GREAT TV series from the 80s, 90s yet to see video release (DVD or otherw) (1 Viewer)

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Or the NBC censor got the scissors out before air!

NBC? Enos aired on CBS, just like its parent series did.

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

1980s-1990s TV is (for the most part, aside from a few already-released series) pretty slim pickings for me, but I'd list these:

The final season of SCTV (1983-84), originally made for Superchannel (Canada) & Cinemax (US).

Saturday Night Live - Season 10 (1984-85, the Billy Crystal/Christopher Guest/Harry Shearer/Martin Short/Rich Hall/Pamela Stephenson season) & Season 12 (1986-87, the first season with Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, etc, and with John Lovitz, Dennis Miller, A. Whitney Brown and Nora Dunn salvaged from the disastrous Season 11)

The Dave Thomas Comedy Show (1990) - a good, 5-episode Summer replacement sketch-comedy series, starring SCTV's Dave Thomas. Guest stars included John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Ackroyd, Chevy Chase and Martin Short. An interesting addendum to SCTV and SNL, with some funny Thomas skits ("Max Von Sydow as a morbid barber", "Jack Palance sitcom", "The Humiliator" - a parody of The Equalizer, etc).

Amazing Stories - Season 2 (1986-87). Like Season 1, there are a lot of so-so episodes, but it does have two of the tiny sub-set of truly great episodes of the series: Brad Bird's animated "Family Dog" (using Tim Burton character designs) and the standout hour-long Halloween episode from Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale, "Go to the Head of the Class", starring Christopher Lloyd, shortly after the trio had made Back to the Future.

I wouldn't call it great, but I'd be curious to see full episodes of the short-lived No Soap, Radio (1980), again.

It seems to me that these would pretty much all be in Shout Factory's current wheelhouse.

 

[Jack P]

I have only four 80s shows on my want list. In general I've found I have little to no nostalgia for what was the final decade I watched network TV shows on any regular basis.

Crazy Like A Fox (1984-1986) (A great light mystery show killed by CBS when it got moved from Sunday night to opposite Dynasty)

Lottery (1983-84)

The Law And Harry McGraw (have the R4 but would always gladly upgrade to R1. IMO, Jerry Orbach was better suited to this role than Lennie Briscoe and it was nice to see Barbara Babcock, one of my favorite 60s-70s guest stars in a regular series)

Goodnight Beantown (1983-84) (Her Trek episode made me a Mariette Hartley fan for life so that's why I watched this back in the day)

Since "Lou Grant" never had an episode with Ted Baxter suddenly dropping in on him and commenting on Lou's outrage over whatever social issue of the week, "Gee, Lou, you weren't this upset when Chuckles was killed!" there's no need for me to get it.

 

[BobO'Link]

One in particular I've been wanting for years is Remember WENN which was unceremoniously killed and banished to never-air-land by AMC when new management came on in 1998 who "wanted to attract a "younger, hipper" crowd by showing newer movies, adding commercial breaks, and severing ties with anything that made the channel seemed old-fashioned." It wasn't long before I stopped watching the channel as their offerings were nothing different than anyone else. I'm amazed they're still around. I've read that AMC has been approached by *several* companies wishing to release the series on DVD but have turned them all down. Hopefully, some day, that'll change.

 

[Stephen Bowie]

The halfway straight guy goes to the big city and takes a job and they were both spun off from a highly successful parent show.

Enos and Lou Grant were bisexual?

 

[MatthewA]

"Gee, Lou, you weren't this upset when Chuckles was killed!"

 

[bmasters9]

Crazy Like A Fox (1984-1986) (A great light mystery show killed by CBS when it got moved from Sunday night to opposite Dynasty)

If Shout! could make a full-series release of that (it only being two seasons' worth and 35 outings, plus the 1987 reunion film Still Crazy Like A Fox), I'd put my money towards it in a hurry.

 

[JayHink]

Cover Up (1984; had VHS dubs at one time)

Code Name: Foxfire (1985; had the pilot on VHS)

Misfits of Science ('84 I think; I believe there's a German DVD set)

E.A.R T.H. Force (1990; had a few on VHS)

Turbo Teen (1984, animated)

While none of these are "great," I was a kid in the 80s & would love to see these again via proper DVD release .

 

[Jack P]

Conversely, pretentious social awareness dramas can be merely "likable" to those who love the agenda messages week after week but they are not necessarily "great" if they feel a need to sink under the weight of their pretensions as well and are just pandering to the narrow cabal that will always bestow awards on a show provided the agenda is the politically correct one.

 

[Neil Brock]

Conversely, pretentious social awareness dramas can be merely "likable" to those who love the agenda messages week after week but they are not necessarily "great" if they feel a need to sink under the weight of their pretensions as well and are just pandering to the narrow cabal that will always bestow awards on a show provided the agenda is the politically correct one.

