TV takes viewers back to the 1980s

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And that's not all. "Tommy Lee Goes to College" debuts Aug. 18, because what male college student hasn't thought, "Damn, it would be great to have a class with someone from Mötley Crüe, especially if there's a chance that he might bring Pamela Anderson to the final exam."

Bronson Pinchot is one of the "stars" of the latest edition of VH1's "The Surreal Life," although that only proves the skeptics were right; Balki Bartokomous of "Perfect Strangers" didn't stand a chance without his cousin Larry reining him in. And curly-haired comic Pauly Shore now has his own show, "Minding the Store," on TBS, though if you want to get technical, he really didn't hit the mainstream until the early 90s.

Save my career, one more time
These shows have a lot in common besides their connection with the 1980s.

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Not very many people go on reality shows at the height of their careers — usually it's more of a "Hey! We're INXS! Remember us? You can buy our tapes at garage sales everywhere, usually for two dollars or less!"

The musical acts in particular have to be envious of "American Idol" and its ability to launch singing careers. It was ironic when Tiffany sang Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" in her "Hit Me, Baby" performance; had Idol been around 20 years ago, she'd have almost certainly been one of the finalists listening to Simon Cowell's barbs.

Still, these bits of summer fluff are not really train-wreck shows (except maybe for "Being Bobby Brown"), so it has to be a little more than that. Indeed, it's all about nostalgia.

Most people are nostalgic by nature, and the '80s are now far enough away to have that rosy glow of "remember when" without the embarrassment of the disco '70s. If that wasn't apparent before, it should have been clear after the debut of "Hit Me Baby One More Time." The show surprised everyone, probably including the show's producers, by winning its debut week among 18-to-49 year-old viewers. A program featuring musical acts that many hadn't thought about in nearly two decades was popular enough to outdraw every other show.

But really, the high ratings shouldn't have been a shock (even if they were temporary). Who doesn't remember the 1980s fondly? Even the Russians seem like an innocuous enemy compared to the carnage that's shown on the news today, and those sugar-free Jello pudding pops that Bill Cosby used to pitch would be Atkins-friendly today.

Under the circumstances, given the choice between watching some old friends from 20 years ago or the latest political news, the '80s revival feels as comfy as one of Cosby's big old patterned sweaters.

Craig Berman is a writer in Washington, D.C.

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