Wholesome family TV shows

[poppy]

We mostly watch science shows and documentaries or movies as a family. For a long time my older son only liked one sitcom and he is sort of over it now (Big Bang Theory) and my younger son is still young enough for stuff like Magic School Bus and Curious George and not really into sitcoms at all. Big fat age gap means not much overlap of fictional materials.

 

There is one show that my older son likes to watch with me now and that's the Wonder Years. We are just in the first season but he really likes it so far. I am enjoying rewatching it with him. I do have to explain some things at times but not because it's inappropriate. Usually it's helping him understand a tidbit of 20th century history or a reference to a political figure and occasionally it's just a question about something non-verbal he was wondering about. The whole series is on Netflix.

 

Oh, Wonder Years is a good one.

 

 

How about Homefront? Not the current one, the WWII one from the 1990s. Several soldiers come back to the US and adjust. I liked it as a kid because young Kyle Chandler was super cute :) but it is a good history lesson in a whole lot of ways.  It talks about race, war trauma, religion, protofeminism all that good stuff........ but in an earnest, PG, early ABC Family wholesome kind of way.

[J-rap]

Our all-time favorite is the Dick Van Dyke show.  It is so witty, and just as funny and clever today as when they were made.  Also, Get Smart is a hoot.  As our kids got a little older, Star Wars the Next Generation and Monk.  Now our kids are all 20-somethings, so we don't worry quite as much, but my dh and I still find that we like the older comedies.  I used to think Green Acres was just dumb as a kid, but now I think the humor is hilariously quirky.

 

There are some great BBC series based on books, like the 2008 Little Dorrit series.

[happypamama]

My kids don't really watch TV, but Last Man Standing and Fresh Off The Boat are both pretty clean, and the parents have decent relationships.

[JFSinIL]

Older shows like The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie. 

Animation like The Avatar  (the series with Aang - not the Cameron film with blue aliens.)

 

Current shows - The Middle.

 

Many of the above are on DVD, or in reruns on the telly.

 

Not sure if it is on DVD yet but Agent Carter was fun.  

 

A little rough in parts so depends on what you like but Malcolm in the Middle,  Wonder Years, Roseanne are very good.

 

And, The Librarians was a fun series, also there are three films on DVD.  Kinda like Indiana Jones only funnier. Noah Wylie is in them and/or produced the tv series. Bob Newhart is in the movies (not tv series, that was John La...can't spell it. He was in Night Court)

 

I hope Supergirl gets renewed. I enjoyed that show. Strong female leads (I am looking at you, Ms. Grant!)

 

OH - a very good, fun mini-series you can get on DVD is The Tenth Kingdom!!!!!!!!!!  John whatshisname was in that, too, along with the actress from the Father of the Bride films (with Steve Martin, not Spencer Tracy) and the guy who played Max Medina in Gilmore Girls.

 

Which brings me to - Gilmore Girls!!!!!!!!  Currently all 7 seasons on Netflix. 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2016 by JFSinIL

[theelfqueen]

Oh and yeah, my kids love the Librarians.

And available through our library we have all of the 1900 House, 1940s House, Pioneer House, Colonial House, etc. Love those!

 

Edited April 29, 2016 by theelfqueen