'80s TV Shows That Redefined What Sitcoms Could Be
The '80s marked a revolutionary period for the TV sitcom genre, and some of the decade's biggest shows set the tone for the decades to come.
The 1980s were an era of groundbreaking TV sitcoms that redefined the genre. One standout show, *The Facts of Life*, introduced a unique concept by focusing on a group of teenage girls at an all-girls boarding school, tackling both lighthearted and serious issues. Another trailblazer, *Who's the Boss?*, flipped the traditional family sitcom formula by featuring a single mother and a single father in leading roles, with the woman as the breadwinner and the man as the housekeeper.
The 1980s also saw the rise of *The Golden Girls*, a show about four older women living together and navigating life's challenges. This series demonstrated that being over the hill didn't mean the end of exciting stories. *The Cosby Show* further revolutionized the genre by presenting an upper-class Black family with both parents pursuing successful careers.
Lastly, *Cheers* redefined the sitcom format by presenting a workplace comedy that included patrons from outside the workplace, challenging the traditional sitcom structure.
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