Why You Should Watch Old TV Shows.

I'm going to tell you a fact about me that most people don't know.

Ready?

Here it is. I love old TV shows. 

"Really Jessica? All of those boring, black-and-white reruns on PBS and TV Land that everyone channel surfs past because they're... well... boring and in black-and-white?"  

Yes. It's true. To me, there is something so mystical and wholesome about times past, the by-gone era, that is absent from television today. There is goodness and laughter and morality. And I love it. I love all 25 minutes of ancient entertainment. 

I love how The Brady Bunch is so maddeningly predictable but oh so relatable. And if this just isn't your jive, I hope you can at least appreciate it for it's quotability. Who hasn't heard, "MARSHA, MARSHA, MARSHA!" said at least once in their household? Oh. Just me? Okay. I can accept that.

   

I love the canned, audience laughter of My Three Sons and the raw, masculine role models portrayed on the show.   

  

I love growing up with The Waltons.  I loved the history of a family growing up in The Great Depression. I loved Grandpa's friskiness and his thirst for adventure. I loved Livvy's strength and Elizabeth's pluck. And I loved thinking that if I ever had an older brother, I'd want him to be just like John-Boy.

I love learning with Laura and watching her muddle through her sixteen-year-old life as a teacher because I knew that someday, I was going to be a teacher just like Laura was.

I love the humor of The Cosby Show and that no matter what, Cliff and Clair's love for each other and their kids never changed. 

 

 I love the life lessons I learned from Life Goes On and how a television show can promote the sanctity of life. 

I love the beauty of Eric and Annie's imperfect family.

There is something so unmatchably brilliant about old TV shows. I often wonder why I find myself so drawn to shows like Bonanza, or Green Acres, or Full House over the popular shows I find on television today. I could give you a good-sized list of why that is, but I won't burden you with those thoughts. Instead, I'm going to offer you a challenge. The next time you're looking for something to watch on TV, instead of flipping past Mary Tyler Moore or Lucille Ball or Mr. Ed, pause the channel-changing and appreciate television for its simplicity and charm. I think you're going to like what you find.