Shows from your youth that don't hold up today - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Dr. Thong · 07-28-2011, 02:40 PM

Sometimes you come across a show on a cable rerun that you used to love back when you were a kid or young adult and find that years later, it's not as good as you remembered it being.

Two recent examples:

Family Ties -- I enjoyed it during it's first run, but now it just comes across as cheesy and a bit dated.

Night Court -- Loved this show in the '80s, but I just don't find it as funny as I did back in the '80s.

Anyone else here have examples of shows you loved then...but no so much now?

tiredmike59 · 07-28-2011, 02:57 PM

When I was a kid, I thought Batman and Lost in space were the coolest
shows ever made. Then I got to watch them 30 years later and began
to wonder if I had a hole in my marble bag as a child.

factsoflife · 07-28-2011, 11:59 PM

A lot of 80's and 90's cartoons seemed so great back them but look terrible today, including:

Jem and The Holograms
She-Ra: Princess Of Power
Rainbow Bright (or is it Brite).

Also, for live-action series:

Punky Brewster is so cheesy today, as is Saved By The Bell

Tubehead · 07-29-2011, 12:08 AM

areyouserious? night corut stil good show i Laguh every time iwatch night court te my favortepeson is dan hes so funy. i dis argee with you on family ties i still watch the showwt to this very day it not out dated. i even own one thurfour on dvd if i chose i never like The Partridge Familyor Gilligan's Island

Dr. Thong · 07-29-2011, 06:22 PM

dakert · 07-29-2011, 10:45 PM

Every show I liked from the 50s-70s holds up today--I have spoken!!

IllinoisTVFan · 07-30-2011, 01:09 AM

I used to love these shows, but they don't interest me anymore.

Gilligan's Island
Beverly Hillbillies
Dukes of Hazard
Charlies Angels

In general to me many of the 80's sitcoms don't hold up as a whole. Not sure if it's because I'm not ready to go back there or they just aren't as good as I think.

Dr. Thong · 07-30-2011, 07:51 AM

As we get older, our tastes change, we mature (well, some of us do) and it's inevitable that some show you thought was great when you were a kid is not going to be as good as you remember it being.

Recently, I watched a Family Ties episode, where Alex takes speed on Monday in order to stay up and study for exams. By Wednesday, he's an addict. By Friday, he realizes he's in trouble. He has a meltdown and withdraws overnight on Friday. By Saturday, he's cured and has learned his lesson.

It came off more as an Afterschool Special than a sitcom. And the acting was a bit over the top. I'm not saying Family Ties is a bad show, but it's not as good as I remember it being when I watched it in it's network run.

Regulus · 07-30-2011, 08:04 AM

On the other hand, I find myself watching DVDs many of the tv shows that used to dominate the airwaves every Saturday Morning in the 1960s and 70s. I find some of them more enjoyable than what's being laughingly passed off as "Programming" in Prime-Time TV Today!

I feel sorry for todays kids. IMHO The "EI" Shows geared for them do not hold a candle to the shows I watched as a child. For those of you who have Children or Grandchildren, I STRONGLY urge you to purchase DVD Box Sets of those "Golden Age" Children's Shows. I'm certain your Kids will find these even more enjoyable than what they are watching these days. You can Motivate your kids by insisting they have all their Household Chores and Homework done before you let them watch these shows, and you're safe from being asked embarrasing questions about certain Products aired before them during a Commercial Break, if you know what I mean!

cablejockey · 07-30-2011, 11:27 AM

I used to watch Cheers every Thursday night, now I cant watch it at all. Used to watch Roseanne but it is not funny now.

Retro4Life · 07-30-2011, 12:35 PM

Welcome Back, Kotter, for sure. Used to watch that every week, but if I can an episode now, honestly, I kind of cringe at how over the top and really silly it was.

Dr. Thong is right about changing tastes. Sometimes you will experience a show that is timeless, that is, you loved it as a kid and it still holds up today. But really a lot of the shows I loved as a kid were MADE FOR kids and once you are an adult it makes sense that they would not have the same appeal. I was lucky to have grown up in an era where there was a lot of quality sitcoms in first run broadcast, and also to have parents with good taste who watched them and exposed me to them, so I loved them then and I still love them now (AITF, TMTMS, MASH, Bob Newhart, Barney Miller, Taxi, WKRP, and on and on...).

