Middle school: the awkward years. Everyone has their own reasons for hating it, but I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t look back on it and cringe. While our style and Myspace pages may have been striking, at least what was on TV was good. Here are 5 TV shows that will actually make you want to look back on those years.
1. Full House
Who could resist Michelle Tanner’s adorable catch phrases, the most famous being, “You got it dude,”? Although Full House ended in 1995, endless reruns continued to make it a part of our childhood. People constantly tuned in to watch Danny, Joey, and (hunky) Jesse tackle the problems of D.J., Stephanie, Becky, and the other girls of the show. The odd make up of the family is what made it a different kind of family show.
2. Boy Meets World
“Feeny. Fee-he-heeny.” The classic call of Eric Matthews to his teacher-slash-next-door-neighbor Mr. Feeny, who were two of the main characters in this popular show. Boy Meets World followed the lives of Cory Matthews and his close friends, Shawn Hunter and Topanga Lawrence, from elementary school all the way through college. Although each character seemed to have his/her own wit and humor, they each succeeded in teaching us lessons about life, family, and friendships.
3. Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
All eyes on Melissa Joan Hart, who played Sabrina in this sitcom about a half-witch, half-mortal. The show surrounded Sabrina and her various dilemmas in both the mortal realm as well as in other magical realms. Along with Sabrina’s relatable-ness (the mortal half, at least), were off-the-wall characters like Aunt Zelda, Aunt Hilda, and of course, Salem the cat. Sabrina’s fearlessness and independence made her both a heroine and a role model of our time.
4. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, another rerun of our time, everyone loved Will Smith as a boy who moves to California to live with his rich Aunt and Uncle. Will brings both chaos and funk, along with his quirky style, to what was once a poised family. Those who watched the show fell so in love with characters like Will’s cousin, Carlton, and also his best friend, Jazz, that it’s hard to believe there was a dry eye among the audience during the finale.
5. 7th Heaven
Both the longest-running series that ever aired on The WB and the longest-running family drama in television history, 7th Heaven followed a Protestant minister’s family. Each of his seven children brought upon the typical child and teenage problems, like dating, but it was different seeing them being dealt with by a minister. The series was so popular that at one point it had 12.5 million viewers.
Remembering these shows, and many more like them, makes it easy to reminisce on those dreaded pre-teen years, don’t you think?