Viewpoint by Victor Henderson/nw news editor
The difference between a Friday night in the ’90s and a Friday night today is an increased wait time for seating at restaurants and smaller television viewership numbers.
Friday evenings used to consist of families gathering around the television screen, eating pizza and watching hour after hour of sitcoms. Today, not only is it harder to find a good show to watch, it’s also harder to find a restaurant that isn’t packed.
ABC was the leader in the Friday night lineup because of TGIF, the network’s primetime programming block, and many of those programs are still in syndication today.
Some of the most popular shows on the network that night included Step by Step, Family Matters and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch. These shows were funny, family-oriented and perfect for staying in and ordering a pizza after a long week of school and work.
Now, the lack of amusing sitcoms on Friday night television is more reason to leave the house and crowd the restaurants.
According to Variety magazine, Shark Tank, which features sales pitches from aspiring entrepreneurs to a panel of potential investors, is consistently one of the top shows in the ratings for the night.
This show is a far cry from the quirky antics and laugh tracks of popular shows in the ’90s. While audience members don’t need to have a business degree to watch, it certainly is more entertaining for those who have a clear understanding of the business world.
The “Friday night death slot” is the graveyard slot in American television. Many shows that do poorly in the ratings on other nights of the week get moved to Friday nights because it is the last stop before cancellation.
It would be nice if television networks could successfully remake entertaining Friday night programming.
Any show that can keep people in their homes with their families and friends on a Friday night deserves to be called a “classic.”
