The 80s – time of frosted eye shadow, big hair (to achieve the look – lick a socket) and clothing that were designed almost exclusively from man-made materials. Questionable fashion aside, TV shows at the time were really good.
Call us nostalgic but we wonder sometimes what some of our favorite TV characters would be up to today. We don’t really believe in reboot shows (The new 90210? Blech!), but we can get on board with one-off specials. Here are five shows we’d love to see revisited for one off specials, do let us know your favorites in the comments.
Santa Barbara
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-53s_1bdC5k
Oh Santa Barbara how we miss thee! We are fully aware it was a kitschy soap. But lives were rearranged for that show, episodes were recorded on VCR tapes (remember those?) and then gobbled down in one sitting (before binge watching was even a term). Santa Barbara was our crack at the time.
Sure the storylines were farfetched and we loved how they changed actors all.the.time. and then we were just supposed to go with it… Bizarre. Not uncommon (Dynasty anyone?) but bizarre nonetheless. Wouldn’t you love to know what happened to Eden and Cruz (aka the soppiest couple ever), whether Gina is still up to her old tricks or if C. C. is still doing his head tilt thing? Now that we think about it – we do hope that Mason and Julia managed to last (in the pretend fantasy world normally inhabited by Twi-Hards).
Perfect Strangers
Aahhh Balki and cousin Larry! About the humble and good-natured shepherd from Mypos, who often got the wrong end of the stick and his grumpy, neurotic reporter of a cousin, Perfect Strangers was a source of many laughs at the time (the series did last eight seasons after all, so we weren’t the only ones who found it funny). We’d love to know what happened to Balki, Mary Anne, Larry and Jennifer. But also let’s not forget Dimitri, the stuffed sheep.
The Cosby Show
Was there ever a more perfect TV family than the Huxtables? We raked our brains, but we cannot think of anyone else who could live up to the ideal. Everyone loved the Cosby Show (and everyone did watch the Cosby Show at the time). But the brilliance of it is, you can watch it today and the storylines are relevant. (If you ignore the fashion that is. On the other hand, you might not want to, good lord above did we all walk around wearing that stuff?) Be as it may, we’d LOVE to know where all the Huxtable kids are, how they fared in life and how are Cliff and Clair doing.
Family Ties
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE4a3KdIQiY
Family Ties made Michael J. Fox a star (coincidentally did you know the role of Alex P. Keaton was first offered to Matthew Broderick?) The Keatons were another TV family 80s kids grew up with. Dippy Elyse and Steven, buttoned up Alex, ditzy Mallory, tomboy Jennifer and little Andy were another family we couldn’t get enough of. We do wonder what happened to the Keatons (and we wouldn’t be surprised to learn Alex was behind all the shenanigans at Goldman Sachs).
Bosom Buddies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOKNgNFeC4s
Do you remember Bosom Buddies? How could you not – it featured Tom Hanks in drag! Bosom Buddies was a sitcom about Kip (played by Hanks) and Henry (played by Peter Scolari), who found cheap digs at Susan B. Anthony Hotel. The only catch? The hotel was women only. Which meant Kip and Henry had to dress in drag. Kip and Henry got into all sorts of shenanigans and the show was funny.
But the 1980s writers strike and constant change of the time slot did nothing for the series ratings (it was cancelled after two seasons). It would be nice to know what happened to Kip and Henry – whether their advertising company was a success and if they had to leave their cross-dressing days behind. Or maybe they appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
CNJ says
Facts of Life. Tootie, Natalie, Blair and Jo. And a young George Clooney. It was fabulous.