I fell down the rabbit hole recently (as I so often do) and watched hours and hours of compilation videos on YouTube. The videos featured all sorts of television shows from the 80s and 90s - complete with the original commercials. It was a wild and nostalgic ride. These days, familiarity seems to be my focus. Whether I am listening to music, choosing a movie, or watching a television show, more often than not, I am gravitating towards what was. New releases do not seem to have the same hold on me. I have been thinking a lot about why this is the case and I think it comes down to safety. With the world being so turbulent, it feels especially sweet to return to a time where I did not have to worry about bills or politics or what was happening outside of my little bubble. I still believed that most people were good and that evil would never win. I was more innocent then and certainly more naive. Perhaps there is part of me that is missing that state of being...that uncomplicated hope. But life happens and learning more inevitably means losing some of that innocence. Thank goodness for all of the television shows from my youth. These shows help me remember who I used to be and what I used to believe in.
As mentioned, there are all sorts of compilation videos available on YouTube, with different television recordings from the 80s and 90s. It has been so much fun to rediscover old favourites. It is especially thrilling to see old television commercials for items that I used to own or used to dream about owning. These videos remind me of sitting on the couch in the den with my brother while we ate bowls of sugary cereal. Most of the time, we didn't have much planned beyond those Saturday morning cartoons. They were special. And so was our time watching them together. To this day, we still quote some of the lines from the shows. (There are ones from Recess and Pepper Ann that instantly come to mind.) It is funny to look back at what seemed so normal and routine...and realize how important it all was. I miss making those memories with my twin brother.
Though there were all sorts of different cartoons and live action shows in the compilation videos that I watched, some of the ones that made me most nostalgic were The Adventures of Shirley Holmes (the main character was the great-grandniece of Sherlock Holmes. I was so obsessed with the show that I dressed like Shirley Holmes for Halloween one year), The Weekenders (a show about friends and their weekend adventures that my brother and I both adored), Goosebumps (a classic and absolutely essential viewing growing up), Alvin and the Chipmunks (no matter how many times I watched those episodes, they always made me smile), Pepper Ann (one of my favourite cartoons of all time) and Bobby's World (my friends would always sing "Under Water The Fish Don't Stink" over and over again). There were all sorts of other shows that I loved, but those ones are especially high on the nostalgia scale. It is nice to know that when life feels like a lot...nostalgia can soften the edges.
What television shows did you watch growing up? Have you ever rewatched them as an adult?
I do love a little trip down memory lane, although my go-to era would be the late 60s until the mid 80s. Although I've rewatched some shows from back then, I think rewatching some of those commercial would be even more of a nostalgic ride. I remember we didn't have commercials on national television here in Belgium, but there were on the Dutch channels, which we all loved. Now we can't zap through commercials fast enough, it seems. They definitely aren't as fun and imaginative as they were back then! xxx
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that there weren't any commercials on the national television, but you were still able to watch some on the Dutch channels. It's funny how nostalgic certain commercials and products can be!
DeleteThe cartoons of the 90s and early 2000s were really different and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI agree! There were so many special ones <3
DeleteThings seemed better back then and I think they were. I noticed a big difference after Covid, people are selfish and care less about others.
ReplyDelete80s and 90s is my era. I love watching old commercials.
I agree with you. There was a noticeable shift in people and the world seems worse off than before. Old commercials are so nostalgic!
DeleteThose old TV shows and commercials definitely have a way of transporting us back to simpler times and cherished memories, like those Saturday mornings with your brother. It's lovely that you still share those quotes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your nostalgic journey and the shows that bring you comfort.
Absolutely! It is amazing how shows and commercials can make us remember different times. Thank you so much for your comment <3
DeleteI miss it so much... Times that will never come back and when we were so happy. I think kids nowadays aren't as lucky as we used to be.
ReplyDeleteXoxo
https://myheartaintabrain.blogspot.com/
I miss it, too. There was a lot to appreciate about a simpler way of things!
DeleteI think it's good that you connect with your inner child and your essence. Sometimes the chaos of the world makes us forget who we are and what we want for our lives. We don't always have to adapt to things that don't make us happy. Kisses.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about that. It is nice to be able to reconnect to what was!
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