Requiem for the 1980s' TV Series that defined generations. We were the lucky ones (at least in some aspects)!


What's in this post?
As once a powerful Jedi Master said:

80s was definitely a great era when it came to TV Shows. These are my favorite TV Series that I've been watching throughout my teenage years, and I'm almost 100% sure that at least some of these TV Series will seem "familiar" to you. [Photo Source]

"CLÉMENTINE"

_{[Photo Source #1, #2, #3]}

Never let these shiny colors and smiling faces misguide you!
It's DARK, maybe darker than any animation you've ever seen!

This is by far one of the MOST ORIGINAL animated TV series, ever. If you're among the fortunate people who have watched (or, "experienced"?) "Clémentine", released under the name "Clémentine's Enchanted Journey" in U.S. , you already know why I used the phrase, "The Most Original".

"Clémentine" was definitely NOT suitable for kids!
An absolute pedagogic disaster yet still a very special experience.

Psychedelic!

I still remember its extremely dark mood and scary atmosphere. There was no doubt that it was offering a unique experience, but one thing's for sure: "Clémentine" was definitely NOT suitable for kids. How could an extremely dark animation like Clémentine be considered "appropriate" for kids and released through TV without any warnings? That still remains an unsolved mystery to me.

_{VIDEO: "CLÉMENTINE" INTRO - When I say "DARK", I mean it. The second half of the video is closer to the true spirit of this unique animation. It's very hard to define, you should watch an episode to understand what I mean with the word "original".}

What about a main antagonist, a demon in flames named Malmoth, throwing his unsuccessfull servants who have failed to KILL Clémentine into lava? - What about Clémentine drinking poison, killing herself to be able travel to the realm of the dead? A guardian angel? Astral projection? Now, do these sound "appropriate" for children? Without a doubt, "Clémentine" was an absolute pedagogic disaster, but nevertheless, it was still a very special experience.

Clémentine lives in Villacoublay with her family, and their town welcomes a Circus ran by Molâche who is actually one of the servants of Malmoth (remember the demon in flames?) Clémentine and her friends find out about the cruelty behind the circus, especially the atrocities towards animals (now, that's indeed an important point). Molâche sabotages the plane that carries Clémentine and causes the wreck. Clémentine finds herself in the cavern of Malmoth but her guardian angel (Héméra) saves her. When Clémentine opens her eyes in a hospital, she learns that her legs are paralyzed and she will never be able to walk again. Héméra solaces Clémentine and tells that they'll travel around the world together through Clémentine's dreams.

"MacGYVER"

_{[Photo Source] - As you know, he was able to build an elevator from a cheving gum and a jet engine from a washing machine. I even remember him building an aircraft from a chicken (was that a joke?)}

It's not very common to see a super-hero who solves problems with absolute mind power, without any physical violence. He neither has the financial sources of Bruce Wayne nor the super-powers of Superman yet manages to solve any life threatening problem with his experience and some "tricks".

When MacGyver solves a mystery, he quickly raises his eyebrows and then lowers them. I remember myself doing the same eyebrow movement a lot without solving any mystery. This is a kind, "good" man folks! As far as I can recall, in an episode he was putting his own life in danger in order to save eagles and eaglets.

I wonder how much Victorinox profited from that Swiss Army Knife!

_{VIDEO: "MACGYVER" INTRO - That music brings good old memories back!}

After the terrible loss of a childhood friend due to an accident involving a gun, MacGyver refuses to carry any guns (of course, this behavior has a few exceptions) and instead he creates his own ways of dealing with life-threatening situations, thanks to his extraordinary problem solving skills. After all, he has an education in Physics and knows a couple of things, right? Give this man a household bleach, a duct tape and a swiss army knife and watch him to transform into "Aladdin's Genie".

"For the past seven years I have done nothing but travel around the world getting shot up, locked up, blown up... and all I have to show for it are a couple of empty rolls of duct tape."

"V"

_{[Photo Source] - Who wasn't in love with Diana (Jane Badler), the alien reptilian, throughout the 1980s? Come on, admit it!}

#1 Beautiful
(there is no need to refuse beauty, right?)...

