Nowadays, there are so many television shows being released on cable and through streaming services that there are bound to be a few bad eggs. However, when you strike out on today’s televsion, you can always look back at some old reliables! Just because some of these shows may have been created when you were only just born, it doesn’t mean that they aaren’t still relevant today and can make you laugh just as hard as those who watched it years before you. To prove this point, here are several television shows from the past that I am personally obsessed with and highly recommend to all you youngsters out there:
- Happy Days (1974-1984)
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Happy Days! A classic television show about the dilemmas and life of teenager, Richie Cunningham, who is essentially the perfect atomic family boy with his rosy cheeks and letterman jacket. It also includes the experiences of Richie’s friends. Of these friends is the quirky character “The Fonz,” or Arthur Fonzarelli, known for his “coolness” and ability to get girls with one snap. It also follows the experiences of his two parents, especially during the later part of the series. The show is full of relatable situations, common family drama and classic humor that is both wholesome and timeless. It is a feel good show for the ages.
- Cheers (1982-1993)
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Cheers to Cheers! The show takes place in a bar (and basically only in the bar), which is owned by main character Sam Malone, a tall and striking ex-baseball player. In each episode, classic characters walk in and out, telling their stories, making classic jokes accompanied by canned laughter and only rarely ever address the fact that they are always in a bar (even during the day), and they appear to have an endless wallet to pay for endless drinks. This show has everything from cheesy catchphrases to a cute and teasingly playful relationship between two characters. This was of course before the character Diane left the show near the end of the series. (Diane and Sam Forever!) You too can get this attached to these lovable and witty characters by watching Cheers! Available at a Netflix near you.
- Golden Girls (1985-1992)
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The O.G. girl gang show: The Golden Girls. This beautifully crafted show centers around four older women who all live together and face the complexities and oddball antics of their golden years. The four women consist of the strong and confident Dorothy, the quirky and absent minded Rose, the sexaully empowered Blanche from the south and the responsible and adorable Dorothy. The women fight and tease each other, but before you know it, they are quick to make up and join each other on the couch for some girl time.
- Twin peaks (1990-1991)
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Twin Peaks is one of the oddest television shows I have ever seen, but it is also one of the most interestingly good ones. It begins with the police of the small town of Twin Peaks finding the lifeless body of a young and seemingly popular teenage girl. This then begins a series of revelations about the secrets of Twin Peaks, the love triangles in it and the odd experiences of the people who live in it. Let’s just say, a woman speaks to a log that appears to be omniscient. The show features young Mädchen Amick, who currently plays Betty’s mom in Riverdale if that helps to convince you of the greatness of this show.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a show worth watching. Playing the teenage vampire slayer gifted with supernatural abilities, such as great strength, is the young Sarah Michelle Gellar, and playing her best friend is actress Alyson Hannigan from How I Met Your Mother. And if you don’t know those stars, you may know the actor who plays the vampire Angel, David Boreanaz from Bones. Now I have to admit, I am not very into the supernatural, but this show reaches beyond that and explores the lives of Buffy and her friends in high school and in their romantic relationships.
- Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)
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Freaks and Geeks is a classic show that perfectly embodies the teenage experience during this time period. Many speculate that it was only on for one season because it was too real of a portrayal of adolescence and that the presence of drug use, sex and familial issues among the teenage characters was too overwhelming. However, it is this rawness, which is accompanied by complex characters, awkwardness and original humor that makes the show so great. It follows the life of teengaer Lindsay, her friends and her high school freshman brother, Sam, and his friends. The show is truly relatable, heartwarming and absolutely a must watch.
- Scrubs (2001-2010)
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Scrubs is a great show full of laughter and well-done emotional scenes that could make anyone cry. However, I have to warn you that it does go on for one season too long. For the very last season, all of the amazing cast which occupied the show were removed, or made secondary characters, and an entirely new cast as well as set-up for the show is introduced. Even the beauty of Dave Franco couldn’t save it. But, before the last season, Scrubs was an amazing series that followed the life of the lovable and innocent J.D. and his friends as they navigated the intricacies of life working in a hospital, some as doctors, some as surgeons and some as nurses. It incorporates it all. What I found most unique about the show is that many of the scenes were purely created from J.D.’s imagination, which proved to be both surprising and witty. Ultimately, the show is guaranteed to bring the smiles, the laughter and, when necessary, the streaming tears.
I hope that my little teasers for each of these television shows convince you to step out of your comfort zone and, for a few moments, your time spent when trying choosing what to watch next. They may be a bit old, some more than others, but none of that matters when they still manage to be relatable, make you laugh and form tears in your eyes from overwhelming emotions. There are so many ways to judge a television show, but its age should never be a factor.