Top 10 Sitcoms of the 1980’s
This time of year, we would normally be gearing up for premiere week on all the major TV networks, eagerly anticipating our favorite shows hitting our small screens once again.
But the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have majorly disrupted the usual fall TV rollout. Some networks will be playing reruns, while others will be relying on unscripted shows to fill the holes.
While we wait to see if a deal is reached to put Hollywood back to work, we thought we’d look back on some of your favorite sitcoms that premiered in the fall in the 1980’s! Join us for a trip down memory lane!
#1: “The Cosby Show” premiered September 30, 1984 and aired through 1992 on NBC. The focus of the series was the Huxtables, an upper-middle-class black family living in Brooklyn, New York. The show starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Bonet, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, and Keshia Knight Pulliam.
#2: “Family Ties” premiered on NBC on September 22, 1982 and aired through 1989. It starred Michael J. Fox as young Republican Alex P. Keaton, growing up with ex-hippie parents Steven and Elyse, and his sisters Mallory and Jennifer. The show also starred Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter, Justine Bateman, and Tina Yothers.
#3: “Cheers” was the bar in Boston where everybody knows your name! The show premiered September 30, 1982 and aired through 1993 on NBC. “Cheers” was nearly canceled during its first season with very low ratings, but the network stuck with the show and it eventually became enormously popular. Ted Danson as Sam Malone, Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe, along with Coach, Norm, Cliff, Woody, Frasier, and Lilith made “Cheers” an unforgettable show!
#4: “Who’s the Boss” aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to 1992. Tony Danza starred as Tony Micelli, a former Major League Baseball player as a single dad who takes a job as a housekeeper to give his daughter a better life. Alyssa Milano was his daughter Sam, and Judith Light was his employer. The show also starred Katherine Helmond and Danny Pintauro.
#5: “Full House” brought us the catchy theme song starting with “Whatever happened to predictability?” The show aired from September 22, 1987 to 1995. Bob Saget was Danny Tanner, a talk-show host and widower who’s raising his three daughters with the help of his late wife’s brother and his best friend. The show also starred John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Candace Cameron, Jodie Sweetin, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Andrea Barber, and Lori Loughlin.
#6:“The Golden Girls” was a critically acclaimed show that aired from September 15, 1985 through 1992. Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia are four older single women all sharing a home in Miami, Florida. The show starred Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty.
#7: “Growing Pains” introduced us to the Seaver family on September 25, 1985. The show aired on ABC through 1992. Kirk Cameron starred as Mike Seaver, the son of Jason and Maggie Seaver. The show basically follows the family as the kids grow up and the parents experience working in and outside of the home. The show also starred Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, Tracey Gold, and Jeremy Miller.
#8:“Doogie Howser, M.D.” aired on ABC from September 19, 1989 to 1993. Neil Patrick Harris starred as Doogie, a genius who became a licensed doctor at age 14. The show started on Doogie’s 16th birthday and follows him as a surgical resident and not-so-typical teenager.
#9: “Alf” was named for the title character, which meant Alien Life Form. In the show’s premiere on September 22, 1986, Alf crash-lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family. The show lasted four seasons on NBC. It starred Max Wright, Anne Schedeen, Andrea Elson, and Benji Gregory.
#10: “Saved By The Bell” premiered in 1989 on a Sunday night in August. NBC later moved it to Saturday mornings, targeted to teens and kids. The show was set in the fictional Bayside High School in Los Angeles and featured a group of tight-knit friends. Mark-Paul Gosselaar was Zack Morris, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen was Kelly Kapowski, Dustin Diamond was Screech Powers, Lark Voorhies was Lisa Turtle, Mario Lopez was A.C. Slater, and Elizabeth Berkley was Jessie Spano.
