Classic TV comedies from the 1980′s feel ageless. With service from DirectStarTV.com, find reruns of these 80′s sitcoms to enjoy even in 2013. Here are some of the best comedy shows from the 1980s.
On the air from 1982 through 1993, Cheers focused on the main room of a bar in Boston. The owner, Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson was a retired pitcher with the Boston Red Sox and a recovering alcoholic. Cheers most often, tackled social issues with the Burrows brothers comedic writing spin, along with implementing the on again/off again relationship between Malone, and his academically and socially superior waitress, Diane Chambers, portrayed by Shelly Long.
Additional characters included Norm Peterson, an out of work accountant/house painter who arrived each episode to a resounding “NORM!” by the the bar patrons; Cliff Clavin, a postal worker who would challenge Trivial Pursuit for possession of the world’s most little known factoids; Carla Tortelli, a smart-mouth waitress that was the antithesis of Chambers, and bartender Woody Boyd, a country bumpkin with a heart of gold.
As later seasons progressed, the show’s focus shifted towards Malone’s struggles with monogamy, and his pursuit of the new bar manager, businesswoman Rebecca Howe, played by Kirstie Alley. At the time of it’s cancellation, the final episode of Cheers was one of the highest-rated single episodes in television history.
Family Ties, which ran from from 1982 through 1989, was a look into the lives of the Keaton family. Steven and Elise, the parents were liberal hippies from the 1960s, and their four children: Alex (Michael J. Fox), Mallory (Justine Bateman), Jennifer (Tina Yothers), and late in the series run Andrew (Brian Bonsall).
Alex, the oldest son was everything that parents Steven and Elise were not: conservative Republican, obsessed with money, elitist, but loved his family and friends. Mallory, a dim-witted girl whose hobbies included shopping and fashion was a constant butt of Alex’s teasing, and Jennifer, the youngest sister was athletic and kind, but simply wanted to be included and “normal”. Alex molded baby brother Andrew into his likeness, that of a conservative mirror image. The Keaton’s lived in suburban Ohio, and the show focused with a mix of both comedy and drama on social issues of the times such as abortion, adoption, women’s rights, and divorce.
Posted March 30, 2013 by admin under Uncategorized