friday favorites #32: top 5 tv shows of 2016

Today's Friday Favorites is a little different—I'm talking about my five favorite shows of 2016. With all the TV watching I do, I can't believe I've never done a "best of TV" post before! These shows were all airing new episodes in 2016 (which is why One Tree Hill isn't on the list 😁).

1. Pitch

Pitch is one of two new dramas created by Dan Fogelman this season. It's the less famous, less critically acclaimed of the two, but it's my favorite. The only reason it never made it into my Friday Favorites until this special edition is because I've become such a slacker about posting, but trust me, it's a favorite.

Pitch stars Kylie Bunbury as pitcher Ginny Baker, the first female to play in the Major Leagues. It also stars a nearly-unrecognizable (until you know it's him) Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Mike Lawson, Ginny's catcher. It took me about one episode to be all in on this show.

It's only 10 episodes long, and all 10 have already aired and are available on Hulu. Remember how I said that Pitch isn't nearly as famous or acclaimed as Fogelman's other show? Well, it's apparently a bubble show, meaning it could go either way as far as cancellation or renewal. Here's hoping FOX doesn't pull the trigger and gives us a second season of "Bawson"! (Terrible name, I know. But what other option was there? Gike? Minny? Laker? All awful.)

Guilty pleasure... Watching fan-made shipper videos on YouTube. Veronica & Logan, Pacey & Joey, Lucas & Peyton, and now Ginny & Mike from @pitchonfox. Once I start, I can't stop. And yes, I am 35 years old 😂😂😂 #photochallenge #sacredholidays

A photo posted by Becky Ritta (@beckyritta) on Dec 7, 2016 at 4:30pm PST

2. This Is Us

I have actually written about This Is Us before. This Is Us is the other new show from Dan Fogelman. 

If you haven't watched and plan to, stop reading now and skip to #3. If you don't, you might feel the same anger for me that I felt for EW's social media handler when I came across a post on Facebook that said, "Now that Rory is _______, what's next?" (I left that blank in case you don't know what happens on the Gilmore Girls reboot.)

 

This Is Us follows the Pearson siblings, beginning on their 36th birthday. Kevin is a moderately successful yet deeply unhappy actor, Kate is morbidly obese and lets her weight completely define her, and Randall is a successful businessman with a beautiful family who just reconnected with his dying birth father. The present story is interspersed with stories from the past, from when the siblings' parents Jack and Rebecca were raising them. It is simply fascinating—especially the stories surrounding Randall (the 36-year-old Randall is played by the magnificent Sterling K. Brown). 

Side note: In my opinion, the biggest snub from this year's Golden Globes nominations was the exclusion of Brown for his portrayal of Randall (he was nominated for his portrayal of Chris Darden in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, a role he won an Emmy for earlier this year). The Screen Actor's Guild got it right, though, nominating Brown for both This Is Us and People v. O.J.

3. The Flash

Apparently I talk about The Flash a lot. While I enjoy all of the DC shows on the CW (well, I have a love/hate relationship with Arrow), The Flash is by far my favorite. It's so much fun! This season, I've enjoyed that a) "Flashpoint" (when Barry went back and changed the timeline to save his mother) didn't last forever and b) there are major repercussions for his actions. I also love that Tom Cavanagh is portraying a third version of Harrison Wells. This season's version, H.R., just might be my favorite yet.  

4. Fuller House

Critics hate Fuller House. In fact, I just saw it on a list of worst shows of 2016. But I really enjoy it! Season one pushed all the right nostalgia buttons, and, while I've only seen the first two episodes of season two so far, I assume I'll like it just as much. And I'm still 100% Team Steve.

5. The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story

When I heard that Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) was making a series about the O.J. Simpson trial, I was skeptical. But I was curious enough to tune in for the first episode, and I was immediately hooked. This series is done so well! I watched every episode, and I can't stop telling people how good it is. Seriously. If you haven't watched it, do it as soon as it hits Netflix!

