Hi there! I want some suggestions for little-known TV shows and sitcoms from the 80's. I like 'Heart Of The City' (starring a pre-Kelly Bundy Christina Applegate). I've also found (on imcdb) some obscure TV show called Mr. Merlin. Is it any good? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081903/

Do you have any other suggestions for little-know sitcoms/TV shows from the 80s, preferably between 1980 and 1986?

Check it Out! aired from 1985-1988 in Canada. It stars Don Adams from Get Smart and is set in a grocery store. I've only seen 4 episodes of it when WGN aired a one night marathon but liked what I saw. Another good 80s sitcom is the British comedy Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister. It stars Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne in a breakout role, and Derek Fowlds.

The Charmings

Roomies

Nearly Departed

Zorro and Son

I Married Dora

Just Our Luck

Filthy Rich

Jennifer Slept Here

Mr. Smith

Joanie Loves Chachi

Best Of The West

The Famous Teddy Z

One of the Boys (1982) - Dana Carvey and Mickey Rooney

One of the Boys (1989) - Maria Conchita Alonso

Free Spirit

The Duck Factory

Double Trouble

Day By Day

Charlie & Co.

Fast Times

a.k.a. Pablo

Trial and Error

Does anybody remember Tom,Dick and Harriet shown on British television in the 1980s and starring Ian Ogilvy and Brigit Forsyth? It was a hoot,though not the most politically correct programme which is why it may have been shelved.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom,_Dick_and_Harriet

There was another very short lived British Sitcom in the 80's:

Bootle Saddles which starred Kenneth Cope of Randall and Hopkirk [Deceased] fame.

Does anybody have just our luck?

Working Girl
the 80's series starring future A-list actress/Oscar winner Sandra Bullock

Cafe Americana (?)
the 80's sitcom with Valerie Bertenelli.

Live-In
Another forgotten 80's sitcom about an Australian nanny with young actor Chris Young.

Ann
An 80's series with Ann Jillian.

Hi there! I want some suggestions for little-known TV shows and sitcoms from the 80's. I like 'Heart Of The City' (starring a pre-Kelly Bundy Christina Applegate). I've also found (on imcdb) some obscure TV show called Mr. Merlin. Is it any good? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081903/

Do you have any other suggestions for little-know sitcoms/TV shows from the 80s, preferably between 1980 and 1986?

Heart of the City was a drama. Loved Applegate playing the bleached blonde 15-year old slutty daughter. Rarely see someone in their mid-teens playing that type of character.

Heart of the City was a drama. Loved Applegate playing the bleached blonde 15-year old slutty daughter. Rarely see someone in their mid-teens playing that type of character.

I looked up the show in the U.S. Copyright Office and Wikipedia to see who produced it, and who would own it today (IMDB doesn't say anything about that at all), and it was an American Flyer Films, Ltd. production, in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ergo, the series and episodes are currently owned by Fox. Only 13 of them were ever made.

FLAMINGO ROAD-short-lived NBC "prime-time soap opera".

TATINGERS-another NBC short-lived "prime-time soap opera".

BRET MAVERICK-short-lived NBC series where James Garner revived his Bret Maverick character from the ABC show MAVERICK.

THE YELLOW ROSE-NBC series (again, short-lived) that was a drama set on a ranch. (that's all I remember)

GLORIA-short-lived Norman Lear sitcom on CBS that spun of Gloria from ALL IN THE FAMILY

CHECKIN' IN-yet ANOTHER short-lived sitcom from Norman Lear that was on CBS and spun off the maid from THE JEFFERSONS, Florence

L.A.T.E.R. (the Life And Times of Eddie Roberts)-and ANOTHER short-lived show from Norman Lear (WOW he had a lot) that was a sitcom/soap opera hybrid.

HOUSE CALLS-CBS sitcom about a doctor that starred Wayne Rogers and was based on a 1978 movie that starred Walter Mathau.

Check it Out! aired from 1985-1988 in Canada. It stars Don Adams from Get Smart and is set in a grocery store. I've only seen 4 episodes of it when WGN aired a one night marathon but liked what I saw. Another good 80s sitcom is the British comedy Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister. It stars Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne in a breakout role, and Derek Fowlds.
Check it out was a funny show!!

These are more from the late '80s I think, but you might also try "She's The Sheriff", "Out of this World", "Just the 10 of Us" and "Easy Street".

