Breaking down the 1980s Television era

[TMC]

Complete timeframe: Spring 1978 - Spring 1995

Starts

• As early as the premiere of Dallas (Spring 1978)
  
• As late as the premiere of Golden Girls (Fall 1985)

Ends

• As early as the finale of The A-Team (Spring 1987)
  
• As late as the finale of Full House (Spring 1995)

Phase 1: First wave of '80s shows debut - Spring 1978 to Summer 1982

This was the first phase of '80s television with premieres of many shows that would define the decade such as Dallas, Different Strokes, Dukes of Hazzard, Taxi, Hart to Hart, Benson, Prisoner, Magnum P.I., Too Close for Comfort, Dynasty, The Greatest American Hero, The Smurfs, Cagney & Lacy, Fame, etc. Television was still mostly stuck in the '80s during this time period but this was the first step of change.

Many of these shows actually started out with an '70s atmosphere (Taxi is the only on this list that could arguably be more '70s than '80s) but as they progressed, the 80s atmosphere would fully settle in.

Phase 2: Classic '80s television era - Fall 1982 to Spring 1987

This era is arguably associated the most with '80s television, but I would say it's only a portion of what represented '80s television. This was when the shows that began in the previous era really took over television while simultaneously bringing in new shows that would be just as important in defining the '80s. Shows like Cheers, Remington Steele, Family Ties, Knight Rider, The A-Team, He-Man & The Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Webster, Night Court, Murder She Wrote, Miami Vice, The Cosby Show, Growing Pains, MacGyver, The Golden Girls, ThunderCats, Perfect Strangers, ALF, Peewee's Playhouse, Silverhawks, Dragon Ball, The Real Ghostbusters, Double Dare, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Degrassi Junior High, 21 Jump Street, etc., would make their premieres.

This era would also see the first '80s shows go out such as Taxi, Dukes of Hazzard, The Greatest American Hero, Taxi, Hart to Hart, Benson, Prisoner, Too Close For Comfort, Remington Steele, Knight Rider, The A-Team, He-Man & The Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Silverhawks, etc.

Phase 3: Modern '80s television era - Summer 1987 to Spring 1992

This era also defined '80s television just as much as the last with the debut of shows like Full House, A Different World, Star Trek: The Next Generation, DuckTales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Wonder Years, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Degrassi High, Saved By The Bell, etc. The shows that premiered in the previous era really hit their peak of dominance in this period.

More '80s shows end like Magnum P.I., Fame, Cagney & Lacy, The Smurfs, Miami Vice, Dynasty, Family Ties, Knight Rider, Webster, Night Court, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, The Cosby Show, Growing Pains, MacGyver, The Golden Girls, ThunderCats, ALF, Peewee's Playhouse, Dragon Ball, The Real Ghostbusters, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, 21 Jump Street, DuckTales, etc.

Phase 4: The last '80s shows end - Summer 1992 to Spring 1995

This is the last phase of '80s television where the remaining shows of the decade finally come to an end such as Perfect Strangers, Saved By The Bell, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Full House, A Different World, Wonder Years, Double Dare, etc. Television had started to develop more of a '90s edge by this time and conservative, more PG era of '80s television had faded away.

Some of these shows would end up even having a '90s atmosphere to it based on how deep into the new decade the show lasted in. Some of these shows (like Saved By The Bell and Full House) are arguably more '90s than '00s, especially with how long these shows lasted.