I do have two complaints: I think John Travolta as Robert Shapiro and Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. Simpson were a bit miscast. But everything else was absolutely spot on!

There's my list ... but why no Gilmore Girls? Because I haven't watched it yet. (And I also hear that people hated the 2nd and 3rd installments.) I think I'm one of two Gilmore fans in the world who hasn't watched yet...the other being my sister. But we're going to remedy that this weekend!

What are your favorite shows of 2016?

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friday favorites #31: week of dec. 2, 2016 + giveaway

I haven't done a Friday Favorites in forever (OK, it was really September 23, but that's like forever in blog time), so this Friday Favorites will encompass my world over the last two months. So don't be mad that my #1 happened a month ago, OK?

1. The Cubbies!!!

Though the Chicago Cubs have always had a special place in my heart, I never really paid attention to baseball until this postseason. In fact, I thought baseball was one of the most boring sports on the planet. But in the midst of the Cubs' postseason run and World Series victory, I became a raving fan. We'll see if that carries through to next season, but for now, I'm still loving all things Cubs. In fact, the World Series movie (is that what you call it?) is on FS1 tonight, and I can't wait to watch and relive the greatness! (I've talked about the Cubbies a lot on Christian Chick's Thoughts recently, so here it is if you're interested.)

Also, I'll just leave this here ...

2. The CW's DC Crossover Extravaganza

I haven't actually watched the whole crossover yet—I had choir practice last night so missed Legends of Tomorrow. But I greatly enjoyed The Flash and Arrow this week. (Supergirl was good, too, but it wasn't much of a crossover—Barry and Cisco just showed up at the very end.) I loved seeing the characters interact, and it got me to watch Arrow, a show I checked out of a long time ago. (So dark, that Arrow. I prefer the lightness of the other three shows.) I hope the CW keeps doing these crossover events, 'cause they're so fun!

Speaking of fun, if you're a fan of The Flash, check out this Honest Trailer.

3. Austentatious

The other day, I stumbled across Austentatious on Amazon Prime. As a sucker for all things Austen, I couldn't help but start watching.

Emma Woodhouse, Lizzie Bennett, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, and Grant Knightly are all friends living in the same city. Will Darcy works at the same law firm as Emma, and he gets realtor Lizzie to help him find a house (which, of course, ends up being for his sister Georgiana). Nurse Brandon falls for Marianne, who is oblivious, and accountant Elinor has a flirtation with IRS agent Edward Ferrars. The real Austen-like plots kick into gear around episode seven, and nothing is resolved by the end of the final episode. So far, there's only one season of ten episodes, but I hope that more will come!

The production value is ... not very good, and the acting is just serviceable. (The notable exceptions here are Elise Groves as Lizzie and Kristen Marie Jensen as Elinor.) But I still really enjoyed it!

Also of note is that this show is one of the cleanest made-for-adults series I've ever seen. No swearing, no innuendo, nothing. Totally G-rated, which is nice for a change. While your kids would probably be bored out of their minds, you could watch this without fear of what content may pop up.

If you have Prime, you can watch for free here. It's also available on DVD.

4. Christmas Music

I love, love, love Christmas music! With the advent of Spotify and Amazon Prime music, I'm able to listen to almost any Christmas music I want ... and I can pick and choose songs, rather than listening to whole albums. One of my favorite songs to play is *NSYNC's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"—it never fails to brighten my mood! (If you've never seen the video before, do yourself a favor and watch it now. It pretty much screams 90's!)

In between my Michael W. Smith-athons (seriously, the man makes amazing Christmas albums!) and repeated playings of "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (both the original and Bieber versions. Yes, Bieber.), I've also been enjoying Amy Grant's new album, Tennessee Christmas. It's more mellow and melancholy than I anticipated, but it's also very good. I reviewed it here, and I have a copy to give away! Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Rules: Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Contest is open in the US only. Winner will be selected at random using Rafflecopter.com and will have 48 hours to respond to email notification, or another winner will be chosen.)

