Flashback Friday-Scooby Doo (1969-Present)

There are some cartoons that are so generation specific that it is becomes easily identifiable with that generation. Then there are other cartoons that keep coming back and entertaining multiple generations of fans.

Scooby Doo (1969-Present) is one of those cartoons that has multiple generations of fans. The premise of the show is as follows: four teenagers and a talking Great Dane solve cases that appear to be supernatural via unorthodox and comedic methods.

I am not a huge fan of Scooby Doo, however, I can see why it has entertained kids for fifty years. I think that it’s success comes down to the fact that it does not take itself too seriously or have illusions that it is a prime time police procedural.

I recommend it.

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Throwback Thursday-The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003-Present)

Daytime TV talk shows, especially the ones where the guests are performers hawking their next project can be pretty mundane. It is there, up to the host to add color, life and a distinct personality to the show.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been on the air since 2003. Hosted by actor/comic Ellen DeGeneres, this talk show blends the traditional elements of a daytime talk show with games, audience participation and other segments.

Though I am not home to watch this show, when I do, I find myself enjoying it. As a host, Ellen is engaging, personal and feels more like a friend than a daytime talk show host.

I recommend it.

Throwback Thursday-A Wedding Story (2001-Present)

For many, their wedding day is the most important day of their lives.

Back in 2001, A Wedding Story premiered on TLC. It has been a part of the channel’s regular schedule ever since.

The premise of the show is that it follows that episode’s couple as they plan their wedding to the big day itself. In addition to the couple that is getting married, family and friends are also interviewed in the process of getting ready for the wedding.

A Wedding Story is interesting. It’s kind of a glossy image of the process of getting married, but in terms of television, there are worse shows to watch.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Throwback Thursday-American Ninja Warrior (2009-Present)

Becoming a real athlete takes skill, months if not years of hard work and perseverance.

American Ninja Warrior has been part of NBC’s lineup for a decade. An American spin off of the Japanese program Sasuke, the show is basically an athletic competition that is adapted for television. Hundreds of elite athletes from around the country and the world attempt to complete a series of physical challenges. The winners of the local competitions will then move to the national finals, held in Las Vegas. The ultimate winner is that season’s “American Ninja Warrior”.

I don’t watch this show too often, but when I do, I find myself to be captivated. As a viewer, I am sucked in by the question of which contestants will make it to the top and which will have to come back next season.

I recommend it.

Throwback Thursday-The Jerry Springer Show (1991-2018)

Daytime talk shows are generally known to be harmless and mostly entertaining.

The Jerry Springer Show (1991-2018) was on the television schedule for nearly twenty years. Hosted by Jerry Springer, it had the general label of a talk show. But unlike other daytime talk shows, the guest list did not consist of celebrities talking about their latest project or news makers discussing a recent headline.

The guest list consisted of Neo-Nazis, cheating spouses and other wonderfully intellectually stimulating guests. Along the way, violence was par for the course for the audience’s pleasure.

I will put it this way when it comes to The Jerry Springer Show. If had a choice of watching this program or turning the television off, I would rather turn off the television.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely not.

Throwback Thursday-Jersey Shore (2009-2012)

We all know that there is no “reality” in reality shows. They make look like they are made on the fly, but they are just as slickly produced as fictional television programs.

Jersey Shore (2009-2012) is one of tent poles of the recent MTV schedule. The show follows eight housemates of Italian descent as they live and work together during the summer in Seaside Heights in New Jersey.

There are few television shows that I hate with a passion. Jersey Shore is one of them. Not only is it trashy beyond trashy, it is a waste of brain cells and precious television time that I will never get back.

Do I recommend it? Let me put it this way. No is the gentler way of describing how much I dislike this television program.

Throwback Thursday- Smart House (1999)

In our technological driven age, a fully automated house seems like a dream come true. But dreams and reality don’t always mix.

In the 1999 Disney TV movie Smart House, Ben (Ryan Merriman) and his family have just won a fully automated house. The computer, known as Pat (Katey Sagal) seems easy enough to control. But when Ben starts tinkering with Pat, whatever plans Ben had go out the window.

Smart House is one of those TV movies that is meant for a specific audience. The problem is that unless your part of the desired demographic, this TV movie is neither memorable or entertaining.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

Throwback Thursday-Extreme Couponing (2010-2012)

When going to the grocery store, having coupons on hand is a regular part of the shopping experience for many.

The subjects of the TLC reality show Extreme Couponing (2010-2012) took the idea of having coupons on hand while grocery shopping to another level. The premise of the show is that the subjects go to extreme measures via coupons to spend as little as possible at the grocery store. The highest point of drama came at the checkout counter, to see if the hard work of extreme couponing paid off.

I don’t know about this show. I certainly understand the concept of the program, but it feels almost like a television side show. We are watching the coupon freaks for the sake of our entertainment and their derision.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

Throwback Thursday-American Pickers (2010-Present)

History has a way to occurring in the most ordinary of places. The objects that mark as a reminder of these events sometimes have a way to making themselves known not in a museum, but in a private setting.

American Pickers (2010-Present), has been a staple of the History Channel schedule for nearly a decade. The show follows a team of antique collectors who travel across the country looking for hidden historical gems to fill either their personal collections or to sell to waiting customers.

Though American Pickers is labelled as a reality show, it’s not what one thinks of when one thinks of a typical reality show. That being said, I find this show rather boring. I understand the unique concept of the program, but it has never hooked me as other shows have.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

Throwback Thursday-Giuliana and Bill (2009-2014)

Reality television, whether we like it or not, has become part and parcel of our television viewing schedule.

Giuliana and Bill was on the air from 2009-2014. The show followed the lives of two married TV personalities: E! News anchor Giuliana Rancic and season one The Apprentice winner Bill Rancic. As with every reality show in which the focus is a celebrity, this program told the story of the daily lives of their subjects.

If the point of this show and the sub-genre of celebrity based reality shows is to prove how normal they are, this show succeeds. However, it seems to be self-serving with a “look at me” attitude. I do recall watching this program, but looking back, I wish I had spent my precious TV time watching another program.

Do I recommend it? Not really.