IT’S NOT ALWAYS SUNNY
It’s a Friday night after a long, exhausting week of work. I cozy up on the couch and turn to one of my guilty pleasures. As I scroll through my mental log of comfort TV shows, I select one of my favorites that were in the realm of the '90s, which in my opinion, is probably one of the best eras of television.
Lately, I have been rewatching “Dawson’s Creek” — a show that I have lost count of how many times I have watched all the way through in my lifetime. For those who may not be familiar with one of my all-time favorites, this American drama series, which aired from 1998 to 2003, follows the lives of a wannabe filmmaker Dawson Leery, his best friend Joey (Josephine), close friend Pacey and new girl next door Jen from high school to college and adulthood, as additional friends come and go. The show will never get “old” for me.
I’ve also cycled through “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Friends,” “Charmed,” “Boy Meets World” and others that were released in the early 2000s that might as well have been in the '90s because of their nostalgic feel.
“Retro” — a word that some of the streaming services have coined for the '90s-2000s shows — TV is comfortable. They are filmed in a way that allows us to step back into a time machine to be there. We can imagine ourselves standing on the set of “Friends,” watching Rachel try to remember everyone’s coffee order or at the dock in “Dawson’s Creek,” seeing Joey walk up the ladder to Dawson’s room for a movie night and even sitting at the kitchen table when all of the families were eating dinner, talking about their day.
For the Millenials, Gen Z-ers or those of us who feel like we are in between as Zillennials, it’s reminiscent of our childhood. While we may not have been alive, or were really, really young, when those shows first aired, we still watched them. We got to witness the culture of that time period that we desperately wanted to experience for ourselves.
They are reliable. Those shows will always be there. The endings will always be the same, but watching them a thousand times does not take away the thrill. I’ve lost count on how many times I have watched all the shows I listed above and then some.
The shows that have been created within the last decade are not the same. There are talented writers and everyone else who put in countless hours for the craft, so there is still hope for current and future television. And I am not completely knocking what has aired on TV, or streaming services, because I have found several that I enjoy, but I do miss a few things.
There is just something about having to wait a full week to find out what happens at the end of a major cliffhanger (main character death, unexpected illness, etc.) and not, in any way, being able to “look up” spoilers.
Not to mention the: perfectly chosen background music throughout each scene that tells you how to feel; camera angle choices that don’t give you whiplash; complex dialogue that makes you think; and shows that run for several seasons with at least 25 episodes each, so it doesn’t feel like they are rushing the story.
I hope that one day, we can bring the nostalgic charm of '90s shows into the 21st century. Until then, I will continue being selective with what is currently offered, while mixing in my favorite “retro” dramas and comedies.
Navarro is the executive editor of the Hays Free Press and News-Dispatch. She can reached via email at [email protected].
