1980's TV Shows - Best of 80's TV - Popular Series 1980-1989 - Classic TV Database View Show 1983-1987 | NBC The A-Team is an action adventure series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The show featured Mr. T and aired on NBC from 1983 to 1987. View Show 1986-1990 | NBC ALF is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990, created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF (an acronym for Alien Life Form), who crash lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.

View Show 1980-1982 | ABC Bosom Buddies was a sitcom that starred Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari and ran from 1980 to 1982 on ABC that followed the misadventures of two single men, working in creative advertising, struggling in their industry while disguising themselves as women in order to live in the one apartment they could afford. View Show 1981-1988 | CBS Cagney & Lacey is a sitcom that aired on the CBS for seven seasons from 1981 to 1988. A police procedural, the show stars Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless as New York City police detectives who led very different lives: Christine Cagney (Gless) was a single, career-minded woman, while Mary Beth Lacey (Daly) was a married working mother. The series was set in a fictionalized version of Manhattan's 14th Precinct. View Show 1976-1981 | ABC Charlie's Angels is a crime drama series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men.

The show aired on ABC from 1976 to 1981.The View Show 1982-1993 | NBC Cheers is a sitom that ran for 11 seasons on NBC from 1982 to 1993. The show is set in the Cheers bar (named for the toast "Cheers") in Boston, Massachusetts, where a group of locals meet to drink, relax, chat and have fun. The show's theme song, written and performed by Gary Portnoy, and co-written with Judy Hart Angelo, lent its famous refrain, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name", as the show's tagline. View Show 1977-1983 | NBC CHiPs is a drama series that aired on NBC from 1977 to 1983 that followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol, Baker and Ponch. View Show 1978-1991 | CBS Dallas is a drama that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries.

The series won four Emmy Awards, including a 1980 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series win for Barbara Bel Geddes. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing. The show also starred stage/screen actress Barbara Bel Geddes as family matriarch Miss Ellie, and movie Western actor Jim Davis in his last role as Ewing patriarch Jock Ewing before his death in 1981. View Show 1988-1992 | NBC Dear John is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1988 to 1992. The series was originally based on the British sitcom of the same name. Dear John starred Judd Hirsch as easy going high school teacher John Lacey who is dumped by his wife, Wendy, via a Dear John letter. Wendy ends up with everything in the divorce settlement, including custody of the couple's son, forcing John to move into an apartment in Queens.

View Show 1978-1985 | ABC Diff'rent Strokes is an sitcom that aired on NBC from 1978 to 1985, and on ABC from September 1985 to March 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman named Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) and his daughter Kimberly (Dana Plato), for whom their deceased mother previously worked. View Show 1989-1993 | ABC Doogie Howser, M.D. is an comedy-drama starring Neil Patrick Harris as a 16-year-old doctor who also faces the problems of being a normal teenager. Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, ABC aired the show from 1989 to 1993 for four seasons totaling 97 episodes.

View Show 1979-1985 | CBS The Dukes of Hazzard is a comedy series that aired on the CBS from 1979 to 1985 about "The Duke Boys", cousins Bo and Luke Duke, who live in a rural part of the fictional Hazzard County, Georgia with their attractive cousin Daisy and their wise old Uncle Jesse, as they race around in their customized 1969 Dodge Charger stock car, christened (The) General Lee, evading crooked county commissioner Boss Hogg and his inept county sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, and always managing to get caught in the middle of the various escapades and incidents that often occur in the area. View Show 1979-1988 | NBC A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1979 to 1988 and focused on Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae) as she becomes housemother at the fictional Eastland School, an all-female boarding school in Peekskill, New York.

View Show 1989-1998 | ABC, CBS Family Matters is a sitcom about a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago, Illinois, which aired for nine seasons. The series was a spin-off of Perfect Strangers, but revolves around the Winslow family. Midway through the first season, the show introduced the Winslows' nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (played by Jaleel White), who quickly became its breakout character and eventually a main character. Family Matters aired from 1989 to 1997 on ABC and on CBS from September 1997 to July 1998. View Show 1982-1989 | NBC Family Ties is an sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young Republican Alex P. Keaton (Michael J.

Fox) and his ex-hippie parents, Elyse and Steven Keaton (Meredith Baxter-Birney and Michael Gross). View Show 1987-1995 | ABC Set in San Francisco, family-friendly sitcom Full House centers around the adventures of a widowed father, his three children, and his two best friends. Danny (Bob Saget) is a straight-laced local television personality, Joey (David Coulier) is a fun-loving stand-up comedian, and brother-in-law Jesse (John Stamos) is an Elvis-obsessed rocker. Danny's children include 11-year-old D.J. (Candace Cameron), five-year-old Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and baby Michelle (big-eyed future superstars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen). Created by Jeff Franklin (Laverne and Shirley), the show ran on ABC for eight seasons. View Show 1985-1992 | NBC The Golden Girls is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1985 until 1992 that centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida.

