10 TV Shows I Probably Would Have Loved If I’d Been Older

As we settle into summer vacation, let’s continue this conversation of Television Shows of Olde. These shows are in no particular order, but I’m sure you’ll see some patterns. Basically, I just a sucker for a good high school sitcom. Some of you may have watched and adored these shows yourself. I’m with you in spirit 🙂

1. Beverly Hills 90210–This premiered when I was five. Perhaps a bit young haha! I just watched the first season this spring, inspired by curiosity after the death of Luke Perry. Where was this show all my life?!
2. Friends–I was old enough to watch the finale in college, but it probs would have been more fun had I watched the whole thing 🙂
3. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air–Um, there’s not much funnier escape than Will Smith, unless you put his character in ritzy southern California after the streets of West Philadelphia.
4. Saved by the Bell–Classic high school show. Comedy, drama, romance, friendships, tackling the light and the heavy in the halls of high school. I would have gobbled this up like all the others, waiting with bated breath each week in suspense and speculation for the next episode just like all the other high school shows on this list. Okay, that’s perhaps a little dramatic, but hey.
5. Boy Meets World–Of all the shows on this list, I was probably most aware of this one. I had plenty of friends who were totally into it. I think knowing the end of the story with Corey and Topanga makes the show even more appealing in hindsight.
6. Sabrina the Teenage Witch–What a fun concept! Nothing adds to the drama of high school like trying to juggle your newly discovered supernatural powers.
7. Dawson’s Creek–No better escape than a dramatic collection of high school friends trying to figure out love, relationships, and their place in their world. I guess I wasn’t really too young for this one, just oblivious.
8. Ally McBeal–I enjoy a good legal drama and if you add romantic tension and the drama of the characters’ personal lives, all the better.
9. Home Improvement–My parents loved this show. I just wasn’t old enough to appreciate it.
10. Full House–I mean, Mary-Kate and Ashley were staples of my childhood but as for the overall show, it was still a bit over my head.

I think the thing that draws me to these shows is the fact that most of them were very light-hearted, character-driven, dealt with real life with comedic relief, and they were fictional but relatable. They were a genuine escape that made us feel better at the end. They didn’t try too hard or pressure us to think deep thoughts about the universe. My husband and I have been in a showhole for ages because so much of what is on streaming networks right now is so dark, heavy, and gritty. I mean I love a good Sci-Fi, but we just don’t seem to have many light-hearted options unless we dig into the past.