7 Great Sci-Fi Shows From The 1980s Nobody Talks About

The sci-fi genre has earned a consistently important place within the realms of pop culture, thanks to its often stark and prescient examinations of the world in which humanity exists. Imagining the future, or examining a speculative present, often provides a key insight into the direction humankind is heading in, leading to many sci-fi stories serving as cautionary tales of the shocking or horrifying paths the people of Earth may find themselves on. There have been many iconic sci-fi stories—although some great sci-fi TV shows aren’t talked about enough. While this phenomenon is prevalent within the genre, it isn’t limited to recent times.

The 1980s were a decade in which sci-fi thrived. The release of multiple Star Wars and Star Trek movies, as well as the success of movie franchises like Alien, The Terminator, and RoboCop, all illustrate that sci-fi movies did remarkably well in the ’80s. However, sci-fi TV shows didn’t always fare as strongly, with many great stories released in the decade that have seemingly been unfairly forgotten.

7) The Phoenix (ABC, 1982)

The Phoenix aired for only a month in 1982, following on from the plot of a TV movie the previous year. It starred Judson Scott as an ancient alien being known as Bennu of the Golden Light, and began with him being discovered in a sarcophagus in Peru and awakened in the 20th century. As well as Bennu’s incredible powers giving the show great potential, The Phoenix tapped into several tropes that wouldn’t become mainstream for several decades. As such, the show has been all but forgotten, and despite its potential, its short run means that it’s rarely, if ever, mentioned today.

6) Starman (ABC, 1986-1987)

Some sci-fi TV shows developed a cult following, while others have been all but forgotten. While Starman had the potential to become the former, it sadly fell into the latter category, and few people remember it today. It followed on from John Carpenter’s 1984 movie of the same name, and concerned an alien returning as a clone of a deceased journalist to guide the son of his previous incarnation, who in turn teaches him who to become more human. Starman‘s sci-fi premise was packed with emotional potential, but it failed to find an audience and has barely been talked about in the years since it aired.

5) Something Is Out There (NBC, 1988)

Taking its sci-fi premise and injecting it with a dose of high-stakes mystery, Something Is Out There followed Jack Breslin, a police officer investigating a spate of murders involving seemingly impossible surgical wounds. Uncovering the alien perpetrator, the show concerns Breslin teaming up with a friendly extra-terrestrial to catch the dangerous creature. Something Is Out There sadly wasted much of the potential of its premise, as evidenced by the later success of The X-Files, which shared characteristics with the forgotten ’80s sci-fi show.

4) Alien Nation (Fox, 1989-1990)

Alien Nation was a sci-fi TV show that predicted a future in which humans and a race of alien refugees known as the Newcomers are forced to co-exist. Adapted from the movie of the same name, Alien Nation follows two LAPD cops—one human and one Newcomer—as they fight crime and face societal prejudice against the Newcomer aliens. Alien Nation was a show packed with social commentary and plenty of thrills, but it never quite reached the heights it deserved, and has subsequently been all but forgotten.

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

The 1980s may not have featured too many sci-fi TV shows that aged well, but The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers is one of them, albeit a largely forgotten one. An animated space western following the Galaxy Rangers, the show focused on a team of characters tasked with bringing law to the new frontier of space, marrying multiple genres and executing its complex sci-fi premise remarkably well. Sadly, as The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers was only aired in syndication, it failed to find a considerable audience and, as a result, is hardly ever talked about today.

2) Automan (ABC, 1983-1984)

Not all sci-fi TV shows feature cool spaceships in far-future settings. Automan‘s setting was more contemporary, and featured a computer programmer and police officer who creates a crimefighting AI capable of entering the real world. The pair could also combine into a single being, effectively rendering the eponymous Automan a superhero with incredible powers and the mind of a human police officer. Despite its clear potential and cutting-edge visual effects, Automan was prematurely axed, and its short tenure on audience’s screens are the main reason it isn’t better remembered as a key entry in sci-fi TV history.

1) V: The Series (NBC, 1983-1985)

The ’80s didn’t feature a huge amount of terrifying sci-fi TV shows, but it did boast one or two that struck an appropriately frightening chord to keep pace with the likes of the Alien and Predator franchises. The V franchise began with a two-part miniseries, followed by a three-part follow-up, and finally a weekly TV show. Despite the relatively unorthodox release of the franchise, its high-concept sci-fi story of an alien invasion and the subsequent war earned it an excellent reputation. Even though V proved a sci-fi success, it simply isn’t talked about enough to communicate its quality or its wider influence on the genre.

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