10 Forgotten 1980s Sitcoms You Probably Don’t Remember

The 1980s were a groundbreaking era for sitcoms, with numerous shows making their mark on television. However, not all of these series have stood the test of time. Many 1980s sitcoms, despite their initial popularity and unique concepts, have faded into obscurity. These shows, which ranged from family-centric comedies to quirky fantasy series, often struggled with shifting audience tastes and changing TV landscapes.

Shows like Eight Is Enough, She’s the Sheriff, and The New Adventures of Beans Baxter are good examples of ’80s sitcoms that are incredibly underrated. They once entertained viewers, but are now largely forgotten. While they brought fresh ideas and engaging characters to the screen, their popularity was often short-lived, leading to cancelations and a gradual fade from public consciousness.

10 She’s The Sheriff (1987-1989)

A Bold Comedy With An Original Premise

She’s the Sheriff’s pilot episode, aired as a one-off in 1982, was made by CBS but failed to meet the network’s expectations. Despite an attempt to launch the series, it was not picked up for a full run, and it took three years before it finally aired with a total of 44 episodes spread over two seasons. The show starred Suzanne Somers as Hildy Granger, a young woman who becomes the sheriff of a fictional Nevada County after her husband’s sudden death. Her character’s transition from a widow with two children to a law enforcer with no experience provided the basis for the show’s comedic scenarios.

She’s the Sheriff garnered some attention, but was ultimately poorly received, with TV Guide ranking it number 44 on their “50 Worst TV Shows of All Time” in 2002. The sitcom struggled to find an audience, and it is often remembered more for its lackluster performance than for its contributions to television. The show attempted to bring a fresh take on the law enforcement genre with a comedic twist, but were forgotten soon after.

9 The New Adventures Of Beans Baxter (1987-1988)

A Forgotten 1980s Sitcom With A Brief Run

The New Adventures of Beans Baxter is an American teen sitcom from the 1980s that barely anyone remembers. Premiering in 1987, this show only lasted for two seasons before it was canceled. The series offered a unique mix of teen drama and spy adventures, focusing on Benjamin “Beans” Baxter, Jr., a Kansas teenager who moved due to his father’s reassignment as a Postal Service employee. The show was notable for being filmed entirely in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, adding a different background to its episodes.

In the final episode, Beans infiltrates the Bad Seed gang after his brother Scooter is falsely accused of illegal activities, bringing the series to a dramatic close. The New Adventures of Beans Baxter might not have made a lasting impression on most viewers, but it remains a curious relic of 1980s television, representing a time when Fox was still finding its footing in the competitive landscape of network TV. For those who do remember it, the show is a nostalgic reminder of an era filled with quirky, experimental sitcoms that occasionally dared to blend genres and offer something different to its audience.

8 Sanford (1980-1981)

A Spin-Off Of Sanford and Son That Struggled To Find An Audience

As a sequel to the original 1972-1977 sitcom Sanford and Son,Sanford attempted to recapture the magic of its predecessor but struggled to make a following. Despite heavy promotion by NBC, the show failed to maintain its initial strong ratings, leading to a mid-season hiatus for retooling. The show was about the misadventures of Fred Sanford, a father, as he navigated life and family dynamics in a new setting after the original show’s end.

In 2022, the complete series became available for free streaming on Tubi, though only 12 of its 26 episodes remained accessible as of March 2023. Despite these efforts, Sanford has largely faded into darkness, still being under Sanford and Son’s shadow. While the show did not manage to become one of the best cult classics in the ’80s, Sanford offers a nostalgic glimpse into 1980s television and the continuing adventures of a beloved sitcom family.

7 Empty Nest (1988-1995)

A Golden Girls Spin-Off That Had Its Day But Faded

Created as a spin-off for a show with one of the best theme songs ever, The Golden Girls, Empty Nest made its way into television in 1985. It starred Richard Mulligan as Dr. Harry Weston, a recently widowed pediatrician adjusting to life after the loss of his wife. The concept was initially introduced in the 1987 Golden Girls episode “Empty Nests,” which served as a backdoor pilot for the spin-off. Even with this promising start, Empty Nest struggled to resonate with its viewers, with actress Rita Moreno later criticizing the idea.

Throughout its run, Empty Nest did manage to carve out a niche, spawning its spin-off, Nurses, in 1991. This trio of shows—Empty Nest, The Golden Girls, and Nurses—represented a unique moment in American television, with all three shows airing on the same network on the same night, set in the same city, and featuring characters who knew each other. Nevertheless, despite being based off of The Golden Girls, Empty Nest has largely been ignored over more memorable sitcoms of the era.

