What was your FAVORITE television show from the 1980's - and WHY?

SNL

I sort of stopped watching TV permanently after the beginning of the 80's

Solid Gold. It had everything. A great theme song, Dionne Warwitch as a villain, rock n roll lifestyle, and glamour.

thirtysomething. I didn’t have a TV until 1988. Ken Olin is why.

Need you ask?

Golden Girls.

At the time, Hart to Hart. Now I realize how bad the writing was, despite the great charm and chemistry of the leads.

Dynasty and the Colbys. High production values, beautiful fashion, delicious camp, and a slew of beautiful people being photographed in their underwear and bathing suits. What's not to like?

I know that soaps fans are persona non grata to a lot of posters here, but honestly, I had very little drawing me to the television in the 80's other than my beta vcr tapes of As The World Turns that I would never miss.

Mr. Belvedere is underrated.

I loved 227. Especially Jackee. I was such a basic gay boy. Oh MaAAAAAAAAAAAAA-RY!

A true gem from "The Gong Show" - 1980

Kenny James kills it!

R7 I wish we could meet in real life. As The World Turns was a rock to me for many many many years.

SCTV. It was a bunch of little TV shows, Movies of the Week, commercials and studio shenanigans. Smart and snarky.

I was a huge St. Elsewhere fan.

Another vote for As the World Turns in the late Eighties, the absolute pinnacle of Daytime.

St. Elsewhere would come in a close second for me. Amazing cast. Loved the writing, too.

"Hill Street Blues." The characters, the grittiness, the theme song! Thank you this thread, OP. I need to re watch that show now.

Cagney and Lacey.

Days of our Lives. Loved '80s soaps.

Also loved (still love) Golden Girls.

Another vote for Dynasty. Joan Collins INVENTING the night time soap bitch

Unsolved Mysteries was always so scary......especially if you were watching it at home alone at night!

Airwolf, sometimes Jan Michael Vincent show and obscene VPL and I loved that shit.

Wasn't Sue Ellen from Dallas always on crack and meth?

Dynasty. Dallas always looked like a bargain basement, Red State version of it.

I loved Knots Landing. Abby was such a bitch. Loved Dynasty also.

I had two VCRs so I could watch both World shows.

Detectives in stilettos and bouffant hair. Plus Eileen Heckert.

Two shows that were cancelled too soon Voyagers! with Jon-Erik Hexum and Q.E.D. with Sam Waterson. I also loved Hart to Hart.

LA Law - so many hot men and dishy plots until they started featuring the retarded guy.

I was the guy with the beta vcr tapes of As the World Turns as my memory of 80's television. I just remembered that I really enjoyed Moonlighting, well, until it started petering out toward the end of its run.

Anything with a young Mark Harmon.

Another vote for Knots Landing - Abby was such a beautiful villian and the cul-de-sac folk characters were developed and relatable.

Dynasty was fab. And I can still hear the badass Dallas theme song.

Designing Women definitely had its moments.

Golden Girls obviously.

Star Search! Precursor to all the other talent shows.

R11 That clip has my favorite ATWT theme after the original organ opening.

Gawd, you B*tches are slipping!

Remington Steele. I thought the stories were pretty clever.

Gimme A Break! Nell Carter was a sassy biatch. And she sang a good theme song.

r33 I would keep MTV on in the background all the time back in the 80's

Mama's Family and The Golden Girls. They were my standing Saturday night dates while the other 80's teens were out getting drunk, stoned, or knocked up. Fun, comfort, and company for a lonely outcast.

This was the best ATWT theme.

The Facts of Life. I dont think I ever saw a first run episode of the Golden Girls.

"Once you give up integrity, the rest is a piece of cake".

Somebody once said that Dallas was about power and money, while Dynasty was about the things that money could buy.

Probably "Night Court".

Sorry didn't answer your question completely, I thought Night Court was hilarious though it should have shaved a few seasons off..

Golden Girls was my must see. Really kind of sad that Betty White is the only one still alive and even she couldn't do Rose anymore the way she did back then.

St. Elsewhere was the smartest, best written drama of the 80's, with a cast that couldn't lose. I mean, come on-Denzel, Mark Harmon, Ed Flanders, William Daniels, David Morse...guest stars like Blythe Danner, Betty White, Oliver Clark, Florence Halop, Doris Roberts, Jimmy Coco....it was fucking television at its best.

I'd go with ATWT because Marland wrote from '85 into the '90s.

Or GL because in the '80s it had Marland and Pam Long.

For nighttime soaps, I loved Knots; Falcon Crest deserved those 'Best Soap' write ups in Soap Digest; loved the original Dynasty...but Dallas was the best.

For a while, Moonlighting was my favorite show.

Miami Vice. Men wearing pastels, Miami Beach, architecture, Crockett and Tubbs, Castillo, pop soundtrack from Jan Hammer and others, pet gator on the boat, edgy bad guys, celeb guest stars, the CAR, innovative camera work, ultra violence. Only worked in the 80s.

