Summary
The1980s 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 likeEight Is Enough,She’s the Sheriff, andThe New Adventures of Beans Baxterare 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 agradual fade from public consciousness.
15 Sitcoms From The ’80s Everyone Forgot About
These sitcoms from the 1980s may have been widely forgotten by now, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t awesome.
10She’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, andit took three years before it finally airedwith 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 Sheriffgarnered some attention, but was ultimately poorly received, withTV Guideranking 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.
She’s The Sheriff
Cast
She’s The Sheriff (1987) is a sitcom starring Suzanne Somers as Hildy Granger, a widow who becomes the sheriff of her small Nevada town, navigating challenges in both her professional and personal life.
9The New Adventures Of Beans Baxter (1987-1988)
A Forgotten 1980s Sitcom With A Brief Run
The New Adventures of Beans Baxteris 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 Baxtermight 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.
The New Adventures Of Beans Baxter
‘The New Adventures of Beans Baxter’ is a comedy-action series centered on high school student Benjamin “Beans” Baxter Jr., who becomes an undercover teen spy after his father, a secret agent, disappears while on a mission.
8Sanford (1980-1981)
A Spin-Off Of Sanford and Son That Struggled To Find An Audience
As a sequel to the original 1972-1977 sitcomSanford and Son,Sanfordattempted 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.
After six seasons ofSanford and Son, Redd Foxx left the NBC show to star in a variety show for ABC. His new show,The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour, was canceled after just four months.
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,Sanfordhas largely faded into darkness,still being underSanford and Son’sshadow.While the show did not manage to become one ofthe best cult classics in the ’80s,Sanfordoffers a nostalgic glimpse into 1980s television and the continuing adventures of a beloved sitcom family.
Sanford
Sanford is a follow-up series to the popular 1970s show Sanford and Son, revolving around the character Fred Sanford, played by Redd Foxx, as he continues his life running a junkyard business and dealing with new comedic situations and characters.
7Empty Nest (1988-1995)
Created as a spin-off for a show with one of thebest theme songs ever,The Golden Girls, Empty Nestmade 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 1987Golden Girlsepisode"Empty Nests," which served as a backdoor pilot for the spin-off. Even with this promising start,Empty Neststruggled to resonate with its viewers, with actress Rita Moreno later criticizing the idea.
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The ’80s was the decade of the family and workplace-centric sitcom and some of those shows are among the best to ever air on TV.
Throughout its run,Empty Nestdid manage to carve out a niche, spawning its spin-off,Nurses, in 1991. This trio of shows—Empty Nest,The Golden Girls,andNurses—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 ofThe Golden Girls,Empty Nesthas largely been ignored over more memorable sitcoms of the era.
Empty Nest
Empty Nest is a sitcom centered around Dr. Harry Weston, a widowed pediatrician living in Miami whose two adult daughters move back home. Played by Richard Mulligan, Harry navigates his professional life and personal challenges with family dynamics, supported by his loyal dog Dreyfuss. The show is a spin-off of The Golden Girls, featuring frequent crossovers and guest appearances from its cast.
6AfterMASH (1983-1985)
A MASH* Spin-Off That Never Quite Hit The Mark
AfterMASHis a 1980s sitcom that has largely been forgotten by television history. Airing on CBS from July 26, 2025, to August 22, 2025, this continuation of thewell-liked characters ofMASHfocused on the postwar lives of three main characters from the original show. Set immediately after the end of the Korean War,AfterMASHfollows the characters' new adventures as they adapt to life after the conflict.Still, with its connection to the highly successful MASH, the show was met with mostly negative critical reception.
AfterMASHonly lasted for two seasons and 31 episodes, with one episode remaining unaired in the U.S. Time magazine listed it as one of the100 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.
AfterMASH
AfterMASH is a spin-off of the television series MAS*H, featuring Colonel Potter, Klinger, and Father Mulcahy as they adjust to civilian life following the Korean War, working together at a stateside veterans' hospital.
5Designing 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. Despitestarting 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.
Even with the efforts of a dedicated fan base,Designer Womanserves as a reminder of how even shows with a strong start can still become unremembered.
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 Womanserves as a reminder of how even shows with a strong start can still become unremembered.
Designing Women
Four women work together running an interior design company in Atlanta, Georgia. The company is run by sisters Suzane and Julia Sugarbaker, Mary Jo, a divorced mother, and Charlene, a sweet country girl. The series follows the daily lives of these women at work and in their personal lives, telling their stories of love and friendship.
4Eight 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 Enoughis a single-camera sitcombased 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 Enoughshowed the ups and downs of a large family.
However,even with its early success, the series struggled with rising production costs and declining ratingsas 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.
Eight Is Enough
The life of journalist Tom Bradford and his eight very independent and individual children are forced to deal with the ups and downs of life while living under the same roof.
3Mary (1978, 1986)
Mary Tyler Moore’s Return To Sitcoms That Struggled To Recapture Old Magic
Marymarked Mary Tyler Moore’s return to sitcom television after a six-year absence, following her less successful ventures into variety shows,Mary (1978)andThe Mary Tyler Moore Hour (1979).Marywas 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 June 17, 2025, 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.Maryquickly became one of many television ventures that stalled.
Mary
Mary is a sitcom starring Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Brenner, a divorcee who becomes a reporter for a second-rate Chicago newspaper. The show follows Mary’s new career as she tackles various assignments while balancing her personal life. Supporting characters include her colleagues at the newspaper, who bring their own quirks and humor to the workplace.
2Too Close for Comfort (1980-1987)
A Series That Transitioned From A Family Comedy To A More Focused Narrative
Too Close for Comfortis a 1980s sitcomthat has largely slipped through the cracks of people’s memories. The show was briefly rebranded asThe Ted Knight Showfor its final season in 1986 following Ted Knight’s passing. The series, heavily inspired by the British sitcomKeep 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 Comforttackled some controversies, like the episode where the family moves to Oakland that ended upgaining protests from local politiciansdue 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 Comfortremains a lesser-known show.
Too Close for Comfort
Too Close for Comfort is a sitcom that centers around cartoonist Henry Rush, who lives with his wife, Muriel, in San Francisco. Their two grown daughters, Jackie and Sara, also reside in the downstairs apartment, often leading to comical generational clashes and domestic misadventures.
1Out 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 remembersOut of This World.The show was centered on a teenagegirl who discovers on her 13th birthday that her father is an alienfrom 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.
The show’s reliance on its fantasy elements, combined with its uneven execution, contributed to its obscurity.
AlthoughOut of This Worldmanaged to attract a modest audienceand 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.
Out of This World
Out of This World is a fantasy sitcom that aired from 1987 to 1991, starring Maureen Flannigan as Evie Garland, a young girl who discovers she has supernatural powers inherited from her alien father, Troy, played by Burt Reynolds. Set in California, the show follows Evie’s daily life as she navigates the challenges of adolescence while learning to control her extraterrestrial abilities with the help of her human mother, Donna.
