Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic:
Bingeworthy TV Shows
This week's topic is a little tricky because I'm not a TV watcher and haven't been for years. When people start talking about current TV shows, chances are I've never even heard of them. There have been random shows I've enjoyed over the years but I've never enjoyed feeling like I was tied to the TV and even when I liked a show I often lost interest and never saw it through to the end of its run.
But there are exceptions to every rule and there are shows that either I binged back in the day because I bought the series on DVD or shows that would be fun to binge now (no, I don't have Netflix LOL). Get ready to take a trip down Memory Lane because some of these are probably older than some of you reading this. :)
MY SO-CALLED LIFE (1994-1995)
In the mid-90's I was tuning in every week to wallow in Angela Chase's teen angst. In a tragedy that this show lasted one one season.
DESIGNING WOMEN (1986-1993)
Smart, funny, sassy, independent Southern women running a successful business made for some good times. I lost interest when Delta Burke left after the fifth season and was replaced by Julia Duffy. But those first five seasons are totally bingeworthy.
FAMILY (1976-1980)
Okay, we're going back a ways for this one but I loved this drama with a young Meredith Baxter Birney and an even younger Kristy McNichol. I'd love to binge the whole series but I don't even know if it can be found these days.
THE FACTS OF LIFE (1979-1988)
As a child/teen, this was the first show I remember seeing that starred and solely focused on girls. What a concept! I never missed an episode with Blair, Jo, Natalie and Tootie.
PARTY OF FIVE (1994-2000)
This felt so new and different when it first aired and I fell in love with the Salinger family. Never Campbell (pre-Scream), Jennifer Love Hewitt (pre-I Know What You Did Last Summer) and Lacey Chabert (pre-Mean Girls).
EIGHT IS ENOUGH (1977-1981)
I wanted to be part of the Bradford family! I thought the sisters were so glamorous and I totally wanted Grant Goodeve to be my older brother. I'd love to be able to binge the series today.
THE BRADY BUNCH (1969-1974)
Now we're really going back! This one almost pre-dates me. LOL As cheesy and hokey as it was, I'm still a sucker for the uber-wholesome family, the life lessons and the lame jokes. Luckily this seems to always be in rotation so I can binge all I want.
THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER (2008-2013)
I have such a love/hate relationship with this show. Despite wanting to smack almost every character in every episode, I just can't help myself. Characters ran the gamut from whiny to annoying to morally bankrupt (parents included), but in the so-bad-it's-good realm it was a total win.
This week's topic is a little tricky because I'm not a TV watcher and haven't been for years. When people start talking about current TV shows, chances are I've never even heard of them. There have been random shows I've enjoyed over the years but I've never enjoyed feeling like I was tied to the TV and even when I liked a show I often lost interest and never saw it through to the end of its run.
But there are exceptions to every rule and there are shows that either I binged back in the day because I bought the series on DVD or shows that would be fun to binge now (no, I don't have Netflix LOL). Get ready to take a trip down Memory Lane because some of these are probably older than some of you reading this. :)
MY SO-CALLED LIFE (1994-1995)
In the mid-90's I was tuning in every week to wallow in Angela Chase's teen angst. In a tragedy that this show lasted one one season.
DESIGNING WOMEN (1986-1993)
Smart, funny, sassy, independent Southern women running a successful business made for some good times. I lost interest when Delta Burke left after the fifth season and was replaced by Julia Duffy. But those first five seasons are totally bingeworthy.
FAMILY (1976-1980)
Okay, we're going back a ways for this one but I loved this drama with a young Meredith Baxter Birney and an even younger Kristy McNichol. I'd love to binge the whole series but I don't even know if it can be found these days.
THE FACTS OF LIFE (1979-1988)
As a child/teen, this was the first show I remember seeing that starred and solely focused on girls. What a concept! I never missed an episode with Blair, Jo, Natalie and Tootie.
PARTY OF FIVE (1994-2000)
This felt so new and different when it first aired and I fell in love with the Salinger family. Never Campbell (pre-Scream), Jennifer Love Hewitt (pre-I Know What You Did Last Summer) and Lacey Chabert (pre-Mean Girls).
EIGHT IS ENOUGH (1977-1981)
I wanted to be part of the Bradford family! I thought the sisters were so glamorous and I totally wanted Grant Goodeve to be my older brother. I'd love to be able to binge the series today.
THE BRADY BUNCH (1969-1974)
Now we're really going back! This one almost pre-dates me. LOL As cheesy and hokey as it was, I'm still a sucker for the uber-wholesome family, the life lessons and the lame jokes. Luckily this seems to always be in rotation so I can binge all I want.
THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER (2008-2013)
I have such a love/hate relationship with this show. Despite wanting to smack almost every character in every episode, I just can't help myself. Characters ran the gamut from whiny to annoying to morally bankrupt (parents included), but in the so-bad-it's-good realm it was a total win.
And now for the crème de la crème...
DAWSON'S CREEK (1998-2003)
Teen drama angst, gorgeous setting, great music, characters varied enough that everyone could pick a favorite... not to mention that they all spoke like urbane 40-year olds. This one is worthy of binge watching again and again.
BEVERLY HILLS 90210 (1990-2000)
This is it. My #1. The ultimate. I was a huge 90210 fan back in the day. Never missed an episode. What was fun was that my sister was just as obsessed and we would call each other during commercials to discuss. LOL From Brenda's dramatics, to Dylan's tortured bad boy coolness, to Brandon's good-guy personality (which, frankly, often veered into self-righteous territory), I was totally sold on all the drama. 100% bingeworthy.
Do you remember some of these shows - or have I reached too far into the vault? :)
Wow! You got some deep cuts there with Family. I loved that show! The only one on your list, which never really dazzled me was Secret Life. I would love to start Thirtysomething, Sisters, and American Dreams from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteLOL I was reaching for a couple of these. I mean, I haven’t been a TV watcher for quite a while so it took some digging to remember/find the ones I’d want to binge. :) I love that you remember Family! (I’m thinking we must be about the same ago.) And Thirtysomething! I forgot about that show! I only watched the first season or two but I remember it being very good.
DeleteOh I like your shows! My So Called Life was the best. Designing Women is a classic.90210 and Dawson's were ingress I watched a lot too.
ReplyDeleteI loved that Designing Women was funny while being smart and often commenting on feminism and current events. And 90210... oh my gosh, so addicted! :)
DeleteWhen I was younger, my sister and I used to watch shows like The Brady Bunch, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, I Love Lucy, at night and we loved them. Still do! I'm not the biggest TV watcher either...and I'm SO bad at binge watching. There are tons of shows I want to watch, but it just takes me forever. haha One of my FAVORITE shows is Psych though and I highly recommend.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
Those old sit-coms were so great! There’s a reason why they’re still in syndication. :) I really used to love Happy Days. Such a great show.
DeleteThis is so fun, going back to some oldies and goodies :) So I loved Designing Women - I don't think I watched every episode or even watched it in order (I was probably watching reruns/syndication. Same thing with the Brady Bunch (which I know I was watching in syndication because I was born in 84). But great shows just the same.
ReplyDeleteA show I've always wanted to watch but never got around to is Dawson's Creek. OH and yeah I totally watched The Secret Life of an American Teenager, with the same feelings about the show :)
Yeah, I only remember The Brady Bunch in syndication. I was maybe 4 or 5 when the show ended so I have no memory of the original. Designed Woen, though... never missed that one! Me and my mom used to always watch it together. :)
DeleteLOL Oh my gosh, Secret Life was so lame and crappy but I just couldn’t help myself.
I loved watching party of five when I was younger!!! I watched a lot of "older" shows when I was younger. My faves were Happy Days, I love Lucy, Laverne and Shirley, Taxi, Saved by the Bell, Family Matters, etc. I loved them haha!! I did watch other things too but those were my go-tos
ReplyDeleteSo many good ones, Jessica! I used to love Happy Days and never missed it. And my dad always loved Taxi. He would always crack up over “Louie”, Danny DeVito’s character. (Thanks for triggering such a great memory of my father.) And Saved by the Bell... oh my gosh, there’s no telling how many times I’ve seen those episodes. Even the college years. LOL
DeleteLOL Yeah, Tanya, I remember EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE SHOWS! :D Okay well, I didn't watch the Secret Life of the American Teenager but I do know it. The others? Yeah, I watched them all... sigh. Good times! :D
ReplyDeleteDon’t you miss all those good shows from the 70’s? I KNOW it makes me sound old, but I swear so much of TV was just better back then.
DeleteThe only one I know out of that bunch is Dawson's Creek. I remember watching the odd episode of that when I was a younger.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of a few of the others (and vaguely remember my mum watching) but that's about it. :/
Talking about TV shows is weird. I was chatting about a lot of the reboots kicking off this autumn with people at work and got a fair few blank stares when I mentioned a show. They were only between 4 and 6 years younger than me but they didn't have a clue! It's funny really. :)
Oh geez, you’re killing me... please tell me I’m not the same age as your mother. LOL
DeleteToo funny that your coworkers are only a few years younger and still didn’t know the shows! 😜