#2 Reptilian
(well, I think I can deal with that too)...

#3 Eats Animals Alive
(Now, that's a "turn off" whether she eats them alive or not.)

It seems "V" franchise was widely inspired by the anti-fascist novel, It Can't Happen Here written by Sinclair Lewis. Look at these aliens' uniforms and their swastika-like emblem. They're "SS" troops! (An off-topic but important note here: It's sad to see that the ancient eternity symbol Swastika automatically reminds fascism now.)

_{VIDEO: (Contains Spoilers) - The true identity of aliens revealed: They're neither vegetarians nor vegans!}

_{VIDEO: (1983 MINI SERIES INTRO) - At the end, we see a dedication to all resistance fighters, no matter where they are coming from.}

"To the heroism of the resistance fighters - past, present, and the future - this work is respectfully dedicated"

_{Hovering (huge) Spaceships over the fellow cities - Looks familiar?
No, it's not "Independence Day", it's (both of the photos) the good old "V" [Photo Source #1, #2]}

It's not hard to see that Roland Emmerich inspired a lot from the hovering spaceships of "V" when directing "Independence Day". Remember these disc shaped big space ships? (Oh, what a disaster that movie was, and I am not talking about the disaster caused by the Aliens from outer space) - After "V" (1983 original), Michael Ironside joined the crew in 1984 with "V: The Final Battle " and this Sci-Fi classic became even more interesting with his charismatic presence (it was a great joy to watch him in Paul Verhoeven's "Total Recall" and "Starship Troopers", both are great movies with a powerful subtext).
And when it comes to Robert Englund, there was Willie (an Alien Reptilian technician and a resistance supporter) before Freddy Krueger!

• "V" (1983 | 2 Episodes)
• "V: The Final Battle" (1984 | 3 Episodes)
• "V" Series (1984-1985 | 19 Episodes)

"MARRIED WITH CHILDREN"

_{[Photo Source]}

"TV SERIES THAT DEFINED GENERATIONS"?
I hope our generation was not defined by Al Bundy though, if you know what I mean.

No matter what, "Married With Children" is one of the most unforgettable classics of TV History. I'll even dare to say that it's the FUNNIEST TV SHOW along with Seinfeld!

_{VIDEO: "MARRIED WITH CHILDREN" INTRO from the voice of Frank Sinatra}

Never underestimate Al Bundy, once he was a football legend!

I was laughing like a lunatic while watching "Married With Children", especially to Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) and his attitude towards life. Words wouldn't be enough to describe the absurdity of the dialogue between characters which I think was the real reason behind all the laughter. Seeing the "hopeless" face of Al Bundy (the shoe salesman) was alone enough for me to have some stomach cramps, but when his gestures combined with his negative attitude and self-victimization, now that was PURE FUN!

_{[Photo Source #1, #2, #3] - "Shoot me and I'll give you $12"}

"I work in a shoe store, I make less than minimum wage, and yet I'm not happy to be home."

- "Did you miss me?"
- "With every bullet, so far."

"OUT OF THIS WORLD"

_{[Photo Source #1, #2] - "OUT OF THIS WORLD": An album from Europe, an album from Joe Satriani, and a TV Show that brings pure nostalgia! On the left side, you see a FATHER (what? It's like a cell-phone which connects the two planets), and on the right, a DAUGHTER who's freezing the time (yes!)}

_{VIDEO: "OUT OF THIS WORLD" INTRO - That melody sounds familiar, doesn't it?}

This is where the phrase "we are from different worlds" actually comes from.

Evie's (Maureen Flannigan) mother and father (the voice of Burt Reynolds) are indeed from different worlds, and when that happens, the child usually possesses some super powers that only her family is aware of! In her case, Evie has the ability of freezing the time whenever she touches her index fingers together, thus giving her the ability of changing the natural flow of events by manipulating the objects. To resume the time, all she has to do is to clap her hands together. Now, it's time for confession! You did that, didn't you? You touched the tips of your index fingers to freeze time.

