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Best TV Series of 1981

495 series that started in 1981, ranked by popularity

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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
495 series

Middle English

★ 4.6
6 184 1981–2001
Family

Westgate

★ 6.2
6 1981–1985
Drama

I solkorsets tegn

★ 5.8
6 1981–present
History

Bolívar, el hombre de las dificultades

★ 6.8
6 40 1981–1981
Drama · History

Okupacija u 26 slika

★ 5.2
6 1981–1981
Drama · Romance · War

Guldbaggegalan

★ 4.8
6 45 1981–present
Reality-TV

Las 24 horas

★ 7.5
6 44 1981–1985
Drama

Una limosna de amor

★ 6.8
6 20 1981–1981
Romance

Aprender a vivir

★ 7.4
6 30 1981–present
Drama · Romance

Drottning Christina

★ 7.8
6 2 1981–1981
Biography · Drama · History

Apradhi Kaun!

★ 3.0
6 1981–1982
Crime · Thriller

Iris Klewe

★ 7.0
6 3 1981–1981

Pank

★ 6.0
6 3 1981–present

Clive James at the Movies

★ 8.0
5 1981–present

Prinsen og tjeneren

★ 7.8
5 2 1981–1984
Family · Fantasy
‹ 1980 1981 1982 ›
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