When the glut of movie and TV options gets to be overwhelming, turn to “Seinfeld,” “Frasier,” or “The Office.”
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Guest column by Anne Roderique-Jones
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I grew up watching television sitcoms that blared from an enormous piece of wooden furniture. The glowing box sat prominently in our living room, taking up approximately one-fourth of the square footage, and would leave its indentation in the carpet long after it was gone.
The stories that were projected from the screen during my childhood are now my preferred airplane entertainment. When I’m flying, old television shows beat an airplane movie every time. I have found a thrill of exclusively watching reruns on an airplane, and I’ll never go back.
Reruns are nostalgic. Reruns are simple. Reruns are relaxing. And reruns never disappoint when, say, your least-favorite character becomes the CEO in a finale. Instead, give me “Seinfeld,” which delivers a half-hour of clever jokes and a guaranteed belly laugh, no matter how many times I’ve seen Elaine awkward-dance. Give me “Cheers,” where I know everyone’s name.
The beauty of the airplane rerun is the sheer lack of options; the proverbial parent sitting you down in 27B as if to say: “This is what you get and if you don’t like it, don’t watch it.” Airlines’ in-flight libraries offer some of these classics, or you can look them up on streaming platforms.
These days, the options for media consumption are mind-boggling. I’m often polarized by the vast selection of choices. Should we binge a British crime drama? Or a reality show where contestants marry each other while blindfolded? Oh, how about a survival show, but make sure the players are nude and surviving on sticks and leaves! It’s all too much.
Case in point: I was at a party chatting about binge-watching (as one does these days), and I found myself blabbing something along the lines of, “As soon as I slog through Season 1 of ‘Outlander,’ I promise that I’ll give ‘Game of Thrones’ another shot.”
Today my husband and I eat our quinoa bowls in front of a razor-thin flat-screen that mimics a Van Gogh knockoff. It makes me nostalgic for a time when TV was an occasion, when there was no other option but to watch “Designing Women” at 7 p.m. on Monday.
We called them “programs” back in those days; as in, I need to scoot straight home to watch my program. This was a time when television sitcoms were so special that an entire dinner was created in their honor, served in a nifty aluminum tray with a pre-portioned section of questionable meat, vegetable, starch and a dessert.
Instead of discussing the next zombie series at an after-work gathering, I now take my recommendations from fellow passengers. In the air, there’s no need for a conversation. You can just peek between the seats in front to see what your seatmates are watching. And don’t worry about being a voyeur — everyone does it!
I think that’s because there’s something satisfying about typing away on your laptop and simultaneously watching your neighbor’s episode of “This Is Us.” I don’t want to commit to this show per say, but I will happily sneak glances at a touching wedding scene or the birth of triplets.
On a recent flight, the man in front of me was fearless enough to watch “Snakes on a Plane.” I’ll stick with the comfort of Pam and Jim’s “will they or won’t they” arc. Sure, with reruns, I know what’s coming, but I also know it’s going to be good. No biggie if you fall asleep before (spoiler alert) Niles and Daphne fall in love on “Frasier.”
Anne Roderique-Jones is a travel writer who splits her time between New York and New Orleans. You can follow her on Instagram: @anniemarie_.
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