{"id":40022,"date":"2018-06-12T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-06-13T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/25yearslatersite.com\/?p=40022"},"modified":"2022-11-22T03:45:31","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T03:45:31","slug":"through-the-tv-of-future-past-musings-on-nostalgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvobsessive.com\/2018\/06\/12\/through-the-tv-of-future-past-musings-on-nostalgia\/","title":{"rendered":"Through the TV of Future Past – Musings on Nostalgia"},"content":{"rendered":"
So.. I\u2019m feeling nostalgic (again \u2013 jeez, I\u2019m only mid-40\u2019s). \u00a0It\u2019s a weekend and I\u2019m not in the mood for my current shows \u2013 the likes of Jessica Jones, Travelers, or Altered Carbon<\/em> \u2013 besides that, I am trying not to give in to the trend of binge watching, letting myself marinate in a one-a-week approach, appreciating the value of a cliff-hanger. I\u2019ve finished The Leftovers<\/em> and can\u2019t face anything quite as emotionally draining (in a good way) as that right now.. And my default – rewatching Twin Peaks<\/em> from the beginning \u2013 is an annual event and (at the time of writing this) it\u2019s not quite due yet (season 3 took a while to sink in!).<\/p>\n I have a wistful remembrance of my teenage viewing \u2013 Quantum Leap<\/em>.. Maybe Northern Exposure<\/em>. Ok, yeah, let\u2019s go for something from back then.<\/p>\n With the TV fired up \u2013 I\u2019ve managed to persuade my wife to join me in revisiting this classic – we settle into watching The Wonder Years<\/em>.<\/p>\n …<\/p>\n End credits.<\/p>\n Mmmm.<\/p>\n We are both a bit quiet.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d forgotten how good that was,\u201d I remark, engaging my other half in what I assume will be some mutual appreciation for Kevin, Winnie and friends.<\/p>\n As the seconds pass I\u2019ve a strange feeling it\u2019s not so mutual.<\/p>\n She replies slowly… \u201c… It\u2019s… of its time really.\u201d<\/p>\n Ah. Ok. I feel a smidge offended for a moment (ok, it was more than a moment). I want to fire off a few reasons why she\u2019s wrong, taking it personally before mulling it over further.<\/p>\n So I divorced her…<\/p>\n Kidding!<\/p>\n She was right, I guess. Perhaps it\u2019s my rose-tinted glasses \u2013 am I viewing it as the teenager I was? Was it just average television? \u00a0Has it not aged as well I have(!)?<\/p>\n I think there are a variety of elements at play. My initial feeling of nostalgia – \u201ca wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one\u2019s life\u201d[1] <\/em>– may well be at the core of everything. I currently consume shows that have anti-heroes at the fore; a plethora of real-life or dystopian problems and setbacks; a world of dubious characters with world-weary attitudes, solving problems with violence or apathy. Many of these shows want to be consumed quickly and offer up that chance via the platforms they exist on. It makes the experience rich but sometimes overwhelming. The impact of the storylines is like a blunt force trauma in one heavy hit – the high you get from each episode becomes something you acclimatise to and it loses the effect – it\u2019s all over quickly and with a lot of shows, you are on to the next without too much thought or appreciation for what you\u2019ve spent your time on. I needed something different.<\/p>\n However my television viewing in the past benefitted from once-a-week episodes; a narrowing of choice via the four available channels in the UK; the thrill of occasional special effects (a talking car!); my young age and developing sense of personality\/character. I was formulating my interests – open to both homogenised programming and the new, \u2018off-the-wall\u2019 variations. As time has progressed, that off-the-wall element has become more important for me, and also somewhat scarce and therefore invaluable. Despite the advances in what graces our screens, from the likes of HBO, Showtime or Netflix – perhaps I am not finding that \u2018invaluable\u2019 element nowadays. Is that a reason why I am turning to the past? Perhaps despite the abundance of channels and shows we have today, has it all become somewhat regimented and standardised?<\/p>\n Twin Peaks<\/em> is one of a number of shows that seems to surpass the limitations of television that has been made in any particular decade. Their strengths lie in a combination of factors – the stories, the atmosphere, music and characters. Many components simply do not date. For instance, by removing a dependence on modern technology or current affairs – by dealing with timeless moral quandaries or esoteric mythologies; mysterious personalities or powerful ideas – they can ride the wave of the current zeitgeist and become singular beacons in a sea of manufactured uniformity.<\/p>\n