For anyone born in the mid 1970's in America...

[Anonymous]

I am 41 years old and an American raised in Europe by parents who did not believe in watching television or listening to popular music so I miss so many cultural references made by my friends and associates now. I graduated from the equivalent of high school in 1993 and college in 1997. I would love to hear any cultural references in regard to TV and music.

For example, I just watched the 1990 - 1993 seasons of "Beverly Hills, 90210" and seasons 3 to 6 of M*A*S*H and learned a great deal (as well as enjoyed them).

Thank you for all suggestions!

[Anonymous]

Are you looking for TV show suggestions that would likely be referenced by others? If so, Friends and Seinfeld are musts, I would say. Saved By the Bell maybe?

[Anonymous]

Must see: All in the Family

[Anonymous]

1970s (since you said MASH)

Good Times
All in the Family
Three's Company
Rockford Files

1980s
Magnum PI
St Elsewhere (great granddaddy to every medical show on TV now)
LA LAW (great granddaddy to every law show on TV now)
Family Ties
Cosby Show (yes I know, but the cast was wonderful)
Cheers

1990s
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Melrose Place
Friends
Simpsons
X-Files
Seinfeld

[Anonymous]

Definitely The Simpsons, but maybe the first 10 (ish? I don't know) seasons. Maybe fewer than that. Crazy that it's still on!

[Anonymous]

Love Boat (but really, only a few episodes is enough)
Happy Days (same)
CHIPS

that quirky alaska one with Rob Morrow
Moonlighting
ER
Homicide
Will & Grace
Ally McBeal

[Anonymous]

I'm your same age.

Good start on 90210. Our lives followed closely - we graduated from high school the same year, from college the same year, etc. Also "Saved By The Bell" - they also were the class of '93.

A few other shows to add to the list of the already good ones mentioned above:

Who's The Boss?
Growing Pains
Full House

Music -

Listen to any '80s radio station
Hair bands like Guns n Roses

Nirvana
Pearl Jam
Some other alternative bands I'm blanking on right now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm your same age.

Good start on 90210. Our lives followed closely - we graduated from high school the same year, from college the same year, etc. Also "Saved By The Bell" - they also were the class of '93.

A few other shows to add to the list of the already good ones mentioned above:

Who's The Boss?
Growing Pains
Full House

Music -

Listen to any '80s radio station
Hair bands like Guns n Roses

Nirvana
Pearl Jam
Some other alternative bands I'm blanking on right now

Forgot to mention "The Brady Bunch". Most of us watched it in syndication growing up.

[Anonymous]

I am 42. Shows that shaped my childhood, into teenage years:

Family Ties
Growing Pains
Cosby Show

Fame
Hart to Hart
Magnum PI

Beverly Hills 90210
The Real World - first few seasons (this is ground zero and the beginning of reality TV)
Seinfeld
Friends

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much! These are all wonderful suggestions and most are available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 42. Shows that shaped my childhood, into teenage years:

Family Ties
Growing Pains
Cosby Show

Fame
Hart to Hart
Magnum PI

Beverly Hills 90210
The Real World - first few seasons (this is ground zero and the beginning of reality TV)
Seinfeld
Friends

Ah, the Real World - I still remember that first and second season - remember Puck? Although it was the grandmother of all reality shows (along with Survivor- the grandfather of all reality game shows), it felt unstaged in those first two years. I wish it had never been invented however - one wonders whether we'd have this Prez-Elect, the Kardashians, etc., if reality TV had never been invented...

[Anonymous]

These are before your time but are pop culture touchstones:

I Love Lucy
Leave it to Beaver
The Brady Bunch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 42. Shows that shaped my childhood, into teenage years:

Family Ties
Growing Pains
Cosby Show

Fame
Hart to Hart
Magnum PI

Beverly Hills 90210
The Real World - first few seasons (this is ground zero and the beginning of reality TV)
Seinfeld
Friends

Ah, the Real World - I still remember that first and second season - remember Puck? Although it was the grandmother of all reality shows (along with Survivor- the grandfather of all reality game shows), it felt unstaged in those first two years. I wish it had never been invented however - one wonders whether we'd have this Prez-Elect, the Kardashians, etc., if reality TV had never been invented...

I was a junior in high school for that first season and my mother and I watched together and actually discussed issues. What a concept! The Real World in the beginning was a social experiment bringing people of different background, race, lifestyle together and watching them figure it all out together. Gasp, they weren't all even absurdly attractive! They were normal-looking people who weren't caked in makeup. Remember the friendship that formed between Julie and Heather! And Norm! At the time, I was a fairly sheltered white kid and the show was pretty thought-provoking.

It's definitely sad to think the whole concept started with decent intentions and then it spiraled into our current culture of Kardashian/Trump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Must see: All in the Family

All in the Family would be before OP's time. I was born in the mid-1960s and we watched this and the Jeffersons back-to-back. I can't remember if these were also on the same night as Mary Tyler More and the Bob Newhart show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 42. Shows that shaped my childhood, into teenage years:

Family Ties
Growing Pains
Cosby Show

Fame
Hart to Hart
Magnum PI

Beverly Hills 90210
The Real World - first few seasons (this is ground zero and the beginning of reality TV)
Seinfeld
Friends

Ah, the Real World - I still remember that first and second season - remember Puck? Although it was the grandmother of all reality shows (along with Survivor- the grandfather of all reality game shows), it felt unstaged in those first two years. I wish it had never been invented however - one wonders whether we'd have this Prez-Elect, the Kardashians, etc., if reality TV had never been invented...

I was a junior in high school for that first season and my mother and I watched together and actually discussed issues. What a concept! The Real World in the beginning was a social experiment bringing people of different background, race, lifestyle together and watching them figure it all out together. Gasp, they weren't all even absurdly attractive! They were normal-looking people who weren't caked in makeup. Remember the friendship that formed between Julie and Heather! And Norm! At the time, I was a fairly sheltered white kid and the show was pretty thought-provoking.

It's definitely sad to think the whole concept started with decent intentions and then it spiraled into our current culture of Kardashian/Trump.

The show also did a lot for gay rights/AIDS awareness in the SF season with Pedro. I think that was the third season, maybe?