I hadn't been aware that Scott Baio of "Charles In Charge" directed 11 episodes of "Out Of This World"!

- "Dreams come from one of two things. Either fears or... something else."
- "Sex."
- "Yes. I'm assuming yours are about fears, or we'll both be having nightmares."

"KNIGHT RIDER"

_{[Photo Source #1], [Photo Source #2]}

Now, isn't that THE PERFECT(ly cheap) FORMULA?

#1 Handsome Men (including the main protagonist, David Hasselhoff)

#2 Beautiful Women (many of them, including Patricia McPherson)

#3 A super car (KITT, a modified Pontiac Firebird with A.I.)

Let's see how that formula works:
(As always, "the exceptions prove the rule")

Easy... Women like to look at good looking men; men like to look at good looking women... In general, people like to look at good looking people no matter what their sexual identification is! And not only that, male teenagers like to look at good looking cars. That's a nice portion from the population, don't you think so?

And by the way, I still hum the melody from the intro below.

_{VIDEO: "KNIGHT RIDER" - INTRO}

"Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law."

"MORK AND MINDY"

_{[Photo Source] - Rest In Peace Robin Williams... You have been missed a lot!}

Nanu Nanu!
Robin Williams is... Spellbinding!

Just watch any episode of "Mork And Mindy" and you'll immediately notice how Mindy (Pam Dawber) hardly refrains from laughing during the show while Robin Williams improvises upon his manic comedy style. Oh, poor Pam Dawber, it must be so hard (or, funny?)

Mork (Robin Williams) is an "alien" from the planet Ork, and he's sent to planet Earth by his superior Orson, to study human behavior (Orson's main motivation is to get rid of Mork, though. Mork's home planet is humour-blind. Humour is prohibited, to be more precise. Looks like a "good decision" from an Orkan point of view: Getting rid of a character played by Robin Williams.)

During his time on Earth, Mork learns a lot, and teaches even more to us, humans.
And he drinks a glass of milk with his fingers.

_{VIDEO: "MORK AND MINDY" INTRO}

- "My doctor says I need to get more iron in my diet, now what do you suggest?"
- "Eat your car keys."

"ALF"

_{[Photo Source] - Oh come on Alf, you don't mean it, right?}

Alien Life Form who loves cats (of course, it depends)!

Can it be considered as Sci-Fi?
Who cares, it was too funny to refuse!

An orbit guard from the planet Melmac whose favorite drink is "fresh cat juice" (what?) crashes into earth, into the coach house of the Tanner Family. In time, they embrace him despite his everlasting appetite for cats, seven stomachs, and cynical humor (please check his thoughts about Ghostbusters II from the quote below). This is the alien from Melmac who smashes the bathroom up and then calmly warns Tanners about the dangers of walking barefoot in the bathroom. As far as I remember he also had a crush on Lynn Tanner (Andrea Elson)

And the best part is: THERE IS NO CGI!

_{VIDEO: "ALF" INTRO (has great riffs, for sure)}

Willie: "Some people are so blinded by the thirst for money, that it causes them to lose their values and do things they shouldn't do."

Alf: "Well, that explains Ghostbusters II."

"AIRWOLF"

_{[Photo Source] - R.I.P. Ernest Borgnine!}

I had the toy of that helicopter!

Welcome to the era of super helicopters...
...And Tangerine Dreamish great theme music!

You know, almost all of us did the same thing, didn't we?
We held these toys in our hands and pretended they were actually flying, whether they be an X-WING or an Airwolf of our own! There were even times (if we were lucky enough) when we were building our own spacecraft with some Legos or Meccanos. We had been also creating our own special sound effects without any devices other than our own mouth!

And that helicopter was really cool (especially for an 80s teenager who wasn't thinking about the effects of weapons and militarism in general)!
Jan-Michael Vincent fits his role well as the hot-tempered pilot, and who can refuse a legendary actor like Ernest Borgnine! (he is one of the reasons I prefer "Airwolf" over "BlueThunder")

_{VIDEO: "AIRWOLF" INTRO (THE MUSIC IN THESE INTROS... WELL... Superb!)}

- "Now, would mind telling me why the hell we did that?"

