Where Have All the Good Shows Gone?

For the past few nights I've taken a look at the line up on TV - Preachers of L.A., Housewives of (pick a city), Mob Wives, Basketball Wives, The Bachelor, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo... really? I can't think of a single station that I can consistently encourage my children to watch.

Yeah, yeah, I know, too much TV for anyone can fry the brain, I get it. But I still believe there is some value in quality programming for families. Remember the Cosby Show, Seventh Heaven, Full House, Family Matters, Touched by an Angel, heck, even Matlock and Walker Texas Ranger! Shows that didn't use, bixxx, axx, or some other profanity every other line. And while it was television, there were often lessons and topics that could compel parents to have meaningful discussions with their children.

Remember when the Huxtables learned Theo had a learning disability and that was the source of some of his troubles in school? I am sure many children could relate to that and it may have even caused parents to analyze a child that they thought may have just been lazy.

What about Full House? How many times did you see a single dad raising three girls with the help of a relative and a close family friend (both men!). Single dads aren't new, I am sure back then they liked being represented in a positive light on television.

My goodness, even Walker Texas Ranger had inspirational scenes and positive messages.

I think Reality TV is a lazy excuse for entertainment. And many of the shows are full of women slapping each other up-side the head because one neglected to invite the other to some party. And how do you have a show called Housewives, Basketball wives, any kind of wife, when more than half the cast is either divorced or dating the dude not married to him! What kind of sense does that make?

My son, thank God, is a total sports NERD; so he watches basketball, football, baseball (when he is really desperate), my goodness, the little fella will even watch golf or soccer if push comes to shove. But my little girl is an entirely different matter. She is finally beginning to out grow SOME of the cartoons on Disney Jr. and some of the shows on the regular Disney channel are a bit weird. Do you know what she ends up watching more often if she can find it - Full House (one of her current favorites), Cosby Show, or we pop in a DVD. For a while there, she was even in love with... wait for it, Wheel of Fortune. It's sad when your 12-year-old only has a game show to look forward to.

Like it or not, television shapes a lot of our beliefs and views on others. Back in the day, it was refreshing to see a married African American couple with successful careers and a nice house, or a man of faith (Seventh Heaven) dealing with the same struggles the rest of us deal with everyday. I think it is sometimes easy to forget that your clergy, rabbi, priest, pastor, etc. is a human being. And I don't mean stuff like you see on Preachers of L.A. either  - that is truly a HOT MESS.

And a show like Life Goes On helped us remember that even people with disabilities could be totally successful at anything - even acting. If you recall, the main character in that show had Down Syndrome. Remembering that show gives me a bit of hope that my baby can be a great success even with the challenges she faces.

I guess my only choice right now is to buy box sets of old shows so my baby will have something decent to watch and hope that some day, and I hope it's soon, the Reality TV movement takes a long walk off a short cliff.