# Do TV flashbacks always look like they're set in the 70s?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-tv-flashbacks-always-look-like-theyre-set-in-the-70s/678455>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 10, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-tv-flashbacks-always-look-like-theyre-set-in-the-70s/678455 "2014-01-10T18:47:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-tv-flashbacks-always-look-like-theyre-set-in-the-70s/678455/1 "2014-01-10T18:47:34Z")

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I’ve been noticing lately on a number of TV shows, when flashbacks happen, it always looks like they’re set in the 70s-- a lot of browns, oranges, short shorts, shaggy hair on boys, Farrah Fawcett styles on girls. Basically, even though 20 years ago was mid-90s, if TV people want to show us a scene from 20 years ago, they break out the 70s wardrobe and sets.

I noticed it most recently on Dexter, but I first noticed it on some show that I’m now drawing a blank on.

Anyone else notice this, or am I crazy? It’s like the directors out there are stylistically emulating the flashbacks from shows they watched during their own coming-of-age TV viewing. Or maybe 90s styles are too similar to current ones, so they need to set the scene in a more clear fashion that _this is a flashback from many years ago; look at how old the styles are._

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-tv-flashbacks-always-look-like-theyre-set-in-the-70s/678455/2 "2014-01-10T19:49:38Z")

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> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> Or maybe 90s styles are too similar to current ones, so they need to set the scene in a more clear fashion that _this is a flashback from many years ago; look at how old the styles are._

I think this is it more than anything. If you were to do a 2004 flashback what would you concentrate on to point out that it was 10 years ago? The lack of smartphones?

If you did a 1994 one, you could do both fashion and electronics in that few people had cell phones, and the fashions were very “90s” back then.

I think it’s a sort of visual shorthand for “Back when Dad was a young man.” even though it’s not really accurate except for people in their 50s and 60s.