The Best 1980s Cult TV Series

Updated June 14, 2019 4.1k votes 609 voters 25.6k views23 items

List RulesVote up your favorite cult shows that aired in the '80s

Tired of being left out of nearly every conversation your friends are having? Catch up on these classic 1980s cult TV series, ranked from best to worst by your votes. It's hard to put your finger on what made a show a great 1980s cult TV series. Some of the best 80s cult TV shows are sci-fi based and others gained cult status due to their subversive humor. One thing is for sure, the top 1980s cult TV series have very loyal fans and they aren't afraid to let you know it.

What are some of the shows that appear on this best 1980s cult TV series list? Pee-wee's Playhouse was a great 1980s kids' show that gained a cult following of adults because of its absurdist humor. This popular 80s cult classic aired from 1986 – 1990. Mystery Science Theater 3000 is another good cult show that aired in the 1990s.

Star Trek: The Next Generation proved to be just as popular as the original series during its seven seasons from 1987 – 1994. Other good shows that appear on this top 1980s cult TV series list include Doctor Who, SCTV and Quantum Leap.

Which 80s cult TV show is your favorite? Give the best shows a thumbs up and share some of your favorite episodes in the comments section.

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Quantum Leap
Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell
Premiered: 1989
Genres (Tv): Procedural drama, Drama, Science Fiction
Quantum Leap is an American television series that originally aired on NBC for five seasons,... more on Wikipedia
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Cheers
Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman
Premiered: 1982
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
Watch for Free with Amazon Prime Free Trial
Cheers is an American sitcom that ran for eleven seasons between 1982 and 1993. The show was... more on Wikipedia
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The Simpsons
Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright
Premiered: 1989
Genres (Tv): Animation, Television comedy, Comedy, Family Film
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting... more on Wikipedia
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The A-Team
George Peppard, Mr. T
Premiered: 1983
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Action/Adventure, Military, Adventure film, Action
The A-Team is an American action-adventure television series, running from 1983 to 1987, about... more on Wikipedia
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MacGyver
Richard Dean Anderson, Dana Elcar
Premiered: 1985
Genres (Tv): Espionage, Action/Adventure, Adventure film, Action
Watch for Free with Amazon Prime Free Trial
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry... more on Wikipedia
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Pee-wee's Playhouse
Paul Reubens, John Paragon
Premiered: 1986
Genres (Tv): Children's television series, Comedy
Pee-wee's Playhouse is an American children's television program starring Paul Reubens as the... more on Wikipedia
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Star Trek: The Next Generation
Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner
Premiered: 1987
Genres (Tv): Action/Adventure, Drama, Adventure film, Action, Science Fiction
Watch for Free with Amazon Prime Free Trial
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by... more on Wikipedia
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Moonlighting
Cybill Shepherd, Bruce Willis
Premiered: 1985
Genres (Tv): Drama, Romantic comedy, Mystery, Comedy-drama, Comedy
Moonlighting is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 3, 1985, to May 14,... more on Wikipedia
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Magnum, P.I.
Tom Selleck, John Hillerman
Premiered: 1980
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Action/Adventure, Police procedural, Drama, Adventure film
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private... more on Wikipedia
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Knight Rider
David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare
Premiered: 1982
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Action/Adventure, Drama, Adventure film, Action
Knight Rider is an American television series that originally ran from September 26, 1982, to... more on Wikipedia
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Mystery Science Theater 3000
Joel Hodgson, Michael J. Nelson
Premiered: 1988
Genres (Tv): Comic science fiction, Comedy, Puppet
Mystery Science Theater 3000, often abbreviated MST3K, is an American television comedy series... more on Wikipedia
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Doctor Who
Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant
Premiered: 1963
Genres (Tv): Sci-fi, Adventure, Drama
Doctor Who (BBC, 2005) is a British science-fiction television show created by Sydney Newman,... more on Wikipedia
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The Twilight Zone
Rod Serling, Robert McCord
Premiered: 1959
Genres (Tv): Anthology, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction
The Twilight Zone is a 1959 American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. It is... more on Wikipedia
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ALF
Mihaly 'Michu' Meszaros, Paul Fusco
Premiered: 1986
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy, Science Fiction, Puppet
ALF is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 22, 1986 to March 24, 1990. It was... more on Wikipedia
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Murder, She Wrote
Angela Lansbury, William Windom
Premiered: 1984
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Crime, Procedural drama, Drama, Cozy mystery
This show is a television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and... more on Wikipedia
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Who's the Boss?
Tony Danza, Judith Light
Premiered: 1984
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on... more on Wikipedia
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Beauty and the Beast
Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman
Premiered: 1987
Genres (Tv): Romance Film, Paranormal romance, Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Beauty and the Beast (CBS, 1987) is an American drama television series created by Ron Koslow.... more on Wikipedia
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Remington Steele
Stephanie Zimbalist, Pierce Brosnan
Premiered: 1982
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Drama, Comedy, Detective fiction
Remington Steele is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael... more on Wikipedia
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L.A. Law
Corbin Bernsen, Jill Eikenberry
Premiered: 1986
Genres (Tv): Drama, Legal drama, Legal
L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from... more on Wikipedia
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Second City Television
John Candy, Robin Duke
Premiered: 1976
Genres (Tv): Sketch comedy, Comedy
SCTV is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's Second City troupe... more on Wikipedia
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Dynasty
John Forsythe, Linda Evans
Premiered: 1981
Genres (Tv): Soap opera, Drama
Dynasty (ABC, 1981) is an American prime time television soap opera created by Richard and... more on Wikipedia
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Red Dwarf
Chris Barrie, Craig Charles
Premiered: 1988
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy, Science Fiction
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises ten series of a television... more on Wikipedia
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Sledge Hammer!
David Rasche, Anne-Marie Martin
Premiered: 1986
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Television comedy, Sitcom, Comedy
Sledge Hammer! is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that... more on Wikipedia