A long time ago, about three decades back, there were no streaming platforms, no YouTube, and no other choice for TV entertainment but the TV itself. So you bought a TV program guide, circled the shows you'd like to watch, and planned your week around them (unless you had some futuristic VHS device that could record your series for you). If you happen to like one of your circled choices, a whole ritual will soon have developed - snacks were made, the phone was off the hook, the comfiest couch spot dibbed a day before, and your pee times coordinated with commercial intermissions. Even entertainment required a bit of effort in the '80s, but oh, how nostalgic it all looks now.
If you'd like to revisit those sentimental times, we've rounded up a list of the best '80s TV series. Some you might know by the heart, others looked rather silly at the time, and some of them might've skipped your radar back then. But, no matter the grounds on which you've opened this article, you'll end up binge-watching at least one of these '80s shows by the time you've finished reading.
So now, scroll on down below and check out our top contenders for the best TV series that have spawned in the '80s list - from Star Trek to Married...With Children, all of your favorite shows are here. All you have to do is pick your choice, find a streaming platform that has it (which isn't much in the '80s spirit, but so be it), and relax on your couch. Don't forget to vote for the worthiest TV series, and share this article with your friends!
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#21 Miami Vice
Praised for its stylish visuals and the use of contemporary and pop music, Miami Vice was a phenomenally impactful series. Starting with its realistic depiction of Miami's seedy underbelly to inspiring the preservation of the city's famous Art Deco architecture shown in the series - it was a truly groundbreaking crime drama.
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46points
#22 Seinfeld
As a show that's often described as being 'about nothing,' Seinfeld was phenomenally popular and is listed as one of the most influential sitcoms of all time. It starred Jerry Seinfeld, a rising comedian of the '80s, playing a fictionalized version of himself, though many of the plotlines were real experiences of the series' writers, including Seinfeld's. In addition, the series often broke mainstream conventions of television shows and employed loads of irony, which was quite unusual for sitcoms of the '80s.
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41points
#23 Who's The Boss?
Consistently successful in ratings, beloved by audiences, and plentifully awarded, Who's The Boss was a genuine old-fashioned love story in its best sense. It is also unique for its time for a clear role reversal of the characters, where a woman is a breadwinner, and a man takes care of the household. A fresh perspective that agreed very well with viewers.
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40points
#24 Growing Pains
Growing Pains follows the Seaver family - a reporter mom Maggie and a psychiatrist dad Jason who works from home watching over their three kids. Augmented by realistic and relatable situations, a great sense of humor, and stellar acting, Growing Pains was an instant hit in the ratings. And it also had a nice surprise in the seventh season, as a very teenage Leonardo DiCaprio entered the series playing Luke Brower. And who could resist Leo's charms?
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38points
#25 The Incredible Hulk
There's probably no need to introduce who The Hulk is, him being one of the staple Marvel Comics characters, right? This time, though, the creators of The Incredible Hulk series were on a mission to discover deeper topics than merely showing a misunderstood hero on his adventures. Thus, they found ways to show how The Hulk manifests in each of us. If in Dr. Brenner (the person behind The Hulk) it manifested in anger, then in others, it might be fear, jealousy, or obsession. That's how the series' writers brought the superhero premise down to the everyday audience's needs and gave it a new kind of relatability.
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36points
#26 Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is set around the lives of two African-American boys, Arnold and Willis, from Harlem, who are taken in by a wealthy white widower Phillip Drummond. Despite donning a very light-hearted profile, Diff'rent Strokes also did several so-called 'very special episodes' in which serious social issues such as racism, illegal drug use, alcoholism, and so on were dramatically explored. One of them, the anti-drug episode, featured none other than the First Lady Nancy Reagan herself!
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36points
#27 Tom And Jerry Comedy Show
Tom And Jerry's exploits could be added to a list of basically any list mentioning TV shows, as the duo, in various incarnations, has been gracing our screens from the ‘50s right up to this day. The Tom And Jerry Comedy Show, though, ran for half an hour and included two segments of our favorite pair's antics and also a Droopy cartoon right in the middle. Unfortunately, this Tom And Jerry embodiment lived only for a couple of months in the early '80s, but the episodes were later added to syndicated Tom And Jerry packages.
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35points
#28 Laverne & Shirley
A spin-off of Happy Days, this series follows two characters we've already met - Laverne and Shirley. The two roommates work as bottle-cappers in a fictitious brewery and spend their free time with upstairs neighbors and friends. Filled with physical comedy played by a charming cast, Laverne & Shirley went on to be one of the most-watched American series. In addition, this show, which was already a spin-off, gained its own spin-off animated series that followed the girls during their army training.
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35points
#29 The Facts Of Life
A spin-off of another series featured on our list - Diff'rent Strokes - The Facts Of Life was the longest-running sitcom of the '80s (starting in 1979 and ending in 1988). The series further follows the Drummonds of Diff'rent Strokes former housekeeper Edna Garrett as she takes up the role of a housemother in an all-girls boarding school. New and already beloved characters, an ever-present great sense of humor, and the general shenanigans of the girls made this show into an absolute '80s staple. It's also worthy of mentioning that one of the recurring characters was played by Geri Jewell - one of the first actors with cerebral palsy on our TV screens.
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30points
#30 Chips
CHiPs, a series whose two main characters are motorcycle officers in the California Highway Patrol, brings the best of both crime and comedy-drama worlds. With signature over-the-top freeway vehicle pileups, incredible stunts, and a great sense of humor, CHiPs quickly gained a solid position in ratings and a place in viewers' hearts. Besides the rambunctious leading duo, the series also starred Caitlyn Jenner. While it wasn't her first appearance on the big screen, her collaboration with CHiPs (not counting the Keeping Up With The Kardashians show) was the longest-running.
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27points
