1980
Captain Caveman - now see, I thought this was somehow associated with Rocky & Bullwinkle and about twenty years older
Magnum, P.I. - can't say that I ever actually watched this but I think my mom had a thing for Tom Selleck, whose name is synonomous with this role, no matter how much money Three Men and a Baby made
1981
Entertainment Tonight - I may not have started in '81, but there were a few years when I watched this every night
Hill Street Blues - I recently watched this for the first time along with 21 Jump Street (which was horrible) and was surprised by how familiar the theme song was; I downloaded the song and asked my mom about it, but she said she'd never watched it for all the controversy; I can see why that would be the case, because while the look of the show is dated, the issues it dealt with are completely current.
The Smurfs - even as a kid I wanted to know why there was only one girl and one senior
1982
Cagney & Lacey - another one I think my mom was into
Cheers - I discovered this through reruns and like Hill Street Blues, it's all about the theme song
Newhart - I know my mom loved this one; everytime I meet someone I think of "this is my brother Daryl and my other brother Daryl."
Night Rider - I won't lie, the theme song scared me so much I never could watch the show
Remington Steele - if it wasn't Tom Selleck, I'm definitely sure my mom had a thing for Pierce Brosnan (who is and always will the be the best Bond to me)
1983The A-Team - all these shows that I never actually saw, yet somehow know the theme songs; which came first - this or Rocky III?
Alvin & the Chipmunks - I remember the Adventure movie more than the series and I'm trying to remember which Chipette I liked more - Jeanette or Brittany?
Dungeons and Dragons - I could actually see the animated characters as real people in this fantasy setting
Inspector Gadget - another great song; was he human with mechanical limbs or totally robotic?
The Joy of Painting - with host Bob Ross, may he rest in peace; I thought long and hard about making this #1 on the list to the right; it was so relaxing, it would make my scalp tingle
Reading Rainbow - the only PBS kids' show I liked; Sesame Street seemed cheap to me as a kid (but not as cheap as Gumby) and the puppets on Mister Roger's were scary
Superted - so our parents used to let the VCR babysit us, and this was a rental we kept coming back to
1984
Airwolf - don't think I ever saw it but this is when helicopters became cool
The Cosby Show - a coworker recently asked me which era of Cosby I was, based on which child character I grew up with; there were eight seasons total and I admit the family in the first season was a far cry from the family in the eighth.
Danger Mouse - British cartoon, not the DJ
Jeopardy! (w/Alex Trebek) - hard for me to believe there was ever a different host
Miami Vice - or as my mom called it, "Miami Violence;" she wouldn't let us watch it, and yet it comes to mind anyday I don't shave
Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies - I still want to see the nanny's face; at least adults in the show didn't make that awful noise that they do on Charlie Brown; I hate Peanuts by the way.
Murder, She Wrote - every week, baby
Reading Rainbow - the only PBS kids' show I liked; Sesame Street seemed cheap to me as a kid (but not as cheap as Gumby) and the puppets on Mister Roger's were scary
Superted - so our parents used to let the VCR babysit us, and this was a rental we kept coming back to
1984
Airwolf - don't think I ever saw it but this is when helicopters became cool
The Cosby Show - a coworker recently asked me which era of Cosby I was, based on which child character I grew up with; there were eight seasons total and I admit the family in the first season was a far cry from the family in the eighth.
Danger Mouse - British cartoon, not the DJ
Jeopardy! (w/Alex Trebek) - hard for me to believe there was ever a different host
Miami Vice - or as my mom called it, "Miami Violence;" she wouldn't let us watch it, and yet it comes to mind anyday I don't shave
Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies - I still want to see the nanny's face; at least adults in the show didn't make that awful noise that they do on Charlie Brown; I hate Peanuts by the way.
Murder, She Wrote - every week, baby
Punky Brewster - childhood crush; looking back, I have no idea why.
Tales from the Darkside - much scarier than The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt combined; I think there was an episode my dad used in a Sunday school lesson about how criminals just get a mark on their forehead for however long their sentence and then nobody acknowledges those people with the mark
1985
Amazing Stories - my favorite show as a kid. I rented the DVDs recently and it's not as good as I remember, even with directors like Spielberg, Scorcese, Clint Eastwood, and Brad Bird.
CBS Storybreak - animated adaptations of children's books; my favorite was "The Pig Plantagent"
Disney's The Gummi Bears - my dad recorded all the episodes for my youngest brother and he almost killed us when we taped over them with something else
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors - humans & machines vs. plant-machines; YES
MacGyver - childhood hero; sadly, the mullet AND the show overall has dated
Misfits of Science - a shortlived superhero team without spandex with Courtney Cox
Robotech - if we have a baby girl, we're naming her Miriya after the green-haired character
Thundercats - or as my dad called them, "Dunder, Dunder, Dunder, Dunder Heads" (to the song)
Tales from the Darkside - much scarier than The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt combined; I think there was an episode my dad used in a Sunday school lesson about how criminals just get a mark on their forehead for however long their sentence and then nobody acknowledges those people with the mark
1985Amazing Stories - my favorite show as a kid. I rented the DVDs recently and it's not as good as I remember, even with directors like Spielberg, Scorcese, Clint Eastwood, and Brad Bird.
