The "nostalgic healing" article in The Cafe gave me an idea for a thread!

We've done at least one nostalgic thing since this mess started.

Maybe you've watched a movie? Listened to an album? Have a retro-themed party? 

Maybe you guys have noticed already. Ever since my office shut down and I've been working from home, I've been reliving my favorite 80's media moments - example: FOX Broadcasting.

When the FOX Broadcasting Company went nationwide in 1987 it may have started with "21 Jump Street", "The Tracey Ullman Show", and "Married . . . with Children"; but FOX wanted to be a full-line network.. And that involved offering a well-rounded weekly schedule of programs that had wide appeal.

And that means my old favorite: "Beyond Tomorrow".

In the 80's ya had to have at least one hi-tech "innovations" show to compete with the other networks. Beyond Tomorrow was my favorite because it had that killer 80's theme track!

TV show themes from the 80's need to be remastered - Beyond Tomorrow has the coolest intro. Take a listen to this episode with flying cars, a la The Jetsons, and the Ferrari F40 Supercar. When you hear the intro theme, see if you remember it from the early days of FOX.

Speaking of FOX, I recall being kind of excited that we had more than just the three major networks available on VHF. At the time, I didn't realize just how significant it was to have a fourth network appear.

I just watched the Dark Side of the 90's episode on the rise of Fox. I think the series is a little lackluster compared to Dark Side of the Ring, but I felt that episode was really interesting. I never realized just how much content that was once considered "taboo" they managed to ram in during their early years.

I haven't done a lot of nostalgic things since the pandemic started. Or at least things that are outside of the nostalgic norm for me. I've watched a few different programs like Batman Beyond, Teen Titans and Outlaw Star that I haven't seen in years. I've played some old video games I haven't played in a long time (I am now seriously debating if GTA IV is better than GTA V).

One of the things I did is I started rewatching an old podcast I used to watch all the time when I was college. Not newer episodes because the show absolutely sucks now, but I went back and watched a whole bunch of old content. Brought back some good memories. I also got to see where things started to go wrong with the show. But things like that happen when you revisit old things you've abandoned. It gives you a greater understanding of things.

It was interesting the way in 1995 both The WB and UPN followed the FOX formula, taking advantage of chenges in FCC rules that shifted all the money to "networks", at the expense of independent TV stations and regional associations. 

Many of the FCC's rule changes were to give network startups greater chances of survival.

I fell for, "Unhappily Ever After", in 1995 on The WB, because I was a big fan of Stephanie Hodge, she was the mom. Stephanie had quite a comedy stand up career, but the steady pay of a TV series is too good to pass up.

I started playing Dungeons and Dragons again and it has been a delight. D&D is a relatively low cost hobby and we have a flexible play schedule (admittedly sometimes a couple weeks go by before everyone is available). 

@Rick:

I've been wanting to see that episode of Dark Side of the 90s.

Sound very interesting. I wanted to see more of what Fox was like in the old days.

From, "Dark Side of the 90's" to, "Tales from the Darkside" of the 80's.