00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the best TV shows from
00:11the 80s that have been mostly forgotten by the general public.
00:15As such, we won't be including popular classics like Miami Vice as, well, everyone knows those
00:20are awesome.
00:21We will also be including shows that began in the 1970s or extended into the 90s so long
00:27as the bulk of their run occurred in the 80s.
00:36Number 10.
00:37Police Squad
00:54There are two big reasons why Police Squad has been forgotten.
00:57One, it has been overshadowed by the Naked Gun movies, which served as a follow-up to
01:01the show.
01:02And two, it was only on for six episodes.
01:05Like the classic films after it, Police Squad was created by the Zucker, Abrams, and Zucker
01:09trio and stars Leslie Nielsen as the bumbling Frank Drebin.
01:21The show is every bit as funny as the movies and uses the same style of humor, featuring
01:26a dense collection of sight gags, slapstick, and clever wordplay.
01:30Alas, Police Squad aired just four episodes before it was cancelled by ABC, with the last
01:35two airing months later in the summer.
01:37It was an undignified ending for such a great show.
01:52Number 9.
01:53The Love Boat
02:04Despite its rather creepy title, The Love Boat was a defining cultural product of the
02:08late 70s and early 80s.
02:10The show garnered five Emmy and eight Golden Globe nominations throughout its run, including
02:14four for Best Musical or Comedy.
02:24It provided an easygoing and comforting experience
02:37for viewers, with an uplifting tone, fun escapist entertainment, and glamorous settings filmed
02:42on location.
02:43It was like a James Bond movie on TV.
02:45The Love Boat quickly became a staple of ABC's Saturday night lineup and was a huge ratings
02:50success, its popularity even boosting the cruise industry.
02:53It's a little dated today, sure, but there was nothing like it at the time.
03:04Number 8.
03:05Perfect Strangers
03:14There were a ton of great sitcoms in the 1980s, many of which are still fondly remembered
03:19today.
03:20For some reason, Perfect Strangers has fallen by the wayside.
03:24The show follows the wacky misadventures of distant cousins Larry Appleton and Balki Bartokomis
03:29as they navigate daily life in Chicago.
03:43The comedy thrives on their opposing odd-couple dynamic, with Balki's innocence and optimism
03:48clashing with Larry's more neurotic and cynical trait.
03:50The physical slapstick humor is also top-notch, and even amongst all the uproarious comedy,
03:56the show never forgets to deliver heartfelt lessons about friendship, family, and the
04:00American dream.
04:01And the fashion.
04:02Oh man, the fashion.
04:04This is peak 80s nostalgia right here.
04:20Number 7.
04:21Yes Minister
04:38A beloved British sitcom, Yes Minister was said to be the favorite show of British PM
04:43Margaret Thatcher.
04:44A sharp political satire, it follows Jim Hacker, a cabinet minister in the Department of Administrative
04:49Affairs and later the Prime Minister of Britain.
04:52Despite airing in the 1980s, the show's themes surrounding government hypocrisy and
04:55bureaucratic inefficiencies are universal, lending the show a degree of timelessness.
05:10It's also filled with brilliant characters, memorable quotes, and razor-sharp writing
05:15that disguises some unfortunate realities behind comedy.
05:18Despite being forgotten by some, the show lives on through its monumental influence,
05:22its DNA still seen in shows like Viva.
05:42Number 6.
05:43V
05:44In May 1983, NBC released V, a two-part miniseries about an alien invasion.
06:05The miniseries was an enormous success, spawning a sequel and, some may forget, a weekly TV
06:10show.
06:11V was released in just one season between 1984 and 1985, and while it wasn't as popular
06:16as its predecessors, there is still plenty to like about it.
06:29V retained its core concept and tells a solid story about an alien invasion.
06:34Jane Battler is also exceptional as Diana, the Supreme Commander of the Visitors, and
06:39Despite its age, the action is surprisingly excellent, with fun laser battles and exciting
06:44chase sequences.
06:45Despite its premature cancellation, the show now enjoys a small cult following of fans
06:50who appreciate its obvious qualities.
