How many awesome TV shows were you watching back in the 80s? That was an era full of epic entertainment. When people weren’t watching television, they were chatting about the fall of communism, flashy fashion trends, mixtapes full of music, and video games like Pac-Man. Beyond all of that, television was a hot topic of conversation among people who loved chatting about “Family Matters,” “Full House,” and all the other shows that were airing.
The majority of 80s TV shows were brimming with talented cast members who knew exactly how to make audiences laugh. Sitcoms were certainly thriving back then. These days shows focus on dramatic storylines and serious plots more than sitcom-style humor. It was easier to come across lighthearted shows full of silly jokes just a few decades back. On the topic of the 80s, click here to uncover the most iconic movie stars who dominated the silver screen that decade.
To compile this list of the most hated TV characters from TV shows in the 80s, 24/7 Tempo consulted several entertainment sources. These include ScreenRant, Collider, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Rolling Stone.
Alvin from “The Cosby Show”
- Played by: Geoffrey Owens
Way before Bill Cosby was imprisoned for his sexual assault scandals, he led the cast of “The Cosby Show” from 1984 until 1992. Based on the show’s wholesome values and messages, it was a huge success. The most hated character in the mix was a kid named Alvin, played by an actor named Geoffrey Owens.
One of the reasons viewers hated Alvin is that he always felt the need to argue with his wife about who wore the pants in the relationship. Since that seemed to be his favorite topic of conversation, fans of “The Cosby Show” never had much to look forward to when Alvin would snag screen time. It’s easy to hate someone who comes across as sexist and arrogant.
Kevin from “The Wonder Years”
- Played by: Fred Savage
“The Wonder Years” landed on television in 1988 and ran for six seasons. For the most part, fans of the show can agree that Kevin wasn’t a pleasant character to watch. Fred Savage is the actor who took on the undesirable role. The reason Kevin was easy to hate is that he was vindictive, selfish, and constantly whining about his life.
He would throw temper tantrums whenever he didn’t get what he wanted as well. Even as he got older, he continued to display child-like behaviors. As far as character development goes, Kevin never really exhibited any true growth. He always seemed to lean on his immature ways when interacting with others.
Peggy from “Married… With Children”
- Played by: Katey Sagal
Katey Sagal is the actress who played Peggy Bundy on “Married… With Children” from 1987 until the show ended 11 seasons later. Peggy was an easy character to hate because she came across as one of the worst wives ever. She never treated her husband, Al Bundy, with respect.
She was constantly ridiculing his job title, his bedroom prowess, and his value to society. She didn’t have a job, yet she also refused to do any chores around the house. Her free loading lifestyle and constant negative attitude were the worst. Somehow, Al stuck it out and stayed married to her anyway.
Bonnie from “The Golden Girls”
- Played by: Anne Haney
Anne Haney is the actress who played Bonnie on “The Golden Girls.” The beloved sitcom premiered in 1985 and ran for seven seasons after that. The main cast lineup consisted of Betty White, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan. They did an amazing job in just about every episode.
Bonnie, on the other hand, never achieved their levels of likability. Bonnie was super snobbish, conceited, and arrogant. Her haughty attitude made her a difficult character to root for. It became blatantly easy to hate her when it was revealed that her character was antisemitic.
Jaleesa from “A Different World”
- Played by: Dawnn Jewel Lewis
In “A Different World,” the character of Jaleesa was played by an actress named Dawnn Jewel Lewis. “A Different World” aired weekly from 1987 until the finale six seasons later. Although Jaleesa might not have been a difficult character to support during earlier seasons, she lost love from audiences down the line.
After she married the Colonel she started exhibiting whiny and annoying personality traits. Some fans believe that the fifth season of “A Different World” is when Jaleesa’s character took a turn for the worse. She became insufferable. If the show writers didn’t make Jaleesa tie the knot, there’s a chance she wouldn’t be so despised.
Sumner from “Cheers”
- Played by: Michael McGuire
Professor Sumner Sloane was a character from “Cheers” who was played by Michael McGuire. Viewers never warmed up to Sumner because he started the show off on a bad foot. Despite the show’s time on the air for 11 seasons, he never improved. His initial plan was to leave his wife for another woman.
But then, he abandoned his mistress to return to his wife within the same evening. His regretful emotions became far too consuming. TV lovers tend to despise cheaters they see onscreen. Since infidelity was such a pivotal part of Sumner’s arc, it makes sense that he would be such a hated character from the 80s.
Urkel from “Family Matters”
- Played by: Jaleel White
“Family Matters” landed on everyone’s televisions at the tail end of the 80s decade. It premiered in 1989 and lasted for nine seasons from there. Jaleel White is the actor who took on the unappealing role of Steve Urkel. Despite the fact that Urkel was the main character of the show, fans found him incredibly annoying.
While a handful of viewers saw him as endearing and silly, the majority of viewers hated him for being so self-destructive, rude to his loved ones, and generally aggravating. Urkel would show up unannounced at his neighbor’s house, shamelessly flirt with Carl’s daughter, and rub everyone the wrong way without repercussions.
