Forgotten '80s Sitcoms That Featured Actors Who Later Found Major Success

Situational comedies, better known as sitcoms, have made their mark on the world of television for decades. In the 1980s, many emerged that still hold substantial weight today. You'll be hard pressed to find someone who has never heard of "Cheers" or "The Golden Girls," for instance. 

Of course, the TV world has become so saturated with material that some shows have naturally fallen by the wayside. There are plenty of forgotten sitcoms from the '80s that almost no one talks about anymore, whether because they were short-lived, controversial, unremarkable, or simply not that good. In that same respect, some of the most obscure sitcoms from the decade didn't just have a stellar cast but featured some then-unknown actors who would eventually become some of the most recognized MVPs of Hollywood. 

"It's Your Move" and "Silver Spoons" were two original NBC sitcoms in the '80s that had completely different premises yet fell victim to the same lost-to-time fate. "It's Your Move," which lasted only 18 episodes before being shelved, revolved around a teenage con artist frequently thwarted by his neighbor, Norman Lamb (David Garrison). "Silver Spoons," on the other hand, lasted five seasons and centered around a father-and-son duo, Edward Stratton III (Joel Higgins) and Ricky Stratton (Ricky Schroder). 

While it's no secret that Jason Bateman was a child actor, you may not know that Bateman was in so many '80s projects that have flown under the radar. In "It's Your Move," Bateman portrayed the con artist in question, Matthew Burton. Bateman revealed to Vanity Fair in 2018, "['It's Your Move'] only lasted about a year because NBC was getting notes from parents around the country that their kids were starting to do the same things that they were writing my character to do."

In "Silver Spoons," Bateman had a longer-running but far less major role. The actor played Derek Taylor, Ricky's best friend, in the first two seasons of the series.

"Double Trouble" (1984-1985) ran for two seasons on NBC, with 23 episodes in total. The forgotten sitcom revolved around Kate Foster (Jean Sagal) and Allison Foster (Liz Sagal), twin sisters who initially attempt to navigate high school and teenage employment together despite their drastic differences in personality. The Fosters took the plunge and moved from Iowa to New York City for the show's second season, but it wasn't enough to draw in more viewers, leading to an early cancellation.

Before Patricia Richardson became known as the mom from "Home Improvement" in the 1990s, she portrayed Beth McConnell on the first season of "Double Trouble, the best friend of Art Foster's (Donelly Rhodes) late wife, who died before the start of the show. She was also Art's business partner. Before Richardson's character was written out ahead of Season 2, she and Foster would routinely try to start a relationship, to no avail.

"It Takes Two" was a short-lived sitcom that ran for 22 episodes between 1982 and 1983. Its premise revolved around Dr. Sam Quinn (Richard Crenna), his wife, Molly (Patty Duke), and their strained relationship due to their respective careers. Unfortunately for fans, the series was quickly canceled.

Before Helen Hunt's breakthrough in the 1990s — Hunt won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1998 — she briefly appeared on several sitcoms, including "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "It Takes Two." In the latter, Hunt portrayed Lisa Quinn, Sam and Molly's teenage daughter. One episode dedicated to Hunt's character, "Inside Lisa Quinn," revolved around the high schooler's attempt to run away from home. 

"The Duck Factory" only ran for 13 episodes between April and July 1984 before the series was shelved. The show revolved around employees at Buddy Winkler Productions (aka the Duck Factory), an animation company desperate to find a Hail Mary for its "Dippy Duck" cartoon. The series was canceled due to low viewership. Episodes were also reportedly aired out of order, which didn't help retain viewers — and neither did the show's inconsistent timeslots. 

Before Jim Carrey became comedian royalty (and decades before he delivered one of the funniest graduation speeches made by a celeb), he was a generally unknown actor with a few small credits to his name. And in "The Duck Factory," Carrey had the lead role, portraying Skip Tarkenton.

"As far as being nervous about making it or anything like that ... I'm having a really good time. And I'm just plugging along," Carrey told Entertainment Tonight back in 1984.

"Living Dolls" was one of the last sitcoms to premiere in the 1980s. While this series and "The Simpsons" premiered just months apart, "Living Dolls" was canceled after only 12 episodes, unlike "The Simpsons," which is still going strong. A spin-off of "Who's the Boss?" (which starred Alyssa Milano in her debut TV role), the show revolved around a group of young prospective models in New York City and their attempts to balance teenagedom with career aspirations. 

Aside from guest appearances from Milano and Tony Danza, "Living Dolls" featured two future Hollywood icons: Leah Remini and Halle Berry. Remini portrayed Charlie Briscoe, while Berry made her acting debut as Emily Franklin, one of Charlie's roommates. Fun fact of the day: Vivica A. Fox was originally hired to portray Emily but was replaced with Berry after the backdoor pilot aired during "Who's the Boss?" Season 5. 

