Last updated on July 13th, 2024 at 09:52 am
This post is a collaboration with TV Licensing (a trademark of the BBC), but all thoughts and experiences are my own.
I am forever grateful for the television. Television has a magical way of capturing our hearts and minds, transporting us to different worlds and connecting us with unforgettable characters. From the dramas that make me shed a tear to live sport on TV or the comedies that have me doubled over with laughter, TV has always had a way of creating lasting memories with my friends, family and even strangers. I have very distinct moments in my life that TV has played a huge role in whether those TV memories strengthen a friendship or brought me some comfort when I needed it most to even bringing unexpected strangers into my life. And, working on the TV Licensing Moments that Matter campaign, I’d love to share these memories with you.
Reliving Favourite Shows – Making a date night Tradition
One of the joys of TV memories is the ability to relive our favourite shows through Re-run . Revisiting a beloved series can bring back a flood of nostalgia and allow us to experience the same emotions and excitement all over again. Because who doesn’t want to catch a re-run-on Comedy Central of Friends? I love reliving my favourite shows and watching it either with my husband or friends which makes us start reminiscing too.
I remember my cousin had come over to visit from America and was excited to find that Friends was on the TV. So, we snuggled into the sofa and started watching it. My husband and his friends came in to join us. There was a funny part of the episode that had my cousin and I in stitches of laughter, but we noticed the guys didn’t get it which made us laugh even harder. Finally, we had to explain the American jokes to them. Years later we still tease them for having to explain a “Friends” episode. That episode will forever make me think of the time my cousin visited.
The Power of TV Shows Bringing Strangers Together
TV memories have a unique way of staying with us long after the show has ended. Whether it’s a pivotal plot twist, a heartwarming moment between characters, or a hilarious one-liner, these memories have the power to evoke strong emotions and spark conversations even between strangers like it did for me.
When I first moved to the UK, I was 23 years old, and I didn’t know anyone my age. I was coming back from visiting my family in the states and a girl my age sat next to me on the long-haul flight. At first, we just smiled to acknowledge each other and put our headphones on. Meal time came and the headphones were removed ready to see what was on the menu. We began chatting about our interests and hobbies to quickly find that we had a passion for home and gardens shows.
At our age, it really wasn’t something you come across often. We talked for hours about her favourite home & garden shows and when I got home, I watched all of the Home’s Under the Hammer episodes on BBC iPlayer. We would chat at length what we would have done differently and which ones we thought were good. Then years later we moved onto discussing Rescue Garden then years after that Interior Design Masters. It’s what connects us as friends.
Shared Laughter and Tears Creates Lasting Bonds with Friends
TV also has a way of eliciting a wide range of emotions whether it’s a hilarious comedy sketch or a heartbreaking scene, these shared emotions have been what some of my friends and I recall as our best memories together.
Debating plot twists, quoting favourite lines, or reminiscing about memorable episodes became one of my friends and I favourite past time. We had TV night where we all gathered at one of each other’s houses once a week. We would each take turns choosing what we were going to watch. I choose a show called Back to Life after my Grandma passed away and they just wanted to distract me. We quickly started debating the show and their support by being there with me got me through a tough time of loss. But it’s not the specifics that matter but the moments of us sharing it together.
Therapeutic TV
TV shows have a way of transporting us back in time, evoking feelings of nostalgia and reminding us of simpler days. I remember the very first time I was homesick after moving to England. I snuggled down in my bed and turned on the TV and a show came on called Cuckoo. It’s about a British family called the Thompsons. They are shocked when their daughter comes home with a hippy American husband, Cuckoo. With me being American and my husband being British, I could quickly see how different our cultures were and that it wasn’t just me feeling homesick. The comedy of Britishisms vs Americanisms in the show became funny and enlightening. It put a few things in perspective for me and not feel so homesick in the process as there were surely other Americans in England feeling the exact same as me. Watching shows like Cuckoo became like TV therapy for me.
So, grab your popcorn, settle in on the couch, and let the magic of TV transport you to a world of unforgettable moments and cherished memories. Because in the end, it’s not just about the shows we watch, but the connections we make along the way that truly make TV memories so special.
Your TV Licence lets you enjoy a huge range of live TV. It covers you for:
• All TV channels, like BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Dave and international channels – but you don’t need a licence if you only watch non-BBC channels on-
demand
• Pay TV services, like Sky, Virgin Media, and BT – but these are platforms that could have both live and on-demand services
• Live TV on streaming services, like YouTube and Amazon Prime Video
• Everything on BBC iPlayer.
This includes recording and downloading. On any device.
