Nick at Nite

Maybe Nick at Nite was just a victim of its own success. Years ago, tuning into channel 35 past 8 p.m. meant seeing a glimpse of history, TV-style. Nostalgia reigned, and there wasn't a microwave oven -- or a drop of color -- in sight. Color shows seeped in over time, of course, but still, there wasn't a show that didn't premiere earlier than the 60s.

But the TV archives are vast, and kids stay up beyond 8 p.m. Nickelodeon "stayed up late" and Nick at Nite was pressed for time . . . eventually, we got TV Land, 24 hours a day of classic TV shows. But with a whole classic TV network, what was left for Nick at Nite to show?

Well, there was always the more recent half of the archive . . . And suddenly, Nick at Nite looked a lot less like TV Land and a lot more like TBS.

Why all these ruminations? For weeks, Nick at Nite (and TV Land) have been promoting the premiere of their latest "modern TV classic," Roseanne (a show I never enjoyed much -- among many popular shows I don't enjoy much). I was ambivalent; I wasn't surprised.

But now! Now I've just seen a commercial touting a new fall lineup including Full House. God save us.