Blast From The Past: The Eighties

I am not sure how many of you watched CNN's The Eighties on Thursday, but for me, it was the ultimate blast of my eighties past. I watched much of the television that influenced my early life in the eighties, and entered my teen years about the time the 80's were ending. It was still a time of 3 networks and for most of it, our house was still without a VCR. Although we ended up buying one, after much begging and pleading of our parents, it was a Betamax, and a machine I wasn't even allowed to touch until the 90's rolled around.

I have written a few times about my affinity for the prime time soap Dallas. I didn't really watch it so much in the 80's, but I have intensely emotional memories of watching my parents watch the show. Friday nights were really the only night, they both sat down and watched television. I remember at first, I was ushered off to bed before the show started at 9pm, but after a few years was able to stay up and watch with my parents.

I didn't actually watch the series, this time paying attention, until years later when it aired on the old The Nashville Network (TNN) and subsequently on DVD.  The show, though dated, it a great window to the greed of the 80's and the first six or seven seasons were fun to re-watch.  I loved me some Sue Ellen and Lucy Ewing and the many men who went in and out of their.... lives.  One of Lucy's main loves was Mitch, played by the talented and beautifully blonde, Leigh McCloskey.

Mr. Lucy Ewing on Dallas (1980)

Mitch didn't stay on the show too long, maybe because Leigh didn't always fit in with the rest of the cast.  I am sure he got along ok with them, but the actor and artist always seemed a little too serious for all the silliness that surrounded him.  With CNN's The Eighties, and it's focus on Dallas, and television of the decade, in it's first episode, I thought April might be a good time to look back at some of those 80's hunks who introduced me to the wonderful world of men.

Battle of the Network Stars

Leigh & Gregory Harrison

Cruising on The Love Boat with James McNichol and William R. Moses

Leigh's only nude scene, mooning with Matt McCoy in Fraternity Vacation (1985)