at that time slot was Friends, and I would never let my kids watch that show.
There are a lot of shows that my husband and I watch together, but only after the kids are in bed. We enjoy Alias, Veronica Mars, The Amazing Race, and CSI. The only show we sit down and watch as a family is American Idol. I have heard my friends praise Extreme Makeover: Home Edition as being a family show, but we haven't been able to catch that one yet.
So is that it? Reality shows? I that the family fare for this generation of kids?
Well, I guess I can see it in a positive light- my kids just won't be watching that much television. And so they won't be developing the bad TV-watching habits my husband and I have. So, as adults, they probably will have other hobbies and interests to occupy their time because they just didn't grow up watching TV shows. Hmm... maybe the networks should take note.
posted by Philothea Rose at
1:04 PM
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