I was nine years old at the dawn of the 1980s. The decade ahead would be momentous for me—puberty, middle school, a terrible perm, my first glasses, my first contacts (thank God), high school, my first car (a silver Ford Tempo with red velour interior), etc. There were a lot of highs and lows, and luckily for me, the ’80s produced plenty of schmaltzy sitcoms to soothe my moods. The Keatons, the Cosbys, Nell Carter, even the old ladies on Golden Girls always seem to figure out their problems and wrap up any conflict with a big hug. The only thing cheesier than the shows? The theme songs! Even now, I can lap up those tunes like a big bowl of chicken noodle soup—and feel so much better about life. Here are my ’80s faves:
Silver Spoons
Ricky Stratton (played by eleven-year-old heartthrob Ricky Schroder) went to live with his rich and immature father. They learned so many meaningful lessons together in those thirty-minute blocks, just as the theme song promised they would: “Here we are, face to face, a couple of silver spoons, hoping to find, we’re two of a kind, making a go, making it grow, TOGETHER, we’re going to find our way, TOGETHER!”
Family Ties
Despite the stress of raising a Republican (remember Alex P. Keaton?), ex-hippies Elyse and Steven never quit loving each other, as they reminded us in a duet at the beginning of each show: “I bet we’ve been together for a million years, and I bet we’ll be together for a million more. It’s like I started breathing on the night we kissed, and I can’t remember what I ever did before. What would we do, baby, without us?”
Golden Girls
I liked this show—despite the fifty-year age gap between me and the characters—because it was about a bunch of funny, sarcastic girlfriends who took care of each other. Even in my teens, I was blessed with some wonderfully smart-alecky friends. “Thank you for being a friend. Traveled down the road and back again. Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidante. And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew, you would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say, thank you for being a friend.” Right on, sister!
Cosby Show
Sometimes families don’t even need words to show how they feel about each other. Remember how the Huxtables came out wearing those horrible sweaters and dancing as the horn-heavy theme song played? That family was so fun! Even when Theo got into trouble, he and his dad could work it out with a little humor. I can remember laughing with my own dad as Cliff Huxtable told Theo, “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.”
Charles in Charge and Gimme a Break
Both these shows celebrated the trusted nanny. Both Scott Baio and Nell Carter could solve all the kids’ problems, while learning a bit about themselves at the same time. And Charles was a bit of a hunk in those days. The theme song echoed what many a female viewer was thinking: “I want Charles in charge of me!”
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Cheers
Okay, this wasn’t a cheesy family sitcom, but it sure was a great television show with a timeless theme song about friendship and finding your own little place in the world—a sentiment that would make more sense to me when I watched the reruns in the ’90s. “Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came …” Indeed!
Fame
This show was just cool. It made me want to ditch my preppy southern school and move to New York to perform in a multi-cultural environment! I wanted to come from a rough background and overcome the odds. Never mind that I couldn’t dance or act or that I was terrified to even speak in front of a group; I wanted to leap across the stage to the tune of “Fame! I’m going to live forever! I’m going to learn how to fly!”