About This Quiz
The 1980s were the era of television soap operas. From "Dallas" to "Dynasty," these shows ruled the airwaves. How well do you remember these great TV dramas?Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs were played by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, respectively.
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Thomas Magnum was a private investigator based in Hawaii. The character was played by Tom Selleck.
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"M*A*S*H" was based on the movie of the same name. The theme song for the show was "Suicide Is Painless."
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Christine Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey were played by Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly, respectively. The show ran from 1981-1988.
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St. Eligius Hospital was a fictional hospital in Boston. Interestingly, Saint Eligius is the patron saint of goldsmiths.
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"21 Jump Street" starred Johnny Depp as Tom Hanson. Brad Pitt once guest starred on the show.
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The character of Jessica Fletcher was played by Angela Lansbury. The character was a writer and an amateur sleuth.
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"Dynasty" starred such acting greats as John Forsythe, Linda Evans and Joan Collins. Oh, the shoulder pads!
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"L.A. Law" gave a start to the careers of such actors as Don Cheadle, Jeffrey Tambor, Kathy Bates, David Schwimmer, Bryan Cranston, Kevin Spacey, Richard Schiff, Carrie-Anne Moss, William H. Macy, Christian Slater, and Lucy Liu.
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"China Beach" ran from 1988 to 1991 and starred Dana Delany as Nurse Colleen McMurphy. The show also starred Marg Helgenberger, who went on to work on "CSI."
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"Simon & Simon" starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as crime fighting brothers.
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Ken Wahl played Vinnie Terranova, who was actually an undercover FBI agent. The show ran from 1987 to 1990.
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"Knots Landing" ran from 1979-1993. The show starred such notables as Donna Mills, Kevin Dobson, Alec Baldwin, William Devane and Lisa Hartman.
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"Fantasy Island" starred Ricardo Montalbán and Hervé Villechaize. The show ran from 1977-1984.
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"Star Trek: The Next Generation" was preceded by "Star Trek: The Animated Series" and followed by "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."
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"Doogie Howser, M.D." ran on ABC for 97 episodes. Doogie's parents were played by James B. Sikking and Belinda Montgomery.
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The show ran from 1982-1986 and also starred Heather Locklear and Adrian Zmed.
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The show also starred Bruce Boxleitner as Lee Stetson, the Scarecrow. It ran from 1983 to 1987.
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Griffith played Ben Matlock, a down-home defense attorney.
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The show's characters also included Elliot and Nancy Krieger Weston, Melissa Steadman, and Ellyn Warren. Ken Olin and Mel Harris played Michael and Hope.
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"The Equalizer" starred Edward Woodward in the title role. The show ran from 1985 to 1989.
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"Falcon Crest" starred Jane Wyman as the head of household. Wyman was once married to former president Ronald Reagan.
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Carroll O'Connor played a police chief in Sparta, Mississippi. The show ran from 1988 to 1995.
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"Dallas" starred Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Larry Hagman, Steve Kanaly, Victoria Principal, Charlene Tilton, and many more. The show ran from 1978 to1991, plus there was a reboot which ran from 2012 to 2014,
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The role of the crime-busting M.E. was played by Jack Klugman of "Odd Couple" fame. The show ran until 1983.
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"Columbo" starred Peter Falk as the lovable gumshoe. Falk had a glass eye because of retinoblastoma, a type of eye cancer.
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The character, played by Ed Asner, was created on the "Mary Tyler Moore Show." Grant was a newspaper editor on both shows.
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"Trapper John, M.D." starred Pernell Roberts in the title role. Wayne Rogers played the character on "M*A*S*H."
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The mystery series was based on the novels of Robert B. Parker. The show ran 1985-1988.
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"Jake and the Fatman" starred Joe Penny and William Conrad as Jake and... well... the Fatman, whose actual name was Jason Lochinvar McCabe.
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"Beauty and the Beast" starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. Hamilton starred in the "Terminator" movies, and Perlman went on to star in "Sons of Anarchy."
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"Hunter" starred Fred Dryer in the title role. The show ran from 1984-1991.
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"Hardcastle and McCormick" starred Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly as the title characters. The show ran from 1983-1986.
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Landon formerly had starring roles on "Little House on the Prairie" and "Bonanza." The show ran from 1984 to 1989.
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"Knight Rider" starred David Hasselhoff of "Baywatch" fame as Michael Knight. The show ran from 1982 to 1986.
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