My conclusion was that my ex-wife and I watched a lot more TV than I watch now. And I'll bet that Miami Vice (a staple at our house back then) aged just about as well as one might think (was it really just War on Drugs propaganda, as I recall it?). And we watched Moonlighting, which gave Bruce Willis his start, and that's a show I would almost go back and watch. Other than that, I couldn't tell you a thing that was on in the '80s. All I know is that we watched the screen, but only those two shows left enough of an impression to remember 35 years later.
Ask me what we watched in this era thirty five years from today, and I'll bet I'll give you a list as long as your arm. The Wire, Battlestar reboot, Game of Thrones...
And Thomas Jefferson owned slaves.
Have you forgotten how vapid TV was in the 80s and 90s? Sure, it's not fantastic now, but it's vastly superior to what it replaced. Before, there were a tiny number of content producers, and what they produced was garbage. We still have the garbage producers with deep pockets, but it's easy to find good, niche content in whatever subjects interest you.