Hill Street Blues

St. Elsewhere

M*A*S*H

Cheers

The Greatest American Hero

The 80s were my childhood; for the first half it was The Facts of Life all the way. For the second half it was Golden Girls and Kate and Allie. As a boy I really loved estrogen (or in the GG case, the residue of estrogen), apparently.

Santa Barbara

LA Law and Golden Girls

Agree with R45 St Elsewhere was just about perfect. Incredible writing and cast. Loved first few seasons of Moonlighting too.

Also,a lover of Cagney and Lacy and also Hill Street Blues . Loved Dynasty and Dalllas too

Another vote for Knots Landing.

Technically, it started in the 1970s, but our local channel must have been showing episodes that were a few years old. SCTV will always be beloved to me for episodes like CCCP1, and anything with Lola Heatherton. Get in the holiday spirit, the LOVE spirit!

Facts of Life, Golden Girls, LA Law, Dynasty, Falcon Crest.

I agree with r42 regarding “Night Court.” I also liked “A Different World” and “Married ... with Children.” All three shows had great writing and excellent casting.

Silver Spoons, because Ricky Schroeder was cute. CHiPs, because Erik Estrada was sexy.

St. Elsewhere was my show. Especially when it made me cry, like when Jack's son was kidnapped. When the cops bring him back to Jack, he says "Nina." I'm crying as I type.

And for one glorious season A Year in the Life was on right before St. E. Best two hour block of TV ever.

For comedy, no one beat Cheers in the 80s.

And on a daily basis Doug Marland's ATWT was the best soap hands down.

Another vote for Married...With Children. Gosh that was the best. Christina Applegate in her minis and cross necklaces, Al and the fat women and Marcy jokes, Peg smoking and eating bon-bons, and GrandMaster B.

Dynasty, for nightime. (Alexis !)

As The World Turns , for daytime. (Lucinda!)

The Gong Show, for laughs (Gene-Gene the Dance Machine!)

"NEWS RADIO"!

There is a very funny bit on Newsradio in the episode when Dave's office's window is missing. I don't know how many people got the joke though. It seemed like it was written for me. "Morning, George." "Morning, Sam."

"Soap"

"Quantum Leap"

Um, NewsRadio premiered in the mid 90s.

St. Elsewhere. I worked in a hospital at the time. Great theme song.

The Love Boat/Fantasy Island. Delicious adult romance stuff! I also had a big crush on Jason Bateman but his show was canceled quickly.

Also loved TFoL and went on to go to a real life boarding school that was absolutely nothing like that fluffy shit. It was hella fun, though.

Another vote for St. Elsewhere. The writing, the acting, and the direction were all top-notch. It really was "quality" television.

Hill Street Blues

R69, don't apologize, I like talking to straight women about classic TV as much as I do anyone else.

Facts of Life let me have the fun-loving older sisters that I wanted, but didn't have.

Max Headroom.

Cheers, OBVIOUSLY.

Night Court

Moonlighting (the first few years)

Taxi

St Elsewhere was wonderful and the series finale was an unexpected freakout. Not to mention the cat flatlining.

Mork & Mindy

(I was a kid, so sue me)

One Life To Live. Hands Down. Obsessed as a little 10 year old.

"It's a Living" -1980

I wanted to be "Cassie" (Ann Jillian), and you ???

Santa Barbara!

Loved “V”

"Too Close for Comfort"

Yet, once again, you B*itches are slipping!

I liked Married ...With Children

Cheers

More, please. There are so many of these shows that I've forgotten about.

Alf.

She's The Sheriff. Well ahead of its time.

Falcon Crest was fun also. And of course MTV.

"V" the miniseries , both of em, oh my , how could I forget??? the brief attempt at a weekly series I missed seeing entirely, but the original miniseries stuff, was epic. thanks to the person who rekindled that memory.

Alf!

Friday The 13th - The Series

Why? I enjoyed watching the story around the cursed object of the week.

General Hospital

I agree R33. 80-87 was HS and college for me, so MTV was always on. Loved The Young Ones and 120 Minutes. Still have all my VCR tapes of Live Aid. Network TV sucked. SCTV had its moments but hasn't aged well imo. Never missed, and still laugh at, Kids In The Hall. Always loved a Buddy Cole monologue.

Didn't have a tv until the early '90's. The '80's were so much fun without any technology.

I loved "Designing Women." The original cast was the best. Loved that show!

I can't be the only one here:

"You are my way..."

I watched Matlock religiously in the 80s. I doubt I'd watch it again at this age, but I sure loved it back then.

A failed sitcom that only ran a handful of episodes called "All Is Forgiven..." about the behind the scenes of a really bad soap opera that just hired a new lead character. Starring Carol Kane as the secretary. It was HILARIOUS. And quickly canceled.

I was a little kid so cartoons were my jam back then, but it's extremely hard to pick one, so these are the ones I looked forward to watching, probably because they were all simple, visually interesting, fast-paced and action-oriented: She-Ra/He-Man Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Silverhawks/Thundercats Voltron Smurfs Inspector Gadget

I also used to love watching the beginning credits of many shows - Being a wee bairn I didn't really get the shows themselves but loved watching the title sequences of these, I think because they were pretty simple, action-oriented, visually varied, had cool music and told a little story: Knight Rider Dallas/Dynasty (I loved the sweeping dramahh of it all haha) Murder, She Wrote The A-Team (Mr T, such a cool dude)

It wasn't until the 90s and syndication that I was aware enough to fully appreciate the true awesomeness (Killer one-liners, characterization, gay references/storylines) of the Golden Girls.