View Show 1981-1983 | ABC The Greatest American Hero is a comedy-drama series that aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC about flying crime fighter. View Show 1985-1992 | CBS Growing Pains is sitcom starring Alan Thicke about an upper middle class family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, that aired on ABC from 1985 to 1992. For those who grew up with the Seavers, and in need of a retro blast of '80s nostalgia, Growing Pains will still, to quote the theme song, show you that smile again. View Show 1968-1980 | CBS Hawaii Five-O is a police procedural drama series set in Hawaii that aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980 The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett, portrayed by Jack Lord. The theme music composed by Morton Stevens became especially popular.

Most episodes would end with McGarrett instructing his subordinate to "Book 'em, Danno" sometimes specifying a charge such as "murder one." View Show 1986-1991 | ABC Head of the Class is a sitcom aired on ABC from 1986 to 1991 that follows a group of gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program (IHP) at the fictional Monroe High School (later Millard Fillmore High School) in Manhattan, and their history teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman). The program was ostensibly a vehicle for Hesseman, best known for his role as radio DJ Dr. Johnny Fever in the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. Hesseman left Head of the Class in 1990 and was replaced by Billy Connolly as teacher Billy MacGregor for the final season. View Show 1981-1987 | NBC Hill Street Blues is a police drama that aired on NBC from 1981 to 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations influenced many subsequent dramatic television series that were made.

View Show 1975-1985 | CBS The Jeffersons is a sitcom that aired on CBS from 1975 until 1985 that chronicled the Afican-American Jefferson family who had recently moved up the socioeconomic ladder. The Jeffersons is the longest-running sitcom with a predominantly African American cast in the history of American television. View Show 1979-1993 | CBS Knots Landing is a primetime drama series that aired from 1979 to 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle. Initially intended to be a Scenes From a Marriage-type drama series, storylines also included rape, murder, kidnapping, assassinations, drug smuggling, corporate intrigue and criminal investigations. By the time of its conclusion, Knots Landing had become one of the longest-running primetime dramas on U.S. television after Gunsmoke and Law & Order, and tied for third place with Bonanza. View Show 1986-1994 | NBC L.A.

Law is legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from 1986 to 1994 created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher. This critically acclaimed ensemble drama reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s as many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues of the day. The series often also reflected tensions between the wealthy senior lawyers and their less well-paid junior staff. View Show 1976-1983 | ABC Laverne & Shirley is a sitcom that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983 starring Penny Marshall as Laverne De Fazio and Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney, roommates who worked in a fictitious Milwaukee brewery called "Shotz Brewery". View Show 1977-1986 | ABC The Love Boat is sitcom set on a cruise ship that aired on ABC from 1977 until 1986. The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain. It was part of ABC's popular Saturday night lineup that included Fantasy Island until the latter show ended in 1984.

View Show 1985-1992 | ABC MacGyver is an action-adventure series that ran for seven seasons on ABC and follows secret agent Angus MacGyver, played by Richard Dean Anderson. MacGyver prefers non-violent resolutions where possible, and refuses to handle a gun. He works as a troubleshooter for the fictional Phoenix Foundation in Los Angeles. He is a resourceful agent with an encyclopedic knowledge of science, able to solve complex problems with everyday materials he finds at hand, along with his ever-present duct tape and Swiss Army knife. View Show 1987-1997 | FOX Married... with Children was the first primetime sitcom to air on FOX and starred Ed O'Neil as everyman Al Bundy and his dysfunctional family from Chicago, Illinois. View Show 1972-1983 | CBS M*A*S*H is a medical-military-comedy series, adapted from the 1970 feature film MASH that follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the "4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War.

M*A*S*H's theme song featured an instrumental version of the song "Suicide Is Painless", which also appears in the original film. View Show 1984-1989 | NBC Miami Vice was a crime drama series that ran on NBC for five seasons from 1984 to 1989. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as James "Sonny" Crockett and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs respectively, two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. View Show 1978-1982 | ABC Mork & Mindy is a science fiction sitcom that aired on ABC from 1978 until 1982 that starred Robin Williams as Mork, an alien who comes to Earth from the planet Ork in a small, one-man egg-shaped spaceship. Pam Dawber co-starred as Mindy McConnell, his human friend and roommate. In 1997, the episode "Mork's Mixed Emotions" was ranked #94 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time list. View Show 1985-1990 | ABC Mr.

Belvedere is a sitcom that aired on ABC 1985 until 1990 that is based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting Pretty. The sitcom stars Christopher Hewett in the title role, who takes a job with an American family headed by George Owens, played by Bob Uecker. View Show 1988-1998 | CBS Murphy Brown is a sitcom that aired on CBS from 1988 until 1998 that starred Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television newsmagazine. View Show 1976-1981 | CBS The Muppet Show is a American television programme produced by puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets.

After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on September 5, 1976, and five series were produced until March 15, 1981, lasting 120 episodes. View Show 1987-1990 | NBC My Two Dads is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1987 to 1990 and starred Staci Keanan, Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan about a two men who could have been the father of the main character Nicole. View Show 1984-1992 | NBC Night Court is an sitcom that aired on NBC from 1984 to 1992 about night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone (Harry Anderson). It was created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, who had previously worked on Barney Miller in the 1970s and early 1980s.

