7 More 1980s Sci-Fi Shows You Forgot Were Awesome

The 1980s were a great decade for sci-fi, with many incredible science fiction stories unfolding on the big and small screens alike. The sci-fi movies of the ’80s often get far more attention than TV entries into the genre, although certain series from the 1980s are well-remembered. However, there are also many great sci-fi TV shows from the 1980s that don’t get the amount of attention they deserve. In a decade that saw many wildly successful shows such as Knight Rider, Star Trek: The Next Generation, V, and Red Dwarf, to name just a few, it’s not hard to see how even good shows could have become relatively obscure.

Just because people forgot how awesome these 1980s sci-fi shows were, it doesn’t make them any less enjoyable. In fact, in some ways, it only adds to their charm, as they have grown to become hidden gems from a decade positively packed with great sci-fi. While they perhaps never deserved to be forgotten at all, at least they still stand out as being pretty great.

7) Automan (ABC, 1983-1984)

If ever there was a 1980s sci-fi TV show begging for a reboot, it’s Automan. It follows a police computer expert who creates an artificial intelligence crimefighter, who becomes the titular superhero. A sci-fi buddy cop series featuring the tech-savvy officer and his holographic AI partner, Automan is a great ’80s TV show with a premise that could be easily retooled for modern audiences, although the series itself still packs some real charm.

6) Something Is Out There (NBC, 1988)

There are many great sci-fi shows that nobody saw, but 1988’s Something Is Out There stands out for its wasted potential. Something of a precursor to The X-Files, Something Is Out There follows a police officer investigating a series of grisly murders who learns of an alien threat, teaming up with a telekinetic humanoid in order to protect the Earth. Its blend of sci-fi drama and police procedural was short-lived, but it’s an awesome show from the ’80s that few people remember.

5) Alien Nation (Fox, 1989-1990)

Another buddy cop sci-fi drama from the ’80s was Alien Nation, and it’s another that many have forgotten was pretty awesome in its day. Set in a near future in which humans and alien refugees are forced to cohabit the Earth, it follows a pair of LAPD cops: one human and one alien. Over its single-season run, Alien Nation tackled some pretty heavy narrative themes, all while delivering an awesome sci-fi show that is barely remembered today.

4) The Greatest American Hero (ABC, 1981-1983)

The 1980s featured many great sci-fi shows that everyone forgot about, and The Greatest American Hero certainly qualifies as one of them. A superhero comedy with sci-fi elements, The Greatest American Hero follows a young man named Ralph, who is gifted a superhero suit by an alien race, which gives him superpowers whenever he wears it. Lighthearted and comedic, The Greatest American Hero was an awesome show that hardly gets talked about today.

3) Max Headroom (ABC, 1987-1988)

If ever there was a sci-fi show people should regret ignoring, it’s Max Headroom. It followed an investigative journalist in a cyberpunk future where the world is run by sinister television network megacorporations. A prescient and unexpectedly stylish show, Max Headroom was short-lived but has since developed a cult following.

2) The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers (1986-1989)

Broadcast in syndication between 1986 and 1989, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers is a show that has been largely lost to time. However, the space western was truly ahead of its time in many ways, following the titular team as they attempted to bring law to the furthest frontiers of the galaxy. A show that never deserved to be forgotten at all, many haven’t even heard of it today, let alone remember how awesome it truly was.

1) Voyagers! (NBC, 1982-1983)

It may not have been a perfect show about time travel, but Voyagers! was another awesome ’80s TV show that many have already forgotten. It followed a hapless and stubborn time traveller from the future, who finds himself hopping through the past with a history-wise teen from 1982, correcting the timeline as they go. The show managed to be comedic, educational, and intelligent, putting a great spin on the time travel genre in the process.

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