Forgotten TV shows from the 1980s – how many did you watch?

Long before Bruce Willis became the iconic John McClane in Die Hard, he made his name with the comedy-drama, Moonlighting. The Pulp Fiction actor starred opposite Cybill Shepherd in the series, which followed two private detectives, David and Maddie, working for the Blue Moon Detective Agency.

The theme song, performed by Al Jarreau, became a huge hit and reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Despite only gracing our screens for five seasons between 1985 and 1989, Moonlighting left an enduring legacy. In 2007, the dramedy was listed as one of Time magazine’s 100 Best TV Shows of All-Time, while the relationship between David and Maddie was included in TV Guide’s list of the best TV couples of all time.

Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker played polar-opposite brothers, Rick and A.J. Simon, who run a private investigator agency in San Diego. The show’s humor stemmed from their clashing approaches to justice: Rick was a street-smart Vietnam veteran, while A.J. was a book-smart, by-the-rules college graduate.

Despite early low ratings, the show ran for eight seasons from 1981 to 1988. Following scheduling changes and a decline in ratings later in its run, the show was quietly cancelled. 

Another iconic double act, Kate & Allie starred Susan Saint James as the free-spirited Kate and Jane Curtin as her quiet, conservative friend Allie, who move in with each other after both getting divorced. 

A Monday-night staple, the New York City-set series aired on CBS from 1984 to 1989, running for six seasons. The show received 12 Emmy nominations during its run, with Jane winning outstanding lead actress in a comedy series twice, while Susan received two nominations in the same category.  

Before cementing her legacy as a sitcom icon in Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus starred in the short-lived series Day by Day (1988–1989). The series, which ran for two seasons between 1988 and 1989,  followed married couple Brian (Douglas Sheehan) and Kate Harper (Linda Kelsey), who decide to quit their high-flying jobs as a stockbroker and lawyer to open a daycare center in their home. 

Julia played Eileen Swift, their materialistic neighbor who frequently urged them to return to the corporate world. 

The series was set in the same universe as another NBC hit, Family Ties, as Brian was a college roommate of the Keaton patriarch, Steven (Michael Gross).”

Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner starred in this Cold War-era drama as an unlikely duo – a divorced housewife and a top-level spy – who form an unlikely partnership after a chance encounter on a train.

The show ran for four seasons between 1983 to 1987. During that time, it won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series, while Kate Jackson was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1985 for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series.

This long-running NBC crime drama starred Fred Dryer as Rick Hunter, a rebellious detective known for bending the rules to take down criminals in Los Angeles’ dark underbelly. He was joined by Stepfanie Kramer, who played his sharp-witted partner, Sergeant Dee Dee McCall. 

A cornerstone of Saturday night TV, the show aired for an impressive seven seasons from 1984 to 1991, later returning for two TV movies and a short-lived revival in 2003. 

Perry King, Joe Penny, and Thom Bray starred in this three-season crime drama about two Vietnam War veterans who launch a detective agency in Los Angeles. To assist with their investigations, they recruit a brilliant computer hacker – a fellow veteran they met while serving in the military.

Despite ranking among television’s top 20 series for two years, the series was booted out of its Tuesday 9pm timeslot by Moonlighting, and eventually suffered a drop in ratings, leading to its cancellation. 

Rex Smith starred in this action drama as Jesse Mach, a thrill-seeking police officer who, after being injured in the line of duty, is recruited for a top-secret government mission to pilot ‘Street Hawk’ – a 300-mph motorcycle designed to fight urban crime.

After being moved to a Friday night slot, the series struggled to compete against the ratings juggernaut Dallas. While it managed to find a cult following, particularly outside of the U.S, the show was axed after just 13 episodes in 1985.