5. The Thirteenth Chance

I debated whether I should really make this a favorite today, but then I found out about a crazy-good sale on Amazon, and I knew I needed to do it! The Thirteenth Chance is going to make my best of list for 2016, no question. It's engaging, romantic, and funny ... and, for a limited time, really cheap! The Kindle version is currently 99¢, and the paperback is just $4.99! (See my full review.)

So that's what's been making me happy over the last couple months. As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying lately?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received some of the products mentioned in this post free for review. The opinions expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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top ten tuesday: made for tv christmas movies

I've been doing my Top Ten Tuesday posts over on Christian Chick's Thoughts for a while now, but I thought you might be interested in today's post, which is all about Christmas movies (something I've talked about here on Coffee & Conversation at length). So head on over and check out what I think are the best made for TV Christmas movies: Christian Chick's Thoughts: top ten tuesday: made for tv christmas movies

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stranded: halloween candy edition

I haven't done a "Stranded With" post since June ... oops! But I actually remembered today's post in time to get something posted, so here you go!

Today's topic, in honor of the month, is Halloween candy. Because of my rather restrictive diet, I can't eat much candy anymore, but I'm going to say that in this scenario, I would magically no longer need to avoid gluten!

1. Twix
Twix has been my favorite candy for as long as I can remember. That crispy shortbread cookie and gooey caramel wrapped in milk chocolate ... well, the thought of it is making my mouth water! A gigantic supply of Twix would definitely make any deserted island stay a lot happier.

2. M&M's
Here's the thing—I don't crave M&M's. I don't even like them that much. But once I start eating them, I. Cannot. Stop. Especially when I'm driving. I should never have M&M's when I travel, but they always seem to find their way into my cart when I'm shopping for a trip. So, if I ever became stranded, chances are good I actually would have some M&M's on me!

3. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
It would be a sad day indeed if I ever had to stop eating peanut butter. Peanut Butter Cups—especially frozen ones—are so good! Plus, peanut butter has protein, so Peanut Butter Cups could maybe pass for a meal on a deserted island ...

Speaking of Peanut Butter Cups...
I've had to change my diet drastically over the past few years as I fight Hashimoto's and reclaim my health. I still eat M&M's sometimes (even though I shouldn't), and I haven't yet found a good replacement for Twix, but I found the best peanut butter cup recipe! I make it far too often, and the flavor is pretty close to the real thing.

What Halloween candy would you want to have on a deserted island? Let me know in the comments, or leave a link to your own post so I can visit your blog!

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read with us: a book that has been banned

Our September topic for Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2016 Reading Challenge was a book that has been banned. We had slightly more success with this book than we had in August, and this post will certainly be longer, mainly because brother Andrew decided to join in the fun! This is good, as Susan and Stephanie didn't even attempt a book this month, and Becky only got 1/3 of the way through hers. (You can see are thoughts on all of the books we've read for the challenge here.)

Becky says: My approach to this topic was, as you'll soon see, very different than Andrew's. I didn't care where or why the book had been banned—I just wanted to find a book that I already owned that would fit into the category! I've been meaning to read The Fault in Our Stars for several years now—I bought it around the time the movie released (no, I haven't seen the movie, either), but I just never cracked it open—so I decided to see if it had ever been banned. Sure enough, it had! In 2014, it was banned from the Riverside (California) Unified School District's middle schools. (It has since been reinstated.)

As I began reading the book, I could see why it was so popular. And if I'd followed Val's advice and knocked it out in one afternoon, I probably would have loved it. As it was, I read in bits and pieces, and I never felt fully immersed in the story. I also never finished it.

The protagonist of the book is Hazel Grace, a girl with Stage IV cancer who has survived far longer than anyone thought she would. She meets Augustus Waters at a cancer support group, and they become fast friends ... and I assume more, but that's about as far into the novel as I've gotten! (I did get far enough to learn where the title comes from.)

