During the 1980s through the 1990s TV sitcoms could bring families together to watch good quality television. TV sitcoms would provide relatable situations that would make you cry, laugh, and most importantly provide lessons. It is a shame that it is difficult to now find TV sitcoms that can meet up to those standards. Here are some TV sitcoms from the late 1980s through the 1990s that I enjoy watching, and their impact on society.

1. Full House (1987-1995)

A widowed father Danny Tanner, must raise his three daughters D.J. Tanner, Stephanie Tanner, and Michelle Tanner. For the reason, a drunk driver killed their mother. They live in San Francisco. Luckily, he has help from his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and his friend since childhood Joey Gladstone. Danny is a sportscaster, then a morning TV show host, while Jesse is a musician, and Joey is a comedian. According to ravishly, “Most popular shows of the 80s, including Step by Step (essentially Brady Bunch 2.0), represented a “traditional” family structure—e.g. fretting mom, confused dad, trouble-making kids. Full House, instead, focused on three guys raising a family of girls in gay-friendly San Francisco. All three men were shown to be at once manly and sensitive.”

2. Roseanne (1988-1997)

Roseanne and Dan Conner, must raise their children Becky Conner, Darlene Conner, and D.J. Conner. They live in Lanford, Illinois and struggle with living from paycheck to paycheck. According to the Artifice, “Roseanne and her husband Dan are both quick-witted loving people who are on equal footing. Dan never talks down to Roseanne and expects her to do “wifely duties” nor does Roseanne ever chastise Dan for not being enough of a man when he loses his job or when the bike shop fails. They are good parents who try to raise their children without pressuring them or hovering over them, and yet often make mistakes.”

3. Family Matters (1989-1998)

A spin-off series of Perfect Strangers, Carl and Harriette Winslow must raise their children Eddie Winslow, Laura Winslow, and Judy Winslow. They live in Chicago, Illinois. They are constantly disturbed by their clumsy and nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel.

In the Huffington Post, actor Reginald VelJohnson (who played Carl Winslow on Family Matters) mentions his opinion on how families are shown on TV today. “I think it really goes back to that idea of the family structure and how it shows good values in a family, especially an African American family, and there just isn’t a lot of that portrayed on TV today and we need that- it’s so important it gets viewed in that light. The millennials need to see how important this family structure and moral responsibility is because a lot of them aren’t getting it. And, again, it’s really important to feature these family values in black families on television.”

4. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)

A mother sends her son Will Smith, to live with his aunt Vivian Banks, uncle Phil Banks, and his cousins Hilary Banks, Carlton Banks, and Ashley Banks. This is to keep him from getting in trouble, and to become more mature. They live in Bel-Air California, and Will is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In Media & Race Relations it states, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was the perfect accompaniment and successor to previous famous sitcoms like The Cosby Show. Fresh Prince provided and continues to provide a positive example of Black families in America. The love within the family and success of both the male and female characters provided a positive light for the portrayal of African-Americans in media.”