Older Televisions Shows Remain Popular
Viewing platforms seem to be always coming out with new shows; however, there are certain shows that remain popular no matter their age.
Older television shows have been resurfacing Netflix and gained popularity once again. Plenty of people have heard of "Gossip Girl," "Friends," "The Office," "Criminal Minds," "Gilmore Girls," "Vampire Diaries," and "That '70s Show." However, Netflix removed most of these shows from their platform within the past two years, but they still are popular among watchers.
After a recent Instagram poll taken of 130 people, results showed that 64% prefer streaming older television shows, such as "Friends," "Gilmore Girls," "The Office," "Vampire Diaries" and "Criminal Minds." The remaining 36% preferred newer shows such as "All American," "Outer Banks," "Riverdale" and "Schitts' Creek."
There is substantial controversy on which era of shows is superior. What is it with older television shows that keep them alive?
“I've seen 'Gossip Girl' and it became one of my favorite shows,” senior Adriana Barrera said. “I think it’s so popular because it has to do with high school students and the drama is just interesting.”
Older shows such as "Gossip Girl," which first aired in 2007 and ended in 2012, relate to high school students and some of the struggles within their lives. Some also think it is entertaining to see how times may have changed and allows viewers to feel nostalgic when watching older television shows.
“It’s a good thing olders shows are being watched,” sophomore Megan Stewart said. “It’s nice to go back and watch old shows and see what they were like back then, compared to how times have changed to now.”
Older television shows might also have a larger audience of viewers with a broader age range than today's newer television shows, like "All American" and "Outer Banks."
“I think that a lot of adults prefer the older shows such as 'Friends' or 'The Office,' but it still entertains kids and teens,” sophomore Callie Bemis said. “While the newer shows are mostly for a certain age group like teens and young adults.”
As for popularity, reunion shows raise the challenge of living up to their original. For example, “Full House” made a reunion show, “Fuller House.” The show “Full House” and “Fuller House” were filmed nearly 20 years apart, despite having the same cast and similar storylines.
“I honestly think reunion shows can’t beat the original,” Barrera said. “It's usually very rare that a reboot does. I really like the show 'Fuller House,' but 'Full House' was definitely better.”
According to The Insider, “Friends" has been working on their own reunion special that will include all of the main characters, however it was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. They predict the reunion to start filming in March of 2021. Will it get as much attention and popularity as the original?