Comfort
Food Shows to Binge Marathon
by
Kristin Battestella
Every
now and again – and more so these days – audiences need escapist
television. Although I've not reviewed the following series in season
by season long form detail, I find myself often turning to such
classic comfort food programs any time I need a little feel good,
some pleasing white noise, or calorie free smiles.
The Rifleman – This black and white western about the titular
but anachronistic toting widower Chuck Connors (The Big Country)
and his son ex-mouseketeer Johnny Crawford debuted in 1958, running
five years and 168 episodes. These days, that's a lot of half hours,
and this series can get tiring fast when almost every single episode
is about a crook or bitter enemy seeing either father or son injured,
ill, or kidnapped while the other must use his frontier ingenuity for
the rescue. Despite the then progressive dilemmas and serious,
complex storytelling, many plots are trite, cliché, and predictable
yarns. Nonetheless, there's a certain innocence between father and
son, a homestead safety because whatever their peril, The McCain boys
always make sure the good guys win. When you need to flick away from
any turbulent news, these cowboys provide a sentimental, reassuring
calmness.
Are You Being Served? – Racism, sexism, ageism, and just about
every other of its time phobia and cultural faux pas you can imagine
litter this 1972-1985 British comedy brimming with double entendres,
cheeky innuendo, saucy puns, fourth wall winks, and “I'm free!”
catch phrases. Although the series embraces its preposterous
department store technicalities on who stands where, which positions
permit wearing a bowler hat, who can't call whom by their first
names, and which staff members are dead common status or not; other
plots against classism, low wages, no upward mobility, and union
strikes remain relatable. Lovable characters such as Mollie Sugden's
Mrs. Slocombe and John Inman's Mr. Humphries make it easy to get
behind the misadventures despite some disastrous fashions, zany hair
colors, faulty store gadgets, advertising errors, ridiculous song and
dances, and ne'er do well store productions. The storylines can
repeat themselves when marathoning all seventy episodes in a row,
however the shorter seasons are easily digestible portions – “And
my pussy is unanimous in that!” For more gone country comforts,
continue on with the spin-off Grace & Favour.
Magnum P.I. –
“Zeus, Apollo, kill!” The theme tune alone from
this quintessential eighties Hawaiian based detective drama starring
Tom Selleck always puts me in a happy place. Granted, the quality
dips in Seasons Six and Seven, the perms on the ladies are bad, and
the shorts, are well, short. However, superb characters,
fourth wall touchés, taut
storytelling, and great capers create enough delightful charm for
whimsical episodes such as “The Case of the Red-Faced Thespian”
as well as lingering Vietnam heavies like the must watch “Did You
See the Sunrise?” From male bonding sports, good guys versus bad
guys intrigue, and bemusing mystery adventures to Island Hoppers
helicopter action, sweet Ferrari chases, and of course, those lovely
Oahu panoramas, this series has all the infinitely watchable
nostalgia one needs. The camaraderie at Robin's Nest isn't always
paradise, yet you know Magnum, Higgins, T.C., and Rick always have
your back – rubber chickens and all. “Oh, my God!”
Melrose Place – Skip the
First Year and a half of this 1992-97 Aaron Spelling yarn starring
Heather Locklear, Jack Wagner, Josie Bissett, Courtney Thorne-Smith,
and many, many more. Don't feel obligated to plod along for the Last
Year and a half, either. The middle seasons of this Fox nighttime
soap opera, however, are peak melodrama complete with all the
scandals you can imagine. Be it your basic murder, blackmail, stolen
babies, and multiple personalities or kidnappings, assaults, car
accidents, medical disasters, and cults – I don't know how we
watched back then in prime time without a web chart showing who has
slept with whom. Despite some shaky attempts addressing abuse,
workplace sexism, and homophobia, this lengthy 226 episode binge
remains the bomb – no pun intended – thanks to the juicy clichés,
nineties fashions, and love to hate characters worthy of a Seinfeld
subplot,
“Oh, that Michael, I hate him. He's just so smug.”
Frasier – Kelsey Grammar's eponymous doctor is an insufferable pretentious
snob in this massive 264 episode eleven year spin-off of the likewise
lengthy but comforting Cheers. Fortunately,
it's delightful to see Dr. Crane get his due largely
thanks to the tug and pull of his laid back retired cop dad John
Mahoney and his equally uptight, delicate brother, David Hyde
Pierce's fellow psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane. Memorable guest stars
likewise help tackle religion, homosexual stereotypes, divorce,
dating, sex, professional ethics, and more in classic episodes such
as “The Ski Lodge,” “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz,” and
“The Doctor is Out.” Sure, the Freudian jokes, witty gags, and
intellectual dilemmas are high brow comedy with sophisticated writing
and cultural references embracing the pompous self-awareness.
However, the turnabouts and heaps of irony remain binge worthy
chuckles alongside those nineties hairstyles, millennial fashions,
and radio station blunders.
Don't
forget to read up on some of the lovable shows I have reviewed at
length including The Munsters, The Addams Family, Dark Shadows, The Bob Newhart Show,
Highlander, and
Buffy or
revisit my Top Ten Favorite Shows for yet more comforting delights
such as The Golden Girls, The Joy of Painting, and
The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
2 comments:
I love this post you are so right for many of us it's better to escape life around us with older shows, I can sit and watch the rifleman all day long. I would rather have Cozi or Antena Tv on over any modern day shows. LOL Melrose Place so yeah this guy loved watching that show not sure why but it defiantly filled the gap after 90210. I will have to check out a few of your other posts have a great day.
Hi Bob! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Classics are timeless for a reason, right? ;)
Post a Comment