“Happy Days” may not be the first nostalgic TV experiment.
But co-creators Michael Eisner and Tom Miller knew exactly what they were taking when they pitched the show to Paramount.
Unsurprisingly, the concept didn’t sit well with senior executives, and the studio gave it a pass.
Market research said a coming-of-age situation comedy about the idealism and innocence of young people in the 1950s would never work in the psychedelic 1970s.
But over time, and driven by George Lucas, Happy Days made history as one of the most important nostalgia shows of all time.
Ever since The Fonz and Richie Cunningham showed us how to laugh at our childhoods, TV viewers have been in love with nostalgia TV shows.
Many new TV shows also follow the Happy Days formula, whether it’s The Wonder Years , set in the late 1960s and airing in the late 1980s, or That ’70s Show , airing in the 1990s and giving us a joyful look at the 1970s 》.
Even in the 2020s, we’ve never really stopped loving nostalgia and using “period pieces” as storytelling techniques.
Today, as Generation X and Millennials take hold of modern culture, we are looking back to the 1980s and 1990s and remembering how Baby Boomers and slackers viewed the world.
We are disconnected from the outside world and have barely scratched the surface of modern technology. But these memories are powerful enough to stick in our hearts and symbolize the lives of generations.
Here are eight TV shows that recreate or recreate the nostalgia of yesterday without feeling too cringe-worthy like Revenge of the Nerds .
matlock
Kathy Bates returns to TV, and while Matlock takes place in the present day, it’s easy to see this rebooted and gender-swapped version of Matlock as a nod to the 1980s .
Kathy Bates appears to be a parody of Andy Griffith’s Ben Matlock from 1986. But she’s more than just a redneck. She’s also a bit sneaky, a bit disarming, and most importantly, as expected, polite and charming.
Bates played a similar character to Joe Bennett on “The Office.”
However, it’s easy to see that Matlock’s modern retelling has more secrets than it lets on, especially as to why Matlock goes undercover at a law firm and solves a larger mystery.
While defeating giants with a smile, her “I’m just a harmless old lady” gimmick gets better with age.
Watch Matlock online
bellair
Ironically, most people remember the hit 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for its dramatic moments involving family conflict rather than its many light-hearted moments.
Years after the show ended, fan Morgan Cooper made a short film and re-adapted The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air into a dramatic TV series, which he titled Bel-Air.
It was a natural evolution that caught the attention of Will Smith, who wanted to revisit nostalgic characters like Vivian, Uncle Phil, Jeffrey the house manager, Carlton and Hillary.
Bel-Air is a little dark, but who can deny that the 1990s presented dark themes with a tired smile?
Watch Bel Air Online
cobra kai
“Cobra Kai” is not so much a reboot as it is a “fix” for the shenanigans of the 2010 “Karate Kid” reboot. hurry up!
Cobra Kai actually revisits the original characters of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence (played by original cast members Ralph Macchio and William Zabka) and picks up right where the film left off.
Before it’s all over, we get more cameos from the original cast of the first three Karate Kid movies.
No, Hilary Swank never returned to revisit “Julie,” but hey — we still get to hear Daniel talk about his mentor.
Watch Cobra Kai online
Walker
Indeed, despite strong ratings, “Walker” was unceremoniously canceled. (Another TV, for starters!) But it’s hard to deny that producer and actor Jared Padalecki made a sincere and brave attempt to recreate 1990s nostalgia through a 2020-era lens feeling.
Family conflict is low, while gang-police conflict is high.
While Cordell Walker didn’t exactly pay homage to Chuck Norris (he didn’t even kick anyone’s ass with his savage kick), he did give fans a taste of ’90s nostalgia.
Walker’s troubled but good-hearted family steals the show, while Jared balances cowboy stoicism and moral community leader.
Walker, the Texas Rangers aren’t just for beating up bad guys. Ultimately, it’s about remembering the forgotten genre of the Western in the spirit of films like “Lone Wolf McQuade.”
Watch Walker online
that show from the 90s
That ’90s Show reminds us how great the 1990s actually were, while we’re relaxing and remembering how cool the 1970s sounded.
Set in 1996, the show retells the story through the lens of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti’s teenage daughter, Leia Forman. A look at iconic 1970s parents Red and Kitty.