Mr. Television · 07-30-2011, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cablejockey

I used to watch Cheers every Thursday night, now I cant watch it at all. Used to watch Roseanne but it is not funny now.

I used to love Roseanne but after she cracked up, I have a hard time watching it anymore.

I think it all has to do with your tastes in shows just changing. It doesn't mean that the show's are no longer good...witness how some people still enjoy them. And Dr. Thong, I still love Family Ties. However Gilligan's Island, I have a hard time watching anymore but I know it's still a beloved show for many and I have great memories of watching it as a kid.

21 Chester Place · 08-04-2011, 12:31 AM

The Cosby Show
Family Ties
Gilligan's Island
Designing Women

megamanj2004 · 08-07-2011, 01:56 AM

Charles in Charge - It used to be guilty pleasure fun. Nowadays it's just cheesy and that theme song creeps me out at times. Not to mention I've noticed how incredibly dumb Buddy gets as the run goes on with this show.

Murphy Brown - I can see why this show's rerun life hasn't been very successful. It's just too topical for its time and it hasn't held up very well either.

Empty Nest - while I still enjoy this show, it just gets boring at times.

ALF - see Empty Nest above.

Thundercats - I liked this show as a kid, but not as much nowadays and I found Snarf to be quite annoying after awhile.

TVMoms101 · 08-07-2011, 02:08 AM

You know what show I'd like to have the opportunity to see if it could stand up to my tastes today: Knots Landing. Man I loved that show.

Night Court is one that I loved growing up, but I was sad to discover I couldn't get on board anymore. Step by Step was another one...I'm not quite sure what it was when I attempted to watch it again, but it just wasn't everything I remembered it to be.

07-28-2011, 02:40 PM	#1
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	Shows from your youth that don't hold up today Sometimes you come across a show on a cable rerun that you used to love back when you were a kid or young adult and find that years later, it's not as good as you remembered it being. Two recent examples: Family Ties -- I enjoyed it during it's first run, but now it just comes across as cheesy and a bit dated. Night Court -- Loved this show in the '80s, but I just don't find it as funny as I did back in the '80s. Anyone else here have examples of shows you loved then...but no so much now?
	__________________ "Sunday has been cancelled due to lack of interest. That is all."

07-28-2011, 11:59 PM	#3
factsoflife Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 11, 2000 Posts: 8,744	A lot of 80's and 90's cartoons seemed so great back them but look terrible today, including: Jem and The Holograms She-Ra: Princess Of Power Rainbow Bright (or is it Brite). Also, for live-action series: Punky Brewster is so cheesy today, as is Saved By The Bell
	__________________ "and to the fans. I was only supposed to be on every other Tuesday. But, thanks to you, I'm here, and I promise! I will try my best never to let you down. I am going back into that studio on Monday, and I'm going to play Erica Kane for all she's worth!"-- Susan Lucci, May 1999 Daytime Emmy Speech.

07-29-2011, 12:08 AM	#4
Tubehead Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 12, 2007 Location: chattanooga.tn Posts: 5,139	areyouserious? areyouserious? night corut stil good show i Laguh every time iwatch night court te my favortepeson is dan hes so funy. i dis argee with you on family ties i still watch the showwt to this very day it not out dated. i even own one thurfour on dvd if i chose i never like The Partridge Familyor Gilligan's Island

07-30-2011, 08:04 AM	#9
Regulus Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 07, 2011 Location: Port Orange, Florida Avatar - Poiuyt Posts: 3,374	On the other hand, I find myself watching DVDs many of the tv shows that used to dominate the airwaves every Saturday Morning in the 1960s and 70s. I find some of them more enjoyable than what's being laughingly passed off as "Programming" in Prime-Time TV Today! I feel sorry for todays kids. IMHO The "EI" Shows geared for them do not hold a candle to the shows I watched as a child. For those of you who have Children or Grandchildren, I STRONGLY urge you to purchase DVD Box Sets of those "Golden Age" Children's Shows. I'm certain your Kids will find these even more enjoyable than what they are watching these days. You can Motivate your kids by insisting they have all their Household Chores and Homework done before you let them watch these shows, and you're safe from being asked embarrasing questions about certain Products aired before them during a Commercial Break, if you know what I mean!
	__________________ Grail Shows: *Doc Elliot, Owen Marshall-Counselor of Law, Here's Boomer, Three for the Road, Holmes and YoYo* Bucket List Shows: *Hot Wheels, Skyhawks, Run Joe Run, Westwood*

