dren (ranging in grade level from college to
kindergarten), it was a landmark show. Noth-
ing like it had been seen on television before,
and audiences loved it. Much of the series’
appeal was probably due to the comedic act-
ing of Bill Cosby, who played the father, but
audiences could also relate to the parent-
child struggles at the center of the show and
appreciate the way the two parents stayed
in control while clearly loving and cherish-
ing their children.Married...with Children
(1987-1997) rebelled against most other fam-
ily sitcoms, puting forth a completely dif-
ferent view of American family life. A long-
running show, it debuted on the new FOX
network after being turned down by the other
networks for being too different. It was: The
father was crass, the mother was coarse, the
pretty teenage daughter was a bimbo, and the
teenage son, possibly the most intelligent of
the bunch, seemed amoral. This depiction of
a dysfunctional family was a hit.
The Singles Scene Another sitcom trend
featured the affairs of unmarried people who
were either too young to settle down, as in
Happy Days(1974-1984) orThe Facts of Life,
or too caught up in their careers, as inMur-
phy Brown (1988-1998),MAS*H(1972-
1983), andBosom Buddies(1980-1984). While
romance occurred in such shows, it was not
usually a major concern.Cheerstypified this
genre with its ensemble cast of partnerless
barflies hanging out at the bar “where every-
body knows your name” and plotlines revolv-
ing around the camaraderie and activities of
the bar’s staff and regular customers.Design-
ing Women(1986-1993) andThe Golden Girls(1985-
1992) followed the lives of single, mature women liv-
ing or working together with infrequent interactions
with men. Romance was occasionally part of the
plot, but emphasis was placed more on the way the
women enjoyed one another’s company and reveled
in their ability to make their lives satisfying and ful-
filling.
Impact The 1980’s sitcoms changed the way Ameri-
cans viewed life in the United States by addressing
more realistic concerns, which were delineated with
humor and a frankness in plot, dialogue, and char-
acter portrayal far removed from the sugarcoated sit-
coms of earlier years. With cable television in 50 per-
cent of American homes by 1987 providing largely
unregulated programming to an increasingly so-
phisticated audience, the network sitcoms in self-
defense became less puritanical, conservative, and
traditional. This situation generated increased con-
troversy over the effect of sitcoms, and Hollywood in
general, on the nation’s values and moral character.
Further Reading
Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh.The Complete Director y
to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-
Present.7th ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999.
Provides details about every prime-time televisionThe Eighties in America Sitcoms 877
Popular 1980’s SitcomsProgram Airdates Network
M*A*S*H 1972-1983 CBS
The Jeffersons 1975-1985 CBS
Three’s Company 1977-1984 ABC
The Facts of Life 1979-1988 NBC
Gimme a Break! 1981-1987 NBC
Family Ties 1982-1989 NBC
Newhart 1982-1990 CBS
Cheers 1982-1993 NBC
Mama’s Family 1983-1990 NBC
Punky Brewster 1984-1986 NBC
Kate and Allie 1984-1989 CBS
The Cosby Show 1984-1992 NBC
Who’s the Boss? 1984-1992 ABC
Night Court 1984-1992 NBC
227 1985-1990 NBC
The Golden Girls 1985-1992 NBC
Growing Pains 1985-1992 ABC
ALF 1986-1990 NBC
Designing Women 1986-1993 CBS
A Different World 1987-1993 NBC
Married... with Children 1987-1997 FOX
The Wonder Years 1988-1993 ABC
Roseanne 1988-1997 ABC
Murphy Brown 1988-1998 CBS
Seinfeld 1989-1998 NBC