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’90s Teen TV Characters: Where Are They Now?

By Judy Berman on

All your friends are getting married. Some of them are having kids. And now, in case you didn’t already feel like an overgrown child whose life is passing him by, Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence have a preteen daughter. Yes, for the past week, the internet has been abuzz with the news that a Boy Meets World sequel is in the works. Called Girl Meets World, it will focus on young Riley Matthews and her “edgy friend,” Maya. While we’re not sure that revisiting ABC’s TGIF lineup is the best idea, the update on Cory and Topanga has made us wonder what some of our other favorite ’90s teen TV characters might be up to in 2012. After the jump, we check in on (by which we mean, “we imagine”) what they’ve done since last we saw them. … Read More

Television

’90s TV’s Most Memorable Nerds: Where Are They Now?

By Judy Berman on

Hollywood can be notoriously hard on child actors; one day they’re America’s pint-size sweetheart, and the next they’re heroin-addicted has-beens knocking on Dr. Drew’s office door. But the kids who play TV’s most recognizable geeks may have even more trouble finding their place in the industry as adults, because outside of a few sitcoms like Community and The Big Bang Theory, their archetype is far rarer in shows about adults — and unlike the jocks and cheerleaders who are their teenage cast mates, they don’t generally have the superhuman good looks that will translate to leading roles. So, as a recent article about Freaks and Geeks‘ head geek Stephen Lea Sheppard got us wondering, what has become of all those memorable ’90s TV brains that we grew up with? We check in on everyone who isn’t Alyson Hannigan (because we’re sure you know what she’s up to) after the jump. … Read More

Television

TV’s Best ’90s Teen Power Couples

By Jennifer Lewis on

Ah, to be young and in love on a ’90s television series. So much tension, so much betrayal, so many make-ups and too many break-ups. Remember that time Jordan Catalano enlisted Brian Krakow to secretly write his love letter for Angela Chase? Or when D.J. Tanner accused Steve Hale of canoodling with an ex-girlfriend at the school dance? What about when Steve Urkel transformed into Stefan Urquelle in order to win Laura’s heart? Most ’90s teenage relationships were trivial, others lasted seasons upon seasons, but we’re recalling the ones that still make us giddy — the ones that we thought, at one point or another, were meant to be. Take a trip down TV’s memory lane with some ’90s teenage power couples after the jump, and let us know in the comments whose relationship made you the most envious. … Read More

Television

Watch a Supercut of TV’s Worst “Very Special” Episodes

By Caroline Stanley on

Where were you when Jessie Spano had her epic caffeine pill freakout? Or Stephanie Tanner was almost bullied into trying a cigarette in the girl’s bathroom? Do you remember those speed-fueled dance moves that Carlton Banks whipped out at the prom? Children of the ’80s will recognize many of these clips pulled from “very special” episodes of classic shows like Saved by the Bell, Full House, and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — unless you had the kind of super strict parents who wouldn’t allow you to watch Steve Urkel getting drunk the first time around. Either way, many thanks to Pleated Jeans for making this Monday afternoon a little more bearable with their fantastic compilation. Let us know in the comments which of these hilariously dramatic warnings — which, if we’re being honest, often traumatized us back in the day — is your favorite. … Read More

Television

A Brief Survey of TV Kids Who Are Basically Props

By Judy Berman on

Last night, on The Walking Dead‘s supersize Season 2 premiere, little Carl Grimes (played by Chandler Riggs) finally wrenched the spotlight away from the adults on the show, for a few minutes. But now that his future is uncertain, to say the least, we got to thinking about how little we actually know about Carl — which reminded us of how many kids on TV are not characters so much as props. They’re there to look cute or give the illusion of a well-rounded family or provide a focal point for their parents’ anxieties.

Since there are tons of minor kid characters on TV, we made two rules for this list: 1. The child in question can’t be a baby, because a person who can neither walk nor talk can’t be expected to hold down his own story line. 2. The kid has to be the sibling or offspring of one of the show’s main characters. Peruse our picks for TV children who might as well be props after the jump, and add your suggestions in the comments. … Read More

Television

How Depressingly Old Are Our Favorite '90s TV Casts Now?

By Judy Berman on

JTT is 30. That’s right, girls who grew up in the ’90s — your pre-teen crush entered his fourth decade on Earth yesterday. (For everyone else: We’re talking about Jonathan Taylor Thomas, of Home Improvement fame.) We don’t know about you, but this kind of freaks us out. And, because we’re gluttons for punishment, it also has us thinking about how old our other favorite ’90s TV casts are in 2011. Click through after the jump to learn that the Friends are all solidly middle-aged, DJ Conner is older than you, Uncle Jesse is pushing 50, and Andrea Zuckerman qualifies for AARP. Depressing, huh? … Read More

Television

The Best Quotes from Vanity Fair’s Interview with Steve Urkel

By Caroline Stanley on

Yesterday Vanity Fair posted an interview with Jaleel White, who just so happens to have a small role as a banjo playing teacher in Judy Moody and the No Bummer Summer. Here’s something that will make you feel ancient: the boy who once played Steve Urkel is now a 34-year-old man. Yep, let that sink in. The piece is chock full of other tidbits former TFIG watchers will find interesting, but considering that most people aren’t getting paid to read such things (and we are!), we thought we’d take some notes for you. Click through for the highlights. … Read More

Television

The Best '90s TV Show Theme Song Covers

By Sam Schlinkert on

When we spotted Sick Animation’s indie rock cover of the Family Matters theme song over on Vulture yesterday, the first thing we did was think of that hilarious Steve Urkel reference in the season premiere of 30 Rock. Then we decided to search for more awesome theme song covers from the TV shows that we grew up watching. Beat your hump day blues with a ’90s TV show theme song singalong after the jump — in some cases, you’ll probably be surprised by how well you remember the lyrics. … Read More

Television

’90s TGIF Stars: Where Are They Now?

By Judy Berman on

Last week, we indulged our curiosity by checking in with some of our favorite ’90s Nickelodeon stars. Turns out we weren’t the only ones who were wondering what happened to Sam from Clarissa. The response was huge. So we’ve decided to another round. You see, if SNICK was our Saturday night standby as kids, it was ABC’s TGIF lineup that we looked forward to on Fridays. Obviously, you know where the Full House gang is now: Stephanie’s an ex-meth addict, Joey is an Alanis Morissette song, Michelle is a pair of alien mini-moguls, Danny has a dirty mouth, and The Gibbler is married with two kids. But if you’re wondering what happened to Family Matters‘ Waldo Geraldo Faldo, Rider Strong from Boy Meets World, and the entire cast of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, we’ve got the answers. … Read More

Television

The Very Best in Very Special Christmas Episodes

By Adrian Muniz on

Out of all of the best parts about the holiday season — egg nog, 24 hours of A Christmas Story, debaucherous holiday media parties — our favorite has to be the slew of very special Christmas episodes! From Urkel to The Office, here are some of our favorite storylines featuring the magic of Christmas, proving year after year that sitcoms may come and go, but cliche holiday story-lines last a… Read More