I won't even attempt to give this a star rating—I haven't read enough of it to really judge it. But if I ever do finish it, I'll let you know!

Val says: This month, I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. According to the Modern Mrs. Darcy blog post I read listing this as a frequently-banned book, it is the book’s language that often ends it up on the “banned” list. There were a few instances of the “f” word used throughout, but they were infrequent and were always used by adults.

The protagonist and narrator of the book is a 15-year-old boy with autism.  This is the is the first book I’ve ever read that had a character with autism, and I SO appreciated that he was the one narrating the story because it really gave the reader such an excellent glimpse into what life is like for someone with Christopher’s particular type and severity of autism.  I knew (vaguely) that sensory sensitivity can be an effect of autism, but the book really showed what the world is like through Christopher’s eyes and how he deals with his particular triggers.  (There’s one very memorable scene where Christopher is in the train station by himself, and there’s a picture of what all the signs really say, and then there’s a picture of what Christopher sees as his senses are overloaded.)

As much as I’ve made this sound like it’s just a completely educational book, it’s actually a story with an interesting plot and believable characters.  The book opens with Christopher setting out to solve the mystery of what happened to his neighbor’s dog, and he ends up solving some bigger mysteries along the way.  I would highly recommend this book, especially to someone who wants to learn more about autism or just to glimpse what life can be like for individuals with autism. 4.5 stars

Andrew says: I went looking for a list of banned books, and quickly found that basically every book of any value has been banned or “challenged” in one place or another.  I decided to use the American Library Association’s Banned and Challenged Classics list.  I wanted to use a US-based list because we have a largely robust anti-censorship legal system and this is the culture that I inhabit.  It felt a little like cheating to pick a book that has only been banned/challenged in some much more restrictive culture or political climate.  I chose to go off the classics list because it seemed more interesting.  As I looked at the lists of most challenged books for the 1990s and 2000s, it became clear that people will challenge books that involve any of the following: 1) nonwhite people, 2) non cis-gendered people, 3) ”Magic” outside a fantasy setting, or 4) puberty and the female body.

 I chose to read Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin, and you should too.  I had heard very good things about Baldwin’s writing from people whose opinion I trust, and I was not at all disappointed.  Baldwin’s prose is incredible, and his insight into the human condition is precise.  Go Tell It On The Mountain tracks the salvation experience of 14-year-old John in Harlem. In the process, it jumps back in time to visit his father as a young man and his mother as a young woman.  We see both how they relate to each other in the present and formational experiences of John’s parents affect the family dynamic and are shaping John in his spiritual journey.  Baldwin is incisive in his critique of the shame of sin and the human tendency to secrecy as an effort to avoid shame both public and private.  Baldwin’s characters and narrative are real in a way that everyone who reads him will identify truth that resonates with them. For me, one of the most moving themes was John’s experience with a strictly legalistic religious tradition and the perfectionist tendencies that engenders, along with the self-doubt and feelings of secret shame that come with a failure to live up to those standards.  Growing up in a fundamentalist tradition, I felt a resonance with Baldwin’s description of these phenomena that transcend the distance between Harlem in the 1930s and Nebraska in the 1990s.

Go read Go Tell It On The Mountain.  It will challenge you.  You won’t regret it. 5 stars


If you've read any of these books, we'd love to know your thoughts! (Also, Becky would love to know if The Fault in Our Stars is worth finishing.) Be sure to join us again next month, when we'll be talking about books we should have read in school.

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friday favorites #30: week of sept. 23, 2016 + giveaway

Happy Friday, everyone! It's officially fall, but it certainly doesn't feel like it here in Nebraska. That hasn't stopped me from enjoying a pumpkin spice latte or two :-)

So I was totally planning to make One Tree Hill one of my Friday favorites this week ... until I realized that it was one of my favorites last time! Suffice it to say, I'm still completely obsessed. So, in lieu of more gushing about OTH, here are some favorites that I haven't talked about recently:

1. This Is Us

Is one episode enough to know if I'm going to love a show? I don't know, but I absolutely adored the pilot episode. I'm not going to say anything else except you must watch it for yourself. It's available on Hulu.