View Show 1986-1993 | ABC Perfect Strangers is a sitcom that aired on ABC from 1986 to 1993 that chronicled the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot). View Show 1989-1993 | NBC Quantum Leap is a drama series that aired on NBC from 1989 to 1993 that starred Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist from six years in the future who becomes lost in time following a time travel experiment, temporarily taking the places of other people to "put right what once went wrong". View Show 1988-1997 | ABC Roseanne is a sitcom that aired on ABC 1988 until 1997 that revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family.

The series reached #1 in the Nielsen ratings becoming the most watched television show in the United States from 1989 to 1990, and remained in the top four for six of its nine seasons, and in the top twenty for eight. View Show 1990-1993 | NBC, Syndication Saved by the Bell is a popular 1990s sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell. The series followed the exploits of several students along with their principal at fictional Bayside High School. View Show 1989-1998 | NBC Seinfeld is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1989 to 1998 set predominantly in an apartment block on Manhattan's Upper West Side, the show features a host of Jerry Seinfeld's stories with his best friend George Costanza, former girlfriend Elaine Benes, and neighbor across the hall Cosmo Kramer.

View Show 1982-1987 | NBC, Syndication Silver Spoons is a sitcom about an extremely wealthy Stratton family that aired on NBC from 1982 to 1986 and in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1987. View Show 1985-1989 | Syndication Small Wonder is a sci-fi sitcom that aired in first-run syndication from 1985 to 1989. The show chronicles the family of a robotics engineer who, after he secretly creates a robot modeled after a real human girl, tries to pass it off as their daughter, Vikki. View Show 1982-1988 | NBC St. Elsewhere is a medical drama series that ran on NBC 1982 to 1988 set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood. The show starred Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd and William Daniels all as teaching doctors, who gave interns a promising future in making critical decisions.

View Show 1978-1982 | ABC, NBC Taxi is a sitcom that aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC that chronicled the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher. Taxi won won 18 Emmy Awards, including three for "Outstanding Comedy Series". View Show 1977-1984 | ABC Three's Company was a hit sitcom that aired on ABC from 1977 until 1984 that revolves around three single roommates: Janet Wood, Chrissy Snow and Jack Tripper who all platonically share Apartment 201 in a Santa Monica, California apartment building owned by Mr. and Mrs. Roper. View Show 1972-1981 | CBS The Waltons is a period drama series that aired on CBS from 1972 to 1981 that is based on the book Spencer's Mountain and a 1963 film of the same name. The show is centered on a family in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II.

View Show 1983-1987 | ABC Webster is sitcom that aired on ABC from 1983 until 1987 that starred Emmanuel Lewis. Like NBC's earlier hit Diff'rent Strokes, it featured a young African American boy adopted by a white family. View Show 1984-1992 | ABC Who's the Boss? is a sitcom that aired on ABC 1984 until 1992 and starred Tony Danza as a retired major league baseball player who relocates to Fairfield, Connecticut to work as a live-in housekeeper for a divorced advertising executive, played by Judith Light. Also featured were Alyssa Milano, Danny Pintauro, and Katherine Helmond. View Show 1978-1982 | CBS WKRP in Cincinnati is sitcom that aired on CBS from 1978 to 1982 that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The ensemble cast consisted of Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Gordon Jump, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Jan Smithers, Richard Sanders and Frank Bonner.

View Show 1988-1993 | ABC The Wonder Years was a hit comedy-drama series that aired on ABC from 1988 until 1993 that starred Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, a boy facing rites of passage on his way to adulthood . Cagney & Lacey (TV Series 1981–1988) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Two female police detectives cooperate with each other both in their professions and in their personal lives. Creators: An advocate for the handicapped demands something be done about a rash of robberies against the disabled. Chris goes undercover in a wheelchair and finds herself smitten with the activist. 8.6 Chris poses as a nun as part of an investigation into missing drugs from a hospital. Meanwhile, Mary Beth vanishes after a last-minute vacation cancellation. 8.5 Christine's date-rape case against Brad Potter goes to trial. Meanwhile, Harvey Lacey, Jr. disappears from his Marine training.

8.5 22 July 2008 12:00 PM, -08:00 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News Around The Web a list of 46 titles created 28 May 2013 a list of 38 titles created 11 May 2014 a list of 30 titles created 27 Feb 2015 a list of 40 titles created 10 months ago a list of 23 titles created 7 months ago Search for " Cagney & Lacey " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Title: Cagney & Lacey (1981–1988) 6.8/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 35 wins & 57 nominations. See more awards » Photos The trials of the former TV station manager, turned newspaper city editor, and his journalist staff. Stars: Edward Asner, Robert Walden, Mason Adams The lives and work of the staff of an inner city police precinct. Stars: Daniel J.

