What Makes A T.V. Show?

Image by 406604 via Flickr

Michelle Marchante | Contributing Writer

opinion@fiusm.com

The entertainment industry is a powerful force and I don’t mean the influence celebrities have on the population, I’m talking about the power that lets fans form connections with each other. What makes a T.V. show old? The year it was filmed, the style, the lingo, maybe the quality it was shot in, are all true answers but then why would someone from a different generation still enjoy it?

The quality of the show must be the answer. A good show, is well, a good show, no matter the year it was made- same with movies, music, and books. Whatever people liked about it back then must be why people like it now. But why have old shows seem to make more of a comeback with our Millennial generation than the ones before?  The Internet is probably to thank, with the power to have virtually anything at our fingers, we’ve been able to discover shows that have been forgotten, not by those who used to watch it, but by the mainstream society.

People are discovering that just because a T.V. show ended before you were born or maybe before you were old enough to watch it, it’s still a show worth watching. Gilligan’s Island, a show that ran until 1967, or I Dream of Jeannie, a show that ran until 1970, are classics that can still bring laughter to anyone who watches them. The Facts of Life, a show that ended in 1988, can still teach important life-lessons in the world today, and people still go gaga over those old Star Trek episodes. I can’t help but wonder why but then I think, ‘Hey, good quality T.V. is good quality T.V.’ Maybe that’s why everyone’s falling in love with Friends all over again?

Shows can unite fans, giving them common ground, allowing a friendship to form, even if it’s just for that one moment, no matter the age difference. That could very well be why old show reunions seem to be popping up everywhere. Last year, comedian Jimmy Kimmel accomplished having a Friends mini-reunion when he invited Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow to his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! to revive their old characters Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe for a scene.

Comedian Jimmy Fallon recently did a Saved By The Bell reunion this past month on his show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as well as doing a Full House mini-reunion on his old show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, last year when Bob Saget, John Stamos, and David Alan Coulier, played their old characters Danny, Jessie, and Joey for a special skit.

These special reunions aren’t just making fans of the show, old and new alike, happy. These reunions prove that while the times may change, the fundamental aspect of these beloved T.V. shows: the basics, the story, the characters, can still impact our generation, making a resounding sound in our hearts, as we see a little bit of ourselves in those characters. So feed your curiosity and find out what shows your family members used to enjoy. Look it up, watch an episode, and who knows maybe you’ll find you’re next binge-worthy show…after you finish binge-watching Friends of course.

About the Author

Michelle Marchante
Michelle Marchante is the 2018-2019 Editor-in-Chief of PantherNOW. Majoring in broadcast journalism, she lives and breathes web, print, radio and TV news 24/7. You can connect with her on Twitter @TweetMichelleM

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