The Cosby Show, Saved by the Bell, and Press Your Luck - '80s Television Revisited

The '80s are near and dear to my heart. I was a child of the 80's. I wore charm necklaces, my hair was feathered, I rollerskated, and rolled my jeans just like the best of them. Growing up as a child of the 80's, things seemed so easy. There were no cares or worries. We all jammed to our getto blasters and danced to Michael Jackson's "Thriller".

What could the 80's be without classic television? There were so many wonderful television shows in the 80's that it's so hard to just name a few of my favorites. Here are the three shows that came to the forefront of my memory.

The Cosby Show - 1984

The Cosby Show first aired in 1984. This television show made me want to be a part of the Huxtable family. Although it didn't seem like cutting edge television back in the 80's, it was unique in having a black family as the starring cast. All of the Huxtables were so real. I could relate to all the characters, I waited to see what the next episode would be about, and loved seeing the lessons that each child learned from their parents on this show. Bill Cosby stars as the father, who was a doctor. He was witty, funny, and always entertaining. Week-after-week this program gained momentum and popularity with families of all ethnic backgrounds and of all ages. To this day, I'm not sure if another television program has broken the ground that The Cosby Show did.

Saved by the Bell - 1989

Although Saved by the Bell made its debut in 1989, this television show gained quick popularity with youngsters. Originally this program began by airing on Saturday mornings. Week-after-week this show made us fall in love with the main characters of Zach, Kelly, Lisa, A.C., Jessie, and Screech. I loved this show because it was based around going to school. We all go to school. We all want to think that our schools can be just as fun as Bayside. Zach and Kelly were the perfect couple. I had crush after crush on Zach and A.C. and I don't think I was the only one. This program is still popular and runs over and over again on TBS each and every morning. Once the characters graduated from high school, they even made a college program to keep the show going. It didn't seem to be as popular as the previous show. I will always remember my days watching Bayside high.

Press Your Luck - 1983

Gameshows were so popular in the 80's. It would be hard to think about the 80's without including my favorite, Press Your Luck. This gameshow introduced us to a "whammy". Once questions were answered by contestants, they would have a chance to "press their luck". A prize board randomly would select squares. The contestants would hit their buzzer to stop the process, and either win money, prizes or a whammy. The whammy would take all of their money and prizes. It was one of my favorite gameshows ever. I always wanted to see what the whammy would do, or how much they could accumulate in prizes and money. They've remade this show a few times since, and it just doesn't seem to have the same charm as the original show.

With quality television shows on the air in the 80's, it's hard to not fall in love with the programming. Several shows that air on Nickelodeon or TBS are hits from the 80's. I constantly record these programs, since they are near and dear to my heart.