Magnum Mania!

We have posted here about our favorite TV shows from yesteryear; the shows that we loved and still miss, along with MPI. With Nick at Nite, RTN and cable, we can still watch those shows we loved back in the day.
But what about the ones we loved then, but now seem, well quite frankly stupid? What are the TV shows you loved back then, but make you squirm now? How about the others, along with MPI, that still hold up after so many years?

For me, the strong TV shows that I can still watch without rolling my eyes, are of course MPI, Black Sheep Squadron, McHale’s Navy and Dragnet (it's silly now, but still watchable). I did see an episode of Rockford Files recently that was okay. It was not on my regular list of TV to watch back then. I am sure there are other shows I can name, but I have not watched them recently.

The stinkers: Airwolf, Battlestar Galatica (the old series), Knight Rider (never have watched the new series), Buck Rogers. I was a big Airwolf fanatic back in the ‘80’s, but now…what was I thinking?

What TV shows, after the passage time, don’t seem to hold up for you now? What are the ones that do?

I would include The A Team in that list. Although I have to admit even at the age of 12, I realized it was hokey. I still watched because it was entertaining.

The vast majority of TV shows (that I've seen) from yesteryear don't seem to hold up to the test of time. Only the truly great shows do - I Love Lucy, All in the Family, Mannix, Mary Tyler Moore, MASH, Hill Street Blues, Magnum, etc. Of the '80s, I think Simon & Simon, Moonlighting and Miami Vice still hold up pretty good, also. Most older TV shows I havn't seen in forever, though. I've heard Greatest American Hero is still worth watching.

Guilty pleasures that are considered bad by most, but ones that I still personally enjoy (for a variety of reasons):

The Brady Bunch
Gilligan's Island
The Love Boat
Fantasy Island
The Krofft Superstar Hour
Wonder Woman
The Six-Million Dollar Man
Jonny Quest

Hey N1095A, I love the A-Team! Even though it is pretty campy and full of cartoon violence I just can't turn my back away from it. Love that black van! Also, here's a shocker: THE DUKES OF HAZZARD! YEE HAW.

When I watch A-Team now, I realize how bad it was. Entertaining, but when you see that nobody was ever killed in the show, I just didn't see that as being a good thing. Duke's of Hazzard was enjoyable.

A show that I enjoy that was also filmed in Vancouver quite a bit was MacGyver. Cheesy in some ways, but well done. Oh, and I was an extra on the espisode "Tough Boys". I met Richard Dean Anderson in person a few times. They had to cut a scene cause I was actually making too much noise and he joked with me about it, lol. (I use a paper clip and a plastic cup to make a flare!)

Hey, I liked Knight Rider and Battle Star Gallactica. I thought those were pretty good. I wonder if that BSG is where they got the name for the Starbucks franchise..................

Italian Ice, I think that The A-Team didn't kill people was because they were trying not to make it too gory and also because it would have been like a television show similar to todays. The Dukes of Hazzard was great fun, and still is. MacGyver and Knight Rider are both full of cheese. I saw MacGyver as a copycat of the A-Team. Not really exciting. Hey, Italian Ice. I have a question: Do you guys still sell Magnum DVDs in Vancouver?

Hi Tom_Magnum

Ya, I figured that with the A-Team, but still, there were some violent shows on at that time, but wikipedia says some good stuff about that...

I liked Knight Rider and McGyver, but of course they were cheesey. Be sure to check out the SNL spoof - MacGruber.

Yes, we sell all 8 Seasons of DVD's in Vancouver. They (among many of the other TV shows from those days) sold very quickly, but are still around. Not cheap though. Most Seasonal DVD's were about $30-$45 Canadian at places like Walmart, Superstore, Bestbuy, etc. Other shows like Xena and Hercules went for over $60 a season! Ouch!


Vancouver is a pretty big place.............

I fully expected to open this thread and see a once hot Magnum guest star not looking too good.

Well where I live in Calgary, there's only Best Buy and they're expensive! Thanks for the tip though, Italian Ice. Tell me more.

Well, I've been a little "evil." I've been downloading movies and TV shows. I work but don't make a lot at this point so looking for a better job, and I'm also a student, although taking a year off.

I mentioned in a thread before (DVD Problems) is that I picked up Seasons 1 of MPI, MacGyver, Remington Steele etc, and had to return many of them due to problems (skipping, freezing, shutting off). Plus, they will go out of style. Buying a hard drive is a lot cheaper and I bought a 1 "tetra" bite drive at Costco for about $250, but that is a lot of memory. It adds up. If my life was more settled though, I would buy DVD's and stuff like that.

Calgary only has Best Buy!? I haven't been there since 86 but I'm sure it's grown since then!

IKWYT - speaking of "time" its sad that many people who were on the show (guest stars and locals) have passed on. Seems like only yesterday. We should make a thread to honor those people, no matter how big and little they contributed to the show.

IKnowWhatYoureThinking wrote:I fully expected to open this thread and see a once hot Magnum guest star not looking too good.

No worries, I got you covered...

Who is that?

Tom_Magnum wrote:Hey N1095A, I love the A-Team! Even though it is pretty campy and full of cartoon violence I just can't turn my back away from it. Love that black van! Also, here's a shocker: THE DUKES OF HAZZARD! YEE HAW.

I have to admit Dukes of Hazzard was a guilty pleasure. Espesially the first few episodes that were filmed in Georgia. After those it got pretty far fetched.

Ya, N1095A you're right (and happy belated birthday! )..

Dukes of Hazzard ran for seven seasons from 1979-1985 on CBS (same as Magnum!) and The A-Team ran for five seasons from 1983-1987 on NBC. All the good shows on NBC like Knight Rider The A-Team all got cancelled right away, while DOH (dukes) and Magnum got to have at least six seasons or more.

James J. Walters wrote:

IKnowWhatYoureThinking wrote:I fully expected to open this thread and see a once hot Magnum guest star not looking too good.

No worries, I got you covered...