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Best TV Series of the 1980s

Top 500 most popular series that started in the 1980s

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Genres

Genres as assigned by IMDb. Selecting several means a show must match all of them.

Decades

By first-air year. Several selections widen the range; a specific year narrows within its decade.

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Tags

Rating patterns, computed from IMDb episode-rating trajectories. Deliberately strict: only shows with an unmistakable pattern carry one, so expect small numbers.

Rating patterns

Taste tags, judged by our AI taste model. They cover the 5,000 most-rated shows.

Tone & mood
Pacing & structure
Humor style
Themes & subject matter
Characters & perspective
Emotional payoff
Craft & style
Format & audience
Viewing-culture clusters
Intensity & content character
500 series (top 500 shown)

Casualty

★ 6.2
4K 1422 1986–present
Medical · Long-runner · British TV

French and Saunders

★ 7.6
4K 52 1987–2017
Sketch & variety · Parody

You Rang, M'Lord?

★ 8.7
4K 26 1988–1993
British TV · Period piece

The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show

★ 7.6
4K 15 1980–1982
Slapstick · Kids & family

Street Hawk

★ 6.7
4K 13 1985–1985
Episodic · Campy · Adrenaline

Freddy's Nightmares

★ 6.2
4K 44 1988–1990
Monster horror · Anthology

Around the World in 80 Days

★ 7.1
4K 3 1989–1989
Period piece

Postman Pat

★ 6.4
4K 190 1981–2017
Kids & family · Family-safe · Cozy

Crime Story

★ 8.3
4K 43 1986–1988
Criminal underworld · Period piece

Around the World with Willy Fog

★ 7.5
4K 26 1983–1983
Kids & family · Family-safe

Head of the Class

★ 6.6
4K 114 1986–1991
School & campus · Sitcom

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo

★ 7.3
4K 13 1985–1985
Kids & family · Family-safe

Perman

★ 5.8
4K 526 1983–1985
Anime · Kids & family · Episodic

Silverhawks

★ 7.3
4K 65 1986–1986
Nostalgic · Kids & family

Snorks

★ 6.4
4K 65 1984–1988
Kids & family · Family-safe

The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show

★ 7.8
4K 354 1986–2000
Slapstick · Episodic

Hey Dude

★ 7.2
4K 65 1989–1991
Kids & family · Family-safe

Spenser: For Hire

★ 7.3
4K 66 1985–1988
Detective mystery · Procedural

Webster

★ 5.8
4K 150 1983–1989
Sitcom · Family-safe

Alice in Wonderland

★ 7.3
4K 2 1985–1985
Whimsical · Kids & family

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

★ 7.7
4K 77 1985–1989
Anthology · Episodic · Tense

Shaka Zulu

★ 7.7
4K 10 1986–1986
Real history · Period piece

The Wonderful Adventures of Nils

★ 7.5
4K 52 1980–1981
Kids & family · Family-safe

Jem

★ 7.4
4K 65 1985–1988
Music scene · Campy
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