07-30-2011, 12:35 PM	#11
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Welcome Back, Kotter, for sure. Used to watch that every week, but if I can an episode now, honestly, I kind of cringe at how over the top and really silly it was. Dr. Thong is right about changing tastes. Sometimes you will experience a show that is timeless, that is, you loved it as a kid and it still holds up today. But really a lot of the shows I loved as a kid were MADE FOR kids and once you are an adult it makes sense that they would not have the same appeal. I was lucky to have grown up in an era where there was a lot of quality sitcoms in first run broadcast, and also to have parents with good taste who watched them and exposed me to them, so I loved them then and I still love them now (AITF, TMTMS, MASH, Bob Newhart, Barney Miller, Taxi, WKRP, and on and on...).
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

07-28-2011, 02:57 PM	#2
tiredmike59 Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 05, 2010 Location: OUTLAW STATE {MO} Posts: 1,868	When I was a kid, I thought Batman and Lost in space were the coolest shows ever made. Then I got to watch them 30 years later and began to wonder if I had a hole in my marble bag as a child.

07-29-2011, 06:22 PM	#5
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546

07-29-2011, 10:45 PM	#6
dakert Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 10, 2007 Location: Altoona PA Posts: 3,411	Every show I liked from the 50s-70s holds up today--I have spoken!!

07-30-2011, 01:09 AM	#7
IllinoisTVFan Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 22, 2011 Location: South of Chicago Posts: 4,072	I used to love these shows, but they don't interest me anymore. Gilligan's Island Beverly Hillbillies Dukes of Hazard Charlies Angels In general to me many of the 80's sitcoms don't hold up as a whole. Not sure if it's because I'm not ready to go back there or they just aren't as good as I think.

07-30-2011, 07:51 AM	#8
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	As we get older, our tastes change, we mature (well, some of us do) and it's inevitable that some show you thought was great when you were a kid is not going to be as good as you remember it being. Recently, I watched a Family Ties episode, where Alex takes speed on Monday in order to stay up and study for exams. By Wednesday, he's an addict. By Friday, he realizes he's in trouble. He has a meltdown and withdraws overnight on Friday. By Saturday, he's cured and has learned his lesson. It came off more as an Afterschool Special than a sitcom. And the acting was a bit over the top. I'm not saying Family Ties is a bad show, but it's not as good as I remember it being when I watched it in it's network run.

07-30-2011, 11:27 AM	#10
cablejockey Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: ontario canada Posts: 478	I used to watch Cheers every Thursday night, now I cant watch it at all. Used to watch Roseanne but it is not funny now.

08-04-2011, 12:31 AM	#13
21 Chester Place It's so nice and gloomy Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 01, 2011 Location: USA Posts: 127	The Cosby Show Family Ties Gilligan's Island Designing Women
	__________________ 21 Chester Place www.21chesterplace.com The mystery behind "The Real Addams Family House" Last edited by 21 Chester Place; 08-04-2011 at 10:42 PM.

08-07-2011, 01:56 AM	#14
megamanj2004 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 21, 2004 Posts: 2,357	Charles in Charge - It used to be guilty pleasure fun. Nowadays it's just cheesy and that theme song creeps me out at times. Not to mention I've noticed how incredibly dumb Buddy gets as the run goes on with this show. Murphy Brown - I can see why this show's rerun life hasn't been very successful. It's just too topical for its time and it hasn't held up very well either. Empty Nest - while I still enjoy this show, it just gets boring at times. ALF - see Empty Nest above. Thundercats - I liked this show as a kid, but not as much nowadays and I found Snarf to be quite annoying after awhile.
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08-07-2011, 02:08 AM	#15
TVMoms101 Member Forum Cub Join Date: Aug 07, 2011 Location: Montana Posts: 2	You know what show I'd like to have the opportunity to see if it could stand up to my tastes today: Knots Landing. Man I loved that show. Night Court is one that I loved growing up, but I was sad to discover I couldn't get on board anymore. Step by Step was another one...I'm not quite sure what it was when I attempted to watch it again, but it just wasn't everything I remembered it to be.
	__________________ TV Moms Examiner "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." — E.E. Cummings