80sTV The Best 1980s NBC Shows  

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3.3k votes 347 voters 6.4k views 46 items

List Rules Vote up your favorite NBC TV series that aired in the '80s

These are the best 1980s NBC shows ranked by user votes. The 1980s was a great time for NBC television programs. Really, it was just a great time for TV in general. Particularly the sitcom. Some of the best 1980s NBC shows were dramas and other good 80s NBC series were comedies. Greatness knew no genre. Many of the greatest 1980s NBC TV shows are still popular to this day with syndicated reruns.

What shows appear near the top of this best 1980s NBC shows list? Cheers was a hit for the network as soon as it premiered in 1982. Part of its success was thanks to a talented cast including Ted Danson, Shelley Long and Woody Harrelson. Family Ties is another good show that aired on NBC in the 1980s, as is the out-of-this-world comedy Alf.

St. Elsewhere used the setting of a working hospital to add drama into the plot. Other great series that appear on this top 1980s NBC shows list include Hill Street Blues, The Facts of Life and Misfits of Science.

Do you have a favorite NBC show from the 80s? Take a look at this list and give the best series a thumbs up to bump them all the way up to the top.
list ordered by

1
88 39
Cheers is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger 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 produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association with Paramount Network Television for ...more

2
81 37
The Golden Girls is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan The Golden Girls is an American sitcom, created by Susan Harris, that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and ...more

3
72 38
Night Court is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Harry Anderson, John Larroquette, Richard Moll Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, ...more

4
73 41
Family Ties is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Michael J. Fox, Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter Watch for Free with Amazon Prime Free Trial Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 22, 1982 until May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States from the ...more

5
64 42
Knight Rider is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare, Richard Basehart Knight Rider is an American television series that originally ran from September 26, 1982, to August 8, 1986. The series was broadcast on NBC and stars David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a ...more

6
69 47
The A-Team is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
George Peppard, Mr. T, Dwight Schultz The A-Team is an American action-adventure television series, running from 1983 to 1987, about a fictional group of ex–U.S. Army personnel who escape and, while still on the run from the army, ...more

7
61 45
The Facts of Life is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979, to May 7, 1988, making it one of the longest running sitcoms of the 1980s. A ...more

8
59 43
Miami Vice is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas, Saundra Santiago Miami Vice is an American television drama series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip ...more

9
48 33
Saturday Night Live is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
clash1977 added Darrell Hammond, Kenan Thompson, Seth Meyers Saturday Night Live is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, ...more

10
57 44
The Cosby Show is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Keshia Knight Pulliam The Cosby Show is an American television sitcom starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on the Huxtable family, ...more

11
60 48
ALF is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Mihaly 'Michu' Meszaros, Paul Fusco, Max Wright ALF is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 22, 1986 to March 24, 1990. It was the first television series to be presented in Dolby Surround sound system. The title character is ...more

12
51 39
Mama's Family is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Vicki Lawrence, Beverly Archer, Ken Berry Mama's Family is an American television sitcom starring Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper. The series is a spin-off of a recurring series of comedy sketches on The Carol Burnett Show and Carol ...more

13
52 41
Diff'rent Strokes is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, Conrad Bain Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman ...more

14
45 37
CHiPs is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Erik Estrada, Larry Wilcox, Robert Pine CHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police ...more

15
34 31
Highway to Heaven is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Michael Landon, Victor French Highway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989. The series aired for five seasons, running a total of 111 episodes. It was shot entirely in ...more

16
38 36
Punky Brewster is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Soleil Moon Frye, George Gaynes, Cherie Johnson Punky Brewster is an American sitcom about a girl named Punky Brewster being raised by her foster parent. The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984 to September 7, 1986 and again in first-run ...more

17
37 36
Remington Steele is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Stephanie Zimbalist, Pierce Brosnan, Doris Roberts Remington Steele is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises ...more

18
38 39
Gimme a Break! is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Nell Carter, Kari Michaelsen, Lara Jill Miller Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981 until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and ...more

19
38 39
Matlock is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Andy Griffith, Linda Purl, Kene Holiday Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by The Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions, ...more

20
36 39
Silver Spoons is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Ricky Schroder, Erin Gray, Joel Higgins Silver Spoons is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982 to May 11, 1986 and in first-run syndication from September 15, 1986 to March 4, 1987. The series was produced by ...more

21
32 36
Bosom Buddies is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari, Donna Dixon Bosom Buddies is an American sitcom starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari created by Robert L. Boyett, Thomas L. Miller and Chris Thompson. It ran from 1980 to 1982 on ABC and in reruns in the ...more

22
32 36
Hunter is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Fred Dryer, Stepfanie Kramer, Charles Hallahan Hunter is an American police drama television show that was created by Frank Lupo, and starring Fred Dryer as Sgt. Rick Hunter and Stepfanie Kramer as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall, which ran on NBC from ...more

23
31 36
Quincy, M.E. is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Jack Klugman, John S. Ragin, Robert Ito Quincy, M.E. is an American television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC. It stars Jack Klugman in the title role, a Los Angeles County ...more

24
28 35
227 is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Helen Martin, Marla Gibbs, Hal Williams 227 is an American situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, until May 6, 1990. The series stars Marla Gibbs as a sharp-tongued, inner-city resident gossip and ...more

