Empty Nest

On Friday I was watching “The Golden Girls” on Hallmark Channel this is not an unusual occurrence but on this viewing there were commercials for “The Empty Nest premier marathon all day Saturday!”  I debated with my self whether or not I should watch it I had seen the show in reruns as a kid but not as much as some other shows it may have just been something I watched when I was home sick from school.  I also realized that I had not seen it in at least 15 years so it would be like new.  Also I did not know the family lived next door to the Golden Girls when I had seen the show before. The show was a spin off and Golden Girls guest stared often.  I had seen the show enough as a kid to recognize the characters when they visit Golden Girls episodes.  So I figured it would be interesting to see the other side of their story. So I wound up having the show on most of the day but I did do other things so I did not watch all the episodes in the 6 hour block I had it on.  The show is good though and there was a specific joke about a credit card that I remembered from the last time I watched it so it there is definitely staying power in my rerun loving brain.  I also recognized the outfit Dorothy wore in her guest spot as one I had seen her in before in at least one “Golden Girls” episode.  The premise of “Empty Nest” is an older widower whose 20somthing daughters move back in with him. The show started in 1988 but that premise is something that is relevant again today (if it ever stopped being relevant).  That story creates a different kind of family sitcom with time capsule hair and fashion from the late 80s and early 90s one of the things I find interesting about older shows is the clothes it may make them dated but I like being able to identify a time period that way.  Another cool aspect of the show is the nurse Laverne who runs the fathers pediatric office like Radar runs MASH.  Overall I was glad I watched the marathon and appreciate the slightly more obscure retro shows just as much as the main stream ones.