1. Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Back when spy shows leaned into mystery and charm, Scarecrow and Mrs. King paired secret agent Lee Stetson (Bruce Boxleitner) with suburban mom Amanda King (Kate Jackson). Their unlikely partnership was full of Cold War missions, steamy glances, and trench coats galore. It aired for four seasons and even snagged a 1986 Emmy. Today, it’s barely a whisper. But according to AV Club, “The show mixed espionage with domestic warmth in a way no current drama attempts.” It was comforting, clever, and just enough cloak and dagger for a Sunday evening. And seriously, those shoulder pads deserved their own credit.
2. Riptide
This one had everything an ‘80s viewer could ask for, beach views, gadgets, and a robot named Roboz. Riptide followed two Vietnam vets turned private eyes who solved cases with the help of a nerdy friend and a bubblegum pink helicopter called The Screaming Mimi. It ran from 1984 to 1986 and felt like a fun, tech-lite alternative to Magnum, P.I. Vulture once called it “goofy but charming, like a B-movie with a good heart.” It’s the kind of show that felt like summer vacation, loud, unpredictable, and weirdly comforting. Somehow, it disappeared with barely a rerun.
3. My Two Dads
It was sitcom comfort food with a twist. Two very different men raising one daughter, and the audience never learned who the actual dad was. My Two Dads had Paul Reiser, Greg Evigan, and young Nicole (Staci Keanan) navigating modern parenthood before it was a buzzword. “The ambiguity worked in its favor,” noted Decider. “It wasn’t about biology, it was about chosen family.” The show aired for three seasons and gave us early lessons on co-parenting, masculinity, and blended families, but somewhere along the way, it got buried in the ‘80s sitcom shuffle.
4. Highway to Heaven
If you’ve ever had a show, feel like a warm hug, this was it. Highway to Heaven starred Michael Landon as an angel sent to Earth to help people with life’s big and small problems. It was soft, moral, and made us cry in a good way. Running from 1984 to 1989, it quietly tackled everything from racism to grief to second chances. NPR remembered it as “a show that didn’t shout, it just gently asked you to care.” Today, its slower pace may feel old-fashioned, but its message still lands if you let it.
5. Misfits of Science
Before she danced in a fountain, Courtney Cox was battling crime with a telekinetic crew on Misfits of Science. This campy, one-season wonder featured a shrinking man, a human battery, and every neon sci-fi cliché you could imagine. It wasn’t polished, but it was ambitious. “Think X-Men with shoulder pads,” wrote Screen Rant. It only lasted 16 episodes, but fans remember it fondly for trying something bold. In an era when superhero stories weren’t common on TV, this was a quirky misfire that almost worked and definitely deserves a second glance.
6. Kate & Allie
At a time when most sitcoms revolved around nuclear families, Kate & Allie gave us two divorced women navigating single motherhood together. Jane Curtin and Susan Saint James brought wit and warmth to a show that was way ahead of its time. “It captured female friendship without the fluff,” said Bustle. From balancing careers to raising teens in a shared New York apartment, they made it work and made us laugh. It ran for six seasons but rarely pops up in throwback lists. Still, it quietly paved the way for the modern mom-friend genre.
7. Hardcastle and McCormick
A retired judge and a former race car driver team up to fight crime in a custom vehicle. Yes, that’s the actual plot. Hardcastle and McCormick leaned into the buddy cop vibe with just enough heart and high-speed chases to keep it interesting. The chemistry between Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly carried it through three seasons. “It was part Matlock, part Knight Rider,” wrote Collider. The Coyote X car became a character of its own, and while the show wasn’t groundbreaking, it had that charming grit ‘80s viewers loved.
8. It’s a Living
Life as a waitress in a swanky L.A. restaurant sounds simple, until you add in drama, dreams, and the catchiest theme song. It’s a Living ran on and off through syndication, with Ann Jillian and Crystal Bernard among its standout cast. It was funny, flirty, and full of one-liners. “People forget how many stars passed through this show,” wrote TV Insider. The restaurant setting kept it grounded while allowing for a rotating mix of heartbreak, humor, and Hollywood guests. Today, it’s a relic, but a lovable one, like an old friend you bump into and instantly remember why you liked them.
9. Too Close for Comfort
Ted Knight brought his signature gruffness to this show about an overprotective dad, his two grown daughters, and their San Francisco apartment. Too Close for Comfort never tried to be too deep. It was lighthearted chaos with classic sitcom misunderstandings. Still, it had a rhythm that worked. “Knight’s delivery made every punchline land,” said MeTV. The show didn’t age as gracefully as others, but for its time, it was easy background laughter. It quietly ended after a name change and cast shift, leaving only faint echoes in ‘80s TV history.
10. Give Me a Break!
With a voice like velvet and comedic timing to match, Nell Carter lit up every scene of Give Me a Break!. She played a housekeeper turned matriarch for a widowed police chief’s family, offering wisdom, warmth, and plenty of sass. The show touched on serious themes like racism, teen rebellion, and death without losing its comedic core. “Nell Carter gave sitcoms heart without needing a laugh track,” wrote Entertainment Weekly. Her presence was so strong, it’s wild that this show has faded from conversation. It’s one of those series that stuck with you, even if the plotlines didn’t.
11. Small Wonder
If you grew up in the ‘80s, chances are you remember Vicki, the expressionless robot girl with a red dress and deadpan delivery. Small Wonder was strange, simple, and somehow got four seasons. It followed a suburban family hiding a humanoid robot daughter and navigating all the mayhem that followed. “It was absurd but weirdly addictive,” shared a Reddit user on r/80sTV. Looking back, the show feels like a fever dream, but it had charm. Maybe it was the innocence, maybe the camp, but it earned its cult status even if no one talks about it anymore.
12. The Hogan Family
This show started as Valerie, named after lead actress Valerie Harper, until she left (or was fired) and Sandy Duncan stepped in as the new maternal figure. Surprisingly, the show didn’t just survive, it kept going strong for six seasons. Jason Bateman starred as the wisecracking teen son long before Arrested Development. “It’s the sitcom that proved shows could pivot and still work,” wrote The Ringer. The name changed, but the tone stayed funny, family-focused, and just nostalgic enough to stick. It quietly shaped many of our weeknights without ever demanding the spotlight.
13. Mr. Belvedere
A British butler in a Pittsburgh household might not sound like classic sitcom material, but Mr. Belvedere made it work. Played by Christopher Hewett, the title character offered life lessons, dry wit, and weekly diary entries to wrap it all up. It felt thoughtful without being preachy. “The show was always smarter than it looked,” wrote Slate. Running from 1985 to 1990, it was often overlooked during its own time and even more so now. But fans who remember it still smile at the idea of an uptight but lovable butler trying to make sense of American life.
This story 13 TV Shows from the ’80s That Everyone Watched But No One Talks About Anymore was first published on Daily FETCH
