How Many Of These Ring A Bell?
The 80s gave us some TV dramas that seemingly never went away. Mention Dallas, Magnum, P.I., or Miami Vice and almost everyone immediately knows what you’re talking about. But then there are these shows.
Seriously, how many do you remember?
Hotel (1983–1988)
This wasn’t some forgotten show that vanished after six episodes. Hotel lasted five seasons and produced 114 of them. James Brolin and Connie Sellecca starred in the Aaron Spelling drama centered around San Francisco’s luxurious St. Gregory Hotel, with a steady parade of recognizable guest stars checking in.
Screenshot from Hotel, Warner Bros. Television Distribution (1983–1988)
Paper Dolls (1984)
Morgan Fairchild, Lloyd Bridges, Lauren Hutton, Terry Farrell and a young Nicollette Sheridan populated this glamorous drama about New York’s modeling industry. ABC had already tested the idea with a TV movie before ordering the weekly series. This time, however, viewers didn't stick around.
Screenshot from Paper Dolls, ABC Television (1984)
Matt Houston (1982–1985)
Lee Horsley played a wealthy Texas oilman who apparently didn’t have enough to keep him busy, because he also spent his time working as a private investigator in Los Angeles. ABC kept Matt Houston around for three seasons and 69 episodes. Remember him?
Screenshot from Matt Houston, ABC (1982–1985)
Flamingo Road (1980–1982)
Morgan Fairchild and Mark Harmon were among the stars of this Southern prime-time soap set in the fictional Florida town of Truro. Flamingo Road began as a television movie before becoming a weekly NBC series, ultimately lasting two seasons and 38 episodes.
Screenshot from Flamingo Road, NBC (1980–1982), Enhanced
Call To Glory (1984–1985)
Craig T. Nelson played an Air Force pilot trying to balance his military career and family life during the turbulent early 60s. Elisabeth Shue played his teenage daughter. ABC heavily promoted the drama around the 1984 Summer Olympics, but its run ended after 22 aired episodes.
Screenshot from Call to Glory, ABC (1984–1985)
Stingray (1985–1987)
Nick Mancuso played a mysterious man known only as Ray who traveled around helping people in trouble. He refused money, asking instead for a future favor, and drove a black 1965 Corvette Sting Ray. Created by Stephen J. Cannell, the series lasted two seasons.
Screenshot from Stingray, NBC (1985–1987)
Riptide (1984–1986)
Two Vietnam veterans running a detective agency from a boat while occasionally getting help from their computer-genius friend sounds extraordinarily 80s because it was. Perry King, Joe Penny and Thom Bray starred, and NBC kept Riptide afloat for three seasons.
Screenshot from Riptide, NBC (1984–1986)
Bare Essence (1983)
A prime-time soap set inside the perfume industry sounds about as 80s as television can possibly get. Genie Francis starred alongside Ian McShane, Jennifer O’Neill and Jonathan Frakes. The story began as a television miniseries before NBC turned it into a weekly show that lasted just 11 episodes.
Screenshot from Bare Essence, NBC (1983)
Night Heat (1985–1989)
Here’s one that lasted much longer than you probably remember. The Canadian police drama followed detectives working the night shift in an unnamed city, although it was filmed in Toronto and also aired on CBS in the United States. Night Heat survived for four seasons and an impressive 96 episodes before signing off.
Screenshot from Night Heat, CBS (1985–1989), Enhanced
Scarecrow And Mrs. King (1983–1987)
Kate Jackson played a divorced suburban mother who accidentally became involved with a government agent played by Bruce Boxleitner. Somehow, that premise turned into four seasons and 88 episodes. It was a substantial run for CBS, although you rarely hear the show mentioned anymore.
Screenshot from Scarecrow and Mrs. King, CBS (1983–1987)
The Mississippi (1983–1984)
Ralph Waite went from The Waltons to playing a successful attorney who left his law practice behind to captain a stern-wheel riverboat on the Mississippi. Of course, legal trouble kept finding him at every stop. CBS kept the unusual legal drama around for two seasons.
Screenshot from The Mississippi, CBS (1983–1984)
The Yellow Rose (1983–1984)
Sam Elliott, Cybill Shepherd, David Soul and Edward Albert in a Texas drama involving an enormous cattle-and-oil ranch sounds like a pretty safe bet for 1983 television. NBC apparently hoped viewers wanted another dose of prime-time Texas drama. They only got one season.
Screenshot from The Yellow Rose, NBC (1983–1984)
Paradise (1988–1991)
Lee Horsley makes his second appearance on our list, this time as an Old West sharpshooter suddenly responsible for his sister’s four children. Paradise eventually became Guns of Paradise and lasted three seasons and 57 episodes. Yet when was the last time you heard anyone mention it?
Screenshot from Paradise, CBS (1988–1991)
Jake And The Fatman (1987–1992)
William Conrad and Joe Penny starred as prosecutor J.L. “Fatman” McCabe and investigator Jake Styles. This one actually survived well beyond the 80s, lasting five seasons and 106 episodes. For a show that occupied that much television, it has become surprisingly easy to forget.
Screenshot from Jake and the Fatman, CBS (1987–1992)
Heart Of The City (1986–1987)
Robert Desiderio played a Los Angeles police detective trying to balance his job with raising two teenagers after losing his wife. One of those teenagers was played by a 14-year-old Christina Applegate, shortly before Married... with Children turned her into a household name.
