2. TGIF
My memories of the wonderful TGIF programming block are not complete without Wheel of Fortune. You see, if you were as into TGIF as I was (and if you're reading this article I'm guessing you were) by 6:55 you had your television tuned to ABC and ended up watching the last 5 minutes of Wheel of Fortune. I didn't want to miss one second of those magical two hours and if that meant having to watch befuddled people completely botch the last puzzle over and over again, then so be it. It was worth it to spend the next two hours in sitcom nirvana. First, a little history: TGIF, unlike most of the other programming blocks on this list, has its roots in the Golden Age of TV from the 50's. Although it wasn't called TGIF back then, Friday night on ABC was still thought of as the best night on television. With shows like "Leave it to Beaver, "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet", "The Donna Reed Show", "The Flintstones", it was hard to dispute that claim. Throughout the years, Friday night on ABC was the gold standard in family entertainment. Its programming was scheduled and coordinated with a different mindset than what you would see throughout the rest of the week. Some shows were made with women in mind, others with father on the brain, and of course there was programming for Jr. and the little princess. Friday was the day when it all converged. Father, mother, son and daughter could all gather around the TV and watch programming that everyone would enjoy. By keeping the programming model diverse, ABC found a sure fire way to keep families glued to their sets each and every Friday night for years to come. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RTicmeCeAU Yes, you can say it was a miracle. At least that's what Jim Janieck thought. By the late 80's, "Janicek was a writer and producer for ABC Entertainment in charge of promoting Tuesday and Friday night comedies". The typical Friday night programming block (still not called TGIF) needed a new brand and outlook if it was going to survive into the 90's. What better way to express the unifying miracle of the family television block, while simultaneously expressing joy at the arrival of Friday and subsequent end of the work week? All you could do was thank God (Goodness for the more politically correct of you out there). Thus T.G.I.F. was born. Spanning the years of 1988 to 2000, when the original run of TGIF was in place you could find situational comedy shows to satisfy every member of the family. Dependent upon the year(s) you were watching, the ideal TGIF lineup differed from person to person. For instance, I believe the best TGIF line-up was from 1993 to 1996 when Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step by Step and Hanging With Mr. Cooper aired back to back to back to back. For those a little older than myself, it may be the program blocks from the even earlier 90's when shows like Full House, Dinosaurs, and Perfect Strangers were part of the mix. Those younger than myself may cotton to the TGIF block from the late 90's, when more tween friendly programming took over and you saw shows like the (underrated) Clueless series, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch take prominence. Each block in the original run of TGIF is solid and many 90's kids (and adults) still look back with fondness on that time. It was the last time I can remember when comedic shows just made people laugh. Today's comedic shows (stuff like Modern Family, and 30 rock) can inspire chuckles, but they lack familial charm, eagerness to please, and general merriment that shows in the 90's had. I'm put off by the cold, unfeeling nature of today's comedic shows; if you don't get a joke, its not because the joke isn't funny, but because you're not smart enough to get the gag. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for challenging, thought provoking comedy, but the most brilliant satire in the world amounts to nothing in the end if it doesn't have a bit of good 'ole fashioned kindness and warmth at its core. Whenever I am overwhelmed with the chill of modern programming, I can run to YouTube and watch some of the old TGIF bumpers and knock some of that chill off. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJlk__u23T8