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) 80's Classic TV ShowsBy Marc "Devil Dog Of The Web" Iseli / Updated Dec. 2025 The 1980s: when TV execs decided to throw the rulebook overboard and see what washed up on shore. You had Married…With Children flipping the bird to wholesome family values, while The Cosby Show marched in with sweaters and life lessons, single-handedly nuking the old stereotype that every Black family on TV had to be broke or in trouble. Suddenly, prime time was a weird stew of dysfunction, dad jokes, and the kind of 'realism' that made you wonder if your own family needed a laugh track. The 80s also coughed up a few cable networks that are still clogging up your channel guide. The Weather Channel showed up in '82, promising 24/7 coverage of clouds, rain, and the occasional hurricane, perfect for Marines who needed an excuse to stay inside. CNN rolled in with nonstop news, so you could watch the world fall apart in real time. Then Rupert Murdoch decided the TV world needed more chaos and launched Fox, which everyone thought was a joke until it started cranking out hits and making the big three networks sweat through their dress blues. My first brush with 1980s TV was in the VMFP-3 barracks. at MCAS El Toro, where the lobby TV was stuck on a loop of The Twilight Zone and Kung Fu reruns. Apparently, California had a whole channel dedicated to ancient TV shows, probably just to mess with Marines who thought color TV was a luxury. Back then, you could black-and-white TV on base, which I did, lugging it around like it was sensitive gear. The squad bays were louder than an RF on afterburner, so I’d sneak up to the deserted third floor to catch some shut-eye and Rod Serling’s creepy monologues. Every so often, the NCO on duty would come stomping up, and I’d kill the TV faster than you can say "unauthorized liberty." Never got caught. Eventually, I graduated to the two-man barracks, luxury accommodations by Marine standards. If you remember what TV stations were bouncing around SoCal in the early eighties, or if you’ve got your own tales of barracks TV shenanigans, sound off. I’m always up for swapping sea stories, especially if they involve questionable viewing choices and even more questionable company. 80svmfp3@gmail.com  For more detail on 80s TV Shows, click any link below.
Alright, you glorious Rat Phixers and Phlyers, if we ever survived a TAD, a Det, or a BOHICA, who haven't, and you didn’t think I was the biggest gaff off in the squadron. Got a sea story, or some grainy photos your ex didn’t set on fire, and they’re only slightly illegal? Send ‘em by email, snail mail, or safety wire it to a carrier pigeon. I collect ‘em all, just nothing that would incriminate me. 80svmfp3@gmail.com Return To The Home Page  |
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