These are more from the late '80s I think, but you might also try "She's The Sheriff", "Out of this World", "Just the 10 of Us" and "Easy Street".

Does Just the 10 of Us really count as a short-lived show?

It had three seasons (a short four-episode first season, and two full seasons).

Does anybody remember Tom,Dick and Harriet shown on British television in the 1980s and starring Ian Ogilvy and Brigit Forsyth? It was a hoot,though not the most politically correct programme which is why it may have been shelved.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom,_Dick_and_Harriet

They remade it for America under the title "Foot in the Door".

I looked up the show in the U.S. Copyright Office and Wikipedia to see who produced it, and who would own it today (IMDB doesn't say anything about that at all), and it was an American Flyer Films, Ltd. production, in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ergo, the series and episodes are currently owned by Fox. Only 13 of them were ever made.

I know. Have them all perfect quality off air SP records.

Popcord Kid

It's Your Move

Together We Stand/Nothing Is Easy

Singer and Sons

They remade it for America under the title "Foot in the Door".
That's interesting zachattack12.Apparently it didn't do so well but was a hit in the Netherlands.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom,_Dick_and_Harriet

Easy Street

The Thorns

Duet

Welcome, Brandon. :) I can actually say yes to two out of your three: I was a regular viewer of Loni Anderson's Easy Street. It tried--and failed--to provide NBC a competitive comedy alternative to Murder, She Wrote on CBS Sunday nights in 1986-87.

The Thorns was a Mike Nichols-Elaine May misfire that was part of a pre-TGIF comedy block on ABC in 1988. It was hard to take seriously as a spoof of the rich when it looked so cheap. It also wasn't very funny.

Cafe Americana (?)
the 80's sitcom with Valerie Bertenelli.



"Café Americain" was in the 1990s. 1993, in fact. Maurice Godin was also in it.

Brothers
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086677/combined

Hangin' In
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335674/combined

Does Just the 10 of Us really count as a short-lived show?

It had three seasons (a short four-episode first season, and two full seasons).

Compared to Gunsmoke, it is. lol:lol:
True though- you have a point. I guess it depends on what you consider short-lived or not.
Oh well- it's at least a perhaps lesser known (or remembered) 1980s sitcom that is quite good.

I can actually say yes to two out of your three: I was a regular viewer of Loni Anderson's Easy Street. It tried--and failed--to provide NBC a competitive comedy alternative to Murder, She Wrote on CBS Sunday nights in 1986-87.

Cool! I remember watching Easy Street too as a kid. I honestly don't remember much of it now, but I remember enjoying it then. Yeah- Loni Anderson was on it- that's probably about all that I remember about it right now. (And she did great as Jennifer on WKRP in Cincinatti as well.):) :cool:

Compared to Gunsmoke, it is. lol:lol:
True though- you have a point. I guess it depends on what you consider short-lived or not.
Oh well- it's at least a perhaps lesser known (or remembered) 1980s sitcom that is quite good.



Unless I misread the OP's original post, I don't recall them asking for shortlived shows, just shows that would be considered obscure.

The 2 I listed: Brothers ran for 5 seasons, Hangin' In ran for 7, yet I rarely if ever see/hear them talked about.

Geena Davis had a short lived 13 episode sitcom in 1985 co-starring Bronson Pinchot called "Sara" that I don't think anybody hardly remembers it that I actually had to look up IMDB and discovered that Bill Maher and Alfre Woodard also co-starred.

The premise was of Sara played by Geena is a law student recently graduated and without a job so she takes up a job at a legal aid clinic and like most insipid sitcoms that take place in settings (bar, coffee shop, hospital, police station, high school, auto garage) you get the mandatory wacky goofball characters.

