Switch It On

Each of us can find a variety of different aspects of our lives that define us in many ways. Despite it's banality, TV can become one of these aspects as the shows we choose to watch can reflect our sensibilities and also reflect the state of our lives at certain periods of growth. I have always been a fan of TV generally speaking and lots of programmes have become embedded in my heart and shall remain there for ever more. However, the 1990s was a critical era in my life as it was a time of change, of growing up and becoming a man, and a time of establishing an identity for myself. Here I will briefly reflect on four of the TV shows that genuinely assisted in moulding the man that I have become.

The X Files

If ever a show understood the zeitgeist and hit at the right time, The X files was the one. Journalists were fond of calling the decade "The Paranoid 90s" and it's not really a surprise after a lot of people became disillusioned through years of corrupt and beguiling behaviour from governments around the world (although, in this day and age, we have become accustomed to it - par for the course, sadly). The X Files came along and told us "the truth is out there" and made us wary and taught us to "trust no one". The fantastical stories were played out with earnest sincerity yet with a touch of humour. The look of the show was immaculate and the performances from the cast sublime. Of course, everyone knows I think the world of Gillian Anderson; she is simply one of the greatest living actresses. The show ran for nine years and I feel such passion towards it. You can read more about it here.

Friends

For some reason, some people like to mock those of us who like Friends and it does perplex me. It's a superb ensemble comedy that can be watched time and time again. Sure, Ross annoys the crap out of me, but I still cared about him and Rachel. Friends was one of those rare beasts that blended two genres together - in this case soap and comedy. We really cared about these twenty-somethings. I was at that time in my life when I was house-sharing and my friends were as close-knit as these characters were. OK, we weren't as pretty nor as funny, but we still had a damn good time. I loved this show so much, I even bought the recipe book (true story). For ten years, the antics of Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, Monica and, of course, Ross and Rachel kept us entertained, laughing and, on occasion, crying.

Absolutely Fabulous

Over in Britain, the comedy was going strong too. Jennifer 'the legend' Saunders turned the sitcom format on its head and produced some of the funniest characters to have emerged from the British goggle-box for years. Edina and Patsy were appalling. Two deeply flawed characters who should make awful role-models... but we all loved them. They could often epitomise everything we wanted to be but were too afraid to live it out. Mad, drunk, naughty, opinionated... they broke the rules and threw caution to the wind simply in order to have FUN. Every now and again, when I am having a rant, I 'channel' Edina Monsoon as there is something about her I can bizarrely relate to. It's probably the neuroses.

This Life

Ah, This Life, my lover, my friend, my despicable cohort. We found each other one night on BBC2 and it felt like a surreptitious love affair. Then, by season two, everyone else knew our dirty little secret and wanted in on the act. Oh, it was like a delicious orgy of rampant debauchery. As you can tell from my verbose and slightly perverted reaction to this show, it is something I feel passionate about. The lives of Anna, Miles, Milly, Egg, Warren, Ferdy, Rachel, Kira, Jo etc. got under my skin so completely. The programme ran for two seasons and was deliberately cut short so that it ended on a high - and WHAT A HIGH! I still recall the rush I was experiencing when the end credits rolled. I was beside myself. 32 episodes of legalities, shenanigans and heartache. Many imitators but none that can match the brilliance of Amy Jenkins' superb series.

So, there you have it. Sure, there were many other shows I watched, loved and adored (Star Trek, Twin Peaks, Millennium, The Vicar of Dibley et al) but this quartet defined that period of my life for me. TV Gold.