I came into the living room to find Mancub sprawled out in front of the TV, taking up the chair, the ottoman, and part of the living room floor with his ginormous 16 wide-sized feet. He was watching…get this…reruns of Roseanne! I could not believe it. As he chuckled at Roseanne’s antics, my heart welled with pride and somehow, I felt, we’d never been closer. Note to the reader: this picture does not accurately reflect Nate’s gigantic size.

As an 80s kid, I watched tons of television.
I watched The Brady Bunch, Family Ties, Magnum P.I., I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, The Flintstones, Gilligan’s Island, Fantasy Island, Dallas, Knight Rider, Little House on the Prairie, Scooby Doo and Batman (the original, not-so-cool Batman with Adam West).

When my grandma babysat me in her tiny retirement community apartment that smelled like cigarette butts and potted plants, she loved to watch The Price is Right, followed by All My Children and General Hospital.

Honestly, I don’t know how she could stand watching T.V. with my 8-year-old self. I would often run around her apartment like a crazed lunatic, pretending Bob Barker had chosen ME out of the crowd to win a new washer and dryer set and a lifetime supply of Rice-A-Roni. She never did tell me to quiet down or stop being nutso. I think her little stash of Kentucky bourbon had something to do with it. By the time As The World Turns was on, she was prettttty relaxed and open to suggestions.

At home, I have to say that my favorite TV family was the Connors of Roseanne, BEFORE they won the lottery. This is such an important distinction. After they won the money and Dan cheated on Roseanne, I couldn’t watch it anymore.

Do you remember Roseanne? If you are over 30 you could not miss her.

She pretty much blew away any kind of preconceptions of motherhood and wifedom with her self-proclaimed title, “Domestic Goddess.” She was loudmouthed, irreverent, but most of all, honest.

My mom and dad both loved the show, and life would freaking STOP when Roseanne was on.

Other than my dad’s short obsession with Star Trek, I can’t think of any other show that held my family captive. Each week, we sat, suspended in time with baited breath, just waiting to see what kind of stunt Roseanne was gonna pull this time.

Was she going to “tell off” her boss at Wellman Plastics? Was Jackie going to take her young hottie boss (a raven-haired 20ish George Clooney) up on the date he asked her on last week? I couldn’t wait to find out.

For thirty minutes every Tuesday, time stood still. Dishes sat in the sink and laundry waited in the dryer. Roseanne was on!

And here, in my living room, the tradition continues. My DNA is in that boy–and here is proof.

Who is your all-time favorite TV family? Prove it by voting here.