From the Late-20th-Century, to the 21st: Fresh Prince to Kaleidoscope, and Modern Television

Michael Aquilino English Journalist

Discovering new, intriguing, and worthwhile television shows to watch in recent years has become a formidable endeavour. I often find myself consuming media that was created long before my time and becoming immersed in their seemingly outdated universes. However you define such older content, whether “vintage,” “retro,” or “classic,” there is something comforting hidden, or rather, in plain view, within the realms of days past. Perhaps it is a sense of warmth, sincerity, or ingenuity seldom captured by today’s media. Older media, for me, feels intimate and authentic, as if the characters’ experiences were being played out in real time. Characters were well-scripted, well-portrayed, and relatable - effectively tackling issues that may plague the common person. The stories shared onscreen had effects that thus transcended its boundaries, making us feel as though the audiences’ names would appear when the credits rolled.

Television performances of the past were truly remarkable. Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996), Ben Savage and Rider Strong in Boy Meets World (1993-2000), and James Gandolfini in The Sopranos (1999-2007) delivered some of the best acting performances in the history of television. Television is a fictional world. Its purpose is to immerse viewers within a realm which does not exist and encapsulate them within their bounds of non-existence. They serve as a means for people to escape their everyday lives, substituting their real trials and tribulations in exchange for those of their fictional counterparts. People often want to feel good when they watch TV - they want to laugh, dance and imagine a world different from their own. However, I think that the best TV shows, as those mentioned do very well, are those able to balance the clashing dimensions of fiction and actuality. The ones that can make you laugh, but also cry; dance, but also slump; imagine a world much different than a viewer’s own, but also one that is much the same.

TV shows that deal with realworld issues in a manner that blurs the boundaries of true and false, are those that candidly represent what television fundamentally stands for - the profound engagement of audiences. There is no better way to engage audiences, or bring people together, than to address real problems, affecting real people - displaying that people are not alone in their hardships, and that, oftentimes, things can, and will, get better. The aforementioned shows present modern issues; racial profiling (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, season 1, episode 6, “Mistaken Identity”), alcoholism (Boy Meets World, season 5, episode 18, “If You Can’t Be With The One You Love”), and even colonialism (The Sopranos, season 4, episode 3, “Christopher”). Notable show mentions also include Judging Amy (1999-2005), a legal drama centred upon the grim realities of family court and social work. Not to mention the entirety of the Degrassi franchise (1979-), beginning with The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979), is acclaimed for dealing with issues affecting young people - including teen pregnancy, abortion, suicide, and gun violence.

Television holds immense influencing capacity, able to leave a lasting impact on the people who choose to tune in every week, or, in the days of the streaming service, binge-watch in one sitting. At worst, television is merely a senseless backdrop, detached from an imperfect, troubling world. At best, television is an active participant in a world that needs addressing, using its voice to articulate and teach that its characters are not so different from the onlookers from the other side of the glass. There are many stories to be told and many lessons to be learned.

Older television has demonstrated to an incredible degree what it means to be representative, and reflective, of the society that it existed within, and setting a standard which many modern TV shows struggle to match or overcome. While the purposes and objectives of television may vary from show to show, subject matter, while often crucial, may not always be indicative of quality. In showcasing many ideas, modern television grapples with the pioneers that came before them, perhaps, in my opinion, finding it difficult to compete with or outdo their historical counterparts. Finding new, innovative ways to approach television is a challenging affair. This is not to say that it cannot, and has not, been done.

As of late, the streaming-service Netflix has played a tremendous role in producing television that separates itself from others in the market. While shows such as This is Us (2016-2022), now on Netflix, and Glee (2009-2015) have certainly made their mark outside the streaming giant, many of the newest hit shows have been produced in-house by Netflix. 13 Reasons Why (2017-2020), based on Jay Asher’s 2007 novel by the same name, starring Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford, poignantly explores, through a box of cassette tapes, a teenager’s suicide.

Netflix’s Stranger Things (2016 -) on the other hand, tells a much different story. Taking place in the 1980s, the show’s ensemble cast, including the likes of Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, and Millie Bobby Brown, navigate a horror- infused, supernaturally-afflicted, fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. The show is marvellously written and performed, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats. Even further, Squid Game (2021-) has tested the boundaries of Western/American television. Upon its release almost two years ago, the South Korean survival drama took the Englishspeaking world by storm. Despite having to be watched with subtitles, or an overdub (assuming you don’t understand Korean, that is), the show, following its characters in their deadly pursuit of money, has captivated audiences around the globe. Outer Banks (2020-), although much different from those shows

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