7 Shows From The 80s That Were Cancelled Way Too Soon
When it comes to television shows, the 80s gave us a lot of gems that are forever embedded in our memories.
Even shows today find it hard to top groundbreaking series like Diff'rent Strokes, Family Ties, and The Golden Girls. However, the era also offered plenty of other shows that we overlook because we never got the change to enjoy them long enough. Some were flops, but others had so much potential if they only stuck around for more than one season.
Here are 7 short-lived shows from the 80s:
1. It's Your Move (1984-85)
The NBC sitcom starred post-Little House on the Prairie Jason Bateman, who played a teenage con-artist involved in a lot of shady dealings, including blackmail and selling exam papers. The show initially received positive reviews from critics, but it was no match for Dynasty, which shared the same time slot. It's Your Move was cancelled after 18 episodes in early 1985.
2. Square Pegs (1982-83)
All Patty Greene (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Lauren Hutchinson (Amy Linker) wanted was to be part of the cool kids at Weemawee High School, but no matter how much they tried to convince us to tag along on their adventures, it simply didn't work. Twenty episodes later, the show was cancelled.
3. Joanie Loves Chachie (1982-83)
You'd think that a Happy Days spin-off starring the beloved characters, Joanie Cunningham and Chachi Arcola, would be an instant hit, but sadly it wasn't. Even Erin Moran and Scott Baio's chemistry couldn't save the show, which followed the couple as they moved to Chicago to pursue a career in music.
Joanie Loves Chachi wasn't the only spin-off that couldn't live up to people's expectations...
4. Madame's Place (1982-83)
Wayland Flowers created Madame, an old witty puppet with a dirty sense of humor and she was initially a hit with audiences. Many of us may have been too young to pick up on a lot of the jokes, but that didn't matter because the show was funny either way. Oh, and Corey Feldman played the role of Madame's neighbor, Buzzy. Airing five days a week proved too much for the producers and as a result the show was axed in the following year.
5. Spencer (1984-85)
The NBC show started out strong with a cast that included Chad Lowe, Mimi Kennedy. Ronny Cox and Amy Locane. Unfortunately, Lowe left the series after the sixth episode and that's when things began to go downhill. The show's name was changed to Under One Roof after Ross Harris replaced Lowe, but it only managed to stick around for seven more episodes before biting the dust.
6. Three's A Crowd (1984-85)
Three's A Crowd was another spin-off that came up short. The show premiered a week after the finale of Three's Company aired. Viewers weren't exactly on board with the transition and the show only received modest ratings. ABC decided to pick up Diff'rent Strokes instead, and that saw the end of Three's A Crowd.
7. Double Trouble (1984- 85)
A few years before Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen charmed us on Full House, there was another set of twins that graced our TV screens. Identical twins Jean and Liz Sagal starred as Kate and Allison Foster, two teens living with their over-protective father. Inspired by movies like The Parent Trap, the show tried to play up the mischievous twins angle, but it failed. Unlike the rest of the sitcoms on this list, this show did end up having a second season, however, all together the series only lasted a year.