☰
Genres
DramaComedyAnimationActionCrimeAdventureRomanceReality-TV More genres →
Decades
2020s2010s2000s1990s1980s1970s1960s1950s1940s1930s1920s1900s
Tags Search Sign in

Best History TV Series of the 1980s

319 History series that started in the 1980s, ranked by popularity

All History series All series from the 1980s
Filter & sort
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.

Specific year
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
319 series

'Allo 'Allo!

★ 8.4
29K 85 1982–1992
Sitcom · British TV · Slapstick

Shogun

★ 8.1
18K 5 1980–1980
Event miniseries · Real history

North & South: Book 1, North & South

★ 8.1
13K 6 1985–1985
Real history · Period piece

North & South: Book 2, Love & War

★ 8.0
7K 6 1986–1986
Period piece · War & military

China Beach

★ 8.2
4K 62 1988–1991
War & military

Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany

★ 8.7
4K 11 1984–1984
Family saga · Real history

The Jewel in the Crown

★ 8.4
3K 14 1984–1984
Drama · History · Romance

Masada

★ 7.8
3K 4 1981–1981
Action · Drama · History

American Experience

★ 8.6
3K 395 1988–present
Biography · Documentary · History

The Blue and the Gray

★ 7.5
2K 3 1982–1982
Drama · History · War

Reilly: Ace of Spies

★ 8.2
2K 12 1983–1983
Crime · Drama · History

Nightingales

★ 8.7
2K 15 1988–1988
Action · Drama · History

Small Sacrifices

★ 7.6
2K 2 1989–1989
Crime · Drama · History

Midshipmen, Onwards!

★ 7.4
1K 4 1988–1988
Adventure · History · Musical

Fatal Vision

★ 7.7
1K 2 1984–1984
Crime · Drama · History

The Far Pavilions

★ 7.0
992 3 1984–1984
Drama · History · Romance

Tenko

★ 8.5
978 30 1981–1984
Drama · History · War

The Murder of Mary Phagan

★ 7.5
971 2 1988–1988
Crime · Drama · History

Bharat Ek Khoj

★ 8.9
944 53 1988–1989
History

Anzacs

★ 8.1
915 6 1985–1985
Drama · History · War

Bodyline

★ 8.4
903 7 1984–1984
Drama · History · Sport

Peter the Great

★ 7.7
871 4 1986–1986
Biography · Drama · History

Raafat Al Haggan

★ 8.5
851 56 1988–1991
Drama · History · War

Velo misto

★ 8.9
845 14 1980–1981
Comedy · Drama · History
Browse by decade
1900s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
Browse by year
1989198819871986198519841983198219811980
Browse by genre
Action Adult Adventure Animation Biography Comedy Crime Documentary Drama Family Fantasy Game-Show History Horror Music Musical Mystery News Reality-TV Romance Sci-Fi Short Sport Talk-Show Thriller War Western