Travanti, Michael Warren, Bruce Weitz The globe-trotting adventures of amateur detectives Jonathan and Jennifer Hart. Stars: Robert Wagner, Stefanie Powers, Lionel Stander The weekly adventures of tough-as-nails veteran police officer Sgt. T.J. Hooker, who rides the beat with his rookie partner Vince Romano. Stars: William Shatner, Heather Locklear, Adrian Zmed A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in his city. Stars: Telly Savalas, Dan Frazer, Kevin Dobson 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X Sam McCloud is a Marshal from a Taos, New Mexico, who takes a temporary assignment in the New York City Police. His keen sense of detail and detecting subtle clues, learned from his experience, enable him to nab unsuspecting criminals despite his unbelieving boss. Stars: Dennis Weaver, J.D. Cannon, Terry Carter The cases of a coroner who investigates suspicious deaths that usually suggest murder. Stars: Jack Klugman, John S.

Ragin, Robert Ito The cases and adventures of the police forces in and around Sparta, Mississippi. Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Alan Autry, David Hart After spending several years in her young adult life in Minneapolis but with her brash Bronx Jewish upbringing in tow and with its associated sarcasm, artistically inclined Rhoda ... See full summary » Stars: Valerie Harper, Julie Kavner, Lorenzo Music Rick Hunter is a renegade cop who breaks the rules and takes justice into his own hands. Partnered with the equally stunning and rebellious Sgt. McCall, the tough-minded duo set out to crack down on L.A.'s slimiest criminals. Stars: Fred Dryer, Stepfanie Kramer, Charles Hallahan The cases of an easy going ex-convict turned private investigator. Stars: James Garner, Noah Beery Jr., Joe Santos The adventures of three sexy female private eyes. Stars: Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith Edit Storyline Television police drama starring two female cops as partners. Their contrasting personalities (one is tough and the other sensitive) strengthen them as a team, allowing each a different perspective on both personal and professional situations.

Written by Tad Dibbern <DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu> 8 October 1981 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Cagney i Lacey See more » Filming Locations: Did You Know? Trivia Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless guest-starred on each other's later shows. Gless appeared on a season 4 episode of Tyne Daly's show "Judging Amy", playing an old classmate of Daly's character Maxine. Tyne Daly, in turn, played a clerk on a season 3 episode of Sharon Gless' hit show "Burn Notice". See more » Quotes Mary Beth Lacey : We go in together and it's 'Hello, Sgt. Cagney,' 'How ya doing, Sgt. Cagney?' I may as well have stayed in the car. Christine Cagney : Oh Mary Beth. Mary Beth Lacey : And when we go to the lab, Solomon offers you sushi, me, I get fiber samples. Don't tell me you never noticed. Christine Cagney : Well, maybe one or two times. You know how men are.

See more » Crazy Credits Actor Sidney Clute passed away during the run of the series. In every episode after his death, his name and picture still appeared in the opening credits. That was done by the producers as a tribute to him. See more » Connections When network TV was worth watching 1 May 2010 | by calvinnme (United States) – See all my reviews This show was unique in that it was the first time that two basically average looking women played the leads in a TV show that was not about the fact that they were just average looking women. The show was also ground-breaking in that both detectives in the partnership were women - smart, capable women. Women had gradually been integrated into TV police forces over the 15 years prior to this series, but they were usually part of a crime-solving team such as on "Ironside". The balance in this show was not through the well-known old cop/young cop formula. Instead, both detectives were 30-something women. The contrast came in the form of their marital status and their personal situations. Lacey was married and a mother, and Cagney was single.

There was a pilot and six episodes during the 1981-1982 season starring an actress other than Sharon Gless as Detective Christine Cagney. In the 1982-1983 season the show settled into the dynamic that made it so popular and which most people remember. 5 of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes The 80 Best TV Shows of the 1980s :: TV :: Lists :: Page 2 :: Paste The 80 Best TV Shows of the 1980s By Josh Jackson | November 11, 2014 | 3:15pm Stars: Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas, Saundra Santiago, Michael Talbott, John Diehl, Olivia Brown Network: NBC There is an urban legend that Miami Vice was birthed after NBC exec Brandon Tartikoff wrote the phrase “MTV cops” on a napkin and presented it to Hill Street Blues writer Anthony Yerkovich. Yerkovich has since dismissed this story, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more concise approximation of the show’s appeal.

Starring Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas as a pair of Miami-based detectives, the show made police work look cooler and sexier than ever before. And while the show’s fashion trends and absurd storylines have not aged well, its cultural influence is impossible to deny. Not to mention, the pilot episode, directed by executive producer Michael Mann, remains one of the most compelling, and visually stunning hours in the history of the medium.—Mark Rozeman 59. Reading Rainbow Creator: Cecily Truett Lancit, Laurence Lancit, Twila Liggett, Lynne Ganek, Tony Buttino Stars: LeVar Burton Network: PBS Reading Rainbow could probably attribute much of its success to its catchy theme song (Which can now be viewed in sing-along form) although it may have had more to do with LeVar Burton, the show’s amicable and charming host, and the plethora of great books showcased on the series over the course of its 23-year run. The PBS show began in 1983 and quickly grew in popularity with elementary-aged children, as well as their parents and teachers. The show was fun, engaging and made reading exciting: a trifecta of perfect children’s programming.

