The TV show I grew up on...and with!

I recently discovered that every weekday at 3:30p.m., Star World airs one of my favorite television shows - 7th Heaven. It's a show I used to watch years back, but still love just as much. It revolves around the Camden family of Eric (Stephen Collins), Annie (Catherine Hicks) and their seven children, and is basically a feel-good, 'clean' programme that the entire family can enjoy together. Because that is what it's about - family.
The theme song: 'When I see their happy faces smiling back at me...I know there's no greater feeling than the love of family...Where can you go when the world don't treat you right? The answer is home...it's the one place that you find...7th Heaven.'
I watched ir right from the time when there were just five children, with Matt (the oldest) being in highschool to after Annie had had twins and Mary got sent off to Buffalo and Lucy got married and had a baby girl called Savannah (beautiful name, don't you think?) and Matt was in medical school.
And of course, I watched it with family. On Satruday nights at 8 on KTN. A couple of friends used to watch it too and we'd discuss it at school on Monday. (We'd mostly discuss how totally cute all the guys were: Simon (David Gallagher), Robbie (Adam LaVorgna), Kevin (George Stults), Ben (Geoff Stults), Chandler and his twin brother whose name I've forgotten (Jeremy and James London) and - my favorite right from the first episode I saw - Matt! (Barry Watson))
I love how the series is about love and life and growing up and choices and remaining close despite being apart. I love how it's about family ties and being there for eaone another; about brothers and sisters looking after each other, loving, sharing, caring. I even love the moral messages that each episode gives out. It's rare to find a TV show that educates and addresses important controversial issues without being overly preachy. One day, I'm going to own all the seasons on DVD and watch them all over again. (If I get married and have kids, I'll make them watch it too!) 'Coz almost every episode leaves a smile on your face, even if it's a rueful or bitttersweet one at times.
Watching my fave show after so long got me thinking of other things that were an integral part of my growing-up years. For starters, there were the books I read: Enid Blyton, Judy Blume, and - best of all - the Sweet Valley series. Sweet Valley Kids, Teens, High, University...I loved them all! So much that the next post is going to be dedicated to a discussion of them (and other aspects of growing up in the '90s!)