TMC
11-22-2025, 08:55 PM
https://screenrant.com/cheesy-fantasy-tv-shows-from-the-1980s/
By Zach Moser
Published 11 hours ago
These '80s fantasy TV shows may be cheesy, but they stand up against the best series modern TV has to offer. The '80s were an interesting time for television. Things were starting to get a bit more interesting on TV, with showrunners willing to get a bit more experimental in how they told their stories.
Shows like Cheers, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Newhart premiered, launching their casts into stardom. Very special episodes and bright colors ruled the airwaves, and there's no doubt the styles made for incredibly cheesy TV shows. That doesn't mean they were bad, but they are definitely a bit goofy.
What wasn't particularly big in the 1980s was fantasy, and you'll be surprised by how few fantasy shows there are that came out of the decade. However, there are a handful of excellent ones, and even the cheesy series can stand up against the abundance of fantasy TV shows we have in the modern era.
Down To Earth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_to_Earth_(American_TV_series)) (1984-1987)
https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/down-to-earth-1.jpg?q=70&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1
Not Down to Earth with Zac Efron, the 1980s (https://www.google.com/search?q=Down+To+Earth+(1984-1987)+site:www.reddit.com&sca_esv=3ef39386087c0d68&sxsrf=AE3TifMjUXA1noLHDhJLnnp7Wu0avd-yUQ:1763859113744&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjdi6Kfh4eRAxXZJTQIHYuZEqYQrQIoAnoECB8QAw&biw=1920&bih=979&dpr=1) Down to Earth (https://www.geocities.ws/greenronnyg/down-to-earth.html) is a fantasy series that stars Carol Mansell as Ethel MacDoogan (https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1980s/down-to-earth/), a free-spirited woman who lived during the "Roaring 1920s" and was unceremoniously run over by a trolley in 1925. Ethel waits 60 years in heaven for the right to earn her wings.
Her task to earn them involves being sent back down to Earth in the 1980s to help the Preston family, a typical, modern-day American family, guiding them through troubles and tribulations. All the while, she's being watched over by a nitpicking group of supervisor angels. It's about as cheesy a story as you can get.
However, despite the silly premise, Down to Earth is a delightful and charming sitcom, filled with smart jokes and a strict adherence to the conceit. Even after Ethel decides to stay on Earth after earning her wings, her angelic nature plays a part in the show, ensuring the magic isn't ever lost.
By Zach Moser
Published 11 hours ago
These '80s fantasy TV shows may be cheesy, but they stand up against the best series modern TV has to offer. The '80s were an interesting time for television. Things were starting to get a bit more interesting on TV, with showrunners willing to get a bit more experimental in how they told their stories.
Shows like Cheers, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Newhart premiered, launching their casts into stardom. Very special episodes and bright colors ruled the airwaves, and there's no doubt the styles made for incredibly cheesy TV shows. That doesn't mean they were bad, but they are definitely a bit goofy.
What wasn't particularly big in the 1980s was fantasy, and you'll be surprised by how few fantasy shows there are that came out of the decade. However, there are a handful of excellent ones, and even the cheesy series can stand up against the abundance of fantasy TV shows we have in the modern era.
Down To Earth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_to_Earth_(American_TV_series)) (1984-1987)
https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/down-to-earth-1.jpg?q=70&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1
Not Down to Earth with Zac Efron, the 1980s (https://www.google.com/search?q=Down+To+Earth+(1984-1987)+site:www.reddit.com&sca_esv=3ef39386087c0d68&sxsrf=AE3TifMjUXA1noLHDhJLnnp7Wu0avd-yUQ:1763859113744&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjdi6Kfh4eRAxXZJTQIHYuZEqYQrQIoAnoECB8QAw&biw=1920&bih=979&dpr=1) Down to Earth (https://www.geocities.ws/greenronnyg/down-to-earth.html) is a fantasy series that stars Carol Mansell as Ethel MacDoogan (https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1980s/down-to-earth/), a free-spirited woman who lived during the "Roaring 1920s" and was unceremoniously run over by a trolley in 1925. Ethel waits 60 years in heaven for the right to earn her wings.
Her task to earn them involves being sent back down to Earth in the 1980s to help the Preston family, a typical, modern-day American family, guiding them through troubles and tribulations. All the while, she's being watched over by a nitpicking group of supervisor angels. It's about as cheesy a story as you can get.
However, despite the silly premise, Down to Earth is a delightful and charming sitcom, filled with smart jokes and a strict adherence to the conceit. Even after Ethel decides to stay on Earth after earning her wings, her angelic nature plays a part in the show, ensuring the magic isn't ever lost.