While Berry has kept busy discussing newer projects, Remini has referenced her time on "Living Dolls" several times. "'Living Dolls' for ABC network, my first series. My first love," Remini wrote on Facebook in 2015. She made a similar comment on Facebook the year prior.

"Bosom Buddies" fared better than "The Duck Factory" and "Living Dolls," as it managed to last two seasons between 1980 and 1982. The largely forgotten sitcom, which aired for 37 episodes on ABC, revolved around two men who disguise themselves as women to live in an all-female apartment building. Although the show received positive reviews in its heyday, ratings were ultimately affected by its inconsistent schedule and the 1980 actors' strike.

"Bosom Buddies" was co-led by Peter Scolari (Henry Desmond/Hildegard), who was later nominated for multiple Primetime Emmys, and Tom Hanks (Kip Wilson/Buffy). Both men saw their careers take off after the show, although between the two, Hanks arguably found the most success. To date, Hanks has won well over 30 awards, including two Academy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Hanks didn't just make a mark on "Bosom Buddies," though. He also met the love of his life on it. Hanks met Rita Wilson in 1981 when she guest-starred on an episode, and although they didn't date until the mid-80s, a spark was immediately felt. Hanks and Wilson's beautiful love story in photos is one for the books, both physically and digitally. 

"Day by Day" was a two-season wonder that ran on NBC between February 1988 and June 1989. Viewers followed the adventures of Brian Harper (Douglas Sheehan) and his wife, Kate (Linda Kelsey), who decided to leave their lucrative jobs to run an in-home daycare. The series was canceled due to low ratings, although it did share a connection to another popular NBC sitcom — Brian was the college roommate of "Family Ties" character Steven Keaton. 

Although she starred on "Saturday Night Live" in the early '80s, the truth about Julia Louis-Dreyfus is that her acting career didn't take off until after "Day by Day." On the show, Louis-Dreyfus portrayed Eileen Swift, Brian and Kate's neighbor who usually had something to say about their daycare. Louis-Dreyfus portrayed Eileen so well that the next sitcom she was cast on was "Seinfeld." This time, she played Elaine. And the rest, as they say, was history. 

"Free Spirit" was a tiny ABC sitcom that aired between September 1989 and January 1990 for 13 episodes — 14 episodes were actually created, but one reportedly never aired in the United States. The series revolved around Winnie Goodwinn (Corinne Bohrer), a witch hired by Thomas J. Harper (Franc Luz) to take care of his three children. Despite its interesting premise, "Free Spirit" quickly got the ax for its low reviews and ratings. 

The stunning transformation of Alyson Hannigan includes her time on "Free Spirit," considering that the show served as her TV debut. Hannigan portrayed Jessie Harper, Thomas' 13-year-old daughter. Actor Shonda Whipple, who later appeared on "Growing Pains," was originally cast as Jessie. Hannigan replaced Whipple after the first pilot for "Free Spirit" was filmed. 

"Head of the Class" was a five-season sitcom that aired on ABC between 1986 and 1991. Over the show's 114 episodes, viewers followed groups of gifted students at New York City's Fillmore High School. Characters a part of the large ensemble included teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman), principal Harold Samuels (William G. Schilling), and student Darlene Merriman (Robin Givens). 

Before Brad Pitt became a Hollywood legend, he was an ordinary 20-something looking to break into the world of acting. In 1989, Pitt made an appearance on "Head of the Class" in Season 3, Episode 10, "Partners." He portrayed Chuck, a temporary love interest for Maria Borges (Leslie Bega). 

While Pitt has never explicitly commented on his experience filming "Head of the Class," Bega later revealed on Instagram that she helped him get on the show. "When our manager asked me to help find a role for Brad, I suggested he audition as my [boyfriend] on 'Head of the Class,'" she explained in 2022. "This was one of my favorite episodes."

"Raising Miranda" was a minuscule sitcom on CBS that aired only seven episodes in 1988, although nine were made in total. The short-lived TV series revolved around Donald Marshak (James Naughton), a father of one forced to step up and care for his teenage daughter, Miranda (Royana Black), after they were abandoned by his wife and Miranda's mother. While some people enjoyed the show during its run, it ultimately suffered from low viewership and bad reviews. 

While Black barely appeared on TV after that, the series starred a then-unknown actor who later became uber-famous: Bryan Cranston. Cranston portrayed Uncle Russell, Donald's unemployed brother-in-law who lived on the Marshak's property. "Raising Miranda" was one of Cranston's first times on primetime TV, although he made his official acting debut in the early 1980s. 

