The Most Popular TV Show From Your Birth Year (1951-1990)

3. 1981-1984: Dallas

Season 7 was Dallas‘ final year atop the national rankings, capping a four-year run as the most-viewed program in America. You’ll rarely find a show that maintains the public’s interest for nearly half a decade, making Dallas one of the most successful series in history.

The series’ popularity in the 1980s set the stage for a three-season reboot from 2012 to 2014. Predictably, the second iteration of Dallas did not garner the viewership of the original, but its very existence speaks to the original show’s cultural significance.