1980's Comedy Stars Trivia Quiz

Answer: Three's Company

Even though this program first appeared in the late 1970s, nothing screams "'80s TV" louder than "Three Company" starring John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, and Suzanne Somers. But even tough critics admitted that Ritter's performance rose above the vapid material. "Three's Company" ran on ABC 1977-1984.

Answer: Facts of Life

Kim Fields played roller-skating Tootie in the NBC comedy "Facts of Life," which was set in an all-girl's boarding school. She was one of the few characters to survive the massive cast cut that took place after the first season, when the storylines focused on four students rather than the original dozen.

The show ran 1979-1988 and featured visits from many '80s'-era celebrities, including Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jermaine Jackson, Eve Plumb, Jean Smart, Richard Grieco, and El DeBarge.

Answer: Happy Days

"Sunday, Monday, Happy Days,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days,
Thursday, Friday, Happy Days,
The weekend comes, my cycle hums
Ready to race to you!"

That is the theme song to the last nine seasons "Happy Days," the classic sitcom that ABC ran 1974-1984, most of the time on Tuesday nights. Ron Howard, already popular from his years as the cutie pie son on "The Andy Griffin Show," was now grown up and playing a teenager in the 1950s. And actually by the 1980s, it had slipped in the ratings somewhat and Ron had moved on. The friendship between Howard's straight-arrow Richie Cunningham and leather-clad-greaser Arthur Fonzerelli as played by Henry Winkler, made for the origin and strength of the show for the first few seasons. As different as they were, the both had good hearts and were positive influences on each other.

Answer: Murphy Brown

The beautiful actor Candace Bergen turned to comedy when she began her stint as Murphy Brown, on the show of the same name, as a straight-shooting investigative journalist and news anchor. "Murphy Brown" ran on CBS (1988-98) and Bergen won many awards, including five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Answer: Diff'rent Strokes

Gary Coleman was born in 1968 outside Chicago, and was cast as Arnold Jackson, the younger of two brothers from a poor neighborhood adopted by the wealthy Philip Drummond. As the result of congenital kidney disease and some of the treatments for that, Gary never grew taller than 4'2', and soon tired of playing a child as he grew older.

He had many medical, financial, and legal troubles before he passed away in 2010. Nonetheless, his most celebrated phrase has gone down in television history as one of the top catchphrases ("TV Guide", 2013): "What'chu talkin' 'bout Willis?"

Answer: Golden Girls

Betty White was born in Illinois in 1922 and experienced professional success in every decade since the 1940s. She was a radio actress and television co-host in the '40s; starred in her own sitcom, "Life with Elizabeth," in the '50s; played frequently on games shows in the '60s; often stole the show as a cast member on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in the '70s; won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in the smash hit "The Golden Girls" in the '90s; guest starred on nearly 20 network shows in the '00s; and had a lead role in "Hot in Cleveland" in the '10s.

She was also voted one the of the most trusted celebrities in America, per a Reuters poll in 2013.

Answer: Growing Pains

"Growing Pains" in many ways epitomized sitcoms in the 1980s, with a wisecracking but loving family, a large house, sibling rivalry played to comic effect, and a teen idol like Kirk Cameron playing the eldest child, Mike Seaver. It ran on ABC 1985-1992 and generally went for easy laughs, though it often touched upon important topics such as prejudice and peer pressure.

Answer: Mork & Mindy

Pam Dawber starred as the Mindy half of "Mork & Mindy," which ran on ABC 1978-1982. Her normal, girl-next-door personality played against the out-of-this-worldness of Robin Williams's Mork, from the planet Ork. Dawber and Williams had a brief reunion on the small screen when she took a guest star role on his final television project, "The Crazy Ones" (CBS, 2013-2014).

Answer: Pee Wee's Playhouse

"Pee Wee's Playhouse" was not a sitcom but it was considered a comedy show, for those who liked Paul Reuben's style of comedy. The Playhouse featured puppets, clay animation, and Pee Wee's riding around on his red scooter. This edition of the show ran 1986 to 1991 on Saturday mornings on CBS.

Answer: Cheers

Ahhh, Shelley Long. One of the best examples of television stars trying to jump to films perhaps before they were ready. Her "Cheers" co-stars once admitted to talk show host David Letterman that Shelley was the odd-man-out on set. She was more particular in her approach to acting and didn't mesh with the rest of the cast as well as they did with each other.

But Ted Danson also told People magazine that Long's performance effectively carried the show. "Cheers" ran on NBC 1982-1993 and Long won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1984.