Sadly, Black passed away in 2020. Upon the news, Cranston honored his former co-worker on Instagram with a touching eulogy. "She played the titular character in a series called 'Raising Miranda' back in 1988. I played her wacky uncle on the show. She was so impressive, and not just her talent, but her intelligence and warmth," Cranston wrote. The star continued, writing, "Rest now, old friend, you are fondly remembered and dearly loved."

For a sitcom that spanned almost the entirety of the 1980s, "Gimme a Break!" has faded into obscurity. The once-popular NBC series aired between 1981 and 1987, with 137 episodes over six seasons in total. Nell Carter starred as Nell Harper, a housekeeper for Carl Kanisky (Dolph Sweet) and a mother-like figure to his children. 

"Gimme a Break!" was eventually cancelled for multiple reasons, including decreasing ratings and Sweet's death in 1985. During the show's final season, viewers were introduced to dental hygienist Maggie O'Brien — who was portrayed by talk show/comedy legend Rosie O'Donnell. "Gimme a Break!" served as O'Donnell's primetime TV debut, roughly 10 years before "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" catapulted her to fame. 

"Not only do I remember working with Rosie, but she was fantastic," Joey Lawrence, who portrayed Joey Donovan, told David Yontef on a 2022 episode of the "Behind the Velvet Rope" podcast. "She was so nice to me. We would hang out all the time. ... I have very fond memories of Rosie and I later did her talk show."

"Everything's Relative" remains one of the shortest sitcoms in CBS history: the series was canceled after six episodes — four were never aired — and barely lasted a month in 1987. Similar to Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple," the show focused on two brothers with opposite personalities and their attempts to get along as roommates. 

Before Jason Alexander became a household name as George Costanza in "Seinfeld," he briefly embodied the spirit of Julian Beeby. Julian, the older brother on "Everything's Relative," was introduced to viewers as a 30-something businessman and recent divorcee. Julian's younger brother, Scott Beeby (John Bolger), on the other hand, was described as a mid-20s construction worker with an affinity for women. 

In 2013, Alexander described his experience on "Everything's Relative" as "wonderful ... for reasons that had nothing to do with its success or lack of it." He continued, saying, "I was cast in a role that I didn't think I was right for ... so I loved doing it. I loved having the responsibility of being one of the leads of a show," he explained. 

"Together We Stand" premiered in September 1986 and ran through April 1987. Halfway through the show, it was rebranded as "Nothing is Easy." The CBS series, which was canceled after one season with six episodes unaired, initially centered around David Randall (Elliot Gould), his wife Lori (Dee Wallace), and their four children, two of whom were biological and two of whom were adopted. The show was based on "Kelly's Kids," an episode on Season 5 of the "The Brady Bunch."

Before Ke Huy Quan's performance in "Everything Everywhere All At Once" solidified him as a comeback king — Quan took an acting hiatus for almost 20 years — he actually worked as a child actor. In "Together We Stand/Nothing is Easy," Quan portrayed one of David and Lori's adopted children, Sam. After the show ended, he played Jasper Kwong in "Head of the Class."

In 1984, before "Together We Stand/Nothing is Easy," Quan had a small role in Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." In an interview with ITN, 12-year-old Quan said, "I think I changed a lot. ... I was boat people and now I get to make the movie." Quan immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1979. He continued, saying, "I think I'm very lucky." 

"What's Happening Now!!" was another generally successful yet forgotten '80s sitcom; 66 episodes among three seasons aired between 1985 and 1988. A sequel to the '70s sitcom "What's Happening!!" the ABC series followed the lives of several childhood friends after college. Crossover characters included Roger "Raj" Thomas (Ernest Thomas), Dwayne Nelson (Haywood Nelson), and Shirley Wilson (Shirley Hemphill).

In the early '80s, Martin Lawrence was an up-and-coming comedian at The Improv, a club in New York City. Lawrence's appearance on "Star Search" attracted Columbia Pictures, which led to his first-ever acting role as Maurice Warfield on "What's Happening Now!!" Maurice was introduced in Season 3 as a friend of Darryl (Ken Sagoes), another addition to the group. 

In 2025, Nelson reflected on "What's Happening Now!!" and working with Lawrence. "Once Martin was there, it was like, okay, it was just more characters," Nelson told Hype + Hustle. While that alone doesn't sound promising, Nelson continued, "[Lawrence] was young, he was just doing his thing ... he was feeling it. He was having a blast. ... It was nice, though, to have him because I know that was a real platform for him to really learn timing and really get a sense of what we do."