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Best Sci-Fi TV Series of the 1980s

148 Sci-Fi series that started in the 1980s, ranked by popularity

All Sci-Fi 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
148 series

ALF

★ 7.4
43K 104 1986–1990
Sitcom · Family-safe · Episodic

Red Dwarf

★ 8.4
39K 74 1988–present
British TV · Dry humor

Mystery Science Theater 3000

★ 8.6
28K 199 1988–1999
Lo-fi charm · Ironic & meta

V

★ 7.3
16K 19 1984–1985
Social commentary

Airwolf

★ 6.7
15K 55 1984–1986
Adrenaline · Episodic

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

★ 8.0
12K 6 1981–1981
Dry humor · Absurdist · British TV

The Greatest American Hero

★ 7.3
7K 44 1981–1983
Campy · Episodic · Whimsical

Alien Nation

★ 6.9
6K 22 1989–1990
Immigrant experience

Small Wonder

★ 7.0
6K 96 1985–1989
Sitcom · Family-safe · Campy

Galactica 1980

★ 5.5
4K 10 1980–1980
Space & sci-fi · Family-safe

Kiteretsu Daihyakka

★ 4.7
4K 329 1988–1996
Anime · Kids & family · Episodic

Max Headroom

★ 7.3
3K 14 1987–1988
Dystopia · Near-future tech

Guest from the Future

★ 8.0
3K 5 1985–1985
Adventure · Family · Sci-Fi

The Martian Chronicles

★ 6.5
3K 3 1980–1980
Drama · Mystery · Sci-Fi

The Day of the Triffids

★ 7.3
3K 6 1981–1981
Drama · Horror · Sci-Fi

Voyagers!

★ 8.0
2K 20 1982–1983
Adventure · Family · Sci-Fi

The Tripods

★ 7.4
2K 25 1984–1985
Adventure · Drama · Sci-Fi

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future

★ 7.4
2K 22 1987–1988
Action · Sci-Fi

Airwolf

★ 5.4
1K 24 1987–1987
Action · Adventure · Sci-Fi

Misfits of Science

★ 7.3
1K 16 1985–1986
Adventure · Comedy · Sci-Fi

Starman

★ 6.7
1K 22 1986–1987
Sci-Fi

Secret of the Sahara

★ 6.8
781 7 1988–1988
Adventure · Fantasy · Sci-Fi

Button Moon

★ 7.0
773 62 1980–1988
Family · Sci-Fi

The Munsters Today

★ 5.2
750 73 1988–1991
Comedy · Sci-Fi
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