- "I just wanted to see if it could be done."

"YES MINISTER"

_{[Photo Source] - "Yes Minister", where the deep tunnels of bureaucracy is fun!}

A comedy classic that reflects the true face of bureaucracy!

I think we all already have a clue about how bureaucracy works(?) in "developed" countries (of course, the meaning of the word "developed" depends a lot on your point of view) - James Hacker (Paul Eddington) is the main protagonist of this all-time comedy classic, a naive yet determined bureaucrat, but you should also focus on Sir Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne), a veteran bureaucrat whose knowledge on bureaucratic cabals are highly "respected".
Oh, Sir Humphrey Appleby... What a "character" he is. He is definitely in the same league with Senator Palpatine, maybe a less ambitious version of the Sith Lord (but it's still a lot of ambition in "Sith" standards). He has the ability of covering up all kinds of corruption and presenting them as "natural", "normal" and even "legitimate"! James Hacker has a lot to "learn" from him.

_{[Photo Source] I wonder why almost all the politicians have a big nose. Is that a must? Pinocchio?}

_{VIDEO: "YES MINISTER" INTRO}

"It used to be said there were two kinds of chairs to go with two kinds of ministers: one sort that folds up instantly and the other sort that goes round and round in circles."

THE A-TEAM

_{[Photo Source #1, Photo Source #2] - I see formulas everywhere}

A "brain", a "face" (Lieutenant Starbuck), a "muscle", and a "crazy pilot"... I almost forgot! Add "beautiful women" to the mix!
(Cheesy, I know. But that's the formula.)

Once again, down to the memory lane. It was never only about these unforgettable TV Series, it's about the memories we recall whenever we remember these TV Shows. The childhood, the magic of the first personal computers (who can ever forget the good old "Commodore 64" and "Amiga 500"), animated series like "Voltron: Defender of the Universe ", watching "The Goonies", first "love", shoulder pads (it's still a mystery for me:WHY women loved shoulder pads so much?), and all about 1980s including the era when Metallica was Metallica (and Lars Ulrich was still able to play drums)!

One thing "The A-Team" was successfully accomplishing was the "character work", the different character traits of the crew (always a great strategy when it comes to TV Ratings). Hannibal is the brain and charismatic leader behind the operations for sure, then we have a handsome accountant who is a womanizer (sorry, the formula again), the muscle power of B.A. ("Bad Attitude") Baracus, and "not perfectly sane" Murdock. BA Baracus had a dislike for Murdock (because he fears from flying and Murdock is a mad pilot? Possibly), nevertheless, no one is left behind.

Countless explosions, tens of thousands of bullets, all kinds of crashes and wrecks, injuries, and, zero casualties. Isn't that interesting?

_{VIDEO: "THE A-TEAM" INTRO}

"In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-Team."

THE SMURFS
(a.k.a. "Les Schtroumpfs")

_{[Photo Source] - Confess! Admit it! You were looking forward for it!}

Oh, that quote from the legendary movie, "DONNIE DARKO"...

No. Not Papa Smurf.
It was Gargamel who created the Smurfette!

Originally started as a comic strip by Peyo, whenever I hear about these little blue creatures it immediately reminds me of the quote from the cult movie, "DONNIE DARKO". "The Smurfs" has a much deeper character work than most feature movies (unfortunately, I'm not joking - we have tons of "movie clips" with a length of almost 120 minutes but only a tiny fraction of them deserve to be called as a "movie". Thankfully, there are exceptions)

There is an episode called "King Smurf" where at the final scene, because of smurfs' ambition for power, Papa Smurf chastises them for behaving like "humans". If we had a few more episodes like that one, they could easily epitomize the history of mankind.
Animations like "The Smurfs" are never only for kids.

_{VIDEO: "THE SMURFS" INTRO}

- "Everyone what are the first two rules of Smurfdom?"

