While many of us still love past classic TV shows, it’s clear that a lot of the references and quotes are no longer relevant to younger viewers. There are plenty of TV shows that feature moments that don’t resonate with a more modern audience. In fact, there are several recent sitcoms that already feel outdated. Of course, this doesn’t mean that a title is necessarily out of touch or has aged badly; it’s simply the case that the references and quotes no longer reflect the present.
Classic TV shows are classics for a reason, and while they still have a wide universal appeal, it’s hard to ignore the little references that only make sense to audiences who were around to experience them in real time. From outdated technology to slang terms we no longer use, it’s unlikely, but not impossible, that modern audiences generally don’t understand these references and quotes from iconic past TV shows.
5
Using a Code to Check Phone Messages
‘Friends’
Back in the ’80s and ’90s, when everyone typically used a landline phone, it wasn’t the easiest to catch up with your messages while on the go. That was, at least, until the invention of answering machine codes. This allowed someone to call their own number, then use the code to access their answering machine to check their messages. In Friends, there were several instances in which the characters did this.
The most notable was in the bottle episode “The One Where No One’s Ready,” when Monica essentially broke into Richard’s answering machine to try and figure out whether his message was old or new. Of course, nowadays, most modern or younger audiences will be unfamiliar with this concept, let alone the idea of a home phone answering machine. Still, this is quite a comical situation for Monica to find herself in, just one that wouldn’t happen in this day and age.
4
“Are You a Felix or an Oscar?”
‘Mad Men’
Even though Mad Men is set in the 1960s, and thus contains references that most modern audiences wouldn’t understand, one stands out in particular. While having dinner, Bethany questions Don Draper, one of the best TV antiheroes of the last 25 years, about whether he is a “Felix” or an “Oscar.” This is a nod to the 1965 comedy play The Odd Couple, the same year that the events of Mad Men Season 4 occur.
While this reference is out of date now, and it would’ve been relatively outdated at the time it aired, it works brilliantly in the context of Mad Men. In The Odd Couple, the two main characters, Felix and Oscar, represent two opposite archetypes. Oscar is a slob, whereas Felix is a neat freak. Of course, there are plenty of other comparisons that make more sense in this day and age, but a majority of audiences would need to research this reference in order to understand it.
3
“I’m a Chav!” – Cassandra
‘Doctor Who’
While you’re unlikely to hear the word “chav” in a TV show nowadays, audiences will see it crop up in the Doctor Who Season 2 episode “New Earth.” When Cassandra takes over Rose’s body and reacts to her new appearance for the first time, she gasps, “Oh my God. I’m a chav!” For those outside the UK, “chav” is a slang word that refers to someone as being overly common, uncultured, or “trash.”
Technically, the word is an abbreviation for “council house,” meaning they live in socialized housing, “and violent.” However, someone doesn’t have to necessarily fit this exact definition to be considered a “chav.” Considering Rose grows up and lives on the Powell Estate, the companion fits half of the criteria for being a “chav.”
2
Accessing the Internet via a Phone Line
‘Doctor Who’
Another moment like this is in “The Christmas Invasion,” one of the greatest Doctor Who episodes of the 21st century. While trying to work out who resides in the alien ship floating above humanity on Christmas Day, Mickey uses his computer to do some research. However, modern audiences may be confused as to why he asks Jackie if it would be okay to use her phone line.
Of course, many viewers will remember when the only way you could access the internet was via a landline telephone connection, but those born around the time of this episode’s release (and later) probably won’t. This meant you couldn’t surf the web while also making a phone call, which was often frustrating. It wasn’t long after this that dial-up connections were discarded in exchange for Wi-Fi, and although the concept was around in 2005, it wasn’t common for households in the UK to have it.
1
Kelly’s Breakdown of the Netflix Process
‘The Office’
“Safety Training” is a stellar episode of The Office for a lot of reasons, but one of the best parts about it is the little game Jim sets up with his colleagues, and this is where Kelly’s explanation of how Netflix works comes into play. Nowadays, we’re all used to booting up Netflix and instantly being able to stream the latest release. But once upon a time, it took more than just a few seconds to watch our favorite shows and movies.
It’s quite comical to listen to Kelly outline how to change the order of which Netflix TV show or movie you’d want next, let alone the fact that they’d be sent as a DVD in the post. There are several people who will remember this process, but there are many who won’t. What’s quite interesting about this, however, is that Netflix only moved over to streaming in 2007, the same year that “Safety Training” was released, making this reference only slightly relevant at the time.