Jenn - Jennifer Rhodes met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. Jennifer is now a proud member of the VIPers - the Melanie's Muses Spotlight Feature Team!
Old shows, now some people my think those are boring, but not me. Actually, I think they’re some of the best. Don’t believe me? Well maybe just check out a few and see. If you are not really sure which ones to give a try, well then maybe check out a few on my favorites list.
"M*A*S*H" is one that sticks with you from the first time that you watch because the main character of Hawkeye is just so loveable. And Margaret Houlihan, or Hot Lips as she’s been dubbed by the other officers is one fierce female character that makes me go wow. During the period of when this show was out, they didn’t have many of those. Now these two along with the rest of the characters make for one great show and story, even if it’s about a mobile army hospital during the Korean War. (Melanie - I LOVED this show growing up!)
Still with me? Good! Now another old favorite of mine is "Facts of Life". Boy can that theme song stay in your head. It’s so catchy. This show about an all-girl’s boarding school is beautifully done. Especially how it shows the aspect of four girls and their friendship. Not only through them being in high school but even after that. Through the characters of Joe and Blair it shows that no matter how different two people are they can still be the best of friends.
Now this one is sort of a spin off of another oldie but hey I like it and that show is "Mama's Family". Mama Harper is just one fierce grandma and no matter how much she complains about her family in the end, she would do anything for them something I think we can relate to with our own families. Now, I honestly can’t think of "Mama's Family" without thinking of my favorite character Iola. Though she shows up in later seasons, she’s a great addition to the cast and sometimes I can see myself in her, just because we can both be a little weird.
Now, this one I’m sure everyone has heard of. "Golden Girls". Man do I love this show, not only because it shows the power of friendship and family, alright they may not all be related, well except for Sophia and Dorothy but they treat each other like they are. Whether it’s staying up late and talking to help each other or just having fun, these girls are the embodiment of what friends and family should be. Not only that, they were way ahead of their time, tackling issues other shows wouldn’t dare tackle during that time. And you know what? Good for them because some things definitely need to be discussed. (Melanie - Amazing the topics they addressed. You know this is one of Em's favorites!)
Now, this one, if I’m honest I can’t really stand. I find it annoying and sometimes I find myself saying why do these two-stay married, but I have to give it a mention because of Katey Sagal or in this sitcom she’s known as Peggy Bundy. Also, I know we all have different taste so some may actually enjoy "Married with Children" more than I do, but yes, I constantly watch it because of Katey. I’m sure we’ve all done that before. Hated a show, but then watched because of one actor that you just love so much.
This show, is not really on anymore but boy do I miss it and that’s "Alice". Yes, the one about a woman and her son wanting to start over. They break down in Arizona so she decides to stay and work at Mel's Diner. Even though the cast changes three different times, it still always seems good to me. Not like when usually a show changes characters and you’re like I’m done. This actually works. I wish logo would put this show back on, because boy did I enjoy it.
Now, this one is not as old as the others but it can definitely hold its own and that’s "The Nanny". Fran Drescher sure knew what she was doing with this show. From the loveable characters to the perfect OTP in Fran and Max. I even liked C.C. even if I did feel like hitting her at times. (Melanie - Another of Em's favorites! We had to buy her the DVD set lol)
These shows will forever live in my heart and I will always enjoy them whenever they are on.
Dave - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
There are so many great old shows. Well, not that I'd call myself old (but I am) so I'll just call them "older" shows. There, that sounds better. Being faced with this challenge, there are so many I want to list and for different reasons but I'm going to try to limit it to less than 50 shows. Umm, I mean less than 5 shows. No more than 12.
"Mad About You" I fell in love with this show when it first aired. I was a fan of Paul Reiser before. So, when his new show with Helen Hunt was premiering, I had to tune in. Its about a newlywed couple who have only been married 6 months and just dealing with their new life together. What makes this show special is the inside jokes and running gags that make numerous mentions. They are often overlooked by the casual viewer but those of us that watch every week get it and laugh while the rest are wondering what we are laughing at.
"Three's Company" All you need are 2 words. John Ritter. The man was an absolute legend. Comedic genius. Always putting everything he had into his performance and carried the show through a couple cast changes, and giving his all no matter what. Most actors are lucky to have one successful series. He had a few more after this. Of course, there's spin off "Three's a Crowd" (one season), "Hooperman" (2 seasons), "Hearts Afire" (3 seasons), and "8 Simple Rules". He passed away during the early part of the 2nd season of "8 Simple Rules".
"It's a Living" aka "Making a Living" during its 2nd season before changing its name back to "It's a Living" going into a syndication with brand new first run episodes for 4 more seasons for a total of 120 episodes. This is another show that had a few cast member changes. The show was about a group of waitresses in a restaurant on top of a skyscraper.
"Reasonable Doubts" This pick is going to change things up a bit. All of these have been sitcoms so far. This one is a cop/legal drama that NBC doomed. Mark Harmon was a cop and Marlee Matlin was a prosecuting attorney. They meet when Mark's character is testifying at one of her trials and she signs to her companion (since she is deaf) that "he shouldn't be allowed to be a witness at a wedding". His father was deaf so he knows what she said. So, she becomes his next assignment since he knows sign language and she needs a cop to work with. Anyway, back to my grief about how NBC screwed it over. It ran for 2 seasons and probably had about 12 time slots in that time. I think it aired on every night of the week at least once, rarely ever 3 or 4 consecutive weeks and then taking a few weeks off before airing another one. No one could ever find the show to watch it! Remember, this was 1991-1993. There was no DVR to set and record or On Demand to watch later and definitely no streaming or downloading. If you didn't watch it when it aired, or know it was on to set the VCR, you missed it. I had to study TV Guide magazine every week to see if it was on and if it was a new one. I loved it and it had such great potential if they'd keep it in one slot to gain a following.
"Cheers" and "Night Court" Yes, they are 2 separate shows but since they ran around the same time, I can't think of one without thinking of the other. At the time, they were probably my 2 favorite shows on the air. Classic sitcoms of the 80's on display. Classic characters, classic lines. Always a good time with these two.
(Melanie - Wow Dave you have a lot that Greg has mentioned but I haven't seen. With Night Court coming back we are hoping they will start streaming that somewhere!)
Code Word For This Article Is Oldies
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