It’s the fall of 1995. The leaves are falling and the air is crisp. You’re shooting hoops with your neighborhood buddies and the streetlights just came on. Time to hop on your Huffy and get back for dinner! It’s Friday family pizza night and the Pizza Hut delivery driver is already on the way. You rip through the neighborhood, hitting your go-to shortcuts, and get home just before the sun sets.
Your family sits around the table, smashing a pepperoni deep dish with a side of breadsticks and marinara sauce. You eat fast, because you have to shower and get ready for your date with the TV.
It’s Friday night, which means one thing: TGIF! It was the peak of family TV. Your older brother watched it, your mom and dad watched it, and you know your buddies at school will be discussing the crazy antics Steve Urkel pulled off in the latest episode of Family Matters.
1995 Fall TGIF Lineup:
- 8:00 PM – Family Matters
- 8:30 PM – Boy Meets World
- 9:00 PM – Step by Step
- 9:30 PM – Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper
This was the time before DVR, YouTube, Netflix, etc. TV was a must-watch event. If you missed a new episode, you were out of luck until they ran a rerun. You wouldn’t be able to participate in the Monday watercooler/lunchroom talk. It’s when families still all sat in the living room together, gathered around the soft glow of your wood-encased TV. Nobody had their face buried in their phone. It was special. It was warm. It was wholesome, and I miss it!
TGIF somehow concocted the perfect combo of shows that would teach you life lessons that appealed to all ages. Shows like Full House, Family Matters, Boy Meets World, and Step by Step really stand out for me. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy watching what I want, when I want, but I also miss not being in control, not being stuck in that “what to watch” doom scroll.
Some of those TGIF moments are still burned in my head:
- Topanga’s first haircut.
- Cory kissed another girl on the ski trip.
- Urkel stepped into a porta-potty and became Bruce Lee so he could beat up a biker gang.
TGIF was truly a core memory of my childhood, and I’m sad my kids don’t get to experience it. I’ve tried to recreate this for them, but they just want to watch Mr. Beast or binge Stranger Things. Unfortunately, I doubt we will ever see anything like TGIF again.
Dreamers, what are some of your core TGIF memories?
Did you have a favorite show?
Leave a comment to let me know.
Bro you are tugging at the heartstrings with the streetlight pizza night, felt like I was back in time