Blossom Joins Wonder Years, Full House in Sitcom Reunion Trend

Blossom, the ’90s sitcom starring Mayim Bialik as its hat-wearing heroine, is coming back to TV for a syndication marathon in July — but in the social-media consciousness of many of its fans, it’s already here. The network Hub, which will air the marathon, hosted a cast reunion for actors Mayim Bialik, Joey Lawrence, Michael Stoyanov and Jenna von Oÿ, and yesterday the photos from that event made it to Instagram and Twitter.

#blossomreunion thanks to @HubTVNetwork in effect! pic.twitter.com/izBDrKQuLw

— Mayim Bialik (@missmayim) June 16, 2014

Blossom is only the latest nostalgia-worthy TV show to take advantage of social media to drum up interest in a reunion. Though reunions are nothing new for morning shows, alumni shows and magazine covers, Twitter and Instagram have proved to be capable of summoning huge interest in shows that have been off the air for decades. Mayim Bialik’s Instagram picture of the Blossom reunion has been liked nearly 7,000 times in just one day.

And perhaps it’s not just coincidence: according to a 2013 Pew study, use of Twitter and Instagram is sharply correlated with youth, and the millennials and Gen-Xers who are most likely to use those services are also the ones who were the right age to enjoy sitcoms about young people in the late ’80s and ’90s.

Like:

FIRST LOOK WHOLE CAST! @thefredsavage @danicamckellar @joshsaviano #WonderYearsDVD #ComingSoon pic.twitter.com/0U2AOOiMFr

— Jason Hervey (@JasonHervey) May 29, 2014

Love my Full House family. Full heart. @candacecbure @bobsaget @DaveCoulier @JohnStamos @JodieTweetin @ScottWeinger pic.twitter.com/IGb8DvG3

— Andrea Barber (@andreabarber) September 23, 2012

Older shows have had reunions — The Bob Newhart Show, anyone? — but the viral traction hasn’t been so high. And, with former cast members openly pushing for more, it’s a trend likely to continue. The logical next step: Snapchats with Teletubbies.