Dear ABC Family,
It seems like just yesterday I was scrolling the cable channels on a giant box TV set in a friend’s converted basement (because of course I didn’t have cable, thanks to the reformed hippies I called my parents, who didn’t let us watch television outside of news programs or Sesame Street), and somewhere in between the seventh airing of Cats: The Musical In Concert! on PBS and Tom Brokaw’s slick side-part over at NBC’s nightly news-desk, I had an epiphany — something was missing!
“But where’s the channel for me?” I thought. “The TV network that knows I need a nice balance of cartoons, pre-teen drama, made-for-TV movies, and the occasional sitcom rerun? Something with shows I can privately obsess over, even if I deny watching them? Where is that channel I can go to when I need all of December to celebrate Christmas, when just one day isn’t enough? Isn’t there someone who knows I need at least twenty-five days of round the clock holiday cheer in my television programming?”
Fast forward to this past Monday night, when I was struck with a similar epiphany, but this time it was “OH MY GOD! Pretty Little Liars is the best show in the world!” and also “ABC Family! ABC Family fulfills all my TV network needs! In fact, it might be the best television channel in the history of all the television channels! This is what I’ve always waited for! I love you ABC Family!”
Think about it. ABC Family is genius. No other channel seems to be quite capable of finding the perfect balance between adult and teenager, that time in your life when your tastes are starting to evolve but you can’t help but still be captivated by a lot of the same stuff you loved when you were a teen. What I mean to say is that while ABC Family is not necessarily the poster child for television’s Young Adult genre — maybe it is the perfect example of something that would belong in a “New Adult” genre!
On the flipside, there’s Comedy Central, another network I would say falls under the NA genre (like, YA, get it? Let’s make it a thing now, okay?). However, Comedy Central is more sophisticated than ABC Family. I imagine a lot of parents wouldn’t let their teens watch some of the shows on Comedy Central. Also, not to make a blanket statement, but I’m going to make a blanket statement – ABC Family is one of the best channels for girls. Sure, guys watch it too, but when I think ABC Family I think about a group of girls talking about boys. Girls that could be as young as twelve or as old as thirty. ABC Family knows how to reach out to the “blushing high schooler harboring a major crush on her BFF’s older brother” inside of us all.
Even better? ABC Family is not afraid to do the supernatural. Sure, it’s no CW, where it almost seems like all their shows are science-fiction (I mean, we’ve all seen Gossip Girl!), but for the people out there who like some teen drama mixed in with a little unexpected supernatural powers, then ABC Family is perfect.
ABC Family is one of the favorites on my remote, and one of the favorites in my heart. The newest item on my Bucket List? “Write a show for ABC Family.”
Look, what I’m trying to say is, if I could make out with a TV channel, it would totally be ABC Family.
Oh and also – one day of Christmas is NOT enough.
Sincere Regards,
Stamos
ABC Family image via Disney Dreaming
I don’t live in the US but ABC family is still my favourite channel, even if i have to be a bit sneaky about getting shows from them.
I adore this article, it’s exactly how i feel, sometimes i just like to take a break, chill out and be a kid again, especially getting caught up in sappy romance, i don’t think i’ll ever outgrow that.
I am a pretty little liars addict, and completely proud of it.
Not living in ths US, so I haven’t seen ABC family – at least I don’t recall seeing it when I was there in December – so I might have to look out for it when I’m there again in August. I seemed to keep gravitating to FOX when I was in the US – although it seemed like every channel had election stuff on all the time, which for a non US person (who dislikes politics anyways) got old real fast.
Finally recognition for a good channel! I couldn’t read this without wanting to mention when it was FOX Family- which I absolutely do miss. I feel like it had better shows, but regardless the channel always had something good on when nothing else was on when you were too entirely lazy to go outside on summer days. Also, 13 nights of Halloween was made for me! I do agree with the demographic of viewers, but looking at their original sitcoms, how can it not be a majority of young women?
I love ABC Family! except for 700 club, which can just disappear altogether.
I just have to comment to this! I am 28 years old and I am an ABC Family fan! I love the 25 days of Christmas and at least once a month, it’s a Harry Potter weekend and even though I own every one of those movies, I could sit and watch ABC Family all day long, watching Harry Potter on TV.
But I don’t have cable anymore. We have been without for about 2 years because it’s just cheaper to have Netflix and Hulu at a much cheaper price. But I work out at a gym 5 days a week and every machine has a small TV attached to it so while your sitting on the stationary bike or you are running on the elliptical, you can watch your favorite show that’s on at the moment. When I’m on the elliptical, I’m always on ABC Family. Normally, I’m there between 4 and 5:30 PM Eastern time and at that time, it’s usually reruns of That 70′s Show and for some reason, I love watching it while I’m working out. And then I think at 5, it’s The Secret Life reruns. I have not become a fan of any of the original TV shows they do, but I feel I may have to check them out. So, I just want to say, I love this blog post, and I love ABC Family! If I could get just one channel, that’s what it would be! 