Ah, the Eighties! A harrowing decade of rockin’ hair metal bands, Reaganomics, aerobicizing, Walkmans, Cabbage Patch Kids, and video arcades. It was also an era when science fiction on television was still trying to find a solid footing.
Uncertain times breed unpredictable outcomes, and so it is with Hollywood and its uneasy relationship with the genre. Special effects were progressing with varying results, but intelligent storytelling was leading the charge as viewers became more discriminating.
Following our tough-to-beat lists of the best sci-fi TV shows of the 1950s, the 1960s, and the 1970s, let’s delve into the next ten-year segment of provocative speculative fiction fare to see what enticing series sparkled!
10. Alien Nation
Buddy-cop movies in the ’80s were a bona fide Hollywood staple with releases like “48 Hours,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” and “Lethal Weapon,” so taking the sub-genre into sci-fi territory with the big screen’s “Alien Nation” in 1988 was a no-brainer.
It starred James Caan as a human detective and Mandy Patinkin playing a humanoid alien cop in a near-future Los Angeles where the two species co-exist. The pair form an uneasy and sometimes humorous alliance while uncovering a drug ring revolving around a dangerous alien narcotic.
This 1989 TV show, based on the film, continues the police drama surrounding the original LAPD characters of Matthew Nikes (Gary Graham) and alien “Newcomer” Sam Francisco (Eric Pierpoint). Much more of the alien culture was explored here in the solo season aired on FOX during the network’s infancy, including male pregnancy, but costs unfortunately caused its premature cancellation before it really had a chance to shine.
9. The Powers of Matthew Star
- Original air date: 1982-1983
It only lasted a single season on NBC in 1982, but “The Powers of Matthew Star” is remembered fondly by a certain generation of kids.
Quadris is a planet 12 light-years away from Earth that has been attacked and taken over by an alien armada, causing the crowned Prince (Peter Barton) to flee to Earth with his loyal royal guardian (Lou Gossett Jr.). There, he lives a secret life as a normal teenager, yet one under constant danger of being discovered by his extraterrestrial enemies and the fear of his uncanny abilities being exposed.
Episodes revolved around impromptu demonstrations of his telekinetic and telepathic skills, dealing with daily high school issues, and embarking on government missions. It had an easygoing, cheesy quality that fans enjoyed, and don’t forget his sweet glam rock spandex jumpsuit! A classic ’80s paranormal program from an innocent era when adults and kids actually gathered around the television set for a shared bonding experience.
8. Quantum Leap
- Original air date: 1989-1993
Time traveling was never more fun in the late ’80s than this innovative series starring Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett and Dean Stockwell as his hologram guide, Al Calavicci.
This pair of daring temporal adventurers makes hops, skips, and jumps along the time stream with Sam popping up randomly into different bodies throughout history. NBC, home to many of the sci-fi series on this list, was the broadcast host to this award-winning show that premiered in the spring of 1989 and ran for five seasons.
The constant change of settings and tones was refreshing, and the intrepid scientist would appear as everything from a test pilot, a young Stephen King, and Marilyn Monroe’s bodyguard to young Buddy Holly, Lee Harvey Oswald, and even famed sex therapist Dr. Ruth!. An NBC sequel reboot lasted two seasons from 2022-2024, but it never captured the appeal of the original.
7. Amazing Stories
- Original air date: 1985-1987
Steve Spielberg ventured into live-action TV with this charming, imaginative weekly series that tapped into the same types of strange stories and fantastic tales seen in anthology shows like “The Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits”, but with a lighter touch.
It launched in the fall of 1985 and ran for two seasons, encompassing a total of 45 episodes packed with that familiar sense of Spielbergian weirdness and wonder. “Amazing Stories” was an alluring temptation for TV-goers as Spielberg had just come off executive producing “Gremlins” and directing “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” in 1984, and NBC welcomed him with open arms, hoping to cash in on his fame.
The superstar creator brought a wealth of Hollywood talent to this project, including Kevin Costner, Mark Hamill, and Harvey Keitel, as well as directors Irvin Kershner, Clint Eastwood, Joe Dante, and Robert Zemeckis. A short-lived Apple TV+ revival happened in 2020 with just five episodes produced before the plug was pulled.
6. Red Dwarf
- Original air date: 1988-1999
This wacky British sci-fi sitcom concoction, created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, has developed a serious cult following in the last couple of decades since its inception on BBC 2 in 1988 and lasting 12 seasons and a feature-length special.
Its witty writing and quirky characters have aged well, telling the story of Dave Lister (Craig Charles), a lazy, curry-loving technician and the last human being alive. He emerges out of cryosleep aboard his deep-space mining ship, the Red Dwarf, three million years into the future.
