Good Night and Good Luck

Tonight I am saying goodbye to an era that defined a generation.

A thing that slowly crept into our lives.. and will soon practically be a figment of our imaginations.

The UPN and WB.

I was kid that grew up on TV. I proudly would check on my standardized tests that I watched 20+ hours of TV.. and would damn sure rank in at least the 90th percentile! I like to say that TV taught me everything… what was cool, how to cuss, sex. The essentials.

For many years, the UPN )(and sometimes WB) represented Black TV – whether we liked it or not. Homeboys in Outerspace anyone? The Wayan’s Bro. Show (We’re colored.. we’re happy and we’re single and we’vre brothers.. give me High Five!). Townsend’s show. LL Cool J’s show. Steve Harvey (RIP Romeo) Then finally Girlfriends (finally, quality!). America’s Next Top Model. Veronica Mars.

I actually remembered when the WB premiered. Had that crazy frog as a spokesman. I am forgetting the names of shows, but I used to indulge in that one Married W/ Children like show, with the rabbit puppet in the basement and.. Oh my gosh.. was that the dude from Entourage in that show? And the chick from Las Vegas - Nikki Cox. The WB started off pretty bad.. but I do remember a few standouts that were cancelled before their times (Grosse Point).

Tonight I am commemorating our loss by engaging in the WB’s presentation of “Favorites & Farewells.” First off was Felicity. Classic! Loved both theme songs… in high school, this show gave me a peek at college. And for the most part, it shows a character just as neurotic as we females are…

Dawson’s Creek. This show was the most popular thing out when it first premiered. At my high school, we were obsessed (with Ricky Martin as well). 90210 for us. The Sarah MacLaughlin theme song…. We didn’t want to wait! Plus it was filmed in Wilmington, NC.. NC represent! The show definitely fell off after a few seasons – especially when they went to college. But the drama of the first season.. superb.. it is a series that will always live in my heart and define and time long gone for me. My favorite scene has to be Joey singing in the pageant the Les Miserables song.

And then perhaps the two series I have to be a lil embarrassed to talk about. Why? Because one fateful day, my sister convinced me to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I had seen the movie, was not impressed, thus had no inclination to watch it… Little did I know it would become a 6-year love affair.

Buffy (and thus Angel) was a show that truly bonded me and my sister. Every Tuesday, in the family room on the Hitachi.. that was where it was at. Buffy was smart, funny, drama and action.. a true conglomerate of what good TV was about. The themes, when analyzed, were deep.. we’re talking about tragic loves, good vs. evil, heaven and hell, depression, changing friendship roles, life and death, rolling with the punches, the natural growth of life… all the challenges you may face between the ages of 15 and 25 were covered in the series. Most either love it or hate it.. most hate it.. but for those of us true fans.. we know the true deal.

And so it is with a heavy heart that we must say goodbye to the UPN and the WB and welcome a network that has actually brought 7th Heaven back to life. I’m going to suggest you check out the following: Black Sundays (Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends – but I’ll forgive ya for not watching since it jumped the shark last year), Veronica Mars Tuesdays (Please this show is what’s up!! Give it just one hour…), and ANTM Wednesday (Fierce!). Good luck...