- "No casting spells on your own. Don't go into Pappa Smurf's lab without permission."

"THE TWILIGHT ZONE"

_{Original / 1985 - 1989 TV Series / 2002 - 2003 TV Series}

_{[Photo Source]}

The Best Of The Best?

Is it ever possible to know how many movies (or any other forms of art) are inspired from the stories of "The Twilight Zone" (just letting you know, I'm talking about the 1985-1989 TV Series - After all, I'm a 80s kid) - "THE TRUMAN SHOW"? It's an episode from "The Twilight Zone" ("Special Service") where a man notices the camera behind the mirror while shaving, then, in time, he learns the awful truth..: His whole life is nothing but a lie. He has no friends, no wife, no life, no nothing. All were actors! What about "THE BOX" , remember that married couple receiving a box with a very confusing offer? Well, I would say, just follow the second part of the episode "Profile in Silver/Button, Button "
The list goes on, for sure, and if you consider the inspiration offered by the "Original" series, that list would even go a lot further. I mean it.

My favorite episode from the 1980s series?
Not that I have a dislike for others (is it even possible?), my vote goes to "A Matter Of Minutes" (how you think the "universe" works? Well, think again) and "Aqua Vita" ("youth" comes with a cost)

And there was that "Closing Narration" concept, concluding each story.
Most of them were LIFE LESSONS worth thinking about.

_{VIDEO: "THE TWILIGHT ZONE" INTRO - The Best Show Ever?}

"VOLTRON: Defender Of The Universe"

_{[Photo Source]}

The Japanese, And The Robot / Mecha メカ Passion...

Where does that passion come from?
Isn't that interesting?
Does it have its roots back to the WAR between MU and ATLANTIS?
Let's assume that it's true (for a moment) - But, why Japan?

Voltron too has its roots in Japan.

I loved all things related to Robots when I was a teenager in 1980s; for a kid, it wasn't hard to admire the magic of robots. They were huge, shiny, colorful, metal! I begged my family to buy me that Robot toy. I was lucky, they bought me an Amiga 500 and I controlled a robot! When Psygnosis released the Mecha Game "Walker" for Amiga 500 in 1993, I played it like crazy.

The Green Lion comes from the deep forest, the Yellow from the desert, the Red one from somewhere hot, and the Blue, as you might have guessed, from the deep sea. You already know where the Black Lion comes from, don't you... Divided they fall, united they stand.

I must admit that of all the animated TV Series that appear to me out of my childhood, the ones I still remember the most are "CLÉMENTINE" and "VOLTRON".

_{VIDEO: "VOLTRON: Defender Of The Universe" INTRO}

"Form feet and legs; form arms and body; and I'll form the head!"

"HE-MAN And the Masters of the Universe"

_{[Photo Source]}

By the Power of Grayskull,
I have the power!

(And thankfully, we had VHS too!)

"HE-MAN And the Masters of the Universe":
Where magic, sorcery and science come together!

My favorite character was Orko, though I admit that I too raised that 20 inch ruler (or whatever I could find at the moment) into the air from time to time with the exact same phrase. I had felt so powerful by doing so. On the contrary, don't let that sword, magic, or a wide variety of weapons misguide you. HE-MAN was still far more innocent than many "innocent looking" cartoon characters (It's almost impossible to count the exact number of dynamite explosions, gunfires, grenades, cannonball fires, electric shocks and hammer blows in the cartoons in question. And by the way, when someone pulls a trigger, it KILLS a living being which should never be considered funny... i.e. in a "Looney Tunes" cartoon there are thousands of gunfires but no one actually dies. What kind of a message is that to kids or anyone who's watching them? Guns don't kill?) - Physical violence was extremely minimal in HE-MAN, in 1983 - 1985 cartoon series, at least. Other than that, that Dolph Lundgren movie itself was the absolute psychological violence against HE-MAN fans, I think. What a disaster it was!

At the end of each HE-MAN episode, we were listening the "Thought Of The Day" from the characters. You already know that He-Man has a sister, don't you?

