The Shows I Grew Up On AND Still Love Today!

The Kind Of TV I Grew Up On

Simpler times with simpler morals.

We all enjoyed shows and movies with the family back in the day.

And we have an emotional attachment to the shows that helped us grow and that remind of the days that felt good to us. 

I am a little partial to the shows that I grew up with.

But I don't want to be the person that says that there are no good television shows out today. 

Yet, in all honesty, I feel like the quality of TV is not what it was. 

That can be due to:

• Streaming options like Netflix or Hulu....
• Or the overall morality decline as a whole....
• The breakdown of the family unit...
• Or television networks only centering around a specific type of content. 

Without getting too deep, I want to share with you the type of television shows that I grew up with and love to this very day. 

The Television Shows I Grew Up With AND Still Love Today!

So, here are a few of the shows that I still love that I grew up on.

Look at the whole collection here

Sanford And Son

This is definitely MY FAVORITE show of all time. 

Sanford And Son is about a cranky, old junk man named Fred Sanford and his son, Lamont as they struggle to make ends meet in South Central Los Angeles. 

Fred, known to his son as "Pop," always finds himself in trouble because of his mouth and quick rich schemes.  

This was one of the shows developed by Norman Lear.

Lear was the pioneer for most of the prominent TV shows in the 70's, such as "All In The Family." 

Even though the show was meant to be a comedy, it managed to engage thought provoking commentaries about racism in America. 

Here is a clip below from the show from the Johan Lebbing YouTube Channel:

Good Times

AIN'T WE LUCKY WE GOT'EM!

"Good Times" is another Norman Lear show that featured the life of the Evans family as they struggle through poverty in the ghetto of inner-city Chicago.

One of the most notable qualities of the show is that the household features a two parent household, at least for the first 3 seasons. 

Even through the tough times that this family experienced tragedies such as death, loss of income, street violence, and various types of relationships, they tend to stick together instead of breaking apart. 

This is why I identify personally with the show so much. 

And I think that this appeals to each African American family.

Here is a clips from the patriarch of the family, James Evans who was played by John Amos.

This is from the Kylee Mary YouTube Channel

The Jeffersons

"The Jeffersons" was another great sitcom that developed by Norman Lear. 

This show was about a newly rich African-American family as they adjust to the rich life with their neighbors. 

As television viewers, we have never seen a rich African American in television history, as far as I can remember. 

The star of the show was Sherman Hemsley, who played feisty businessman George Jefferson. 

It is up to his wife, Louise, to calm down her husband more often than not. 

One of the most significant facts about this show is that it was the first to feature an interracial couple in the Willis' from the show. 

That interracial couple is played by Franklin Cover and Roxy Roker, who is the mother of Lenny Kravitz. 

"The Jeffersons" is a spin-off from the classic "All In The Family." 

Here is a clip from The Jeffersons from the Shout! Factory YouTube Channel: 

Family Matters

"Family Matters" is one of the signature shows of the 90's. 

I remember it well, not for the laughs of epic nerd Steve Urkel, but it was one of the last sitcoms I remember looking at consistently around my family. 

This was one of times that I grew up with a show as it was throughout 1989 until 1998, as it marked the time from me still in grade school and my transition to attending college. 

So, I have some good memories of the early days of this show.

And I think that you would to, if you are around the same age as me.

It was always good to see good representation of an African-American family on television.

That is what the Winslows were and the show served a great purpose in that.

Here is a clip of "Family Matters" from the Cory Schoolnick YouTube Channel:

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Most of us know this one. 

YO' HOMES TO BEL-AIR!

"The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" is the show that made Will Smith a household name. 

It was the era of colorful clothing and even more colorful characters. 

Will Smith was such that character for this show. 

This show follows the story about how Will Smith's life got flipped upside down....

Will's character gets shipped from his rough neighborhood in Philadelphia to aunt and uncle in cushy Bel-Air. 

This is another show that has a great African American family dynamic within the Banks family. 

It is hilarious to see Will Smith adjust to the good life in Bel-Air. 

The show was from the mind of Quincy Jones and it hit at the right time. 

Here is a clip from the show from the Vintage Throwback Classics YouTube Channel:

Conclusion

There are of course more that I could pick from but these are the ones that I remember most fondly. 

And most importantly, it was good television.

You can get the entire collection of shows by clicking the link here. 

So, if you enjoy this type of television, leave a comment below about your favorite show or something you think I may have missed. 

Thank you for checking out the post and hope you have a blessed day.