sitcom - 2/3 - Retroland

Married with Children

From the Cleavers to the Brady clan, the stereotypical sitcom family has typically been portrayed as one of angelic faces and dinner table chats. They are perfect in a way that most families could never hope to achieve in real life. Then came the Bundy family, offering a different kind of clan – a conniving, acid-tongued group of misfits that gave new meaning to the term “dysfunctional.” It wasn’t that they didn’t love each other; they just had an odd (and often hysterical) way of showing it, on the enormously popular sitcom, Married with Children.

Diff’rent Strokes

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Despite the curious mid-word contraction, Diff’rent Strokes certainly made its mark in sitcom history, appealing to a wide audience during its original run in the late 70s-early 80s and during syndication later on. Thanks to a cherubic young star, and aided by an incredibly catchy theme song, the series was immensely popular and still resonates in pop culture today.

My Two Dads

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It is often said that two is better than one. And for a young girl named Nicole Bradford, the old adage would be put to the test. With the untimely death of her mother, she learned that mom had been splitting her romantic time between two men, and furthermore, both were awarded custody of the girl. Such was the premise of the 80s television sitcom, My Two Dads.

The Munsters

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Every community has the one family that raises the collective eyebrows of the neighbors due to their non-conforming ways. Sure, they appear to be nice enough folks but they just don’t fit in with their surroundings. Well, over on 1313 Mockingbird Lane, raised eyebrows gave way to sheer terror when they got a look at the inhabitants, better known as The Munsters.

Taxi

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Welcome to The Sunshine Cab Company, where the career aspirations of the taxi-driving employees sit as idle as a yellow cab parked along a deserted curb, just hoping to be noticed. And through their trials and tribulations, their triumphs, and more often, their failures, this collection of cab drivers delivered some of the most memorable and uproarious moments in the history of television sitcoms.

Punky Brewster

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Only the most hardened heart could refuse to soften a little when faced with a little orphaned girl. Just ask Annie, just ask Pippi, just ask Heidi. Now, put a spunky and self-confident little orphan alongside a cantankerous old codger, an odd couple if there ever was one, and you have a recipe for heart-string tugging like no other. Such was the power of Punky Brewster.

Nanny and the Professor

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Magical nannies have been the secret wish of many kids ever since Mary Poppins floated down from the sky dispensing discipline and whisking her charges off to have wonderful adventures. Another offbeat, quirky governess appeared in Nanny and the Professor, a 1970 sitcom starring Juliet Mills and Richard Long in the title roles.

Gilligan’s Island

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These lines - known to nearly every man, woman and child in the English-speaking world - opened the infectious story-song that took viewers to the tropical locale of Gilligan's Island every week. The ditty is right up there with the likes of The Beverly Hillbillies and The Brady Bunch in the category of best-known television theme songs, and has been remade in every musical style known to man: rap, polka, reggae, even heavy metal. It is and always will be a part of popular culture. This song, however, is merely one part of Gilligan's Island's universal appeal.

Mr. Belvedere

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One of the more charming sitcoms to air in the 80s, Mr. Belvedere told the story of a proper English gentleman employed as a nanny/housekeeper for a typical American family. Starring Christopher Hewitt in the title role, the series was an overnight success and proved that Hollywood still had the ability to come up with new and original concepts.

Saved by the Bell

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On July 11, 1987, a prime-time special entitled Good Morning, Miss Bliss aired on NBC. Soon after, it became a series on the Disney Channel, starring The Parent Trap's Hayley Mills as the teacher, Miss Bliss. Among her students were a young Zack, Screech, and Lisa. Their principal was Mr. Belding, who could switch from best pal to stern disciplinarian at a moment's notice. The show moved to NBC in 1989, soon to become the network's first live-action hit since Land of the Lost in 1977. Playing with the big boys now, the show got rid of its title character as well as its title. Now known as Saved by the Bell, the new show featured Zack (the "preppie" stud), Screech (the nerd) and Lisa (aspiring dress designer), as well as their new friends Slater (the handsome jock), Kelly (the boys' object of desire) and Jessie (the intelligent girl).