The play is doubly nostalgic, remembering both the 1990s and the unique characters of the 1970s.
Most of the characters are also back, like Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), Faith (Wilmer Valderrama), and even Bob Pinciotti (Don Stark decoration).
Even people like Eric Foreman (Topher Grace), Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis) and Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) Such legends also appear, reminding us that as long as you don’t go to jail, you can usually go home again. Sorry, Hyde.
Watch 90s shows online
Night Pavilion
The original Night Court captured the madcap and irreverent comedy of the 1980s.
The show is part burlesque, part dad joke, and part sad commentary on boys losing their fathers — a recurring theme throughout nine seasons.
It seems impossible to relive such a “you had to be there” moment in time. Not just because of this swaggering and politically incorrect comedy, but because of the simple fact that most of the original cast is resting in peace.
Except for John Larroquette.
That John Larroquette was always back on TV in some capacity, usually playing a supporting role or the irritable B-sitcom lead. But this time, he got it right.
In the reboot of Night Court, he reprises his greatest role as Dan Fielding, who forms a bond with Judge Abby Stone, the daughter of his late friend Harry Stone .
While Harry Anderson’s presence is sorely missed, it’s impossible not to follow a grown-up Dan Fielding until he meets a group of old friends, including former bailiff Rhodes, played once again by Martha Warfield.
If it weren’t for another person, “Night Court” might well have set a record for a situation comedian playing the same character for decades.
Watch nightclub online
Frasier
Kelsey Grammar has been joking that he wanted to reprise his role as Frasier Crane after retiring the role in 2004.
If Grammar has learned anything during his four years in sitcoms, it’s that you can’t take your cast with you.
In the 1990s, he wasn’t able to bring back Ted Danson or Bebe Neuwirth until “Family” became a hit.
Likewise, he couldn’t bring back David Hyde Pierce to play Niles Crane in the 2020s. Some “ships” have already set sail.
But to his credit, Grammar longs to return to a world that has surpassed him in technology, culture and, of course, new family members.
This time, Frazier moved back to the Boston, Massachusetts, area to serve as a professor at Harvard University, hoping to reconnect with his son, Frederick Crane.
The original “Frasier” always had a nostalgic feel to it, especially in scenes involving Kelsey Grammar and the late John Mahoney, who played Frasier Angry but serious father Martin Crane.
They talked about the past. They share introspective monologues. They recall the 1980s, when a drink at the end of the day was everything.
Grammar spent much of the 1990s searching for neurosis and escaping happiness, so it’s refreshing to see him become a fully realized character.
This new Fraser loved more, gave more, and supported his friends and family in ways the old Fraser could never understand.
Watch “Happy Family” online
stranger things
Stranger Things is the most successful nostalgia show and an exception on this list because it feels vibrant and “in the moment” rather than just a trip down memory lane.
Stranger Things brought us a Gen-X aesthetic while creating its own universe of horror, intrigue, and happy endings. (Or should we say, happy ending, at least until the final season)
While the show references many ’80s cultural riffs and cinematic homages, its premise and execution are also distinctly 1980s.
The show draws on classic tropes and themes from 1980s movies, such as adventurous children, Dungeons & Dragons, government conspiracies and the discovery of the supernatural.
The cinematography was influenced by 1980s directors Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter. Even the 1980s synth-heavy soundtrack evokes a sense of 1980s mischief.
The Duffer Brothers recreate the 1980s very well, even including nostalgic and iconic items we’re still talking about like arcade games, walkie talkies, basement hangouts, and terrible couches.
Watch Stranger Things online
Why we love retro TV
While nostalgia is trendy and very effective at grabbing attention, it can also be very therapeutic.
It helps members of Generation Z and A imagine a forgotten pre-internet existence, while also gently triggering Generation X and Baby Boomers to remember the highs and lows of their glory days.
I personally hope this nostalgic fascination never ends.
Because deep down in our hearts, we always want to know what happened to our favorite characters – we want the portal to another universe to stay open and not just feel like we’ve lost our memories.
If we continue to recall the past so fondly, those happy days will never end.
Over to you, TV fanatics! Which TV shows do you think get nostalgia right? Hit the comments and let us know!