Screenshot from Heart of the City, ABC (1986–1987)
The Colbys (1985–1987)
ABC tried turning Dynasty into an even bigger television empire with this lavish spinoff starring Charlton Heston, Barbara Stanwyck, Ricardo Montalbán, Katharine Ross and several familiar Dynasty characters. Despite that extraordinary cast, The Colbys lasted only two seasons and 49 episodes.
Screenshot from The Colbys, ABC (1985–1987)
Crime Story (1986–1988)
Dennis Farina starred as Chicago police lieutenant Mike Torello, who became locked in a long-running battle with rising crime figure Ray Luca, played by Anthony Denison. Produced by Michael Mann, Crime Story brought the stylish look of 80s television to a story set decades earlier.
Screenshot from Crime Story, NBC (1986–1988)
Wiseguy (1987–1990)
Before long serialized story arcs became standard television, Wiseguy was building crime stories that stretched across multiple episodes. Ken Wahl starred as undercover agent Vinnie Terranova, with Jonathan Banks as his handler. The acclaimed CBS drama managed four seasons and 75 episodes.
Screenshot from Wiseguy, CBS (1987–1990)
Emerald Point N.A.S. (1983–1984)
The creators of Dynasty tried taking the prime-time soap formula to a naval air station. Dennis Weaver headed a cast that included Susan Dey, Sela Ward and Richard Dean Anderson. Despite all those recognizable faces, CBS brought Emerald Point N.A.S. to an end after 22 episodes.
Screenshot from Emerald Point N.A.S., CBS (1983–1984)
Spenser: For Hire (1985–1988)
Robert Urich played Robert B. Parker’s Boston private detective Spenser, while Avery Brooks played his formidable friend Hawk. ABC aired the series for three seasons, and Hawk proved popular enough to eventually receive a show of his own. There were even several Spenser television movies afterward.
Screenshot from Spenser: For Hire, ABC (1985-1988)
Our House (1986–1988)
Wilford Brimley played a widower who opened his California home to his daughter-in-law and grandchildren after losing his son. Deidre Hall and a teenage Shannen Doherty co-starred. NBC gave this family drama two seasons and 46 episodes before closing the doors on Our House.
Screenshot from Our House, NBC (1986–1988), Enhanced
A Year In The Life (1987–1988)
This family drama began as a successful 1986 miniseries before NBC turned it into a weekly series. Richard Kiley headed a cast that included Adam Arkin, Sarah Jessica Parker and Amanda Peterson. The weekly version lasted only 22 episodes, although Kiley still won an Emmy for his performance.
Screenshot from A Year in the Life, NBC (1987–1988), Enhanced
China Beach (1988–1991)
Dana Delany starred as Army nurse Colleen McMurphy in this acclaimed drama set around an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. China Beach lasted four seasons and won multiple Emmys. It was once one of television’s most respected dramas, yet an entire generation barely knows it existed.
Screenshot from China Beach, ABC (1988–1991)
Ohara (1987–1988)
Fresh off the enormous success of The Karate Kid, Pat Morita became one of the few Asian American actors leading a network police drama. He played Los Angeles police lieutenant Ohara, who favored intelligence and intuition over brute force. ABC kept the series around for two seasons and 30 episodes.
Screenshot from Ohara, ABC (1987–1988), Enhanced
Starman (1986–1987)
Remember the 1984 Jeff Bridges movie Starman? Two years later, ABC turned it into a weekly television continuation starring Robert Hays and Christopher Daniel Barnes. Michael Douglas was among the executive producers. The alien returned to Earth, but the television version disappeared after 22 episodes.
Screenshot from Starman, ABC (1986–1987)
Tour Of Duty (1987–1990)
Set during the Vietnam War, Tour of Duty followed an American infantry platoon and became one of television’s more serious attempts to depict the experiences of soldiers in Vietnam. CBS aired 58 episodes across three seasons, with a cast that included Terence Knox and Stephen Caffrey.
Screenshot from Tour of Duty, CBS (1987–1990)
The Bronx Zoo (1987–1988)
Ed Asner returned to weekly television as the principal of a troubled high school in the Bronx. Created by Family Ties creator Gary David Goldberg, the series dealt with teachers and students facing some surprisingly serious issues. NBC brought it back for a second season before ending it.
Screenshot from The Bronx Zoo, NBC (1987–1988)
Beauty And The Beast (1987–1990)
Long before the later TV reboot, Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman starred in this fantasy drama about a New York attorney and a mysterious man living in a hidden world beneath the city. CBS aired 56 episodes across three seasons, and George R.R. Martin was among its writers and producers.
Screenshot from Beauty and the Beast, CBS (1987–1990)
Midnight Caller (1988–1991)
Gary Cole played Jack Killian, a former San Francisco police detective who became the late-night host of a radio call-in show. Naturally, his callers kept pulling him into complicated situations outside the studio. NBC kept Midnight Caller on the air for three seasons and 61 episodes.
Screenshot from Midnight Caller, NBC (1988–1991)
Houston Knights (1987–1988)
Michael Paré played a Chicago police officer transferred to Houston, where he was partnered with a Texas lawman played by Michael Beck. The clashing personalities gave CBS enough material for two seasons and 31 episodes. Today, even some serious 80s TV fans have probably forgotten it existed.
Screenshot from Houston Knights, CBS (1987–1988)
So, How Many?
And that’s 30. Some of these shows barely got a chance. Others were on television for years, which somehow makes forgetting them even stranger. So, how many did you honestly remember? Was it more than 5?
Screenshot from Beauty and the Beast, CBS (1987–1990)
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