We Can Save The Next Generation Of Kids And The World With This One Simple Idea From The 90s

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Gather round everyone, because ole Uncle Captain Cons has an idea that might just save the next generation, unite our country, bring us back from the brink of war, and deliver a dose of happiness like cold water from a hose on a hot summer day. 

Allow me to give you the genesis of this idea and I have to give my daughter a lot of the credit. She is almost 2 so any time she sees a remote or buttons, those suckers are being punched like Tyson at the end of Punch Out. If she turns on our Samsung (no free ads) tv it automatically pops onto one of their Samsung TV channels. One of those channels currently plays Saved by the Bell on a loop. That's it. 24/7 Zack and Kelly. One day before we were getting ready to fire up Toys (Toys is what my daughter says when she wants to watch Toy Story. We start with 1 and go all the way through 4 and then start over again. We watch about 20 minutes per sitting and hit pause so we just pick up where we left off in the saga. Thankfully I am not subjected to the kid programming that makes you want to run head first into a wall). 

I noticed by daughter was transfixed by Saved by the Bell in the 20 seconds it was on the television. Maybe it was Zack's blonde hair or AC's muscles but my girl was glued. It occurred to me that in today's day and age of streaming and DVR, this is no longer appointment television. Not only that, there just aren't any good family sitcoms any more. Modern Family was an outlier in recent times but even that is only in syndication now.

Which got me thinking, what if I created a time honored core memory of my 90s childhood for my kids? I mentioned the idea to my wife and she replied, "Yea I knew we were going to be doing that months ago," because as usual my wife is 10 steps ahead of me but nevertheless, I am claiming the idea for my household. 

Repeat after me these four little letters…T-G-I-F

Maybe it is just my algorithm but 90s nostalgia is hot in the streets right now. I follow influencers who talk about all things pop culture and trends, shows are getting re-boots, and the fellas in Chicago even recently praised the entire year of 1996. 

So what do we do? We bring back one of the crown jewels of the 90s, which brings us back to my idea. One beauty of streaming is that all these shows from our childhood are readily available. Unlike back in the day when you were at the mercy of the network, you can mix and match to build your very own TGIF and also put it at a start time that works for your family. 

Beyond just the shows, we are talking about an atmosphere here. Part of what made TGIF great was knowing you were going to have all your snacks in order, your spot on the couch ready to go, and mom and dad weren't going to bother you for those 2 hours. I've now learned as a parent that part of that is they wanted that quiet time to themselves as well so they were more than happy to throw you and your sisters down in the basement with as much ice cream, pizza, soda, and junk food as you could possibly want. It was 2 hours of bliss throughout your entire home. If we band together as a country and agree to reclaim Friday nights, we are setting ourselves up for success. Between this idea and the American Pope, world peace is not out of reach. 

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I love the idea of curating a bespoke TGIF for your household. The only parameters I would say we should follow are they have to be a 90s show and it has to be a 30 minute sitcom. I'll allow the Simpsons because I love Clem. 

As you can see, my lineup is a work in progress but my daughter isn't even 2 yet so I have some time to land on a final lineup card. I am even toying with the idea of creating multiple iterations with multiple shows based on her age and interests. The possibilities are truly endless. 

I suspect the guys I mentioned will have their own thoughts but one thing is not up for debate - this is a fantastic idea and if we raise a generation of kids on these shows, I think we have a shot. 

What are your shows?

P.S. I need a name for my generation of people - born in the 80s, came of age in the 90s - because I hate the term 
millennial and I don't want to be associated with it anymore.