Popular Sitcoms of the 80s

Every week, I looked forward to watching Punky Brewster! Played by Soleil Moon Frye, she was abandoned by her mother at a shopping center after her father walked out on her family. This left Punky alone with only her dog, Brandon. Soon, Punky discovered an empty apartment that was operated by an old and grumpy widower and photographer named Henry.

Set of 4 PUNKY BREWSTER Pinback Buttons 1.25" Pins

Henry discovered Punky and their friendship grew as he tried and tried to adopt her as his daughter. After much effort, he was successful.

Punky Brewster was a fun and loving little girl that made friends easily. Her closest friends were Cherie, who lived with her grandma, the nerdy Allen and Margeaux, the snobby rich girl. There were many exciting episodes that kept the younger audience entertained every week.

The show ran on NBC from 1984 to 1986 and again in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1988.

Another one of my favorites was "ALF". ALF (meaning Alien Life Form) was an alien from the planet Melmac. Melmac exploded because of a nuclear catastrophe and ALF followed a radio signal to earth. He landed in the garage of a middle-class family named the Tanners. There was Willie and Kate and their two kids, Lynn and Brian. They also had a cat named Lucky. After their discovery, the Tanners decided to take ALF into their home to offer help until he could repair his spaceship. They had to take great precautions to hide ALF though from the US Military and their nosy neighbors, Trevor and Raquel Ochmonek.

ALF
Season One

ALF's real name was Gordon Shumway. He was a very lovable character with a huge appetite! He would eat anything he could get his hands on...especially cats!! Therefore, Lucky needed to be kept far away from ALF! He was also a sarcastic prankster and knew how to get into trouble! Many times, he even did it in a way that put him at a risk of getting discovered. In the end though, he always found a way to smooth things over so no one would find him out.

This show originally ran on the NBC network from 1986 until 1990. Later there was a cartoon created, but I never got into it as much as the sitcom. Sometimes when I look back at it now, it seems like such a corny show, but back then...it was definitely a favorite!!

I used to look forward to watching the show, "Silver Spoons" as well. I believe it also aired on Sunday nights, maybe after Punky Brewster? In this sitcom, you can catch a glimpse of Ricky Schroder as a child. He plays a little boy named Ricky Stratton, who was placed into military school after his mother remarries. She was married to Ricky's father for only one week after their brief relationship.

Ricky's father, Edward Stratton III, was an "overgrown child" and owned a toy business named "Eddie's Toys". He lived in a mansion. One day, Ricky showed up at the door of his father's mansion to introduce himself and move in with him. His father was surprised, as he knew nothing about this son that his marriage had created, so he re-enrolled him in military school once more.

Silver Spoons
The Complete First Season

Shortly after, he changed his mind and showed up at the school dressed up as a swamp monster to surprise his son. He told him that he would let him live in the mansion with him after all.

The mansion was like one big playground for everyone. I'm sure you remember the huge train they rode on to get from room to room? Edward's personal assistant, Kate Summers, usually ended up being the 'voice of reason' by trying to make Edward act more mature. Kate and Edward had an on again off again style relationship, which eventually ended in their marriage.

This show was definitely one of the ones that I think of when I am reminiscing my favorite sitcoms from the 80s! It ran from 1982 until 1986...not long enough in my opinion!

Thelma Harper (aka Mama), was a blue-haired widow who was sarcastic and outspoken! She lived in the small town of Raytown with her only sister Fran. Soon after, her son Vinton moved in after his wife left him to become a cocktail waitress in Vegas. It wasn't long after that his two children, Buzz and Sonja also moved in.

Eventually, Vinton found himself in a relationship with Mama's flirtatious neighbor, Naomi, whom she had a very strong dislike for. They ended

Mama's Family:
The Complete First Season

up getting married and after losing her house after a bad business deal, Naomi and Vinton were forced to move into Mama's basement.

There was never a dull moment in the house! Vinton was a little on the 'slow' side and Naomi couldn't do anything right! With Mama's attitude toward everyone there was no doubt that any situation would turn into pure comedy! The only one that seemed to get Mama's loving attention was her grandson, Buzz. Other than that, it was best when everyone tried to stay on Mama's good side.

Although this show went through many changes over the years and the ratings weren't always the greatest, it was truly one of my favorites! It aired sporadically from 1983 until 1990.