Best 80's TV Show?

It’s been awhile since we did one of these Best 80’s blah blah and I know how much Pat loves them so let’s do another! Best 80’s TV Show!

I’ll start. Threes Company! Yes the show originally aired in 1976 but it ran until 1984 so in my book that qualifies as 80’s since 1980-84 were some good quality 1980 years.

In fact I still can’t believe they haven’t made one of those block-buster Hollywood movie remakes of it, in 3D of course, like they have with all those other classic shows like the Brady Bunch, The A-Team, and Schindler’s List, which I’m assuming was a remake of Hogan’s Heros. I don’t know, I’ve never seen it.

Or better yet. They should do one of those TV reboot remakes of it but make the new one more dark and sinister. Maybe change the Mr. Furley character to be more like Marlon Brando’s character from Apocalypse Now. Or even better! More like Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs.

This could work.

Plus, Threes Company taught me everything I know about misinterpreting conversations I’m overhearing. Those are skills I still use to this day.

So Pat, what do you think? What’s your pick for Best 80’s TV Show?

Pat: Oh god.

Christian: Not only was “Oh God” a movie (starring George Burns and John Denver) and not a TV show but it also came out in 1977 not in the 80’s. It’s like you’re not even trying Pat.

Come on. There must have been some show you loved watching during the 80’s?

Pat:  Nope. Familiar with all three of the “Oh God” films. Hard not to like George Burns. Easier to not like John Denver. Seen ‘em. They’re okay.

Do I have to? I felt your disapproval on this one before you even started thinking of it. I hope you realize the mental anguish you cause with these questions. I name a show in my head, and automatically the thirty laughing Christians in my head start berating my choice with emphatic condescension. Just call me an idiot, name YOUR favorite show, and let’s move on to the next topic.

NO! WAIT!!!

I’m not giving up that easily!

“Riptide”!  Remember?

HELL, yeah!

Vietnam vets turned private eyes who solve crimes? Cody and Nick, the muscles of the outfit? Boz, the computer whiz (how the hell did HE make it out of--or into, for that matter-- Vietnam?)? That crazy helicopter, the “Screaming Mimi”? Ringing any bells?

(At this point I should tell our readers that I had NO hope of winning this one, so I threw out “Riptide” as an obvious loser, mainly because a long time ago-- when I was catering to deal with the summer ennui that defines a teacher’s life--I worked a wedding that had a very special guest...JOE PENNY! He was my brush with fame, and I’ve never had a forum to gloat about it. So there you go. I worked a wedding at which Joe Penny--from “Riptide”--was a guest. Impressed? By the way, he’s the one sitting IN the car. Yeah. The HOT one! I catered him.)

Hey, and by the way. Just how much of a true “Three’s Company” fan are you? Hmm?

You refer above to how cool it would be if Mr. Furley appeared as some sort of murderous villain, but the picture you inserted showed Mrs. Roper in the apartment with Chrissy. Umm...I don’t think you have your situational-comedy situations correct there buddy!

Christian: First off with regards to your Threes Company image critique. I am talking about a reboot of the series which means story lines and characters can change. And since we are remaking it more as a serious and dark drama/thriller it will need some hot and steamy love triangle story line. And the best Threes Company characters to write a hot and steamy love triangle storyline for is obviously the Ropers and Mr. Furley. Thus the picture with both the Mrs. Roper and Mr. Furley characters.

Now back to your suggestion. Man I haven’t thought about Riptide since it aired. As soon as you listed off all those things about the show all the memories came rushing back to me. I must have suppressed them until now for some reason. Probably because the cast was such a bunch of D-list celebrities, especially that Joe Penny.    

I was a fan of the show but you are right, no way is it a winner. It’s just one of those many 1980’s shows that for some reason felt the need to have a signature motorized vehicle be a central part of the show. In the case of Riptide it was the “Screaming Mimi.” Here are a few others:

Knight Rider

Dukes Of Hazzard

A-Team

Magnum P.I. actually had two! (Probably why it was so good)

Hardcastle and McCormick

Airwolf

Small Wonder

So as you can see, there was nothing special about Riptide. Except for it’s incredibly forgettable cast of non-celebrities.

What about Silver Spoons? You seem like a Silver Spoons kind of guy. Why don’t you suggest that.

Pat:  It probably wouldn’t be a good idea at this time to confess to you that I was SUCH a fan of “Silver Spoons” that I once wrote a fan letter to Ricky Schroeder addressed simply, “Ricky Schroeder, Hollywood, California.” Fucker never wrote me back!

I can name virtually every star (JASON BATEMAN!!!!) who appeared on that show (ALFONSO RIBIERO!!!!) and I can sing the theme song (ERIN GRAY!!!!<---she played “Wilma” on Buck Rogers!) and I could probably draw the floor plans to the mansion they lived in (JOHN HOUSEMAN!!!!).

Christian: No. I don’t think Silver Spoons is worthy of Best 80’s TV Show. I can name several that without a doubt are better selections than Silver Spoons. Cheers, Family Ties, Miami Vice just to name a few. And I think pretty much everyone remembers Jason Bateman, Alfonso Ribiero, and Erin Gray, and John Houseman were on Silver Spoons. But did you remember Sharon Stone?

In your face Pat!

Also, Facts of Life, Night Court, Bosom Buddies.

Pat:  What the hell? Don’t you DARE try to steal my thunder (Ooh! Blue Thunder! That was a vehicle show you missed! BURN!). NOBODY knew that those people were on that show. Just me.

And I can sing the “Facts of Life” theme song by heart, too. Impressed? I probably shouldn’t say at this time that I had a HUGE crush on Jo Polniaczek (Nancy McKeown...sister of Philip McKeown, himself a star on “Alice”). No, not Blair, the hot one. Jo, the future auto mechanic. Something about the way she could fix a bike or punch a bully turned me on.

Quick! Without looking it up, who sang the theme song to “Bosom Buddies”?

You tapped into something really dangerous here, buddy. My life was WASTED during the 80s on bad TV. I tried to steer you away, but nooooooooooo! You HAD to push this one.

Get ready to get schooled! I’m not even gonna’ need Google™ or Wikipedia™ on this one!

Christian: First off, I didn’t miss Blue Thunder. I had listed it but it seemed like I had too many as it was so I removed it. Did you know that a pre-Saturday Night Live Dana Carvey was on the show Blue Thunder? I didn’t think you did.

And could you have asked an easier question than who sang the “Bosom Buddies” song? No, you couldn’t have. Billy Joel.

It sounds like you are suggesting a duel here. Perhaps our next post topic shall be a battle to see who has the most useless 80’s TV knowledge. With no Google or Wikipedia usage allowed. Are you game?

Also, since you only had the feeble suggestions of Riptide and Silver Spoons as the Best 80’s TV Show, we’ll just go ahead and say the best was Threes Company so that we have some closure here.

Pat: NO! I refuse (to admit Three’s Company wins, that is, not to the duel). Three’s Company may in fact win in the end--it WAS a pretty good show full of amazingly diverse versions of the same plot line--but it won’t win without a noble fight!

Shall I even suggest the social implications of progressive show that pushed the race issue America struggled with so dearly in the 80s? The Cosby Show? Different Strokes? The Jeffersons? Scarecrow and Ms. King?

Christian: Save it for the duel bucko. Save it for the duel.