And who doesn’t have fond memories of seeing the TV cart roll into their classroom specifically to watch an episode of Reading Rainbow? Each episode of the show followed a basic format: Burton would give a quirky introduction to a book, which would then be read and further explored through a series of stories and videos. The final segment offered a few library book recommendations from kids (just like you!) who each gave a quick summary of their selected book. While the show lasted 21 seasons, it wasn’t quite long enough; LeVar Burton recently launched the Reading Rainbow App to encourage a new generation of kids to enjoy reading. But you don’t have to take our word for it.—Ann-Marie Morris 58. Fraggle Rock Stars: Marlin Perkins, Jim Fowler Network: NBC Before the Discovery Channel, The Travel Channel and Animal Planet, there was Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, taking its audience on a trip around the world to see the animals in their natural habitat. Jim Fowler would venture into the field while Marlin Perkins would remain stateside, teaching us about the animals. It was better than a trip to the zoo.—Josh Jackson 56.

The Love Boat Original Run: 1977-87 Creator: Jeraldine Saunders Stars: Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Lauren Tewes, Jill Whelan, Ted McGinley, Pat Klous Network: ABC An hour-long sitcom/drama with a laugh track that featured storylines that sometimes didn’t even involve the regular cast, a variety of tones even within the same episode and a penchant for crossing over with other TV shows (from Fantasy Island to Charlie’s Angels)—The Love Boat was its own kind of show. If you didn’t guest star on The Love Boat in the ’80s, you probably didn’t have a SAG card. You never really knew what you were going to get each week except that Your Captain Stubing and his crew would make sure that everything worked out in the end.—Josh Jackson 55. Married… With Children Original Run: 1987-97 Creator: Michael G.

Moye, Ron Leavitt Stars: Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate, David Faustino, Amanda Bearse, david Garrison, Ted McGinley Network: Fox The show that Fox built its empire on, Married…with Children may seem fairly tame by today’s standards. At the time, however, the show represented a fierce subversion of the traditional family sitcom, using Al and Peggy Bundy’s blatant ineptitude as parents for comedy fodder. It was crass, controversial and often very funny. Although the series inevitably begin to show major cracks after 11 years, the comedy stylings of its cast were always good for at least a chuckle. It was a show with a certain charm, even if it avoided sentimentality like the plague.—Mark Rozeman 54.

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Original Run: 1972-85 Creator: Bill Cosby, Ken Mundie Stars: Bill Cosby, Lou Scheimer, Jan Crawford, Gerald Edwards, Eric Suter, Erika Carroll, Demetra McHenry, Lane Vaux Network: CBS Bill Cosby ’s legendary animated series was winding down in the ’80s, but new episodes were produced off and on until 1985. Once deemed too educational for Saturday mornings by NBC, Cosby took his series to CBS, where it flourished thanks to one of the most memorable cartoon characters of all time. Fat Albert was the heavyset angel on our shoulders, finding the right course in every sticky scenario.—Josh Jackson 53. MacGyver Stars: Richard Dean Anderson, Dana Elcar Network: ABC Not every TV character has his name become a verb, but man if he didn’t MacGyver his way out of every sticky scenario he encountered with a couple rubber bands, a battery, a paper clip and some duct tape. Oh, and that Swiss Army knife—got to have a Swiss Army knife.

For its 139-episode run, Richard Dean Anderson’s MacGyver was the patron saint of non-violent (or at least minimally violent) resourcefulness, and the greatest joy of the show seeing what nifty trick he would employ next.—Josh Jackson 52. Dallas Original Run: 1978-91 Creator: David Jacobs Stars: Larry Hagman, Barbara Bel Geddes, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Steve Kanaly, Victoria Principal, George Kennedy, Charlene Tilton, Ken Kercheval Network: CBS The king of all prime-time soaps, Dallas had the whole nation (and beyond) wondering what would happen next, especially on March 21, 1980, when J.R. Ewing was shot twice outside his office by a mysterious assailant. When the show returned that November, 76 percent of all TV viewers (90 million Americans) were tuned in to find out Who Shot J.R. For comparison’s sake, the most-watched episode of Desperate Housewives drew just over 30 million viewers. It was a phenomenon that reached all the way to the Queen of England.

Not bad for a melodrama about a Texas oil tycoon.—Josh Jackson 51. Police Squad! Creators: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker Stars: Leslie Nielson, Alan North, Peter Lupus, Ed Williams, William Duell Network: ABC Of the many single season and done series that have littered the highway to TV glory, Police Squad! ranks as one of the greatest. It took Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker’s brilliant work on the films Airplane! and The Kentucky Fried Movie to the small screen while not losing one iota of its anarchic energy and strange logic. A pitch-perfect parody, the show captured the gravitas of the police procedural and injected it with sight gags, bad puns, and slapstick action. If nothing else, it helped bring the character of Lieutenant Frank Drebin into the world, the dim but well-meaning cop given a second life via the Naked Gun films.—Robert Ham 50. Designing Women Stars: Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Jean Smart, Annie Potts, Meshach Taylor, Alice Ghostley Network: CBS Designing Women was worth watching for Dixie Carter’s impassioned monologues alone.