Addendum: My mother's absolute favorite 80s show was Remington Steele, predominantly because of her latent thirst for Pierce Brosnan... I clearly remember her threatening to name my soon-to-be born younger sibling 'Pierce' if born a boy. Dad was cool with the whole thing, bless.

[quote]I was a little kid so cartoons were my jam

Gen X?

Yup, R104!

Another quickly cancelled series: Uptight Bostonian Tim Reid (WKRP) inherits a bar in New Orleans. It was a gem. There was one episode where someone died and they kept losing the body and I laughed all the way through it. Never released on video or dvd. Which is probably a good thing because I would be crushed if I saw it again and it wasn't as good as I remembered.

Family Ties, Kate & Allie, Cagney & Lacey, Doogie Howser, Wonder Years, Star Trek:TNG,

Canadian fare: Kids In The Hall, Dr Bundolo, Leo & Me with Michael J Fox.

"Jam" gave it away, R105. I don't think I've heard the word used (except when talking about preserves) since the 1980s.

I love nostalgia threads. As a kid in England American shows in the 80s always seemed so glamorous. I loved Dynasty. The opening credits still transport me back 30 years....also remind me of bedtime. I used to watch Dynasty on my portable TV. My mum loved Cagney and Lacey. The part in the credits where a man flashes at them used to amuse me.

Oh, I would've thought that mentioning that I watched all those old shows in the 80s as a kid would've pinpointed that, R108!

And yeh, R109, I totally get that re the opening credits... Just watching some of what people have posted takes me back so bad, like back to a time when I'd just get up in the morning and plug in to cartoons. Jem and the Holograms is another one I watched; I liked the way it looked and the music.

I've never watched that 'Partners In Crime' before from upthread but it looks amazing, what is that a double bass that they've got strapped to the back of their convertible as they ride around San Francisco solving crimes with their deluxe hair and fabulous outfits? I would've loved watching those opening credits back in the day!

I remember suffering through the first season of Melrose Place, but then LOVING it through seasons 2 and 3.

Growing Pains

I watched all the early Fox shows like 21 Jump Street, Tracey Ullman Show, Simpsons, Married..with Children. I also really liked Amen for some reason waiting to see if Thelma would finally get her man. Also My Secret Identity.

SCTV was brilliant...

why cant they bring it back.

sat nite live has gotten so predictable.... the music guests are unreal horribl.e

R47 Yes, MOONLIGHTING! It was smart and funny, and Cybill Shepherd was a goddess.

What’s with all this bizarre ATWT love? The ABC daytime lineup absolutely dominated the 80s. All My Children, One Life to Live and GH were everything. AMC - jenny and Greg, Cliff and Nina, Erica, Natalie, Adam, Tad, Palmer, Brooke, Opal, Liza, Nico, Cecily! One Life to Live - Viki, Tina, Dorian, Gabrielle, Cord, Max, Megan! GH- L&L, Anna, the Quartermaines! I’m sure ATWT has its moments but nobody could touch that 3 hour block during the decade.

Oh, that's easy, r116. The ABC soaps were for the less-smart set.

R111, are you drunk Alison? Melrose Place debuted in 1992.

Kids Incorporated. Here's Martika doing Olivia proud.

[italic]Gimme A Break![/italic] for proving gentilism has failed both whites and blacks and that gays, blacks, and Jews are the masters of the human race.

I enjoyed Daniel Greene on Falcon Crest and Dex Dexter on Dynasty.

Rags to Riches

The early seasons of Gimme A Break! sucked

Also, all those over-the-top, trashy primetime miniseries like "I'llTake Manhattan", "Lace", "Hollywood Wives", "Scruples", and their ilk.

Loved the mini series Thorn Birds. And Winds of War. Great tv.

Falcon Crest Hill Street Blues Fame The Cosby Show The Golden Girls

Golden Girls and Riptide. Joe Penny=hot!

Voyagers!

Perry King today just shy of 70.

DALLAS was great until about the 8th year. When Bobby Ewing died, they should have taken the high road and ended the show right then and there.

Miami Vice - interesting stories, great music, eclectic variety of guest stars, young sexy Don Johnson modelling pastel blazers and Michael Mann directing.

Dramas: St. Elsewhere, Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues.

Comedies: Designing Women.

I still like MASH, Lou Grant, etc.

Simon and Simon. Came on after Magnum PI.

Knots Landing all the way. Amazing company of actors, smart writing and so many great storylines. It was low profile and didn’t get the fanfare of Dallas and Dynasty- sometimes it seemed like CBS forgot it was on the schedule but it just quietly did it’s thing.

I thought it was Falcon's Landing.

The A-Team!

The Colbys

V

FalconCrest, Blanche/R136.