My Era of Must-See TV — Blue Fairy Film Blog

We live in an age where we can watch basically any television program in existence. “Game of Thrones,” is on one of the most secretive online streaming services, for a long time only available via cable subscription, and yet is the number one most pirated show in history. When I was a kid, these outlets were not available to me. There were no DVRs, no streaming, Hulu, Netflix. No ITunes rentals to speak of. Nowadays the options are endless, but back in the dark times, to those who held it sacred, there were limited options.

To many people the golden age of television has come and gone multiple times. For NBC the golden age was the nineties, and the must-see event was their Thursday night block. Starting back in the eighties NBC prepared a comedy lineup every Thursday to draw in a youth market. Shows included “Cheers,” “Fame,” and “Taxi.” Still, it was the nineties that really raked in the moolah with shows that entertained and created awe. We are talking prime, now considered classic programs: “Seinfeld,” “Friends,” “Mad About You,” “Will and Grace,” and “Frasier.” These are shows constantly in reruns; that won Emmys; that people actually liked, even loved. “Seinfeld” was constantly quotable, “Friends” was lovable, and everything else was either edgy or lent to a tight lipped chortle. These shows were marketed as Must-See TV, and made NBC the network with the highest ratings for a solid amount of time.

My era of Must-See TV would come much later, in high school. When all the classics were off the air, even “Friends” at ten seasons long, NBC was scrambling. They still had a lot of great programming but they were moving stuff around and trying to create a steady, lucrative Thursday night lineup. They used “Scrubs,” and “My Name is Earl,” to plug holes in programming for a while, but one was cancelled, and the other tried to gracefully exit, and then reappear. It wasn’t until 2009 that Thursday became Must See for me, because there were four shows on that night that I had to watch.

I understand why “Community” chafes some people the wrong way: a lot of the characters are bitter, the comedy can sometimes be too off-the-wall, and it isn’t structured like a traditional comedy show. Still, it remains one of my favorite shows of all time, and in an era of my life when community college was becoming more and more likely, it became a good tool to ease me into liking my future campus. “The Office,” was always one of my favorite shows, and I watched every Thursday at seven thirty to see the Dunder Mifflin crew. It was funny, heartfelt, and Jim and Pam made me yearn for a best friend I could kiss behind closed doors. “Parks and Rec,” got a slow start in 2008 as a mid-season replacement but became my favorite show in its second season. The entire cast was irreplaceable and quick witted. Their lovable antics made me believe that anything was possible, girl power was real, and best friend forever was a responsibility, not a title. Finally “30 Rock” has always been my little safe haven, friendly to weirdos and pop culture aficionados alike. With its weird asides, great cameos and side characters, and penchant for anarchy it became a television staple for me in high school. Liz was the placeholder for who I wanted to be: a harried, unhealthy, but lovable curmudgeon.

I watched in awe as my favorite characters battled issues like loneliness, alienation, self-hatred, stress, anxiety, and opposition to their values, all with candor and humor. They were the ones who got me through high school, the ones that taught me comedy comes in all forms, and made the world laugh along in earnest. Shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Rec,” made me want to write for TV, and still do. Watching Amy Poehler and Tina Fey on television taught me the core tenets of feminism and the power of women on television. Seeing the camaraderie in these big ensemble casts taught me that the best shows have a cast of characters that work off of one another and build laughs. While many people say that the Must See TV era died a long time ago, for me it was when the first of my shows left the Thursday block, and others soon followed to Netflix heaven where they can be watched forever in repeats.

While “Seinfeld” was a titan, and “Friends” was a comfort, it was this era of Must See TV that shaped the world I lived in, and made me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry. "Parks and Recreation" was the last of the original four to leave the air, with "Community" status tenuous at this point. Recently NBC has announced there won’t be comedy in that block for the rest of the year, and I think that’s a shame. There are so many fresh, vibrant writers out there pitching awesome pilots right now, making shows like “Fresh Off the Boat,” and “blackish.” Hopefully NBC can get onboard soon and make some great comedy again, and soothe nerdy teenage girls like me, again.