07:01Number 5.
07:03The publicity is worth its weight in clients.
07:11Before he was Bond, James Bond, Pierce Brosnan was still Remington Steele.
07:15This classic show has a unique premise that instantly transfixes viewers.
07:19Laura Hope is an exceptional private investigator, but her business suffers because she's a
07:24woman.
07:25So she invents a fictional boss, Remington Steele, in order to attract male clients.
07:29Brosnan plays the mysterious con man who works with Laura and adopts the Remington Steele
07:34moniker.
07:48Laura is a strong and intelligent female lead, a rarity in 1980s television.
07:53And Brosnan is… well, he's Pierce Brosnan.
07:56We mean, come on!
07:57They certainly work well by themselves, but the two also share pitch-perfect chemistry
08:01with electric tension and an evolving will-they-won't-they dynamic.
08:05It's got action, charm, humor, romance.
08:09What more could you want?
08:164.
08:17Moonlighting
08:18NBC had a huge hit with Remington Steele, so ABC wanted their own odd-couple detective
08:33show.
08:34Enter Moonlighting, which tells of the Blue Moon Detective Agency and its investigators
08:38Matty Hayes and David Addison.
08:40Today, the show is largely remembered for introducing the world to Bruce Willis.
08:59Unfortunately, the success of his movie career has somewhat overshadowed the show, and we
09:04forget just how good it actually is.
09:06The chemistry between Matty and David is simply fantastic, and they provide one of
09:10the most iconic romances in television history.
09:13The show also contained a ton of innovative ideas, like breaking the fourth wall and playing
09:18with disparate genre formats in ways that were ahead of its time.
09:223.
09:23Night Court
09:24This was one of the defining sitcoms of the 1980s, but you don't hear much about it
09:44anymore.
09:45It takes place during the night shift of a Manhattan court and contains one of the best
09:48ensemble cast in TV history.
09:51John LaRoquette stands out as the sleazy and sarcastic Dan Fielding, and he took home four
09:55consecutive Emmy Awards for his performance.
10:05His face defines the 1980s comedy landscape.
10:08Night Court also leans into a surreal atmosphere, which wasn't common on TV at the time, especially
10:14in sitcoms, and it provides the perfect blend of comedy and heart.
10:17The Night Court contains a never-ending stream of wacky cases, but it still finds time to
10:23pontificate on things like friendship, morality, and the law.
10:342.
10:35Crime Story
10:49Before The Sopranos, there was Crime Story, and despite its enormous influence, most people
10:54have completely forgotten about it.
10:56It was produced by Michael Mann and follows a cat-and-mouse game between Mike Torello
11:01and Ray Luca as they try taking each other down.
11:04The two took wildly different paths in life, with Mike becoming a police officer and Ray
11:08a Vegas mob boss.
11:23Crime Story was ahead of its time in so many ways, containing cinematic production values
11:28and the gritty realism reminiscent of Mann's films.
11:31Its method of storytelling was also wildly inventive, featuring season-long arcs and
11:35permanent acts of character development.
11:37The show, while fantastic, required a dedicated commitment, which is probably why it didn't
11:42last very long.
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12:111.
12:13Hill Street Blues
12:21The 1980s gave us what could very well be the most influential drama in the history
12:26of television.
12:27That drama is Hill Street Blues.
12:29This wasn't your typical police procedural.
12:31The show's cinematography featured handheld cameras and natural lighting, giving it a
12:35cinema vérité style that was unheard of at the time.
12:39Characters were three-dimensional and flawed, rather than clear-cut heroes and villains.
12:55It was one of the first network dramas to engage with complex social themes like race
12:59relations and inner-city struggles.
13:01Its tone was dirty and gritty, and perhaps most importantly, it was one of the first
13:05shows to embrace long-form storytelling and help introduce the concept of serialized TV.
13:09Hill Street Blues is still awesome, even after all these years.
13:24Do you have any nostalgic memories of these shows?
13:27Let us know in the comments down below.
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