Rewind Television

When I look back on my own childhood, it seems like a simpler time. Maybe that’s a perception shaded by the way memory softens things, or a side effect of the internet and 24 hour news, but the world felt a little smaller and safer then, even if it wasn’t. Maybe it’s the innocence of childhood that I miss.

I want to go back to believing that Bill Cosby was a fun-loving television dad and not the scandalous subject of the evening news.

I want Al Bundy to be America’s favorite idiot again.

I want to go where people know that people are all the same, I want to go where everybody knows my name.

Okay, I’ve been watching a lot of Cheers and I’m nostalgic for the '90s.

The other day my husband and I were reminiscing about the role television played in our childhoods; how each day ended with watching sitcoms as a family and the pinnacle of each week was Saturday morning cartoons. The kids complained that there was no such thing now and I pointed out that there’s no need for it. They can watch programs made for their demographic 24 hours a day, whatever shows they want without commercial interruption, often on their own devices. There is no urgency to sit down together at a certain time to catch up on a family-friendly storyline, and when we do, I’m either bored watching kid shows or cringing through questionable content—that’s not quite going over their heads anymore at this age—as I watch the shows that are considered primetime t.v.

Television isn’t revered as a family activity these days but I have fond memories from the unintentional routine of watching familiar shows together after dinner. When I was a kid we were all staring at screens too, it just happened to be mostly the same screen at the same time. Screen time created conversation and connection.

When I heard Full House was getting a sequel called Fuller House on Netflix, my initial thought was, “…seriously?” I just couldn’t imagine why, despite loving the show for years as I grew up. Are we just totally out of ideas? I wondered.

And then I realized maybe we are and felt a sense of relief. Maybe shows like the Muppets and Fuller House are making a comeback because their humor works for kids and adults in a way that feels comfortable, and the nostalgia invites us to remember our own childhood and the things we hold dear.

(Like John Stamos. He’s aged well.)

My kids are going to have plenty of fun memories involving beach days and vacations and significant events; I also want them to enjoy the simple pleasure that comes from less exciting times like watching television together as a family after dinner. But I want to do this in a way that’s appropriate for them and not boring for me and entertaining for all, and that seems to be the hard part.

Fingers crossed that Netflix reboots all of the ’90s classics and that Cheers is next.

Long live Uncle Jesse.  

Netflix: A Love Story

I've been doing a ton of yoga and house cleaning lately, and by yoga and house cleaning, I mean Netflix.

The other day I was going to go to power yoga (I swear. Really. I seriously thought about it so hard.) and I went to the mailbox first and found this: 

I mean, really? It's as if Netflix personally laid out my pajamas, turned down my sheets, and made a little snuggle nest out of my pillows while handing me the remote. Like they were stroking my hair and saying, "Shhh, Ashley, you don't need to work on your inner, outer, or house self tonight. You need to relax. Of course you don't need to fold the laundry while we watch this, my pretty, pretty princess who is also so fun and funny." 

I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious between us. 

I've been watching a lot of Hotel Impossible, and consider myself a professional in resort management now. My husband and I extensively critique every hotel we visit and discuss what changes Anthony and Blanche might make. We also get super pissy if any decorator other than Blanche is featured on the show. I have no idea why this show appeals to me so much but I've watched 26 episodes. I am not necessarily proud of that.

We also got super sucked into Bloodline. It was slightly cheesy at times but the storyline and execution were compelling and kept us hooked until the end. I love the original programming by Netflix, and I'm not just saying that because we're best friends. 

As part of my ongoing commitment to discover things once everyone else is already over it, I also started watching Portlandia. I was amused and confused. The first time I watched, I thought I might have had more to drink that night than I originally thought. The second time I watched, I realized it's just like that. It's completely absurd and I love that about it.

Oh, and I almost forgot but one day I was sick and watched the entire World Without End miniseries at once! It was a glorious day. This was one of the few times in the history of the universe that I thought the screen adaptation was as enjoyable as the book. I moved on to The Borgias and was into that until Orange is the New Black returned. 

I also have plans to start watching Grace and Frankie. It's one of the most pressing goals I have set for myself; as you can see, I've been very busy and just haven't gotten around to it yet. 

I am retiring to Belize some day with Netflix and a house full of cats. I am also a member of the Netflix Stream Team. But I really did watch that much television since the last Netflix-related post, and all opinions above are my own. If you don't find Portlandia confusing or you like hotel decorators who aren't Blanche, you are totally 100% wrong but that's me saying so and not Netflix. (But I'm sure they'd secretly agree with me due to our special connection.) 

Let me know if you have any suggestions to add to my queue and be sure to watch OITNB so we can discuss!