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Best Action TV Series of the 1980s

431 Action series that started in the 1980s, ranked by popularity

All Action series All series from the 1980s
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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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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
431 series

The Fall Guy

★ 7.1
11K 112 1981–1986
Episodic · Easy watching

V: The Final Battle

★ 7.7
10K 3 1984–1984
Space & sci-fi · Event miniseries

Sledge Hammer!

★ 8.1
9K 41 1986–1988
Parody · Campy · Slapstick

Cops

★ 7.0
8K 1224 1989–2025
Long-runner · Gritty · Episodic

She-Ra: Princess of Power

★ 6.8
7K 93 1985–1987
Kids & family · Family-safe

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

★ 7.7
7K 85 1985–1986
Kids & family · War & military

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

★ 9.0
7K 110 1988–1997
Sprawling saga · War & military

Simon & Simon

★ 7.1
7K 156 1981–1989
Episodic · Banter chemistry

Dungeons & Dragons

★ 8.1
7K 28 1983–1985
High fantasy · Kids & family

The Equalizer

★ 7.8
7K 88 1985–1989
Episodic · Big city life

Ranma ½

★ 7.9
7K 18 1989–1990
Anime · Slapstick · Episodic

Hunter

★ 6.9
6K 152 1984–1991
Procedural · Detective mystery

T.J. Hooker

★ 6.1
6K 90 1982–1986
Procedural · Episodic

Tour of Duty

★ 8.3
6K 59 1987–1999
War & military · Gritty

Robin of Sherwood

★ 8.4
6K 24 1984–1986
Period piece · Distinctive score

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

★ 6.3
5K 65 1989–1989
Kids & family · Slapstick · Campy

The Bourne Identity

★ 6.8
5K 2 1988–1988
Espionage · Tight limited run

Mask

★ 7.3
5K 75 1985–1986
Kids & family · Family-safe

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends

★ 7.1
5K 24 1981–1986
Kids & family · Family-safe

Mission: Impossible

★ 7.5
5K 35 1988–1990
Heists & cons · Espionage

La piovra

★ 8.4
4K 48 1984–2001
Criminal underworld

Robotech

★ 8.5
4K 85 1985–1985
Sprawling saga · War & military

Danger Mouse

★ 7.4
4K 94 1981–1992
Parody · Kids & family

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

★ 7.1
4K 88 1983–1987
Espionage · Banter chemistry
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