Top 10 Old TV Shows That Properly Handled Serious Topics
#10: “The Facts of Life” (1979-88)
Top 10 '80s Shows That Properly Handled Serious Topics
“Cousin Geri” On the second season of the hit TV show “The Facts of Life,” Blair Warner’s cousin Geri is introduced. Geri is a comedian with cerebral palsy, whose accomplishments Blair considers much more important than her own. Actress Geri Jewell plays the role with a sarcastic edge, and her character made many appearances over the next few seasons. Her casting also broke records. Jewell was the first actor with a disability to have a recurring role on primetime television. Plus, we just love that Geri is a comedian. While her condition is something that’s heavily focused on, it’s not the only thing that is which makes her character feel rather fleshed out.
#9: “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1970-77)
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“Some of My Best Friends Are Rhoda” Making new friends is hard. Especially when they turn out to be antisemitic. America’s favorite spunky news producer, Mary Richards, thinks she’s found a new friend in the cool and sophisticated Joanne in this episode of the “Mary Tyler Moore Show.” But, Joanne soon reveals that she doesn’t want to associate with Mary’s best friend, Rhoda, because she’s Jewish. From the jump, Joanne’s attitude seems totally ridiculous because who doesn’t love Rhoda? Rather than moralize about this, Mary makes Joanne face her prejudice dead-on by pretending she’s also Jewish for a moment. Joanne is left floundering and Mary is quick to cuts ties with her after that.
#8: “Punky Brewster” (1984-88)
“Accidents Happen” Week after week, free-spirited Punky Brewster showed kids how to reach for the stars and look cool doing it. But, real life comes crashing in during this 1986 episode. Like many other children, Punky watches the Challenger explosion live in her classroom, and the disaster dissuades her from chasing her dreams of becoming an astronaut. The show seized the moment to speak directly about the realities of life. With some help from Punky, and renowned astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the show’s young audience is reminded to keep their hopes alive, even in the face of tragedy.
#7: “Family Ties” (1982-89)
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“Say Uncle” Long before he was the American everyman, Tom Hanks was making guest appearances on sitcoms. In his second appearance on “Family Ties,” he plays Uncle Ned, Elyse Keaton’s brother with a alcohol use disorder. When the family finally confronts him, he unfortunately lashes out and attacks his nephew, Alex, who’s played by Michael J. Fox. Even after this, the show side-steps judgment and validates Ned’s suffering from his dependency. It’s a message that continually needs to be heard. Hanks’ performance is also commendable, and it’s not hard to see why he was soon to become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
#6: “The Golden Girls” (1985-92)
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“Scared Straight” “The Golden Girls” always did have its finger on the pulse when it came to social issues, but their early championing for acceptance of the LGBTQIA community and episodes on topics like HIV/AIDS is the reason they still have so many fans today. Although southern belle Blanche may be a liberated woman when it comes to her own sex life, she isn’t always as enlightened when it comes to that of others. In this season 4 episode, her brother, Clayton, reveals his sexuality, and Blanche’s reaction is less than understanding. Luckily, she overcomes her initial prejudice. Especially in an ‘80s sitcom, it’s very refreshing to see one of the main characters do some relearning of previously held beliefs. Plus, the episode does all this without sparing the humor.
#5: “Mr. Belvedere” (1985-90)
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“The Counselor” This ‘80s sitcom about an English butler for a middle class Pittsburgh family ended its fourth season with an episode about a very important subject. Wesley Owens is singled out by a summer camp counselor whose behavior is abhorrent and inappropriate. Never for a moment is Wesley made to feel like he’s lying or wrong for coming forward. The show took the incident as seriously as it could. Where an episode would generally end with the title character writing in his journal, this time, two of the show’s stars delivered a public service announcement for children who find themselves in a similar situation as Wesley.
#4: “The Jeffersons” (1975-85)
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“Sorry, Wrong Meeting” Surly but sometimes clueless George Jefferson is in for one big surprise when he walks into a Klan meeting thinking it’s a committee to make his deluxe apartment building safer. What transpires from there is a lesson in the foolish and completely deluded beliefs that keep racism and white supremacy alive. Even after his CPR skills come in clutch, George reckons with the fact that the man is so hateful he can’t even appreciate the gesture that saved his life. It ends with a typical very special episode resolution, but the road to get there is actually illuminating and darkly funny.
#3: “Maude” (1972-78)
“Maude’s Dilemma Parts 1 & 2” Originally conceived as a spin-off of “All in the Family,” the Bea Arthur-led sitcom about outspoken, liberal-minded Maude Findlay carved out its own reputation for hard-hitting storylines early on in its run. The first season sees a middle-aged Maude finding out she is expecting a child. After some very difficult and heartfelt discussions with her family, ultimately Maude decides to terminate the pregnancy. Premiering two months before Roe vs. Wade became the law of the land, “Maude” gave a human face to a topic that was too often obscured by politics. The two-part episode was met with controversy, but is still remembered as one of the bravest hours of primetime television ever aired.
#2: “Diff’rent Strokes” (1978-86)
“The Bicycle Man Parts 1 & 2” This infamous episode of the sitcom is largely regarded as the one that started the “very special episode” trend. In “The Bicycle Man,” Arnold Jackson and his friend, Dudley, begin to hang around the local bike shop owner because he lavishes them with food, alcohol, and inappropriate magazines. It’s a deeply uncomfortable episode, especially for older viewers who quickly understand the turn the plot will take. The PSA-style intro not only highlights the seriousness of the episode’s themes, but also instructs viewers how to report such behavior in real life. Although the laugh track is rather inopportune, this is an episode that does right by many. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Good Times” (1974-79), “The Big Move Parts 1 & 2”
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“Growing Pains” (1985-92), “Second Chance”
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“Archie Bunker’s Place” (1979-83), “Archie Alone”
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“Roseanne” (1988-97), “Crime and Punishment”
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#1: “All in the Family” (1971-79)
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“Edith’s 50th Birthday Parts 1 & 2” As the heart of the groundbreaking sitcom, Edith Bunker was beloved by fans. Storylines like her struggling with her faith after the hate crime murder of her friend, Beverly LaSalle, gave viewers a chance to grieve with her while also highlighting social issues of the day. In this two-parter, viewers were forced to watch her become the victim of a home invasion on her 50th birthday. As she tries to stall the criminal with lighthearted but, desperate banter, the audience can only watch in horror and anxiety. By telling this story about someone as sweet and mild as Edith Bunker, the episode showed that there was no one type of victim of this kind of crime.