Only pretentious to those who are in favor of social injustice and oppose even the hint of opinions different from their own.

 

[Jack P]

You see, that in a nutshell is why the shows are pretentious. It assumes in true Felix Unger worthiness of the definition that the manner in which they frame the issues only results in their strawman position that to be on the alleged side of "justice" means the saintliness of one political party's beliefs on the subject and the evil of the other. In the end it is these shows that have spent decades revealing their own opposition to the hint of opinions different from their own and failing to see that the issue isn't as simple-minded as their packaged presentation (which usually results in some of the most laughably ignorant episodes regarding Civics 101 I've ever seen) would make it out to be.

At any rate, I wouldn't call it realism to have as your lead character and pontificator on social issues be the same character who gave us one of the funniest shows in TV history in seeing the humor of a guy being crushed to death by an elephant! That's the real definition of a "credibility gap".

 

[Bert Greene]

One of the things that always annoyed me about professional tv-critics of yore is that any time a program brought up a hot-button social-issue topic, they would give it rave reviews. It didn't matter if the script was flat-footed, vague in character motivations, or had clunky, unbelievable dialogue. As long as it touched some 'controversial' subject matter... It was proclaimed an artistic triumph.

 

[Gary OS]

I'll just add a hearty "AMEN" to what Ron, Jack and Bert have written about the so-called "social-justice" shows. I'm in full agreement with them, and hence not in agreement with certain other posters.


Gary "I'm sure this comes as a big shock to all" O.

 

[PODER]

Just chiming in to agree with three already mentioned:
1) THE POWERS THAT BE. Sadly short-lived but totally delightful political comedy.
2) Finish releasing MURPHY BROWN. Only Season One out, so time ago. This was a HUGE hit.
3) MAJOR DAD. Another very funny charmer that seems to have fallen off the radar screen.

 

[MatthewA]

No love for Mr. Smith? Wonder how long before someone claims that one is great too.

I'd buy the rest of Small Wonder in a heartbeat, but even I have my limits.

 

[bmasters9]

One of the things that always annoyed me about professional tv-critics of yore is that any time a program brought up a hot-button social-issue topic, they would give it rave reviews. It didn't matter if the script was flat-footed, vague in character motivations, or had clunky, unbelievable dialogue. As long as it touched some 'controversial' subject matter... It was proclaimed an artistic triumph.

That right there is why Diff'rent Strokes has been ineligible for my DVD shelf, and will remain permanently so!

 

[Scott511]

Cover Up (1984; had VHS dubs at one time)

Code Name: Foxfire (1985; had the pilot on VHS)

Misfits of Science ('84 I think; I believe there's a German DVD set)

E.A.R T.H. Force (1990; had a few on VHS)

Turbo Teen (1984, animated)

While none of these are "great," I was a kid in the 80s & would love to see these again via proper DVD release .

I have Cover-Up, not a great show, but I liked Hexum from his Voyagers! days. I just didn't like CU as well after he died. I'd buy a set if released.

I don't know why I never recorded Code Name Foxfire, I still have some promos from my recordings of other NBC series.

Misfits ran from 85-86, I always wanted it to be better than what it was. Especially coming from James D. Parriott, and yes it has been released overseas in a couple of different countries.

I have E.A.R.T.H. Force, did the production have any unaired episodes? I think the pilot, and two hour long episodes were all that was broadcast. I can't find anything on if more were finished, or if more aired overseas.

 

[JayHink]

I have Cover-Up, not a great show, but I liked Hexum from his Voyagers! days. I just didn't like CU as well after he died. I'd buy a set if released.

I don't know why I never recorded Code Name Foxfire, I still have some promos from my recordings of other NBC series.

Misfits ran from 85-86, I always wanted it to be better than what it was. Especially coming from James D. Parriott, and yes it has been released overseas in a couple of different countries.

I have E.A.R.T.H. Force, did the production have any unaired episodes? I think the pilot, and two hour long episodes were all that was broadcast. I can't find anything on if more were finished, or if more aired overseas.

Thanks for the reply Scott.

If I recall correctly from interviews, Cover Up may have wound up a legitimate hit as it was winning it's night (or at least time slot) leading up to Hexum's death.

I think E.A.R.T.H. Force aired 3 episodes (2-hour pilot & 2 aired episodes). I think there may have been 3 more unaired episodes that were produced, according to what I've read over the years.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Okay, I just deleted a bunch of posts. Anymore name-calling or bickering about somebody's choice of a great show will result in further disciplinary action such as banishment from this thread or suspension from the forum. Respect each other and contrary opinions, if you can't do that, then face the consequences for your actions.

 

[Everett S.]

I forgot this is a film site. Not a political site!.