2. The People v. O.J. Simpson's Emmy awards

I cannot believe that The People v. O.J. Simpson never made it into a Friday Favorites post. I loved it so, so much! I was in junior high during the trial, so I very vaguely remembered it. (I remember exactly where I was during the Bronco chase—on my way home from summer camp—and when the verdict came down—at school—but I didn't know too much about the trial). I was thrilled to see the show receive so many Emmy nominations in the "Limited Series or Movie" category. It won nine awards, including best limited series ... and Sarah Paulson (Marcia Clark), Courtney B. Vance (Johnnie Cochran), and Sterling K. Brown (Christopher Darden) won acting awards. The series will hit Netflix sometime in 2017, so if you missed it on FX, be sure to catch it then!

3. Trader Joe's dairy-free options

A couple weeks ago, my mom, sister, and I went to see my sister-in-law perform at an Irish festival in Omaha. She was amazing! (And this is from someone who normally isn't a big fan of Irish music!)

I tried to upload a video I took, but I couldn't get it to work, so here's a pic instead.

Afterwards, we went to Trader Joe's. And there, I hit the mother lode. I've been cow dairy free for over a year now. I don't know if it's making a difference with my Hashimoto's symptoms, but I am absolutely positive being dairy free has reduced my PCOS symptoms, so I'm ready to settle in for the long haul. I've discovered, though, that sheep's milk and goat's milk don't affect me negatively. Unfortunately, cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk can be expensive and hard to find. (Well, it's pretty easy to find a basic soft goat cheese, but I'd like variety!)

Anyway, Trader Joe's had goat's milk feta, cheddar, and gouda! They definitely have that goat's milk tang, but they're so tasty! And now that I have the cheddar, I'm dreaming of pizza.

I also found coconut milk ice cream that's about half the price of So Delicious, and it tastes better, too! I've already placed my cheese and ice cream order with Blendy, who is coming home next weekend.

4. Live on Forever by The Afters

About 10 years ago, I first heard of The Afters when a friend played "MySpace Girl" for me. If you'd like a hilarious flashback to the MySpace era (wow, that was long ago!), check out this video:

I really didn't know much else about the group, but I recently had the opportunity to review their new album. I loved it! I also have a copy to give away. If you'd like a chance to win, enter through the Rafflecopter below.

(Rules: Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Contest is open in the US and CANADA only. Winner will be selected at random using Rafflecopter.com and will have 48 hours to respond to email notification, or another winner will be chosen.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

5. Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Susan May Warren's writing. Her latest novel, Wild Montana Skies, releases next month, and I got to read an early copy. It's so good! (See my review.)

So that's what's been making me happy. As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received some of the products mentioned in this post free for review. The opinions expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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friday favorites #29: week of sept. 9, 2016 + giveaway

Happy Friday! Doesn't it feel like Labor Day was four weeks ago instead of four days ago? Maybe it's just me ... anyway, I'm thrilled that it's the weekend. I'm even more thrilled that I decided to mow my lawn last night after work, so I don't have to take time out of my weekend to do it!

Here are a few things I've been enjoying recently!

1. One Tree Hill
To say I've been enjoying One Tree Hill is a bit of an understatement. For years (literally), Blendy has been telling me to watch One Tree Hill, and, for whatever reason, I've resisted. But one night last month, I inexplicably decided to watch the pilot episode. I wasn't crazy about it, but Blendy said to give it a couple episodes, so I did ... and I basically haven't stopped watching since.

Now, probably 50 percent of our text conversations are about OTH. Usually, it's me ranting about something and Blendy laughing at me.

