1990, Friday
DOL, the Mad Minute times tables, playground bullies-the travails of elementary school were no match for the promise of a beautiful night of TGIF. Steve Urkel and Kimmie Gibler were hilarious in a way that only a nine-year-old could truly appreciate (ok, I guess that I am dating myself here, but it is worth it).
One of life’s greatest tragedies is the “Where are they now?” of the Full House cast. Ok, Uncle Jesse is still hot somehow, but Steph became a meth addict and Uncle Joey was the inspiration for an Alanis Morrisette song about indiscretions in a movie theatre. I thought that Danny Tanner’s only post-1995 accomplishment was a raunchy stand-up comedy routine, until now. I have discovered that he is actually an international superstar in his own right.
On Thursday a student approached me and mentioned that it was her birthday on Friday. Birthdays can be a little bittersweet at my school, because many of the high school students are boarders and their parents are in Turkey. We do our best to ameliorate the homesickness a little bit, which is my excuse for what I am about to reveal.
Birthday Girl: It is my birthday tomorrow.
Miss Jill: Awesome, what do you want to do?
Birthday Girl: It would make me really happy if we watched funny videos.
Miss Jill: What kind of funny videos?
Birthday Girl: Ones where people get injured.
Miss Jill: Nervous Laugh.
Friday came and I let Birthday Girl pick out some clips on youtube and her face glowed from anticipation.
As it loaded, I quickly realized that her quest for the perfect 16th birthday included America’s Funniest Home Videos. I had no idea that anyone still watched that. As Danny Tanner wittily narrated dozens of falls, babies making weird faces and people getting hit in the crotch with a baseball, joyous laughter rang throughout the room. Distant families, crush drama and low grades were immediately forgotten. I guess laughing at other people’s misfortune is truly an international language. The great equalizer, if you will.
As a monologuer, I don’t ask for much reader participation on this blog, but I’m curious, what are everyone’s favorite shows from the Golden Age of Television (80s to early 90s)? I am undecided, although I taught myself to play the “Perfect Strangers” theme on the piano.
I have fond memories of Out of This World (I think that's what it was called? The girl whose dad was an alien and could stop time by pressing her fingers together. What I wouldn't have given for _that_ trick). Also I really loved watching 'allo 'allo. Now that I'm older and have seen it again, I realize that child-me missed ALL the innuendo and laughed at the slapstick. I was missing Are You Being Served? yesterday (yes, my childhood was filled with BBC), but haven't gone much further than that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, were you one of those who went to see BBB just to see John Stamos? (o:
Doogie Howser, M.D.
ReplyDeleteI was obsessed with re-runs of Hawaii Five-O.
ReplyDeleteI was a strange child.
Many of my childhood memories stem from people being slimed on "You can't do that on television"
ReplyDeletejust don't say "I don't know"
Come on now...Stephanie Tanner is no longer an addict, and the Olsen twins turned into fine, upstanding young ladies. Wait, scratch that last one.
ReplyDeleteAs for non-animated '80s shows, Perfect Strangers and Charles In Charge were my top sitcoms, and I was also really into Knight Rider, Fall Guy and Dukes of Hazzard.
I also had a crush(perhaps my first-ever, I can't remember for sure) on Fall Guy's (and Night Court's) Markie Post, female mullet and all. Don't judge me.
Hahaha that's so funny.
ReplyDeleteYeah we were all surprised in my Child Development class to learn that AFHV was the nation's most violent TV show... everyone thought it was Walker Texas Ranger or something... but no. It's the show every parent let their kids watch.
My favorite TV Show from the 90's... probably The Nanny. She has a terrible voice but I loved her.
Dinosaurs. Short-lived, but it brought the world such memorable catchphrases as "Not the Mama!" and "I'm the baby, gotta love me." Probably the best animatronics show about dinosaurs ever.
ReplyDeleteI really loved Who's the Boss and Mr. Belvedere.
ReplyDeleteAs I told you, AFV is my mom's fave and we'd watch it on Sundays so I know too much about the series (some would say I know too much about all TV series...) - but just FYI, Saget hasn't hosted since the late 90's. There were a few years when Daisy Fuentes & some guy hosted but now it's Tom Bergeron. Before DVR my mom would 'mute' whenever the host talked - less jokes, more injuries!
ReplyDeleteMy fave shows were Small Wonder & Punky!
Man, I think I spent WAY too much time watching TV in the early - mid 90's. I had tons of favorite shows from that time period (I was not very discriminating). Many of my favs have already been mentioned, but I also really loved Saved by the Bell, Growing Pains and Alf. And anything forbidden by my parents ranked high on the list too like: Silver Spoons, Cosby Show, Family Matters, and three's company.
ReplyDeleteI think the list is never-ending. Now that my older kids are 7 and 5 I'm shocked at how much tv I was watching at their age compared to what I allow. And also at what I watched.
ReplyDeleteSmall Wonder, Growing Pains, Full House, the Cosby Show, Family Matters, Saved by the Bell, Alf, plus a bunch of weird adult ones like: Murder She Wrote, Night Court, Moonlighting, Cheers, and many many more.
PS. I saw the Beach Boys in concert at a USC game with my parents when I was 12 or so and was thrilled when Uncle Jesse took the stage.
I loved Saved by the Bell more than life itself (probably just chalk it up to my crush on Kelly Capowski) and I have never laughed harder at any show than I did at Perfect Strangers. It's a tie.
ReplyDelete