The 80s justifiably get slammed for conspicuous consumption and continuation of the 70s "Me Decade" continuum, but the decade did offer more than a few memorable TV programs. I was totally hooked on Dallas after watching (along with seemingly the rest of the world) the episode that revealed "Who Shot JR"? I was a pre-VCR die-hard viewer from 1980-85 (notwithstanding that it showed on Friday nights and generally served as an intermission within my social activities). The absolute "jumped the shark" moment for me came with the revelation that an entire season had merely been a bit of "uncooked beef" eaten by Bobby resulting in a 9-month-long nightmare. Still, JR and the entire Ewing Clan and extended family, business associates/enemies, for a few seasons at least was unmatched for pure greed, sex & generally dissolute lifestyles.
Among the other shows from the 80s era I enjoyed:
St. Elsewhere <still head and shoulders above ER and the other medico-dramas, in my estimation>
LA Law <ditto for it compared to the current crop of "Practice" dramas>
Hill Street Blues <the blueprint for "Law and Order", "NYPD" etc.>
As for the lesser-known TV "works" from the 80s, a few sterling examples come to mind:
"Buffalo Bill" <and later, "The Slap Maxwell Story"....2 shows that depicted Dabney Coleman at his acerbic best>
"Hooperman" <actually the BEST show featuring the late John Ritter>
And at the very end, "ThirtySomething" and "The Wonder Years".
Having considered all of the above, at least one part of the 80s didn't seem so bloated and overdone after all, eh?
