I have to tell you, even though I’m not a big television fan like I used to be as a kid, there are still a handful of classic, popular rerun shows that I’ll turn to in a skinny minute to watch when I have a few minutes. Some of my favorite childhood television shows were some really older classics, along with some up to date ones from the '90s and even early 2000s. I especially loved Nick at Nite when I was a kid, and loved the shows that came on prime time television in the '90s as well. It seemed television was so much cleaner and classier back then! So, now if I find an old show on TV, or find myself up at night with insomnia, I turn to one of these popular rerun shows. Each one seems to give me a little entertainment, comfort, and a sense of nostalgia with every minute I tune in!
Hands down, one of my favorite popular rerun shows of all time is Full House. This popular show featured a single dad raising three daughters who had the help of two funny, somewhat crazy, yet oh so sweet uncles that lived in the home with them too. I resonated highly with this show because I had an uncle live with me as a little girl, and there were times that him living with us just made life so much fun, and comforting at the same time. Full House was funny, somewhat corny, and yet a true classic of all rerun shows out there!
What woman out there doesn’t love Lucy from the I Love Lucy show, right? Lucille Ball is one of the classiest, funniest women in history if you ask me. I can always watch this show and genuinely laugh at her quirky antics, while also catching a glimpse of my childhood in many ways since I watched it routinely as a little girl. Plus, Lucy proves that none of us have to be perfect to be the ultimate example of charm and wit!
Love her or hate her, Fran Drescher made The Nanny such an amazing sitcom. Even though I started out hating her accent, I grew to love this show and the humor it brought to my life. Fran played a Jewish raised nanny, also named Fran, who originally grew up in Flushing, Queens, New York. After being fired from her job by her ex- fiancé, Fran ends up selling cosmetics in Manhattan. Her new job takes her to the home of widower Maxwell Sheffield. Thinking she was sent by the nanny agency, he hires her to take care of his three children. She ends up falling in love with their single Dad, who is quite the critic of her in the beginning. The Nanny is still one of my favorite shows to watch on television at night if I can’t sleep. It always puts me in a good mood and lightens my heart.
I swear, I could watch The Golden Girls every single day and not tire of these reruns. I’m almost embarrassed to say how many times I’ve seen them all. The story of these three older women living in Florida is so simple, yet incredibly hilarious. Plus, the older mother of one of them, Sophia, reminds me of my grandmother and possibly what I might end up like when I’m older!
My mother was pretty set on raising me in a home that watched quality television as much as she could control, so Little House on The Prairie was something she definitely approved of. Though it wasn’t my favorite as a child, I learned to love it, and now am no longer embarrassed to say I enjoy it. This tried and true tale of a modern, somewhat poor, family living back in times where outhouses existed and farms were the main source of income, is one of my favorites. There was always a classic lesson to be learned when watching this show, plus with a star like Michael Landon, it was destined to be a hit!
The Price is Right is such a fun trivia show to watch, but the reruns with Bob Barker are the best! Bob Barker ran the show for almost his entire life, and I love watching especially old episodes to see what kinds of prizes were given on the show in older times, plus seeing what people wore back then makes for a nice little laugh too!
Kevin James, who stars in The King of Queens, just makes this show! I love The King of Queens, not just because it is based in New York, my dream home state, but also because I always get a good laugh out of this show. The story line is incredibly simple, but the characters are what make this hilarious. James stars as a man living with his bossy, sassy, yet loving, wife Carrie living in Queens, NY. He works for a delivery service, something like UPS, and she works for an elite law firm as a simple secretary. They aren’t rich, but are full of love, humor and sarcasm. Plus, throw in her eccentric, slightly crazy father who lives with them, and this show is a real keeper to put on your list of favorite reruns. It is somewhat recent, since it just went off the air a few years ago, but the earlier episodes are the best anyway, if you ask me!
I grew up watching Boy Meets World and just loved this show! I was going through elementary and middle school at the time it aired and it resonated highly with me on many issues the kids went through on the show. It is a simple story line of a group of friends dealing with love, friendship, moral lessons, academic challenges, social challenges and of course, parental challenges, in their early middle school and teenage years. It’s a great way to take you back to your younger days when simple issues seemed so complex, plus it is always a great show to get a laugh from!
Have you ever seen Bewitched? This Nick at Nite classic was a favorite for me to watch at night as a child. I just loved this show, and especially loved the way Samantha, the witch on the show, looked like the perfect example of a what my ideal woman should look like. She was naturally beautiful without too much makeup or fancy hair, had a womanly, yet healthy figure, loved her husband and did anything she could to make him happy, while still being herself, flaws and all. Yet, she was actually a witch and didn’t use her magic in front of him since he wasn’t too fond of it. Since she was a good witch and not a bad one, seeing her use her little magical powers was always entertaining and funny!
Do you love any of these popular rerun shows? I know some of you are younger or older than me, so share with me what popular rerun shows you enjoy!