1980s TV Shows

How many times has someone come home and turned on their television set, only to turn it right back off again because they couldn’t find something to spark their interest? It seems as if, no matter how many channels you have access to, there is never anything on. Back in the 1980’s, the opposite tended to be true. While television has definitely changed since the 80’s, especially in terms of acceptable language and actions, many people miss television from that decade. Comparing the current viewing options to what was available in 1980’s, as well as subject matter, it’s easy to understand the attraction to the television viewing of the 80’s.

One aspect of 80’s TV was that there was something to attract every viewer, no matter what their entertainment tastes were. There were also a lot of star-studded line-ups to be found on the small screen. Comedy yielded cutting edge shows such as Designing Women, Night Court, Cheers and Full House all of which looked at aspects such as women’s equality, the legal system, life in a bar-room and single parenthood from a male perspective. These shows were all comedic, but with serious undertones. For those who enjoyed a flare for adventure you had such greats as MacGyver, Airwolf, The A-Team, and other such shows to fulfil the need for edge-of-your-seat action. When it came to a need for drama that could be found in the lives of others, there were shows like Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing and Falcon Crest.

Another aspect of the 1980’s television programming was the made-for-TV movies that could be found. Many of these movies were of the same quality and made with attention to detail that could be found in the making of a block-buster. They received the same promotion prior to airing and a number of these movies have now become classics and are available for purchase on DVD. Appearances in these made-for-TV movies have also been the launching point for many high-profile acting careers.

When it came to 1980’s television, there were quite a few well-known faces that could be found on the small screen. Television was home to actors and actresses such as Linda Evans, John Forsythe, Joan Collins and Jane Wyman, just to name a few. All of these artists were already successful, either in previous television or on the silver screen, before becoming television superstars in the 1980’s. In addition to the star power that could be found in these great shows, another aspect of television that isn’t as evident as it was in the 1980’s is longevity. Today’s viewing options just don’t seem to have the history or star power behind them that could be found in the 80’s.