Friday, February 04, 2005

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.

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