I straight up don’t understand people who don’t watch television. TV is fabulous. Every week, or nowadays for a rainy Saturday binge, you get to escape to another world with people who’ve become friends. Sometimes they are going through the same things you are – and that’s why you are drawn to them. Sometimes they are nothing like you and it’s a welcome escape. Sometimes you check in on Chuck Todd just to make sure the week’s latest political news hasn’t caused his head to explode. (Yes, I check in every Sunday morning).
I’m of the Must See TV, TGIF generation. We started with TV early – Sesame Street and the Electric Company were our earliest friends. In fact, they were my friends so much that my parents thought Barkley was my imaginary friend – it took a long time to convince them he was on Sesame Street. They just didn’t believe me. In middle school we graduated to “Family Matters” and “Full House,” and then Nickelodeon was born and we were blessed with “Salute Your Shorts” and “Hey Dude.”
“Clarissa Explained It All” to me, long before she was the original Sabrina. By high school it was “Friends” that took the top spot. There’s no question, I’m a Monica, but I really wanted to be a Rachel. And I’ll always be team Chandler – making dad jokes hip long before it was cool.
And, then I went to college and the greatest chapter of my television love affair began, the WB (now The CW) was born, that frog danced into my life and brought along with him all of my teenage angst in the form of four kids from fictional Capeside, MA (just a short drive from my actual, in reality, home). I was hooked from the first second. And full disclosure, I’ve watched it about 15 times end to end – minus the halloween episodes.
I would be remiss not to mention my intense love for “The West Wing” – to date, I still not so secretly wish I could be C.J. Cregg.
Today, with all the streaming platforms and binge-able opportunities, I can hardly keep up. And I’m in all my glory. We’ll be talking about TV again, I’m sure.