The show is so implausible: in the first two seasons alone, two juniors in high school get married, another junior runs off with his infant daughter because her mother is trying to take her away, the villain survives what should have been certain death not once but twice, a teen who had never before sung in public ends up on tour with Michelle Branch, and a laundry list of mid-2000s bands play at a club owned by the main character's mom. It would never happen. AND I LOVE IT.

I'm totally #TeamPeyton, which I did not anticipate, considering I haven't loved Hilarie Burton in the other things I've seen her in (except for Hallmark Channel's Summer Villa, which was adorable).

Anyway, I'm pretty much obsessed with One Tree Hill, and I wish Dan Scott would get hit by a bus. But he'd probably just survive ...

2. Blooming Gladiolus
At the beginning of the summer, I planted a couple gladiolus bulbs. Earlier this week, one of them began blooming. So pretty!

Once it was in full bloom, I decided to bring it into the house. One of my cats was very interested.

I like to call this look "goa'uld eyes."

So then I googled "gladiolus toxic to cats" and discovered that ingesting the plant could cause unpleasant symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. So now when I'm gone or sleeping, I close the flowers in the bathroom. Just to be safe.

3. Football Season
Here in Nebraska, football season is huge. Husker football kicked off last Saturday, and it was definitely bittersweet, as it was the first game following punter Sam Foltz's death in a car accident. When it came time to punt for the first time, this happened:

Makes me tear up every time.

The Huskers went on to win the game in decisive fashion, and I hope it's just the beginning of great things for this team!

4. Having a Plan
I started blogging on MySpace in 2006. In 2008, I started Christian Chick's Thoughts, and I began reviewing books a few months later. Then in 2014, I decided to make Christian Chick's Thoughts all about books and move the life stuff over here to Coffee & Conversation. In my 10 years of blogging, the only "plan" I've had is to keep track of dates that reviews are due. That's it. So while I love doing things like Friday Favorites and Top Ten Tuesday, those posts often don't get written because they're not on my radar until other bloggers' posts start popping into my feed.

But that's all changing.

I spent a large portion of my Labor Day weekend working on blog stuff, and one of the things I did was download a blog planner. I almost bought one on etsy, but then I turned to my friend Google and found a great free one at Designer Blogs. It didn't have everything I wanted, but almost. I've only used a couple pages so far, but I'm in love ... and feeling so much more organized!

5. The Biggest Story

This week's book recommendation is Kevin DeYoung's The Biggest Story. I got an audiobook/short film combo to review. It's geared toward children, but it's totally suitable for adults. The best part is that I have a set to give away! Enter here:a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway rules: Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Contest is open in the US and CANADA only. Winner will be selected at random using Rafflecopter.com and will have 48 hours to respond to email notification, or another winner will be chosen.

So that's what's been making me happy. As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

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top ten tuesday: favorite 90's tv shows

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is one I couldn't pass up:  In honor of Fall TV, do a TV-themed topic! You know I love me some TV, and my love for television really developed in the 1990's, so what could be better than talking about my favorite 90's shows?

Top Ten 90's Shows I Watched in the 90's

1. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

I was completely obsessed with Lois & Clark ... as well as Dean Cain! The problem was that the show aired Sunday nights at 7, which is when we had evening church. We also didn't have a VCR during the first two seasons, so I couldn't record it. I remember once, as a 7th or 8th grader, telling my mom that I couldn't wait to be an adult so that I could choose if I was going to go to night church or not. Clearly, I had my priorities straight! 

2. Full House

Oh, how I loved Full House! Even though I'm pretty much exactly the same age as Stephanie, I always identified with D.J. (and I wished for a Steve of my own!). I can't really handle too much Full House these days, but I am loving Fuller House, and I can't wait for season two!

3. Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman

Saturday nights in our house meant Dr. Quinn. Loved, loved, loved it! It was one of the few shows that we all watched together (well, maybe Dad wasn't there ... but it's possible he was, as these were his pre-Hallmark Channel days).