CBS Storybreak - animated adaptations of children's books; my favorite was "The Pig Plantagent"
Disney's The Gummi Bears - my dad recorded all the episodes for my youngest brother and he almost killed us when we taped over them with something else
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors - humans & machines vs. plant-machines; YES
MacGyver - childhood hero; sadly, the mullet AND the show overall has dated
Misfits of Science - a shortlived superhero team without spandex with Courtney Cox
Robotech - if we have a baby girl, we're naming her Miriya after the green-haired character
Thundercats - or as my dad called them, "Dunder, Dunder, Dunder, Dunder Heads" (to the song)
1986
ALF - wanted the doll
Defenders of the Earth - else how would I know Flash Gordon and The Phantom?
Matlock - superior to Perry Mason
Pee Wee’s Playhouse - stuff like a chair named Cherry kills me
The Real Ghostbusters - some episodes actually scared me, like the "Sandman" one on the Ghostbusters II DVD special features
Silverhawks - always together with Thundercats in my mind; somehow other people know that show but not this one
1987
Beauty and the Beast - go to IMDb and see how many of the shows on this list were written, at least in part, by J. Michael Straczynski (current comic writer)
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future - another video we rented again and again; always connected with Max Headroom in my mind
Ducktales - 'nuff said
Full House - so the house just kept growing rooms and how much do newscasters make anyway?
Married... With Children - Al replaces MacGyver as my hero
The New Adventures of Beans Baxter - not sure if I ever watched a whole episode; it was on late, but the theme song was so cool - similar but better than "Axel F" from Beverly Hills Cop
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - in the original comic they all wear red
1988
Roseanne - check the Halloween DVD - just contains the Halloween episodes from each season
The Wonder Years - I hated Winnie; Julie Condra playing Madeline is the hottest actress ever
Unsolved Mysteries - in the beginning it was more about supernatural mysteries; I stopped watching when they tie it into the FBI's most wanted list
1989
Beetlejuice - the cartoon; although, the movie is very funny too
Chip’n Dale Rescue Rangers - followed the next year by Talespin and then Darkwing Duck
Saved by the Bell - my dad called this soap opera for teenagers; I started when they were in high school and later saw the middle school era on reruns; I only lasted a few episodes for The New Class (about college)
ALF - wanted the doll
Defenders of the Earth - else how would I know Flash Gordon and The Phantom?
Matlock - superior to Perry Mason
Pee Wee’s Playhouse - stuff like a chair named Cherry kills me
The Real Ghostbusters - some episodes actually scared me, like the "Sandman" one on the Ghostbusters II DVD special features
Silverhawks - always together with Thundercats in my mind; somehow other people know that show but not this one
1987Beauty and the Beast - go to IMDb and see how many of the shows on this list were written, at least in part, by J. Michael Straczynski (current comic writer)
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future - another video we rented again and again; always connected with Max Headroom in my mind
Ducktales - 'nuff said
Full House - so the house just kept growing rooms and how much do newscasters make anyway?
Married... With Children - Al replaces MacGyver as my hero
The New Adventures of Beans Baxter - not sure if I ever watched a whole episode; it was on late, but the theme song was so cool - similar but better than "Axel F" from Beverly Hills Cop
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - in the original comic they all wear red
1988
Roseanne - check the Halloween DVD - just contains the Halloween episodes from each season
The Wonder Years - I hated Winnie; Julie Condra playing Madeline is the hottest actress ever
Unsolved Mysteries - in the beginning it was more about supernatural mysteries; I stopped watching when they tie it into the FBI's most wanted list
1989
Beetlejuice - the cartoon; although, the movie is very funny too
Chip’n Dale Rescue Rangers - followed the next year by Talespin and then Darkwing Duck
Saved by the Bell - my dad called this soap opera for teenagers; I started when they were in high school and later saw the middle school era on reruns; I only lasted a few episodes for The New Class (about college)
Seinfeld - started with the reruns
The Simpsons - my parents were against this when it came out; I remember not thinking it was funny while watching my brothers laugh themselves to tears; later I learned to appreciate by watching it from their perspective
Tales from the Crypt - best. opening. credits. ever
Quantum Leap - I've gotta see if I can rent this
The Simpsons - my parents were against this when it came out; I remember not thinking it was funny while watching my brothers laugh themselves to tears; later I learned to appreciate by watching it from their perspective
Tales from the Crypt - best. opening. credits. ever
Quantum Leap - I've gotta see if I can rent this
1 comment:
Ooh, I've heard good things about Quantum Leap. Also, Phil and I will watch Bob Ross on Sundays together--it's the perfect pre-nap show.
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