Episode 402

Over the holiday break, I had a chance to watch even more daytime television than I normally do. I usually limit myself to shows with some redeeming qualities (Ellen, Full House, etc.) but that is not even close to possible when you literally have nothing to do, as opposed to just doing nothing (the two are very different).

One of the shows that I kept up with was The Price is Right. I need not comment on Drew Carey, as I have taken care of that monstrosity in previous posts, but I'd just like to share a really frightening experience I had while watching TPIR these past couple of weeks.

Everyone remembers the classic game "Now...or Then." If you need a refresher, don't worry, there's a wikipedia entry about it. Now, when we used to watch this show as children -- don't even try to deny it -- you would be comparing the prices of grocery items from "now," whenever that was and "then," which was without fail some far off date in the late 80s or maybe early 90s before you even had any memories. Well, prepare to have your minds blown. The other day on the Price is Right, the THEN date was the year 2000. Two thousand. This means that post-Y2K is now considered "then." As I said, frightening.

This made me think, though, about how television -- in moments like this -- is able to really remind us that time flies and that we're getting old. Thanks TV! Exhibit A: On Saved by the Bell, the gang often references Jason Bateman as the dreamy heartthrob. He even gets a few write-ins for student body president. Now, is this the same Jason Bateman who is always and forever Michael Bluth in our hearts? Yes it is. We're old.

Other than pricing games and reruns, this feeling of "time flies" is all over the place now that child actors are running rampant on new hit shows (Jason Bateman also falls into this category. Well done.) Watching Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother is a trip, as is seeing Mark Paul Gosselaar do anything but be Zack Morris, and Joshua Jackson star on a serious lawyer show. Not to mention the remakes of 90210 and the like, where Kelly and Brenda are back as themselves, but they're like...adults. Even the girl from Harriet the Spy is a major TV star now!

I guess comebacks -- as old as they make us feel -- are preferable to drugs and rehab. Maybe.