Top 5 Cartoons of the 80s
By Ryan Zimmerman Ryan here, and back with an all new Top 5 this week: 5. He-Man: Masters of the Universe He-Man was THE Man (say “THE” with the long “e” . . . sounds way cooler). He had the power of Grayskull and used his HE-roics to take on Skeletor and his evil empire. When he wasn’t roided up, he was just Adam–boring old Adam. At least Adam wore pants, and not a He-Mana Hammock, but I digress. He also had a twin...
Top 5 Most Annoying TV Characters From The 80s
By Ryan Zimmerman Hey Everyone — it’s Ryan, back with my weekly Top 5. This week’s list is “The most annoying TV characters from the 80s” — enjoy! 5. Dave Coulier as “Joey Gladstone” AND Andrea Barber as “Kimmy Gibbler” Full House: Too incredibly annoying to pick just one, Joey and Kimmy storm onto our countdown at #5. Joey was a comedian — although his jokes were as lame as Bob Saget’s . . . well . . . as lame as Bob Saget....
Top 5 Kid Shows of the 80s
By Ryan Zimmerman Ryan here . . . back with my weekly Top 5 . . . This week “Top Kid Shows of the 80s.” These shows had you glued to the tube in 80s. 5. Double Dare (1986-1993) I’ll take the physical challenge! Nickelodeon broke out the dares and the debauchery known as Double Dare back in the 80s. Teams would battle back and forth on trivia questions and inevitably, physical challenges . . . hilarity would then ensue. The...
Growing Pains (1985-1992)
By Ryan Zimmerman “Show me that smile again. . . .” That opening line to the Growing Pains’ theme song holds a special place in my life. It sits there, affectionately sandwiched, between my Colecovision and my tight-rolled pants, deep inside my heart as a true staple of 80s culture. The Seaver family – Jason, Maggie, Mike, Carol, Ben and Chrissy – were warmly greeted into my home every Wednesday night. Well, except for Chrissy. She...
Why We All Loved Alice
The 1975 movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore was a big hit, so it was no surprise when the television show Alice aired in 1976. However, no one could have predicted the show’s success or the fact that the show would successfully air until 1985, when the final season ran. The show revolved around a character named Alice (played by Linda Lavin), whose husband had died in an accident. Alice and her son Tommy leave New York and head to...
80s-Style TV Romance – Beauty & the Beast
The 80s brought us some great television, but one of the best shows of all time was definitely Beauty and the Beast. No, not quite Disney’s 1991 animated version – but a grown up take on this classic story starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. The show debuted on September 5, 1987. The storyline of this grown-up tale revolves around Vincent (Ron Perlman) and Catherine (Linda Hamilton). Catherine plays a New York district...
MacGyver – 80s TV (1985-1992)
If I say “shoe string, bubble gum, house key and hair spray equals powerful door-blasting bomb” what comes to mind? If you said MacGyver, you survived the 80s. If you had no idea, it’s time to get a clue, McFly. MacGyver ran for seven fun-filled, nail-biting seasons from September 29, 1985, to May 21, 1992 on ABC. And, while he spilled over into the 90s, we at Like Totally 80s will claim him as our own. The show centered...
One Day at a Time
Wasn’t TV so much better in the 80s? It definitely showcased more talent. I mean, anyone can get up in front of a camera on reality television and make a fool of himself. The TV shows of the 80s actually had scripts and plots! One of the best of these 80s TV shows was One Day at a Time. Arguably, this show was as much 70s and it was 80s (it ran from 1975 – 1984), but we’ll claim it here at Like Totally 80s. It hit its height in...
Diff’rent Strokes, 1978 – 1986
If forced to pick five favorites from among the great TV shows of the 80s, Diff’rent Strokes would definitely make the cut. The show wasn’t just about laughs, it was about breaking social and cultural barriers while learning about the important things in life – and, of course, it had Arnold’s catch phrase, “Whatchou talkin’ bout Willis?” (see video below). Diff’rent Strokes first aired in 1978 and...
80s TV – Nielsen Ratings Top Shows by Year
We were clearly obsessed with the Ewing and Huxtable families in the 80s; of the eleven years shown below (stretching slightly back into 1979 and forward into 1990 to account for the span of a television season), “Dallas” and “The Cosby Show” took the top spot a whopping eight times! Top 80s TV Show by Year 1979–1980: 60 Minutes (CBS) 1980–1981: Dallas (CBS) 1981–1982: Dallas (CBS) 1982–1983: 60 Minutes (CBS)...
80s TV – Then and Now . . .
Whoever said “What comes around, goes around” can “KISS MY GRITS!” Most of today’s popular TV shows are clearly attempting replication of the glory days of television – the 1980s. But in the end, they are simply poor substitutes for the veritable feast of legendary television we enjoyed 20 years ago. CSI? Give me Crockett and Tubbs any day . . . everyone knows that real men wear hot pink blazers and white pants. X-Files was clearly a...
General Hospital: The Soap Opera of the 80s
Okay, so the 80s didn’t exactly bring us General Hospital since the soap actually launched in the 60s, but General Hospital did start setting trends in the 80s that many other soap operas followed. For instance, the idea of the infamous super-couple, like the ones that soaps like Days of Our Lives and As The World Turns currently feature, was started by General Hospital in the 80s. General Hospital also introduced fast-paced...
Then & Now: Soleil Moon Frye
Ever wonder what happened to the cute and spunky Soleil Moon Frye, star of the 80s feel good show Punky Brewster? Well, here’s the scoop (and pictures) that tell it all. Then: She began acting at age two after seeing both her father and brother in their TV roles. She went on to be the star of the 80s family show, Punky Brewster (1984-1988), Soleil Moon Frye captured hearts and taught valuable everyday lessons to viewers. Where...
Then & Now: Lee Horsley
Ever wonder what happened to the uber-hunky Lee Horsley, star of the 80s detective show, Matt Houston? Well, here’s the scoop (and pictures) that tell it all. Then: Star of the 80s detective show, Matt Houston, Lee Horsley hit his peak in fame in the mid 1980s. He starred in several other roles on big 80s shows like Dynasty and The Love Boat. Where is Lee now and what is he up to? Take a look below. Then… Now…...
The Enviable and Exciting Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. was the traditional eighties detective television show. Magnum was a security professional working on the estate of a wealthy (and I mean WEALTHY) writer. In exchange for his services, Magnum was provided with a nice residence in Hawaii and got to drive a red-hot Ferrari. If only we could all be so lucky. With a ton of action and a young Tom Selleck starting as Magnum, it’s no wonder Magnum, P.I. was a hit with men and...
