"What would you do if I sang out of tune/ Would you stand up and walk out on me/ Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song/ And I'll try not to sing out of key." - "A Little Help From My Friends", Joe Cocker version and theme song to "The Wonder Years"
For those of you who may not have been around for the 80s, they were a decade of day-glo clothing, awful hairstyles (the mullet, Jheri Curl, Flock of Seagulls!), valley girl slang, and last but not least, fantastic sitcoms. As a card carrying TV junkie, I thought I would dedicate this post to my top ten favorite sitcoms of the decade I was born and raised in. I realize that some of these shows may have started in the 70s or ran into the 90s, but they are still so totally 80s! Are your favorites on the list?
1. "The Wonder Years" - I absolutely LOVE this show and am so upset it isn't available on DVD. Fred Savage was perfect as Kevin Arnold, the boy next door that had a geeky best friend named Paul, was in love with Winnie Cooper, and had to put up with his terrible older brother, Wayne, the worst character on any show, ever! Set in the 1960s/70s when music was great, cars had muscle, and the Vietnam War was in full swing, this show spoke to my realization that I had been born in the wrong generation and I would have been a hippie like Kevin's sister, Karen, if I had been born 30 years sooner.
2. "Growing Pains" - Two words - Mike Seaver. What girl didn't love Kirk Cameron's cool, goofy, always getting into trouble but still a good guy character? He was the whole reason to watch the show. He may have had bad taste in friends (Boner Stabbone, really?) and not gotten the best grades, but it was obvious that the guy was smart and charming, and he won over the hearts of pretty much every girl in America. One of my favorite Mike Seaver episodes was when he and Dr. Jason Seaver (gotta use the full name!) went to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. Go ahead and belt out "Born in the USA". I'll wait, and maybe sing along.
3. "Family Ties" - This show was so great, and still is! The kids were all fantastic, especially Michael J. Fox as the super-preppy Alex P. Keaton (the P. stood for Peace!), the antithesis to his liberal formerly hippie parents. Then there was boy-crazy, shopping obsessed Mallory, and smart toyboy Jennifer, who I discovered was actually pretty funny as I have watched the reruns as an adult. Later on there was adorable little Andy of course, but the show belonged to Alex. Anyone remember the episode when he took speed? It was so he could stay up and study, of course, but it was kind of funny to see the president of the Young Republicans go a little crazy.
4. "Kate and Allie" - This show never gets the credit it deserves. It was all about two childhood friends who move in together after getting divorces and raise their three kids together. They were a very unconvential family, but it showed that with a little creativity, hard work, and humor, people can come together and get through anything, coming out even better in the end. I just loved Susan St. James's character, Kate McArdle. She was fun, spunky, and always said, "fabulous!" really dramatically, which I remember copying when I was a kid. She was the perfect opposite for Allie Lowell, the pearl-wearing, high strung, formerly upper-crust Connecticut socialite played by the brilliantly hilarious Jane Curtin.
5. "Full House" - Okay, this may not have been a show with the most believable storylines or the best acting in the whole world, but when this show premiered in 1987, it was my all-time favorite. I was in Kindergarten, about the same age as Stephanie, and she was my favorite of the Tanner kids. Then there was awesome big sister DJ, and the adorable Michelle. Yes, she got annoying as the series went on, but as a baby and toddler, the Olsen twins were the cutie pies of "Full House". Oh yeah, and living in the room across the hall complete with pink bunnies on the wallpaper, was Uncle Jesse. John Stamos was the cool rock and roll playing, motorcycle riding uncle, and I especially loved that he played with the Beach Boys. In real life! Remember when his band, The Rippers, ditched him for Barry Williams (Greg Brady) of all people? How rude!
6. "The Cosby Show" - You can't go wrong with the Huxtables! Our favorite Jell-o pudding peddler was always hilarious, and I still enjoy watching this show now. It just doesn't get old! The five kids were all great during the first few seasons (Vanessa got on my nerves later on in the series), especially Denise. I also loved the spin-off, "A Different World", even though she was only on for one season. One of my favorite Cosby episodes featuring Denise (played by Lisa Bonet) was when she made that hideous, funky shirt for Theo. A classic!
7. "WKRP in Cincinatti" - I have not seen every episode ever created like I have with the other shows on this list, but I love it enough to put it in my top 10. Dr. Johnny Fever, the cool, most likely always stoned deejay was the best, and I wish that more seasons would become available on DVD. For those of you who don't know, before coming to WKRP, Johnny Fever was fired from a radio station for saying the word booger. I like to think that Tom Petty's "The Last DJ" is about this character. So funny! As I go on to the next show on my list, I will leave you with these parting words: "As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!" That's from the Turkey's Away episode in Season One. It's available on iTunes, and I highly recommend it.
8. "The Facts of Life" - Jo, Blair, Natalie, Tootie, and Mrs. Garrett. What's not to love? Set in a girls' school with the wise Mrs. Garrett to watch over the four stars, this sitcom was so much fun. Jo Polniaczek (Nancy McKeon) was my favorite because she was street smart and tough, not stuck up and frilly like Blair Warner (Lisa Welchel), who was my least favorite. I also liked Natalie a little later on when I watched this in reruns because she wanted to be a writer. My interests in writing, music, and TV didn't really change much over the years...
9. "Who's the Boss?" - Tony Micelli, of course! Yes, Angela Bower was technically his boss, but Tony ran the house, took care of the kids, and solved the problems. Hmm, I wonder why I liked him the best? Maybe that was some weird foreshadowing into my future job as a nanny... Okay, everyone who remembers this show as well as I do, say it with me: "Ay-oh! Oh-ay!" Gotta love Tony Danza!
10. "Mr. Belvedere" - I remember loving this show when I was a kid, the youngest Owens child, Wesley, in particular, and I discovered when rewatching the first season on DVD recently, that nothing has changed. This is a fantastic show! Wesley is the charming little trouble maker who is always testing poor Mr. Belvedere's patience, and I think I may love it even more now than I did in the 80s when I watched it as a very young child. You never know how shows or movies will really be when the last time you watched them was 20 years ago when you were in elementary school, but this one has stood the test of time for me. Also, I think Mr. Belvedere, the Owen's housekeeper, may be my kindered spirit. He takes care of the kids, always knows how to solve their problems, understands each of them like no one else does, manages the house, and even writes in his journal every night before he goes to bed. Let's see... A professional nanny/house manager who likes to write. Sound familiar?
I hope you enjoyed this blast from the past! I sure did!
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