_{VIDEO:"HE-MAN And the Masters of the Universe" - INTRO}

"I am Adam. Prince of Eternia and defender of the secrets of Castle Greyskull. This is Cringer... my fearless friend. Fabulous secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic sword and said... By the power of Greyskull!"

"STAR TREK: The Next Generation"

_{[Photo Source]}

What is your level of Klingon language proficiency?
"The Next Generation" is EPIC by all means.

We unfortunately don't have a classic (and funny) "Mr. Spock VS Captain Kirk" debate here, but "The Next Generation" ("TNG") did the job very well in my opinion; and Patrick Stewart was a joy to watch as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He definitely had the right amount of authority and charisma to play the role, he's absolutely a great actor. Just watch him in the episode "Inner Light" where he "lives" a very different second life than Enterprise's Captain Picard... That's one of my favorite "TNG" episodes along with "Descent I" and "Descent II" where Data (Brent Spiner) was the real hero. Then we have "Darmok" which gives an unforgettable SCI-FI lesson. "TNG" is pure quality; and "pure quality" can only be achieved when good story writing meets good storytelling. We have both here (and more than that) thanks to the wonderful crew of the starship Enterprise.

You're already aware of the Blu-Rays, right?
No blog post would be enough to describe this legendary TV Serie.
Just open and watch any episode you wish and you'll know what I mean.

_{VIDEO: "STAR TREK: The Next Generation" - INTRO}

"Space... The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before."

"THUNDERCATS"

_{[Photo Source]}

THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDERCATS!

It's always good to see a charismatic antagonist: MUMM-RA!
Who cares about Tomb Raider! Here comes Cheetara!

I should add that the music you hear in that intro (see below) was much, much better than most of the "garbage" that is touted as "good music" today. Thundercats had Protagonists with different character traits and even offered some "moral" criteria throughout the episodes for those who able to see them. Jaga can be considered as a Master Yoda in the Thundercats universe; guiding the team on various occasions by appearing them as a ghost. Lion-O who holds the "Sword Of Omens" is a child in an adult's body due to a malfunction of his "capsule" while they were leaving their dying home planet, "Thundera". He's courageous yet vulnerable (seeing the right amount of vulnerability is always a good sign). I consider Tygra as the "brain" of the team who considers each aspect of the issue before taking any action. Cheetara is the long distance runner (at least for a while), a fast (I mean it) and powerful female character who has very strong senses which from time to time she defines as a curse. Panthro is the Bruce Lee of the crew, and a wise warrior. WilyKit and WilyKat add even more to the "fun".

I can't believe that I'm saying this but I suggest watching the 2011 series. I wish the producers of Star Wars Prequels and Sequels had watched the episode "Song of the Petalars". It offers a great "Storytelling 101" class for those who think they know how to write and tell a STORY ;)

_{VIDEO: "THUNDERCATS" INTRO}

"Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form to MUMM-RA, THE EVER-LIVING!"

"DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS"

_{[Photo Source]}

The Magician, The Thief, The Barbarian...
The Cavalier, The Acrobat, and The Ranger...
Oh, and a Unicorn!

I don't know if the "fellowship of the Stranger Things" had been watching the TV Series, but I think that a board game should definitely stay as a board game, because it's a board game! What makes it special is the fact that the game itself stimulates your imagination! Imagination has no limits. It's without boundaries unless you want one. But when it comes to confining it to a TV screen (OR any screen), it would be very hard to preserve that "special" feel, because you already "see" with your own eyes instead of using your own imagination to "create" a world of your very own. But, after all, memories are still memories.

IMPORTANT: Fellow Steemians, please don't let me remember that Jeremy Irons movie.

And a note: You can't change your items as you wish, the characters should be side by side to be able to do that ;)

_{VIDEO: "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" INTRO}

"The orcs took Bobby and me to their camp. I managed to escape, but Bobby couldn't."

