So Much Spooky Nostalgia, It's Scary!

October 22, 2023 11:40 AM

YouTuber Zachary Jackson creates imaginary evenings of syndicated television, specifically in the format of Nick@Nite. Here are several spooky evenings of television watching assembled for your viewing pleasure. Nick@Nite 90’s Halloween 🎃 Special 2021 👻 [2h30m] has episodes of Bewitched, I Dream Of Jeanie, The Facts Of Life, Kate & Allie, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Nick@Nite 90's Halloween Special 2022 💀 [2h30m] includes Dennis The Menace, Mork And Mindy, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, with a Nick-Or-Treat special.

Nick@Nite Very Very Scary 90's Broadcast Reimagined [5h] has The Lucy Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Laverne & Shirley, Rhoda, The Patty Duke Show, Man In A Suitcase, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Nick@Nite 90's Broadcast Reimagined Spooky Nite in Black & White [4h30m] features Petticoat Junction, One Step Beyond, My Three Sons, Lassie, Mister Ed, Thriller, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

A finally Nick@Nite 90's Broadcast Reimagined Halloween Special 2023 [4h30m] does come with a set list, so watching it might be the most dreadful of all!

posted by hippybear (17 comments total)

I don't get this. Does he have permission from Nickelodeon? Does he pay residuals to the actors? I don't get it.
posted by cda at 12:45 PM on October 22, 2023 [3 favorites]

As someone with The Facts of Life theme song going through my head almost 24/7, I had to fast-forward to see which season--and thus, which version of the song--this was going to be. (The worst version of the song was season 1, the second-worst season 7 with the weedling electric guitar, with season 2 being the correct one, objectively. This episode is season 6 which has an acceptable variant.)
posted by mittens at 1:10 PM on October 22, 2023 [3 favorites]

cda: I don't get this. Does he have permission from Nickelodeon? Does he pay residuals to the actors? I don't get it.

Any excuse to send a check for fourteen cents to the estate of Fred MacMurray is a good one.
posted by dr_dank at 4:18 PM on October 22, 2023 [4 favorites]

Harsh crowd. Without having seen these "specials" yet (or knowing if the studios would bother to try to collect licensing fees from a small-time Youtuber), they seem like the TV-episode equivalent of a mixtape — taking different premade things and sequencing them in a way that flows well and has a thematic connection. It's a cool idea.
posted by lisa g at 5:25 PM on October 22, 2023 [8 favorites]

He’s making money from the YouTube ads and his Patreon account. I don’t think his work falls under Fair Use. Why is this OK as an FFP?
posted by Ideefixe at 6:21 PM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

Any excuse to send a check for fourteen cents to the estate of Fred MacMurray is a good one.

A number of writers and actors involved with these shows, especially more recent ones such as "Kate and Allie," are still around.
posted by NorthernLite at 6:29 PM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

Fair use is a legal defense with several factors which are adjudicated in a legal proceeding. Unless you're an actual judge on an actual case it really isn't something you can just decide.

Metafilter is under no obligation to do pro bono vigilante copyright enforcement for Nickelodeon or anyone else. Fan works are often tolerated because engagement/enthusiasm/mindshare is valued- it all depends on the company's priorities. Unless you're raking in a ton of money (hello Axanar) or are otherwise effectively competing at scale (hello AM2R) a lot of things slide.
posted by StarkRoads at 7:23 PM on October 22, 2023 [6 favorites]

We were so very close, just not close enough for my tastes. Since nobody else is brave enough, I guess I'll just have to take the hit for the team and say OH WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN???!!!
posted by evilDoug at 8:01 PM on October 22, 2023

(PS:my post is not legal advice.)
posted by StarkRoads at 8:02 PM on October 22, 2023

That's ok StarkRoads, mine is.
posted by evilDoug at 8:04 PM on October 22, 2023 [2 favorites]

I guess I better cover my ass and let you all know that IANAL. HOWEVER, I watched the video of Giuliani at Four Seasons and can safely say Jesus Loves Piracy! Have fun kids, you can trust me.
posted by evilDoug at 8:07 PM on October 22, 2023

I work in documentary film and know plenty about Fair Use. The YouTube ads are not vintage.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:12 PM on October 22, 2023

You can believe whatever you want about it - no one is bound by that.
posted by StarkRoads at 8:30 PM on October 22, 2023

I didn't even realize "nick@nite" (2009 rebranding) was still around, until I watched a Friends marathon while slightly neuronically modified in a hotel room because it was the least offensive thing on. This would have been *much* preferable.

(And Friends is a horrible show for kids! At least here they are learning valuable life lessons like not inviting your boss to dinner when your spouse has magical powers.)
posted by credulous at 8:46 PM on October 22, 2023 [2 favorites]

Wow, royalty-shaming right out of the gate is a bit thread-shitty!
posted by rhizome at 12:14 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

Nick@Night doesn't need any Halloween theming to be scary. It's already a spooky, out-of-time liminal space that exists between the days.

As a kid, if I was watching Nick@Night it usually meant something major had happened. Most often this meant someone had been taken to the hospital and we were waiting for a phone call.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:41 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]

royalty-shaming right out of the gate

No, royalty-shaming is when you give the Netherlands shit for still having a king. What's going on in this thread is kink-shaming.
posted by phooky at 1:16 PM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]