The Magic of TV

One thing that I would say played a big role in my life growing up was watching TV. Yes, I am not ashamed to say that I am a TV baby. Whenever my parents allowed me to as a child, I watched TV and followed the shows I liked. I’d like to think that my childhood watching TV shows in English helped me learn the language apart from school. I love TV because, like books, they introduce you to a new world, a new set of people, new stories, and new adventures that you can be entertained with.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Something that kids today may not have an appreciation for is watching TV shows in a non-binge way. Back then without the internet, shows would have episodes once a week so you would have to wait to find out what happens next in your favorite show.  Plus, in this age of streaming where shows get axed if people don’t binge-watch the show on its first week (or so they say), it is now rare to have a series that you can enjoy for years before it gets canceled. 

I was going through my watch list on Disney+ and realized that a lot of it was series that I used to watch on TV back when streaming was not yet a thing. These were shows I would wait for every week on cable. Most of these shows lasted more than five years, some even lasting more than a decade! One of the shows is still going strong today!

It is going to take me some time to go through all the shows on my list. Not only do they have years and years of episodes, but most of these shows also have more than 20 episodes per year/season with almost 45 minutes to an hour per episode. So far, I have gone through shows by playing them while I work out in the mornings. Maybe by the end of the year, I can finish my list!

Here are some of the shows I’ve finished so far:

Lie to Me – Interesting take on the psychology behind people’s faces. I loved that both Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan had guest spots in this show. Made me wonder if anyone had an idea of how big these two would become later. 

Bones – One of my favorite shows back then. More because of Booth than Brennan but the whole cast for me was a great ensemble. It was as entertaining now as it was back then.

Sleepy Hollow – Tom Mison’s portrayal of Ichabod Crane is what sold this show for me. I loved being able to see it again. 

Criminal Minds Suspect Behavior – I’m a fan of the Criminal Minds series so I had to watch this, Not surprised that it only lasted a season though. A little note: pre-Constantine Matt Ryan was part of the main cast of this show. 

Criminal Minds Beyond Borders – Gary Sinise as a team leader is something I’ve enjoyed since seeing him lead CSI NY. It’s too bad this show did not last long. 

Castle – I enjoyed this show back then but this time around not so much. It’s hard to explain. I kept comparing it to Bones, which still had the same appeal for me as when I first saw it.

One thing I noticed about watching these shows again now is that the video quality is so much better streaming the shows than when I was watching them on cable. OK I admit, I could not afford a bigger TV back then but that aside, I was surprised at how clear the video was. Were these shows always this clear when they were aired? I could see the pores on every actor’s face when they were shot up close! I don’t know if that is a good or a bad thing. I love the quality of the video, but seeing everything so clearly can be a little distracting. Sometimes there’d be scenes where I can see the peach fuzz on the lead character’s face as they hit the light! And I am talking about a female character here!

I know I’ve already watched a lot of old shows, and I plan to watch some more during my morning workouts. I still have a list of shows to see, although I am not sure which ones to prioritize just yet. My love for TV and the magic of watching these worlds and characters and their stories will never cease to capture my interest. I’m considering several new shows too, but I will wait until I hear what other people say about them, so I’ll stick to my old favorites for now. 

For more on the TV shows I loved, you can check out this episode of the Fandesals Podcast where we talked about TV. Hope you like it!