Many of us are burned out on endless remakes of shows and movies we once loved. In a way, the entertainment industry thrives on this form of syndication. We put up with remakes that are terrible, for whatever reason, television seems to have a difficult time rewriting shows. With the exception of shows that are technically ongoing, such as Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica and every soap opera that airs before 3pm, older TV shows end up being abysmal misfires when they try to make a comeback. Good examples include V and Knight Rider, two beloved shows from the 80s that didn't catch on when they were remade in recent years. Of course, there are better shows from the 80s that deserve a victory lap, and we're confident that their return would be fan fulfilment to the highest degree...if done correctly. In this list are just some of the shows from the 80s that we want to see come back. We won't include 80s shows that have already been remade, which includes Thundercats, Transformers and other cartoons that have been brought back to life. Let the countdown begin...
10. Family Ties
Family Ties featured a premise that most sitcoms don't dare try to bring up: politics and family. The show was about a young republican named Alex (played by Michael J. Fox) living with his liberal parents who are former hippies. The show came at a crucial time when Reaganomics was strongly influencing the youth that rejected the more liberal, Peace Corps mentalities of the Baby Boomers. The show ran for 7 seasons and won several Emmies. WHY WE WANT IT BACK Like the 80s, our culture is at an intense political divide between liberal and conservative policies that is currently being debated on by the next generation. In a society where political correctness is rampant throughout most of our entertainment, a sitcom that explores this divide would be cherished by both young and old individuals. Specifically, it would be interesting to see Family Ties return with a focus on how the Millennial generation clashes with their fiscally conservative parents, an effective reversal of the premise we saw in the 80s.
Jon is the author of the Pixar Theory, the narrative that combines all of the Pixar movies in one timeline. You can read more about his random nonsense on jonnegroni.com