A Republican in real life, her character was a champion of the left, a counter to her sister, played by Delta Bourke. And the broad comedy, along with the program that aired right after on CBS, Murphy Brown, used its humor to address topical issues from AIDS and homophobia to racism and domestic violence. On a personal level, I just loved seeing a sitcom set in Georgia whose characters weren’t all rednecks.—Josh Jackson 49. Mork & Mindy Creator: Garry Marshall, Dael McRaven, Joe Glauberg Stars: Robin Williams, Pam Dawber, Jay Thomas, Gina Hecht, Jonathan Winters Network: ABC The world was introduced to Robin Williams playing the Mork from the planet Ork on an episode of Happy Days. His talent was so apparent that ABC gave him his own show. His comedy was already alien, and the mile-a-minute slapstick of that first season felt completely original. Things went largely downhill from there with the introduction of Jonathan Winters as Mork and Mindy’s “baby” in Season 4, but even bad Mork & Mindy was better than most sitcoms of its era.—Josh Jackson 48.

Yes Minister Creator: Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn Stars: Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds Network: BBC Two No one does incisive political satire quite like our former rulers across the pond. Set in the fictional “Department of Administrative Affairs,” Yes Minister centers on government minister Jim Hacker, an idealistic and naïve politician who quickly finds his ambitions for reform being stifled by government bureaucracy. Featuring a hilarious supporting cast, Yes Minister reiterates the idea that—even in the halls of power—people can still be as petty and immature as those working in more traditional office environments. In this way, the show paved the way for the likes of today’s modern political comedies like The Thick of It and Veep.—Mark Rozeman 47. It’s Garry Shandling’s Show Original Run: 1986-90 Creator: Garry Shandling, Alan Zweibel Stars: Garry Shandling, Geoffrey Blake, Molly Cheek, Jessica Harper Network: Showtime The goal for most standups in the ’80s was to get famous enough to have an entire sitcom developed around themselves and their onstage persona.

It was a concept ripe for parody, which for four seasons, Garry Shandling did with his titular show. Everything about it was self-aware: the characters acknowledged and interacted with the studio audience, guest stars were apropos of nothing, and no one let you forget the plasticity of the TV making experience. Like never before, viewers felt like they were in on the joke and it only made the actual jokes on the show that much funnier.—Robert Ham 46. The Dukes of Hazzard Original Run: 1979-85 Creator: Gy Waldron, Jerry Rushing Stars: John Schneider, Tom Wopat, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, Ben Jones, Sorrell Booke, James Best, Sonny Shroyer, Peggy Rea Network: CBS There were plenty of cops shows when The Dukes of Hazzard first aired in 1979—but the cops were usually the good guys. But Rosco P. Coltrane was in the pocket of corrupt county commissioner Boss Hogg.

The Duke boys may not have always followed the letter of the law, running moonshine for Uncle Jesse, but as the song says, they were “never meaning no harm.” An ex-stockcar-racer and a former boxer/Marine sliding across the hood of the General Lee, the Dukes represented good, simple folks fighting against the crooked establishment; people tuned in for that romantic ideal—or, who am I kidding, for cousin Daisy.—Josh Jackson 45. Murder, She Wrote Stars: Angela Lansbury, William Windom, Tom Bosley, Ron Masak Network: CBS One of the best things about Murder, She Wrote is the improbability of there being so many random murders for Jessica Fletcher to solve. Consider: The woman is not a professional detective. She’s not employed by a police department, and she doesn’t typically travel to a location in order to solve a mystery. Rather, they just constantly happen around her. Every single day, crimes occur in her vicinity. If she goes on vacation, someone at the resort WILL be murdered—it’s just a matter of time.

So in a way, the series is really about a woman who radiates a field of death and destruction that ruins the lives of everyone she crosses paths with. Oh, and also Angela Lansbury is extremely entertaining in the role. —Jim Vorel 44. The Golden Girls Stars: Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty Network: NBC It’s hard to imagine NBC making a show like this today—how would four elderly women with clashing personalities attract the coveted 18-39 demo? Dorothy (Bea Arthur) is the put-upon voice of reason. Her snarky mother Sophia (Estelle Getty) is always ready with a pithy one-liner. Blanche (Rue McClanahan) reminisces constantly about nights of passionate romance. And all of this goes right over the head of doe-eyed, naive Rose (Betty White). Through it all, the show has a lot of heart and you can tell that these four women care deeply for each other. And the Golden Girls’ adventures found an eager audience, ranking in the top 10 during its first six seasons.—Liz Shinn 43.

