Remember the good ol' days, when the whole family used to gather 'round the TV, and watch some wholesome programming?

I don't, either.

I do remember seeing "The Love Boat", and, if I took my weekly bath early, "Fantasy Island".  And I kinda wish I didn't, and my mom, these years later, probably wouldn't do it that way again, too.  But c'est la vie.

NBC is trying to "bring back" Family Movie Night, and they may be on to something.  "The Jensen Project" is a family-oriented sci-fi movie, and its airing this Friday night.  I got a chance to preview it, and -- as the saying goes -- "It ain't Citizen Kane."  But it's very much what it purports to be -- an entertaining, clean adventure movie.  Plus, "Citizen Kane" makes for lousy family viewing, anyway.

It's about a family that bands together, and uses its smarts, to take on a mad scientist.  Ultimately, and I won't give any spoilers, so don't worry -- like you can't guess the outcome? -- it's pretty refreshing.  The family loves each other, forgives each other, and celebrates together.  Edgy?  Well, no, of course not, unless you think about "edgy" another way:  This is not typical Hollywood fare. There's a teen romance going on, here, with two attractive young people, and there's no sexual innuendo whatsoever.

In the entertainment world, that's transgressive.  So maybe it IS edgy.

Another thing to like, at least for me:  LeVar Burton is in this thing.  He's the guy from "Reading Rainbow", but I think of him as the guy from "Star Trek:  The Last Generation".  And he kind of plays the same character.  Awesome.  Kellie Martin is in it, too, from "Life Goes On", which was okay, but not nearly as cool as "Star Trek:  The Last Generation", but she can't help that.

If you have kids, and you've strained for SOMETHING you can all watch on TV, and enjoy, together -- here you go.  If you've ever said, "You know, why don't they have something CLEAN on for once?" -- or something like that, here you go.  We Hansens are more of a nerdy books-family than TV-types, but there's something about popping some popcorn, dimming the lights, and sitting back together.

For what it's worth, I'm hoping NBC is encouraged by the ratings for this.  In the age of DVD collections and Netflix, many have given up trusting networks, and opted to better control what their kids see.  But, as I recall from "A Charlie Brown Christmas", there's still something about watching TV together.  There's something to the rhythm of the breaks, even.  Hard to believe I can get nostalgic about bathroom and popcorn breaks during commercials...but apparently, I can.

"The Jensen Project" is fun, clean, features a functional, loving family, and sure beats "The Love Boat".