"MURDER, SHE WROTE"

_{[Photo Source]}

Love your life?
Then run for your life as fast as you can, just stay away from Jessica Fletcher, because wherever she is there is a murder. But it's the nature of a murder story, isn't it? Wherever Hercule Poirot is, there will be a murder sooner or later; so the same goes with Jessica Fletcher.

As a teenager who was into murder mysteries, I was already trying to solve my own murder mystery with help of my good old Amiga 500 ("Cruise For A Corpse" ; it was a great game)... Hercule Poirot movies (I prefer Peter Ustinov's portrayal) were also never letting me down. "MURDER, SHE WROTE" was like a treausure for me even though I was never able to find out who the murderer was (or, the murderers were). If you wish, you could follow each clue, write them down on the paper, but no. It was impossible. The murderer was neither the person who was the most suspicious of all nor the least suspicious. It was somewhere between, but as I've said, it seems I wasn't as good as Jessica Fletcher (or the story writers). "MURDER, SHE WROTE" will keep you very busy if you give it a chance.

_{VIDEO: "MURDER, SHE WROTE" INTRO}

"Now let me see if I've got this right"

"CHEERS"

_{[Photo Source]}

Booze, fun, friends...
And as a natural consequence, comedy and drama.

An all-time classic, and the first two seasons were the best.
(In my humble opinion, as always).

The first season, as usual, was where the characters were introduced, and the relationship between Sam (a former Red Sox'er, now the bartender) and Diane (a wannabe writer) was slowly growing into something romantic. Carla (the angry, crazy, idiosyncratic waitress) and Norm (the beer man who made me laugh hard) peaked their performances in second season, and that "passive / aggressive" kind of relationship between Sam and Diane was really funny for us, observers. Third Season introduced "Frasier" (a shrink who had a sitcom of his own), and even though the bar was still funny, things started to seem more cheesy than they supposed to be. Carla was giving the signals that she was slowly turning into an even more repulsive character and Frasier was already starting to be the center of attention. From that point, the script seemed a bit strained (at least, for me) especially when Sam and Diane broke up because of an absurd reason... First two seasons, fellow Steemians. It makes you feel that you're actually sitting in a pub and having some fun with these people who all know your name.

It goes without saying that without the "Coach"(R.I.P. Nicholas Colasanto), it was never the same (maybe I'm too sentimental about it, but the "Coach" was my man. He was really a good "person" with a great heart). No matter what, a classic is always a classic. These were just regular people dealing with their own day to day problems, so it was easier to put ourselves in their shoes, they were like us! The problems they were dealing with were important issues, and universal. Cheers!

_{VIDEO: "CHEERS" INTRO}

"Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name"

"M.A.S.H."

_{[Photo Source]}

M.A.S.H.
Microsoft Agent Scripting Helper?
No. It's "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital"

"For a hill men would kill, why? They do not know
Stiffened wounds test their pride"*
_{* Metallica, "For Whom The Bell Tolls"}

That happens very rarely, but there are times when a terrific movie becomes a a great show for TV (i.e. "Fargo"). "MASH" is more of a '70s TV Series (though its final episode was aired in '83), but come on, this is "MASH"! A legend that makes you laugh that you may not cry! In a place where people have to deal with the limbs blown off and the bodies burned alive, laughter may be the best medicine ever. The right amount of comedy and drama (absurdity, touchiness and laughter) can be the key for the success of a story. Eleven years is not a short period of time, especially for a TV Show that does NOT glorify war in the time of war, and on the contrary, reflects the horrors of war (as much as it was possible on TV) - After all these years, I still remember the nicknames of my favorite characters; Hawkeye, Radar, Hot Lips; and there was the "pain in the a.." (that nick isn't official, but I think it's "ok" with Major Burns). Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) was still adding a lot to the spirit of the show, though. After him, the show lost an important portion of that spirit. Oh and there was our Klinger who frequently dressing as women to proove his so called mental issues to get an early ticket home.

_{VIDEO: "MASH" INTRO ("Suicide Is Painless" [melody] - By the way, "Painless" is also a nickname)}

- "I know I'm a real asset."
- "You're only off by two letters."

What was your favorite TV Show,
fellow community members?