The A-Team Original Run: 1983-87 Creators: Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell Stars: George Peppard, Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Mr. T, Melinda Culea, Marla Heasley, Eddie Velez and Robert Vaughn Network: NBC The A-Team was like the live-action adaptation of a Saturday morning cartoon, G.I. Joe for slightly older audiences. In the style of The Incredible Hulk, it’s one of those “traveling adventure” shows—each week, the A-Team hits a new locale to help out a new group of people by driving their combat van through a brick wall. Its success is all thanks to its instantly iconic characters—strategist Hannibal, con man “Face,” wild man Murdock and Mr. T as B.A. Baracus, the role that has literally defined the man’s entire life. Honestly, if Mr. T hadn’t landed the role of B.A. Baracus, what would he have done with his life?—Jim Vorel 42.

Cagney & Lacey Creator: Barbara Avedon, Barbara Corday Stars: Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Al Waxman, John Karlen, Carl Lumbley, Harvey Atkin Network: CBS Cagney & Lacey was a straight-forward police procedural, most notable for the on-screen chemistry of its two stars. Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless dominated the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama, trading off wins from 1982 to 1988. Daly’s working mom Mary Beth Lacey and Gless’s single-minded Christine Cagney gave a not-often-seen female perspective to the male-dominated cop drama.—Josh Jackson Creators: Sydney Newman, C.E. Webber, Donald Wilson Stars: Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylester McCoy Network: BBC One The ’80s were a strange time for everyone. Doctor Who was certainly no exception. Upon entering a new decade, the beloved sci-fi series found itself struggling to find a new identify in the wake of long-time star Tom Baker’s departure. This resulted in several ill-fated decisions, the most obvious being the abysmal eyesore that was the Sixth Doctor’s rainbow outfit.

And yet, despite large stretches of mediocre storylines and embarrassing monster designs (even by low-budget BBC standards), the show also yielded moments of transcendental greatness, from Fifth Doctor Peter Davidson’s phenomenal final episode (perhaps the best in the show’s history) to the later serials starring Sylvester McCoy’s Machiavellian Seventh Doctor. Sadly, the decade would end with the long-running show being put on an indefinite hiatus. Much like the eccentric Time Lord himself, however, the series would find itself regenerating in due time…—Mark Rozeman 1980s Mystery Detective TV Shows - MysteryNet.com 1980s Mystery Detective TV Shows The 80s: Waiting for Jessica The 80s began with a charming hunk on the beaches of Hawaii and ended with a nice middle-aged lady chasing down murderers between churning out novels. Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988) debuted in the closing weeks of 1980 and pretty obviously was designed to capture the free-orm humor of The Rockford Files and the island ambiance of Hawaii 5-0, the two great hits than ended earlier that year.

It managed to do both quite well and made a star of Tom Selleck. But good as it was, it probably wasn’t the most important show of the decade. Just over a year after Magnum’s debut, what was to become the most acclaimed cop series ever slipped onto the scene. Somehow, Hill Street Blues (1981-1987) managed to survive all the complaints that it was too confusing and dreadful first season ratings. From then on, the show garnered Emmys by the handful and made the multiple, overlapping storyline a staple of the TV police procedural. Of course, it could be argued equally well that the most important show of the 80s was Cagney & Lacey (1982-1988, with interruptions), since it was both the first female buddy series and an expiation for the sins of Charlie’s Angels. The show was deeply resented by many when it first appeared because it replaced the popular newspaper drama Lou Grant on the CBS schedule, but it was later saved from oblivion when its viewers mounted a successful write-in campaign after its cancellation in 1983. Mary Beth and Christine were a long, long way from chicks in bikinis.

Other major cop series appeared during the decade. The glitzy and glamorous Miami Vice (1984-1989) was a ground-breaking effort whose fast pacing, pounding music and wild sex and violence made it an instant hit; Crime Story (1986-1988), a period piece set in 1960s Chicago and Las Vegas, starred real life cop turned actor Dennis Farina, and Wiseguy (1987-1990), the adventures of deep-cover operative Vinnie Terranova, was memorable for its charmingly scary villains and extended story arcs. On other fronts, Remington Steele (1982-1987) thrived on the will-they-or-won’t- they? attraction between its two attractive principals and the British charm of Pierce Brosnan’s con man turned private investigator. Moonlighting (1985-1989) worked a variation on the same theme before it was done in by erratic scheduling and an unwise resolution of the sexual tension between Maddie Hayes and David Addison.

In The Equalizer (1985-1989), British actor Robert Woodward played a retired spy who ran a daily advertisement in The New York Times offering his services to people in trouble. On Matlock (1986-1995), Andy Griffith did the Perry Mason bit with a nice Southern drawl. L.A. Law (1986-1994), incorporating many of the techniques used so successfully on Hill Street, involved enough criminal cases to warrant the attention of mystery fans. And William Conrad, who’d been the first portly PI on the small screen, lent his bulk to a prosecutorial role in Jake and the Fatman (1987-1992). The 80s also marked the debut of the extraordinary Mystery! (1980-) on PBS. This wonderful anthology series continues to bring such unforgettable detectives as Sherlock Holmes, Lord Peter Wimsey, Hercule Poirot and Inspector Maigret to the TV screen weekly to the delight of mystery fans everywhere.

