When I was a kid, one of the scariest TV series around was V. I must have been eight or nine when it first came on television, and even though I do not remember much about the actual content of the show (some kind of sci-fi, futuristic show, with aliens, or half-human, half-alien guys, trying to take over the earth), I do recall vividly how scary it was. That is, until I decided to watch V again. Needless to say, it is hard to imagine now why exactly this show was so scary to me as a kid. Perhaps it is because I am an adult now, or perhaps the series are just too dated to be believable, let alone cause suspense. It made me think of other TV series I watched as a kid, and decided to have another look at them, to see how well they stood the test of time.

First of all, Knight Rider. When I was in primary school, this was the coolest show around. The idea of a futuristic cool car that could fly, not to mention speak and basically had a mind of its own was incredible. And let’s not forget, no one was cooler than Michael Knight, played by David Hasselhoff. David Hasselhoff is of course mostly known for Baywatch, a show that, although I have not watched it since it first aired, I think I might still enjoy. This, however, cannot be said for Knight Rider. I only have one thing to say about it: It is awful! Why they decided to do a remake of this series is a complete mystery to me.

Who can forget Alf, a series revolving around an alien from Melmec who crashes his spaceship and moves in with a human family. Everyone at school watched this show and loved it. Seriously? When watching it again in 2008, somehow it all looks very dated and kind of silly. They at least could have come up with a better alien than a puppet that looks like it was rejected from the Muppet Show.

Do not even get me started on cartoons I loved as a kid. I was stupid enough to look some of those up too. Cartoons that once appeared magical and entertaining, are now just dated eighties cartoons. Who does not remember He-man, the master of the universe and She-ra, his twin sister who got her own spin off. Other favourites from the eighties include Doctor Snuggles, Inspector Gadget, and who can forget Nils Holgerson. Nils Holgerson of course was the little boy who could shrink and fly on the back of the birds to Lapland, experiencing all kinds of adventures along the way. It is such a disappointment to see how simple the drawings are.

Of course, there are also exceptions. There are a few TV series from my childhood that, even though they are very dated, I can still watch with fond memories and enjoy. These include: The A-team, Miami Vice, and let’s not forget Pippi Longstockings. Good TV series stand the test of time, even if it is just because of the profound impressions they made on us as kids.