People think when you get sentimental about the past that you're simply seeing the past through rose colored glasses. But I think that one can make an objective evaluation of older things versus new things. For instance, in the TV shows mentioned in the link there is usually a strong father figure. Nowadays, even if there is a father figure in entertainent, he is a weak and foolish father figure.
I also liked that earlier you could talk about moral values without being decried as a christian bigot.
A lot has changed, and much of it isn't for the better.