Several “Rumpole of the Bailey” segments starring Leo McKern proved extremely popular and the “Prime Suspect” segments, starring Helen Mirren as the estimable Deputy Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, were undoubtedly Mystery!‘s greatest hits and among the best TV crime shows ever. An eclectic lineup of hosts has included Gene Shalit, Vincent Price, and Diana Rigg. And yet, when all was said and done, a rank amateur won the day and the decade. Debuting on Sept. 30, 1984, Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996) went on to become the longest-running crime show of all time, 264 episodes worth, and ranked as TV’s highest-rated drama series for a record nine consecutive seasons, from 1985 to 1994. For now at least, Jessica Fletcher rules.

Cagney & Lacey - Classic TV Database Cagney & Lacey Added to the database on September 23, 2008 Rate Cast & Characters | Broadcast History | Theme Song | DVDs | Watch Episodes | Photos | Trivia | Comments Cagney & Lacey is a sitcom that aired on the CBS for seven seasons from 1981 to 1988. A police procedural, the show stars Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless as New York City police detectives who led very different lives: Christine Cagney (Gless) was a single, career-minded woman, while Mary Beth Lacey (Daly) was a married working mother. The series was set in a fictionalized version of Manhattan's 14th Precinct. Directed by Karen Arthur, written by a female team, and starring two filmic heroes of the feminist movement--Sharon Gless as Christine Cagney and Tyne Daly as Mary-Beth Lacey--the show pioneered on-screen presentation of independent, working women.

With Cagney as the career-minded single woman, and Lacey as the mother/wife juggling job with home time, the two detectives serve as foil characters, the way other cop shows such as ChiPs, Moonlighting, or Charlie's Angels starred police with opposing opinions. But where other shows cast the foxiest people possible, Cagney & Lacey relied on character development instead of sex. Tyne Daly as Detective Mary Beth Lacey Meg Foster as Detective Chris Cagney (1982) Sharon Gless as Detective Chris Cagney (1982-1988) Al Waxman as Lt. Bert Samuels Carl Lumbly as Detective Mark Petrie Martin Kove as Detective Victor Isbecki Jason Bernard as Detective Paul La Guardia (192-1985) Harvey Atkin as Desk Sergeant Ronald Coleman John Karlen as Harvey Lacey Tony La Torre as Harvey Lacey Jr.

Troy Slaten as Michael Lacey First Telecast: March 25, 1982 Last Telecast: May 16, 1988 Original Network: March 1982- April 1982, CBS, Thursday 9:00-10:00pm October 1982- September 1983, CBS, Monday 10:00-11:00pm March 1984- December 1987, CBS, Monday 10:00-11:00pm January 1988- April 1988, CBS, Tuesday 10:00-11:00pm April 1988- May 1988, CBS, Monday 10:00-11:00pm {videobox}/media/video/cagneyandlacey.mp4{/videobox} Theme by Bill Conti Listen to theme song: {mp3}CagneyandLacey{/mp3} Purchase theme song from Amazon.com Purchase theme on Cagney & Lacey Trivia Sharon Gless was not the first Detective

 Christine Cagney.

Loretta Swit played the role in the TV pilot movie and Meg Foster was Cagney in the first regular episodes. Sharon Gless replaced Foster after the first few episodes. The Cagney And Lacey pilot got huge ratings when it aired so CBS rushed it into production in time to air in mid-season. The ratings were very poor and CBS decided that the two main characters (Daly and Foster) were too "hard"; in other words, too "women's lib" and not feminine enough. When Meg Foster was replaced with the very feminine Sharon Gless ratings improved slightly. The show also got a lot of attention over the anti "women's lib" casting decision. CBS decided that it wasn't enough improvement and cancelled Cagney And Lacey. There were so many complaint letters from hard-core fans that CBS changed their minds and the show went on to become a hit and aired for 5 more seasons! The women's lib contraversy was well deserved. While explaining the reason for hiring Sharon Gless, an unnamed CBS executive said the following in an interview with TV guide, "They were too harshly women's lib, too tough, too hard and not feminine.

The American public doesn't respond to the bra burners, the fighters, the women who insist on calling manhole covers - people hole covers. We perceived them as dykes." Tyne Daly's brother is Timothy Daly ("Wings" and "Private Practice")! She is also the granddaughter of former Supreme Court Chief Justice, "Earl Warren"! Then years later, Tyne starred on the series, "Judging Amy (1999)" as the mother of a Judge. Sharon Gless and the producer of Cagney And Lacey, Barney Rosenzweig married in 1991. Sharon's grandfather, Neil McCarthy, was an entertainment lawyer who represented Louis B. Mayer, Cecil B. DeMille and Howard Hughes! Sharon has the distinction of being the last performer to work under a standard studio contract! She signed a 10-year contract in 1974 and eight years later in 1982, all others had expired. For every single one of the full seasons on the air, one of the Cagney And Lacey lead actresses won the Emmy for Best Actress in a drama series! Tyne Daly won four times and Sharon Gless won twice!

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Question: In which 1980s American TV show are the two main characters called Christine and Mary Beth?
Answer: Cagney And Lacey