During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Kerns started making a name for herself in guest spots on many televisions shows that included: "Emergency!", "CHiPs", "The A-Team", "Starsky & Hutch", "Street Hawk", "Laverne and Shirley", "Three's Company", "Hill Street Blues", "The Love Boat", "Hunter", "Quincy, M.E.", "Magnum, P.I.", and "V", as well as many commercials. During an interview, Kerns said, "I kind of was always looking for the next thing; I auditioned for anything, hoping to get a big break" (Lifetime's "Intimate Portrait"). Then, Kerns got her first steady acting job in 1983, starring as Pat Devon in a new CBS series called "The Four Seasons", which lasted only one season. The sitcom, which was based on a 1981 movie of the same name, was about three couples who all lived under the same roof in California. Although the show was not well received by television critics, her part proved to producers that she was capable of acting as a leading lady.