Fathers and Sons with Former NFL football player Merlin Olsen

Crazy Like a Fox with Jack Warden and John Rubinstein

Foley Square with Héctor Elizondo, Margaret Colin and Jon Lovitz as Mole

Mary with Mary Tyler Moore, John Astin, Katey Sagal, and James Farentino

Fast Times with Cameron Crowe, Courtney Throne Smith and Patrick Demsey

The Duck Factory with Jim Carrey and Julie Payne

Jennifer Slept Here with Ann Jillian

We Got It Made with Tom Villard and Teri Copley

Working Stiffs with Michael Keaton and James Belushi

One Of The Boys with Scatman Crothers, Mickey Rooney, Nathan Lane and Dana Carvey

Lewis & Clark with Gabe Kaplan and Guich Koock

Ladies Man with Amy and Alan Thackeray

Private Benjamin with Lorna Patterson and Eileen Brennan

704 Hauser (All In The Family Spin-off) with John Amos

Square Pegs with Nicholas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker

Flo (Spin-off From Alice) with Polly Holliday

Filthy Rich (Dynasty sitcom spoof) with Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, and Charles Frank

Star of the Family with Brian Dennehy

It Takes Two with Patty Austin, Richard Crenna and Helen Hunt

The New Odd Couple with Demond Wilson and Ron Glass

The Tortellis with Dan Hedaya

Easy Street with Loni Anderson and Jack Elam

The Charmings with Christopher Rich, Brandon Call and Cork Hubbert

Roomies with Burt Young and Corey Haim

A. K. A. Pablo with Paul Rodriguez, Hector Elizondo and Mario Lopez

Together We Stand with Elliot Gould and Scott Grimes

Sledge Hammer! (Parody of Mike Hammer and other 80s shows) with David Rasche

Duet with Matthew Laurance, Chris Lemmon and Alison LaPlaca

The Ellen Burstyn Show with Ellen Burstyn. Megan Mullally and Elaine Stritch

Down and Out in Beverly Hills with Anita Morris, Hector Elizondo, and April Ortiz

Frank's Place with Tim Reed and Daphne Maxwell Reid

Trial and Error with Paul Rodriguez

My Two Dads with Paul Reiser, Greg Evigan and Stacey Kennan

At Ease with Jimmie Walker and John Vargas

Just the Ten of Us (Growing Pains spin-off) with Bill Kirchenbauer, Jamie Luner and Heather Langenkamp

Live-In with Lisa Patrick and David Moscow

Coming of Age with Paul Dooley and Phyllis Newman

9 to 5 with Rita Moreno, Jeffery Tambor, and Valerie Curtin; a later version also in the 80s had Sally Struthers and Richard Dennison

E/R with Conchata Ferrell, Eliott Gould, and George Clooney

Amen with Sherman Hemsley, Anna Maria Horsford, and Clifton Davis

Double Trouble with Anne Marie Johnson, Liz Sagal and Jean Sagal

Dreams with John Stamos, Jami Gertz and Valerie Stevenson

The Bronx Zoo with Ed Asner and David Wilson

Small Wonder with Tiffany Brissette and Dick Christie

Buffalo Bill with Dabney Coleman, Geena Davis and Max Wright

Amanda's with Bea Arthur, Frank McCarren and Tony Rosato

Teachers Only which had various cast changes in its two seasons on air

Bosom Buddies with Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari

I'm a Big Girl Now with Danny Thomas and Diana Canova

Life With Lucy with Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon

704 Hauser (All In The Family Spin-off) with John Amos


I don't wanna seem like I'm nitpicking, but that was a 1994 series. Good suggestions though.

Square Pegs
Grand

Learning the Ropes with Lyle Alzado and Nicole Stoffman.

Even though "Small Wonder" lasted for 4 seasons, I still consider it obscure because no one seems to remember it and it's never seen in syndication.

I totally remember Small Wonder- I loved watching that show as a kid!:) :cool: And thankfully, the first 2 seasons got released to DVD. (If only Shout! Factory would release the last seasons to DVD.)

Unless I misread the OP's original post, I don't recall them asking for shortlived shows, just shows that would be considered obscure.

The 2 I listed: Brothers ran for 5 seasons, Hangin' In ran for 7, yet I rarely if ever see/hear them talked about.

True- good point. But many short-lived shows are also obscure just for that reason.;) That may be why I got confused on that. But yeah- some great choices for obscure '80s sitcoms here- but I think it all depends on the individual's viewpoint and experiences with '80s sitcoms as to what is and isn't obscure.

Mr. Smith! Does anyone know how to find a copy of that?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Iwxi62JpHnA

Madame's Place, starring Wayland Flowers and Madame. Also featured Judy Landers, and Corey Feldman.

Pursuit of Happiness (1987) with Miss White..um..Wendel Meldrum, Brian Keith and Paul Provenza.