The chicken soup machine repairman’s collection of cosmic companions includes a pompous hologram crewmate named Rimmer (Chris Barrie), an “intelligent” humanoid-feline hybrid, imaginatively called Cat (Danny John-Jules), the ship’s possibly senile computer, Holly (Norman Lovett & Hattie Hayridge), and a goofy butler-like mechanoid, named Kryten (Robert Llewellyn).
In 2024, it was rumored that “Red Dwarf” and its original cast would return for a 3-part special in 2025, but its future remains uncertain at this point due to the large production expenses required these days.
5. ALF
- Original air date: 1986-1990
Science fiction embraced its sillier side with “ALF” (Alien Life Form), which landed on NBC beginning in 1986 and ran for four seasons.
This fuzzy, snout-nosed, smart aleck extraterrestrial whose name was Gordon Shumway crashed in the suburban garage of the Tanner family in California after escaping from the doomed planet of Melmac, which was destroyed by nuclear war.
Created by writer Tom Patchett and puppeteer Paul Fusco, “ALF” was a popular TV diversion whose sarcastic star learned about Earth’s customs and peculiarities while constantly trying to eat the family’s cat.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s 2-foot-9 superstar Michu played ALF in the scenes requiring some form of ambulation for full-body scenes. A high-water mark for family-friendly corny jokes and merchandising that included trading cards, dolls, and even an ALF magazine!
4. The Martian Chronicles
Ray Bradbury’s sci-fi masterwork was brought to life starring Rock Hudson in this absorbing 1980 miniseries that was broadcast on NBC in three parts.
The original collection of short stories was published in 1950 and centered on Earth colonizing the Red Planet in a series of devastating expeditions, and its interactions with the world’s psychic native inhabitants.
Part cautionary tale and part historical travelogue, “The Martian Chronicles” miniseries was adapted by acclaimed sci-fi writer Richard Matheson (“The Twilight Zone,” “I am Legend”) and directed by Michael Anderson (“Logan’s Run”). It’s an immersive account of how Earth’s culture clashes with telepathic, golden-eyed Martians upon first contact and brings a smart, single-narrative cohesion to Bradbury’s timeless material.
Sure, the production is low budget and the visual effects seem dated, but its message remains clear. A curious 45-year-old relic that’s especially timely with SpaceX‘s plans to land on Mars.
3. V
- Original air date: 1984-1985
Forget the dull 2009 remake; this 1984 doozy was one of the first major alien invasion event miniseries on television, and considering the technology available at the time, it was a proficiently entertaining political sci-fi thriller with a huge ensemble cast.
Written and directed by Kenneth Johnson, “V” stood for the Visitors, which were authoritarian extraterrestrials clad in signature red jumpsuits, dark sunglasses, and baseball caps that arrived on Earth in 50 motherships masquerading as benevolent beings. In actuality, they were a hostile green-skinned reptilian race that wasn’t really interested in friendship.
Instead, the aliens were after water and human meat as a food source, as is eventually discovered by a group of resistance fighters and journalists. It was must-see TV in the early ‘80s and even spawned a second mini-series titled “V: The Final Battle,” and an ongoing 1984-1985 weekly series that lasted for 19 episodes.
2. Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Original air date: 1987-1994
Engage! This was the first new live-action “Star Trek” in 18 years after “The Original Series” three-season run ended in 1969, and fans embraced creator Gene Roddenberry’s latest character-driven sci-fi fantasy with relish.
With a time jump into the 23rd century, almost a century after Kirk and Spock roamed the galaxy, it was fronted by the charismatic Patrick Stewart as the urbane starship captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise-D. He and his exceptional cast included crew members played by Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Denise Crosby, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, and Brent Spiner as the captivating android Data.
“The Next Generation’s” interstellar exploits syndicated across the country starting in 1987 ignited a “Star Trek” revival that ran seven seasons and led to a series of TNG features and TV spinoffs like “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” and eventually the more recent “Star Trek: Picard.” Its legacy remains intact after nearly 40 years and is still beloved by “Star Trek” faithful.
1. Knight Rider
- Original air date: 1982-1986
It’s all about that kickass black Firebird Trans-Am! Handsome David Hasselhoff starred as resurrected police officer Michael Knight in this immensely popular series that first premiered in the fall of 1982 and lasted for four seasons.
“The Hoff” might have been the human highlight here, but the real draw was the talking supercar named K.I.T.T. (voiced by actor William Daniels), which was an acronym for Knight Industries 2000. In true vigilante origin story fashion, billionaire Wilton Knight gives this fallen cop a new name, look, and identity to be the vanguard for his public justice organization, called the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG).
Michael Knight and his intelligent auto were armed with a grappling hook, lasers, rear-mounted boost rockets, a flamethrower, a bomb sniffer, ejection seats, a medical scanner, and much more. Michael and K.I.T.T. work together to take down rough criminals who operate above the law. Unfortunately, we still don’t have talking cars quite as cool as K.I.T.T., but SIRI and Alexa will have to do.
