It was a turn that was ripe for satire, which is just what creator Alan Spencer did with this short-lived series. And, of course, our culture reflected this by the return of Dirty Harry, the Eastwood-inspired TV show Hunter, and three Death Wish sequels. them” mentality fueled by the Cold War was rampant in the ’80s. Vigilante justice and a tough-nosed “us vs. Sledge Hammer! Original Run: 1986-88 Creator: Alan Spencer Stars: David Rasche, Anne-Marie Martin, Harrison Page Network: ABC Fun trivia bit: It also starred Robert Englund, better known as Freddy Krueger, the same year he appeared in the first A Nightmare on Elm Street and became a horror icon.- Jim Vorelħ9. Louis called it “ Dynasty with lizard makeup and laser guns.” It was also plagued by cast issues-Michael Ironside straight-up walked out on the program during its first and only season. Expanded into a full series, however, the show was more like a sci-fi soap opera with lizard people: The Post Dispatch in St. The story of Earth being invaded by friendly-looking “Visitors” who actually turn out to be man-eating reptile people was pure 1950s sci-fi claptrap, simply updated with ’80s fashion, but unfolding over the course of a two-night miniseries, it was cheesy good fun. V Original Run: 1983-85 Creator: Kenneth Johnson Stars: Marc Singer, Faye Grant, Jane Badley, Michael Ironside, Robert Englund Network: NBC V in the 1980s is a great example of a concept that worked well as a miniseries but couldn’t support itself as a full-on TV show. For those between-decade shows, we judged them based only on what parts aired in the ’80s themselves, so in the case of the best show of the 1990s, The Simpsons, its one ’80s Christmas special did not allow it to make the cut.Ĩ0. To be eligible, a series had to air either part or all of its run between Januand December 31, 1989. Big hair, loud colors, and very special episodes ruled the day, as TV dared to talk about issues that had always been taboo.īelow, we went through the archives of the airwaves, picking the 80 best TV shows of the 1980s. Nostalgia for bygone eras gave me a connection to the ’50s with Happy Days and the ’60s with Wonder Years, but mostly shows captured the 1980s in all of its neon glory. It was a golden age for sitcoms and for big, silly action-adventures where the good guys always won-plenty to distract us from the last vestiges of the Cold War and a pair of nuclear arsenals that could do a decent imitation of the Death Star. This was the decade of the VCR, but you still didn’t make plans on Thursday nights. To say that I was raised by 1980s TV is unfair to my wonderful parents, but I certainly spent as much time with the Keatons, the Huxtables, the Seavers, the 4077th, and the Cheers gang as I did around my own kitchen table.
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