Growing up in the ’80s and early ’90s, Sunday nights were the low point of the weekend—at least for me. While Friday nights had that electric buzz of freedom and Saturday mornings were a cartoon-fueled sugar rush, Sunday nights felt like a slow descent into the school week. And the television lineup didn’t help.
My mom would disagree, of course. For her, Sunday night was sacred viewing: 60 Minutes followed by Murder, She Wrote on CBS. She’d settle into her recliner with a cup of tea, fully invested in whatever ticking stopwatch segment was airing, and then seamlessly transition into watching Angela Lansbury solve crimes in quaint New England towns. She loved it. I endured it.
I’d sit on the carpet, arms crossed, dreading Monday morning and trying to find something—anything—to distract me. But 60 Minutes was either painfully boring or downright terrifying. One week it was about inflation or foreign policy, and the next it was killer bees or the AIDS epidemic. For a kid with an overactive imagination, those segments stuck with me in all the wrong ways. I’d lie awake wondering if a swarm of bees was going to descend on our neighborhood or if touching a doorknob could somehow make me sick.
After that came Murder, She Wrote, and while I appreciated the cozy mystery vibe later in life, back then it felt like homework disguised as entertainment. I didn’t care who poisoned the pie at the bake-off—I just wanted something fun.
The other networks didn’t offer much relief. ABC and NBC would trot out their “Movie of the Week,” usually some made-for-TV drama starring actors I didn’t recognize. And even when they aired a real blockbuster, it was chopped up with so many commercials that the pacing was ruined—and the ending often ran past my bedtime. I’d be halfway through Raiders of the Lost Ark when Mom would say, “Alright, time for bed,” and I’d have to imagine how it ended.
But then, somewhere around 1990, things started to shift.
Fox came in like a breath of fresh air. In Living Color was unlike anything I’d ever seen—bold, hilarious, and just a little edgy. Married…With Children was irreverent and loud, and Roc brought something grounded and real. Suddenly, Sunday nights had a pulse.
ABC got in on the action too. America’s Funniest Home Videos and America’s Funniest People gave us something lighthearted to laugh at, and then came Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. As a comic book kid, that show was a revelation. Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher brought Superman and Lois Lane to life in a way that felt fresh and exciting. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine. And it made Sunday nights bearable.
Those shows didn’t just fill time—they gave me something to look forward to. They softened the blow of Monday morning and made the weekend feel like it had one last spark before fading out.
These days, Sunday nights are a whole different story. Thanks to streaming, my wife and I curl up on the couch and pick whatever we want—old favorites, new releases, comfort watches. No commercials. No bedtime cutoffs. Just us, the remote, and a sense of control over the evening.
Funny how the night I used to dread has become the one I cherish most.
Was just reflecting on this! UGH.. Sunday TV nights had their own dreary vibe!
“Fox came in like a breath of fresh air. In Living Color was unlike anything I’d ever seen—bold, hilarious, and just a little edgy. Married…With Children was irreverent and loud, and Roc brought something grounded and real. Suddenly, Sunday nights had a pulse.”
Don’t forget The Simpsons!
Heck, even if you don’t like them, you can’t deny that they really changed the game.