4. Star Trek: The Next Generation

My dad used to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation every Saturday night after the news. As an older teen, he let me stay up and watch with him. As a younger teen, I used to watch through my barely cracked open bedroom door. This show was really my first introduction to science fiction, and I fell in love!

5. JAG

I love, love, love courtroom dramas, and JAG is probably what set that love in motion. Plus, without JAG, there'd be no NCIS, and that would be tragic.

6. Sports Night

My brother and I watched this sadly short-lived show together when we were in high school. (We actually watched lots of shows together—he was definitely my partner in crime when it came to watching TV on the sly.) I thought the show was so witty and different, and I hated when it got cancelled.

7. California Dreams

"Surf dudes with attitude ... Kinda groovy!" Most girls of my generation would probably list Saved by the Bell here. While I did enjoy that show later on, I didn't start watching the TNBC Saturday morning lineup until after Saved by the Bell ended. California Dreams was still in full swing, and I loved the mashup of teen comedy, romance, and music. I could also still sing the entire theme song for you. (If you were a fan, watch this. Thanks, Jimmy Fallon!)

8. Boy Meets World

Boy Meets World was great—it's one of the few sitcoms from my childhood that I still love to watch. I wish I could say the same about Girl Meets World.

9. Early Edition

Early Edition was such an interesting concept—every morning, a cat and a newspaper arrive outside Gary Hobson's door. The newspaper is tomorrow's newspaper, so Gary has one day to try to prevent whatever tragedies are found in the paper. This show ran for four seasons, but only the first two are on DVD, and it's not available to stream through legitimate channels. Tragic, especially considering how well Kyle Chandler has done recently.

10. Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place (aka Two Guys and a Girl)

Two Guys and a Girl introduced me to both Ryan Reynolds and Nathan Fillion. What I remember most about this show is the wild Halloween episodes. I'm no fan of Halloween, but those episodes were fantastic! Also, I just found out the series is (finally!) available on DVD. It's a little pricey, but it's now on my Amazon wish list!

Bonus: Top Five 90's Shows I Watched Later

1. Stargate: SG-1

My dad is responsible for my love of SG-1, as well. I'm not sure when I started watching, but I'm sure I was already in college. I watched most of the seasons in syndication and ended up buying the entire series on DVD. Plus, my cats are all named after SG-1 characters: Skaara (who was briefly named Ry'ac until Blendy informed me that was stupid, and now I have to agree that Skaara is a much better name), Hammond, and Isis. 

2. Friends

Friends premiered when I was in junior high, and everyone watched it. Everyone but me, that is. I watched it at first (I probably made it halfway through the first season), but then my mom caught me watching it and banned it. Being a "letter of the law" follower, I stopped watching Friends until college. (That didn't stop me from watching every other comedy on NBC—after all, Mom had only banned Friends, not Caroline in the City, Veronica's Closet, Just Shoot Me, News Radio, Jesse, or any other show that happened to be on. I definitely was an NBC girl back in the day. Now? I can't think of a single NBC show I watch!)

After I finally had cable, I caught up on all the seasons of Friends I'd missed. Friends is one of those shows that I could watch at any time—I could even jump in mid-episode and be perfectly happy!

3. Dawson's Creek

Growing up, we didn't have cable or a WB station, so Dawson's Creek wasn't really on my radar ... until the summer of 2012, which I like to call the Summer of Dawson's, when I watched all six seasons in three months. I'm currently facing a similar obsession with One Tree Hill, though no pairing on that show looks like it could possibly live up to Pacey & Joey!

4. 7th Heaven

I didn't watch this show in the early seasons because we didn't have the WB. Somehow, I caught a few episodes and fell in love—so I set up my grandma's VCR to record it each week and then swapped out the tapes when we went to visit. Desperate times and all that!

5. The West Wing

My mom watched The West Wing when it aired, and I thought it looked really boring. How wrong I was! A couple years ago, I finally watched it, and I loved it. I'm pretty sure I'll be making another pass through the series in the future.

Did you watch any of these shows? What are your favorite 90's TV shows?

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