Kimmy from “Full House”
- Played by: Andrea Barber
When “Full House” first premiered in 1987, fans loved the family dynamic of the sitcom. There’s a reason it lasted for eight seasons in total. The cast lineup consisted of Bob Saget, Candace Cameron Bure, and John Stamos as beloved characters who were throughly adored by audiences.
Kimmy, played by Andrea Barber, didn’t receive as much love as her co-stars. Kimmy was written to be best friends with DJ Tanner, but she was always spewing nonsense at the wrong times. She came across as rude, immature, and ill-mannered. As the most hated character from “Full House,” it would be interesting to see what the show would’ve been like without her.
Andy from “Family Ties”
- Played by: Brian Bonsall
“Family Ties” was a beloved sitcom that viewers caught wind of in 1982. It went on for seven seasons starring Brian Bonsall as Andy. Although Andy’s character was just a small kid at the time, tons of viewers absolutely hated him. He was an irritating and unrealistic character who bugged audiences instead of making them laugh.
Some people considered Andy’s persona to be too cartoonish and fake. The show writers never made any improvements with him, even though there was easily room for character development and growth. Since and he was a young character, he was easily influenced by older characters in the show. That included his big brother Alex who was determined to make sure Andy followed in his footsteps when it came to conservative belief systems.
Jack from “Seinfeld”
- Played by: Sandy Baron
Another 80s sitcom that premiered at the tail end of the decade was “Seinfeld” in 1989. The cast consisted of some talented individuals like Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Jason Alexander, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Jack Klompus, played by Sandy Baron, was the most hated character from the show.
Plenty of “Seinfeld: fans can agree that every episode focused on Jack’s Cadillac showcased how terrible of a character he really was. He was obnoxious, judgmental, and aggressive. He was the perfect depiction of a grumpy old neighbor who didn’t know how to mind his own business and keep his criticisms to himself.
Mona from “Who’s the Boss?”
- Played by: Katherine Helmond
“Who’s the Boss?” is an 80s sitcom that first premiered in 1984. It ran for eight seasons, starring Katherine Helmond as Mona. Mona was always hypercritical of her super successful daughter, which led viewers to believe that she was jealous of her own flesh and blood.
She would constantly make demeaning comments about her daughter by putting her down whenever she had the chance. Somehow, her daughter maintained a high level of self-esteem and self-love. She never allowed her mother’s bullying to tarnish her self-worth. The mother-daughter dynamics of “Who’s the Boss?” turned Mona into the most hated character from the show.
Zack from “Saved by the Bell”
- Played by: Mark-Paul Gosselaar
While it’s true that some “Saved by the Bell” fans adore watching episodes featuring Zack getting wrapped up in wacky hijinks, not everyone feels the same. Plenty of “Saved by the Bell” viewers can agree that Zack was an easy character to hate. He was always scheming to get himself out of trouble.
His lack of character development led him down the path of becoming a snobbish adult. An example of one of the most annoying things he did? Zack decided to pursue politics take it out of paying a traffic ticket. He made everyone believe he actually cared about making political changes, but it was a purely selfish move. His morals and ethics were never anything to be proud of.
Lou from “Miami Vice”
- Played by: Gregory Sierra
“Miami Vice” premiered in 1984 and lasted for five seasons. Gregory Sierra is the actor who played the role of Lou. He was a hated character who got on just about everyone’s nerves. Lou was always puffing smoke from cigars and giving off a holier than thou police officer vibe.
The most redeeming thing Lou did on “Miami Vice” was taking a bullet that was meant to hit Sonny. He never recovered from the bullet wounds and died before the final episode of “Miami Vice” aired. Since he was a hated character, his death didn’t shake up viewers too much.
Jackie from “Roseanne”
- Played by: Laurie Metcalf
In 1988, “Roseanne” became a top-notch sitcom for families to watch together. It went on for 10 seasons starring Roseanne Barr in the titular role. Jackie, played by Laurie Metcalf, was an easy character to hate. One of the worst and most vicious things she did was trying to keep Fred away from his own child.
Fred proved that he was a nice person with good intentions, but that wasn’t enough for Jackie. Keeping a parent away from their child is about as evil as it gets. When it came to the toxic dynamics between her mother and father, Jackie was always taking her father’s side while belittling her mother. Because of that, her mother never felt like she received any genuine support.
Mike from “Growing Pains”
- Played by: Kirk Cameron
“Growing Pains” was a humorous sitcom that premiered in 1985. It lasted for seven seasons telling the story of a psychiatrist to relocated to a new city as a way of supporting his wife. Mike, played by Kirk Cameron, was a character from “Growing Pains” who was thoroughly hated by viewers.
Sure, he was a teenager at the time, but that didn’t give him the green light to treat everyone around him like garbage. His unchecked attitude was hugely problematic. Now that we are aware of the most hated TV characters of the 80s, click care to find out more about the most likable TV characters from the decade.