By Amanda Whitaker
Lifestyle Editor
This past Monday evening, I was flipping through the channels, attempting to find something to watch in the ever-lame period of TV between seasons.
Imagine my horror when I stumbled upon “Friends.” On Nick at Nite. That’s right, I’m talking the “Rachel” haircut, Marcel the monkey, and Joey’s “How you doin?” all appearing before me—on Nick at Nite?
Nick at Nite, like “Friends,” was a defining aspect of my pop-culture ridden childhood. I can recall countless nights fighting with my parents, telling them I would never ask them for a favor ever again if they would let me stay up for just one more episode of “Gilligan’s Island” or “The Facts of Life.” “Please, mom I have to see what happens to Bobby and the nice little Indian boy in this three-part Very Brady Grand Canyon Special!”
I remember finding rebellion in secretly staying up for the late night Nick at Nite shows like “Three’s Company” or “Bewitched.” I can recollect almost every single theme song, and can recite for inquiring minds any and all of the characters, but never did I think that Rachel, Monica, Joey, Pheobe, Chandler, and Ross would be on that list, at least not this early in my game of Life.
To my even further dismay, I later discovered that this blasphemous programming isn’t anything new to Nick at Nite. Apparently, this situation has been going on for years with shows like “George Lopez,” “That 70’s Show,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” and “The Nanny.”
I’m not sure whether Nick at Nite has changed their defining characteristic or not, but these aren’t “classics.” “Classic television” is all about Lucy having some ‘splaining to do, not Rachel and Ross and their multiple breaks.
The Nick at Nite of my time offered not only classic, but classy programming. It gave children like myself a proper education in the what’s what of quality television. With the current line-up, the luster,—nay, the magic—is gone.
At the very most, “Friends” and “The Nanny” can be considered retro, but even that’s pushing it.
I’ll just have to face the fact that the glory days of Nick at Nite are behind me, lost with childhood. I guess it’s just part of that dreaded enigma we call growing up.
In conclusion, I have decided to leave behind my disdain with two optimistic reflections: one, I’m happy to have been a loyal viewer in Nick at Nite’s glory days; and two, TV Land is three channels away.