Lisa Portolan was 19 when The Secret Life of Us premiered. Stumbling upon the four seasons on Netflix, she anticipated a blissful lockdown TV escape, but instead found nostalgia had a dark side.
Now streaming on Netflix, Dawson’s Creek brings a carnival of lost 90s moments: the job at the local video store; the grunge-lite clothing. It’s welcome relief in a time of Covid.
The return of actors like Karate Kid Ralph Macchio and Bill & Ted’s Alex Winter sees them older and wiser. Fewer role revivals remind us of character growth related to womanhood.
‘Nostalgic consumption’ has been on the rise throughout lockdown bringing us the comfort and certainty of better times. But can we use it to build a more sustainable future?
Zombie TV shows are reboots with the same casts and locations. Seachange is the zombie virus’s latest victim but the zeitgeist has moved on and the show’s comic tone grates.