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6 AfterMASH (1983-1985)

A MASH* Spin-Off That Never Quite Hit The Mark

AfterMASH is a 1980s sitcom that has largely been forgotten by television history. Airing on CBS from September 26, 1983, to May 31, 1985, this continuation of the well-liked characters of *M*A*S*H* focused on the postwar lives of three main characters from the original show. Set immediately after the end of the Korean War, *AfterMASH* follows the characters’ new adventures as they adapt to life after the conflict. Still, with its connection to the highly successful *M*A*S*H*, the show was met with mostly negative critical reception.

AfterMASH only lasted for two seasons and 31 episodes, with one episode remaining unaired in the U.S. Time magazine listed it as one of the 100 worst ideas of the century in 1999, and TV Guide named it the seventh-worst TV series ever in 2002. Although it finished at a respectable #15 out of 101 network shows for the 1983–1984 season, according to Nielsen Media Research, no one remembers this show.

5 Designing Women (1986-1993)

A Sitcom That Struggled with Changing Slots And Low Ratings

Designing Woman, which aired for seven seasons from 1986 to 1993, focused on the lives of four women and one man working at an interior design firm in the 1980s Atlanta, Georgia. Despite starting strong with respectable ratings, the series saw numerous challenges as CBS frequently moved it to different time slots. These changes led to a decline in viewership, and although a viewer campaign managed to save the show from cancelation for a time, it was ultimately unable to recover from its move to the challenging Friday night slot.

The sitcom enjoyed a little bit of popularity in the late ’80s but struggled with sinking ratings as it was still shifted around CBS’s schedule. The eventual move to the Friday nighttime slot in 1992, referred to as the “death slot” due to its tough competition, caused ratings to drop even more, leading to the show’s cancelation. Even with the efforts of a dedicated fan base, Designer Woman serves as a reminder of how even shows with a strong start can still become unremembered.

4 Eight Is Enough (1977-1981)

A Family Sitcom That Was Quickly Forgotten After Its Popular Run

Airing for five seasons from 1977 to 1981, Eight Is Enough is a single-camera sitcom based on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, who had eight children and wrote a book by the same title. The show not only entertained viewers with its family-centric stories but also played a significant role in launching the acting careers of several young stars at the time. With a total of 112 episodes, Eight Is Enough showed the ups and downs of a large family.

However, even with its early success, the series struggled with rising production costs and declining ratings as it approached its fifth season. In a notable twist, Dick Van Patten, one of the show’s actors, learned of the cancelation not through official channels but by reading about it in the newspaper. The show’s subsequent fall into darkness marks how ruthless the TV competition is.

3 Mary (1978, 1986)

Mary Tyler Moore’s Return To Sitcoms That Struggled To Recapture Old Magic

Mary marked Mary Tyler Moore’s return to sitcom television after a six-year absence, following her less successful ventures into variety shows, Mary (1978) and The Mary Tyler Moore Hour (1979). Mary was intended to have the success of Moore’s earlier hit, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but it struggled to connect with people. The show centered around Mary’s character as a newly divorced woman navigating life and work in a new city.

The series, which only had 13 episodes, went into hiatus after airing its 10th episode on February 19, 1986, never managing to build an audience. Although it received some praise for Moore’s performance, critics pointed out that it was a copy of her more acclaimed show. Mary quickly became one of many television ventures that stalled.

2 Too Close for Comfort (1980-1987)

A Series That Transitioned From A Family Comedy To A More Focused Narrative

Too Close for Comfort is a 1980s sitcom that has largely slipped through the cracks of people’s memories. The show was briefly rebranded as The Ted Knight Show for its final season in 1986 following Ted Knight’s passing. The series, heavily inspired by the British sitcom Keep It in the Family, featured Knight as a work-at-home cartoonist living in San Francisco with his wife Muriel and their two adult daughters.

During its run, Too Close for Comfort tackled some controversies, like the episode where the family moves to Oakland that ended up gaining protests from local politicians due to its portrayal of crime and unsatisfactory living conditions. For its final season, the show shifted its setting to Marin County, where Knight’s character became a co-owner of a local weekly newspaper. Despite its six-season run and 129 episodes, Too Close for Comfort remains a lesser-known show.

1 Out of This World (1987-1991)

A Fantasy Sitcom That Struggled To Find Its Place In Television History

Despite its long run of 96 episodes spread across 4 seasons, no one remembers Out of This World. The show was centered on a teenage girl who discovers on her 13th birthday that her father is an alien from the planet Antareus, granting her superpowers. Despite its intriguing premise, the series struggled to gain any significance, receiving only mixed to negative reviews. Critics remarked that the show, like many teen US sitcoms, was boring.

Although Out of This Worldmanaged to attract a modest audience and was broadcast in countries like France, Germany, and Italy, it never quite achieved lasting popularity. The show’s reliance on its fantasy elements, combined with its uneven execution, contributed to its obscurity. Even featuring guest stars such as Ann Miller, Norman Fell, Scott Carpenter, and Charles Nelson Reilly, the series faded into the background of 1980s television.