Classic 1980s Television
The 1980s were a golden age of network television. Before streaming and hundreds of cable channels, tens of millions of Americans watched the same shows each week — from landmark sitcoms on NBC's "Must See TV" Thursday lineup to action-adventure series whose catchphrases became part of everyday speech. Comedy, drama, and sci-fi all flourished on ABC, CBS, NBC, and the young Fox network.
Sitcoms ruled the ratings with Cheers, The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Growing Pains, and Night Court. Hour-long dramas pushed boundaries through Miami Vice, Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and St. Elsewhere. Sci-fi and fantasy found huge audiences with Star Trek: The Next Generation, Quantum Leap, and ALF, while prime-time soap operas like Dallas and Dynasty kept viewers hooked. Saturday mornings belonged to animated favorites, and late-night talk shows cemented Johnny Carson and David Letterman as household names.
Browse our catalog below by genre to explore hundreds of eighties series — cast lists, first-air dates, viewer ratings, and detailed overviews for every show. You can also view prime-time network schedules for each year of the decade, press play on classic Saturday-morning cartoons, or listen to unforgettable TV theme songs from Miami Vice, Knight Rider, The A-Team, and dozens more.