“Quincy, M.E.” ran from 1976 to 1983 on NBC. Jack Klugman starred as a crime-solving Los Angeles medical examiner. The hour-long series went into syndication and has continued to run. All seasons are available on DVD.
“Head of the Class” was a sitcom that ran from 1986 to 1991 on ABC. Howard Hesseman (best known as “Johnny Fever” on “WKRP in Cincinnati”) starred as Charlie Moore, an unemployed actor who becomes a teacher for a group of high school honors students. According to Wikipedia:
Although they are gifted academically, the [students] had plenty of problems in their personal lives, and Mr. Moore not only is there to listen, he shows an unswerving ability to get the students to solve their own problems while making it seem like they came up with the answers on their own.
In 1988, “Head of the Class” became the first American sitcom to be filmed in the Soviet Union.
Here’s an episode of “Head of the Class”:
Hesseman left the show in 1990. He was replaced with Billy Connolly in the final season. Connolly reprised the role for a short-lived spin-off series “Billy,” which ran for half a season on ABC in early 1992.
“Soap” ran from 1977 to 1981 on ABC. The night-time parody of daytime soap operas created a lot of controversy as details about its first episodes leaked in the media.
The show’s sexual content provoked protests from many religious groups, even before it aired. Even some gay-rights groups were concerned about the show’s portrayal of a gay character’s storyline. Advertisers began cancelling in advance of “Soap’s” debut.
By the time it debuted, 18 of ABC’s 195 affiliates refused to air the show. Others chose to broadcast it after 11 p.m. so children wouldn’t be as likely watch it.
The publicity helped the first episode win its time slot. A University of Richmond poll found that 26 percent of viewers found it offensive and half of them planned to watch it the next week.
“Soap” earned mixed reviews early on, but critics turned positive in later seasons. Today, it is considered one of the best series in TV history. The show also launched the spinoff series “Benson.”
“The Munsters Today” aired from 1988 to 1991. It was a sequel to the classic sitcom “The Munsters,” which aired from 1964 to 1966. The pilot explains the family was involved in an accident and went to sleep for 20 years.
The show ran for three seasons in syndication, resulting in 72 episodes. Here’s an episode:
My Third Parent 