25
30 41
Hill Street Blues is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Daniel J. Travanti, Michael Warren, Bruce Weitz Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police ...more

26
21 28
Amazing Stories is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Charles Durning, Douglas Seale, Louis Giambalvo Amazing Stories is a fantasy, horror, and science fiction television anthology series created by Steven Spielberg. It ran on NBC from 1985 to 1987, and in 1992 was somewhat erratically screened ...more

27
24 34
Empty Nest is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Richard Mulligan, Dinah Manoff, David Leisure Empty Nest is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1988 to 1995. The series was created as a spin-off of The Golden Girls by creator and producer Susan Harris. For its first ...more

28
30 43
A Different World is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Lisa Bonet, Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy A Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC. It is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of ...more

29
23 34
Amen is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Sherman Hemsley, Clifton Davis, Anna Maria Horsford Amen is an American television sitcom produced by Carson Productions that ran from September 27, 1986 to May 11, 1991 on NBC. Set in Sherman Hemsley's real-life hometown of Philadelphia, Amen ...more

30
25 38
St. Elsewhere is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Ed Begley Jr., William Daniels, Howie Mandel St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama black comedy television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series starred Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd and ...more

31
23 38
The Hogan Family is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Jason Bateman, Jeremy Licht, Luis Daniel Ponce The Hogan Family is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from March 1, 1986 to May 7, 1990, and on CBS from September 15, 1990 until July 20, 1991. It was produced by ...more

32
19 35
Riptide is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Kelly Preston, Anne Francis, Richard Lewis Riptide is an American TV detective series that ran on NBC from December 3, 1983 to August 22, 1986, starring Perry King, Joe Penny, and Thom Bray. It was created by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. ...more

33
16 39
Rags to Riches (2006) is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Rags to Riches (2006)

34
13 38
Misfits of Science is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Courteney Cox, Kevin Peter Hall, Max Wright Misfits of Science is an American superhero fantasy television series that aired on NBC from October 1985 to February 1986. It features super-powered humans and their madcap adventures. A ...more

35
13 39
Crime Story is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Dennis Farina, Bill Smitrovich, Steve Ryan Crime Story is an American television drama, created by Gustave Reininger and Chuck Adamson, that premiered in 1986 and ran for two seasons on NBC. The executive producer was Michael Mann, who ...more

36
12 39
Dear John is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Judd Hirsch, Jere Burns, Harry Groener Dear John is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1988 to 1992. The series was originally based on the British sitcom of the same name. Dear John was retitled Dear John USA when it was ...more

37
11 40
Double Trouble is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Barbara Barrie, Patricia Richardson, Anne-Marie Johnson Double Trouble is an American sitcom that aired from 1984 to 1985 on NBC. The series stars identical twins Jean and Liz Sagal as Kate and Allison Foster, two teenagers living under the watchful ...more

38
11 41
It's Your Move is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Jason Bateman, Garrett Morris, Ernie Sabella It's Your Move is an American sitcom starring Jason Bateman, Tricia Cast, Caren Kaye, Ernie Sabella, David Garrison, and Garrett Morris. The show originally aired on NBC from 1984 to 1985.

39
8 38
Baby Boom is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Joy Behar, Kate Jackson, Susie Essman Baby Boom is an American sitcom series starring Kate Jackson. The series is based on the 1987 film Baby Boom. The pilot premiered September 10, 1988 on NBC, and the series began on November 2,

40
7 40
NBC News at Sunrise is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
NBC News at Sunrise was an American early morning television news program that aired on NBC from 1983 to 1999. The program featured the top news headlines of the morning, sports and weather ...more

41
7 41
A Year in the Life is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Sarah Jessica Parker, Amanda Peterson, Adam Arkin A Year in the Life is a 1986 Emmy Award–winning miniseries and a one-hour dramatic series that ran on NBC during the 1987–1988 television season, created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey. The ...more

42
7 43
Love, Sidney is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Tony Randall, Swoosie Kurtz, Kaleena Kiff Love, Sidney was an American situation comedy which ran on NBC from October 28, 1981 until June 6, 1983. The series was based on a short story written by Marilyn Cantor Baker, which was ...more

43
6 39
Jennifer Slept Here is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Debbie Reynolds, Glenn Scarpelli, Ann Jillian Jennifer Slept Here is an American fantasy sitcom series that ran for one season on NBC from October 21, 1983 to September 5, 1984.

44
5 39
Buffalo Bill is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Dabney Coleman, Joanna Cassidy, Max Wright Buffalo Bill is an American television situation comedy that featured the misadventures of an egotistical talk show host, played by Dabney Coleman and his staff at WBFL-TV, a small TV station in ...more

45
5 41
Father Murphy is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Merlin Olsen, Katherine Cannon, Timothy Gibbs Father Murphy is an American western drama series that aired on the NBC network from November 3, 1981 to September 18, 1983. Michael Landon created the series, was the executive producer, and ...more

46
5 41
Easy Street is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best 1980s NBC Shows
Loni Anderson, jack Elam, Lee Weaver Easy Street is an American sitcom that aired for 22 episodes on NBC during the 1986-87 television season.