Things We All Remember About Old School 4th of July Celebrations

Back in the 1990s, there were only a limited number of channels, and that meant everyone watched the same 4th of July specials. CBS had fireworks over the Hudson, PBS showed a Capitol concert with men in tuxedos playing Sousa, and NBC leaned into celebrity-hosted musical variety hours.

There was no scrolling, no second screen, no TikTok to steal your attention. Families sat on the couch with sticky plates in their laps, half-watching, half-napping, vaguely united by the glow of red-white-and-blue stage lights. If a bald eagle soared on-screen, someone always pointed it out. The shows were cheesy, but they worked.