Who doesn't love turning on a show from your child- or teen-hood and reminiscing about old times. Rushing home from school for that 5pm showing, before recording was a thing. Messaging your pals on MSN about the latest episodes of your favourite programmes. Here's some examples of shows that haven't aged, even though you have...
Waterloo Road - starting strong with this one. Who could ever forget the misadventures of the troubled teens, or dreamy Tom Clarkson. This show covered everything from teen pregnancy to cancer, homosexuality to dreadful red hair (I'm looking at you Rhiannon Salt). You can watch all these on BBC iPlayer - even the ones not worth watching after the school got rerouted to Scotland for no conceivable reason whatsoever.
2. Hannah Montana - absolute classic for those lucky enough to have Disney channel as a kid. A regular teen girl that becomes a pop star?! What's not to love? You can re-watch this now on Disney Plus!
3. Tracy Beaker - need I say more? If you don't know, then you're either too old or you lived under a rock throughout the 00s. Tracy Beaker is the original bad girl, with a bad attitude and fashion-sense to match. Watch as our Tracy, the orphan wannabe write with a big heart and a bad case of hayfever, battles enemies like bad foster parents, crap friends and annoying care workers. Watch all the TB franchise on BBC iPlayer.
4. Glee - this binge-able series is for the ones who love music - if you don't then don't bother cos there's no escape. Follow this cast list of dodgy characters through high school, accompanied by their equally dodgy music teacher... Watch now on Netflix.
5. Suite Life of Zack and Cody - another one for those lucky enough to have Sky as a kid, this one is about 2 twins that live in a hotel for some reason I still haven't figured out. The big plus about this one is Ashley Tisdale is a riot, and once you finish Suite Life you can move onto Suite Life on Deck, and THEN move onto Riverdale and pretend they're linked, makes it more fun. Out now on Disney Plus.
6. Gossip Girl - definitely a commitment, but Gossip Girl is one of those series you can turn on and just forget about, and who doesn't love 00s New York: the fashion, the digs, the bars: it looks like heaven and hell all in one. I like re-watching this one and pointing out the inconsistencies with who eventually turns out to be Gossip Girl...if you know you know. Available now on Netflix.
7. Friends - I've heard some people don't rate this show, and I say to those people "how does it feel to be wrong?" Full of 90s fashion faux-pas and comedy gold: if you haven't seen it or you're not feeling it - try it again! Especially series 4 - that's the series that makes me giggle throughout every time. Available on Netflix, or just turn on your TV because I bet it's playing on there somewhere.
8. Gavin Stacey - Now this one isn't up for debate. If you don't love G&S then you're either one of these two things: a human without a television or internet, or a child under the age of 1 so unable to understand basic classic comedy - both of which means you're not reading this blog and that's good, because I ain't got time for any naysayers chatting rubbish about this show. It's a British Cult Classic, but you don't need me to tell you that. You'll find all episodes on BBC iPlayer, including that Christmas episode from last year.
9. Inbetweeners - If you're anything like me, you've seen this series at least 4 times over the years, and turn it on at any opportunity. For those who haven't seen this one, let me explain: it's a classic tale of 4 teenagers playing lacrosse and talking about books....NOT. If you want to be part of the Pussay Patrol, or just to be a friend, you can watch all episodes on All4 - I'll let them explain.
10. Skins - Another Channel 4 show about well-to-do teenagers being polite and working hard...again I am lying. I'm talking drugs, sex, mental illness, runaways, terrible fashion sense and deaths (if you know you know). Personally, I'm a big fan of the third generation, I just can't get enough of Alo and Minnie, but you should definitely watch this one from the beginning, whether you're new to it or not. Heads up, wouldn't recommend Skins Fire and all those extra ones after they've all got jobs... sometimes you've just got to let a series die. You can watch all the seasons on All4 or Netflix (on Netflix there's no adverts).
So do you agree with my list? Are there any shows, nostalgic or otherwise, that you've been watching, especially with the extra time during lockdown where you should be out with your friends? Comment below and share the love - I'm always looking for new and old shows to watch and rewatch on an endless loop forever.
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