Watching TV in the 1980s, and Watching 1980s TV

At the start of the '80s, I was almost 12, and a decade later I was almost 22.  Beyond that, I went from being almost done with elementary school to being a college drop-out, and a newlywed.  And, although the trajectory was not as dramatic as the rise of my TV-viewing in the '70s, it is true that I watched less often and more selectively in '89 than '80.  I still watched sitcoms, I still preferred ABC, but now a little news would be mixed in, and cable had started to have an impact on my viewing.

It was easy then and is easy now to dismiss the '80s as shallow and materialistic, but there were other currents going on.  The legacy of the '60s still had an impact, and the '70s started to be reassessed.  Some of this was reflected on television.  And the nature of television's relationship to itself was starting to morph, from Sherwood Schwartz tributes on ALF and Day by Day to the proto-hipster vibe on Bosom Buddies and the upending and yet embracing of family sitcom tropes on Roseanne.  And, yes, the impact of the remote was being felt more than in previous decades, so that a viewer could him/herself help with the fragmentation of the viewing experience.

Watching these shows again is not the same close-to-the-bone nostalgia I felt for my '70s shows.  Perhaps it's the difference between childhood and adolescence, and how I feel about each.  In any case, here's a chronological list of what I most and least enjoyed on this reviewing:

1. Mork & Mindy: A Mommy for Mindy, January 3, 1980, B+
2. Three's Company: Larry Loves Janet, January 8, 1980, B+
3. Bosom Buddies: Kip Quits, February 26, 1981, B+
4. Bosom Buddies: The Show Must Go On, March 26, 1981, B+
5. Mork & Mindy: Reflections and Regrets, May 14, 1981, B+
6. Bosom Buddies: Kip Off the Old Block, February 11, 1982, B+
7. The Concert in Central Park, February 21, 1982, B+
8. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: You Got Lucky, Song released October 22, 1982, B+
9. M*A*S*H: Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen, February 28, 1983, A-
10. Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson: Say Say Say, Song released October 3, 1983
11. Three's Company: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not, October 4, 1983, B+
12. Weird Al Yankovic: I Lost on Jeopardy, Song released June 4, 1984, B+
13. Who's the Boss?: Dinner for Two, November 20, 1984, B+
14. Who's the Boss?: Requiem, December 18, 1984, B+
15. Who's the Boss?: Protecting the President, January 22, 1985, B+
16. Who's the Boss?: Angela's Ex, Part 1, February 5, 1985, A-
17. Who's the Boss?: It Happened One Summer, Part 1, September 24, 1985, B+
18. Who's the Boss?: It Happened One Summer, Part 2, October 1, 1985, B+
19. Who's the Boss?: Custody, Part 2, November 12, 1985, B+
20. Blackadder II: Bells, 9 January 1986, B+
21. Who's the Boss?: Jonathan Plays Cupid, February 11, 1986, A-
22. Who's the Boss?: Tony for President, March 4, 1986, B+
23. Who's the Boss?: The Anniversary Show, May 6, 1986, B+
24. Who's the Boss?: Angela Gets Fired, Part 2, September 30, 1986, B+
25. Who's the Boss?: Wedding Bells?, November 11, 1986, B+
26. Who's the Boss?: Marie's Secret, January 20, 1987, B+
27. Who's the Boss?: Hit the Road, Chad, February 3, 1987, B+
28. Who's the Boss?: The Proposal, February 17, 1987, B+
29. Who's the Boss?: Frankie and Tony Are Lovers, September 22, 1987, B+
30. Who's the Boss?: Prom Night II, May 3, 1988, B+
31. Who's the Boss?: Sleep Talk, Sweet Talk, May 10, 1988, B+
32. Who's the Boss?: Yankee-Doodle Micelli, November 22, 1988, B+
33. Roseanne: Becky's Choice, February 28, 1989, B+
34. Roseanne: Death and Stuff, April 11, 1989, B+
35. Roseanne: Dear Mom and Dad, April 18, 1989, B+
36. Who's the Boss?: In Search of Tony, September 19, 1989, B+
37. Roseanne: Guilt by Disassociation, September 26, 1989
38. Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 2.7, 29 December 1989

(Note that there are no F+s, D-s, or D's for the '80s, unlike the '70s.)

1. Three's Company: The Love Lesson, January 22, 1980, D+
2. Three's Company: Jack's Bad Boy, February 12, 1980, D+
3. Three's Company: Jack's Other Mother, January 20, 1981, D+
4. Soap: Episode 86, March 23, 1981, D+
5. Soap: Episode 89, April 20, 1981, D+
6. Alice in Wonderland, Part 1, December 9, 1985, D+
7. Night Court: Fire, November 2, 1988, D+