12 Best TV Shows That Will Make You Nostalgic For The ’80s

Ah, the ’80s! A glorious time for pop culture aficionados; an era that shaped the movie, TV, and music landscapes like no other.

From sitcoms to action shows and animated series, the ’80s knew how to bring the magic and entertain audiences. Flicking through the channels, viewers were spoiled for choice and never short on anything to watch. As a matter of fact, how many families had to fight over the remote to catch their favorite shows, especially if there was only one TV per household and the video recorder was already preoccupied? Now, we battle about Netflix logins and how many devices are linked to an account. The more things change…

Anyway, let’s check out the best TV shows that will make everyone nostalgic for the ’80s. If there’s a personal favorite that’s missing here, don’t be shy to share it and tell everyone why it’s something that deserves a rewatch even now.

What’s the one show that captures the style and attitude of the ’80s? If the first answer that comes to mind isn’t “Miami Vice,” it’s time to pull up another episode to recall how this series is a bona fide time capsule. Following the adventures of Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Rico Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas), the five-season show sees the two undercover cops solving crimes all around Miami, Fla. Here’s the thing, though: Crockett and Tubbs always look cool while working. Oh, and they zip around in the hottest vehicles, because crime doesn’t pay, but fighting it certainly does if you’re part of the DEA.

While “Miami Vice” entertained in its storylines and was one of NBC’s best 10 p.m. shows ever, it’s best remembered for its aesthetics and wider influence on ’80s culture. The show redefined fashion of the era due to what Crockett and Tubbs wore on screen. Think of TV cops before “Miami Vice,” and trendy wouldn’t be an adjective used to describe any of them; then, these two fashion icons stepped onto the scene and everyone wanted pastel trousers and sports coats.

“The ambition of the show was to break the form of everything that had come before,” executive producer Michael Mann told The Hollywood Reporter. Mission accomplished!

There’s a special place reserved in everyone’s heart for the family sitcom. You know, the kind of show where every problem can be solved by a hug. In the case of “Full House,” it’s like one giant embrace from the Tanners and Katsopolises (and one Gladstone), from the late ’80s to the mid-’90s.

The show centers around widower Danny Tanner’s (Bob Saget) home, where Danny calls on the help of his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) and best friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) to raise his three daughters — D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen). Expectedly, it isn’t a walk in the park, especially with a “full house” of personalities running around.

For eight seasons, audiences fell in love with these characters who prove that family doesn’t always need to be blood; it’s wherever there’s a heart and hand to hold onto (to quote the iconic theme song “Everywhere You Look” by Jesse Frederick). The series continued through the Netflix revival “Fuller House” — without the Olsen twins’ participation — but there’s no disputing the O.G. still stands tall as the better show here.

Private investigator Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) lives the ’80s dream in “Magnum, P.I.” He gets to pick and choose which cases he works, rocks relaxing attire, and lives an island lifestyle in Hawaii. Plus, he possesses the greatest mustache ever committed to screen — which may or may not give him superpowers, but let’s believe it does, because no bit of facial hair sits that sensationally on someone’s upper lip without being magical.

Running for eight seasons from 1980 to 1988, “Magnum, P.I.” was a slick and compelling crime drama series that consistently dominated the TV ratings while on air. It also secured Golden Globe and Emmy wins for Selleck, who became defined by this iconic TV role.

As it turns out, fans have Selleck to thank for the way the series panned out. Speaking to Esquire, the actor said, “The original script for ‘Magnum’ was horrible. The guy was too perfect, like James Bond.” Following the advice of “The Rockford Files” co-star James Garner, Selleck pushed back against the script. While there was hesitation from the powers that be at first, the pilot episode for “Magnum, P.I.” received a rewrite from another writer, and the rest is television history.

Who could have predicted that an animated series about four anthropomorphic, martial arts-practicing turtles with an insatiable taste for pizza and surfer lingo would become an ’80s pop culture juggernaut? Based on Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s independent comic book series, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is a quintessential ’80s cartoon. Yeah, it’s designed to sell as many toys, video games, and pieces of merch as humanly possible, but there’s something infectious about Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo’s adventures as they keep Manhattan safe from the likes of Shredder, Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady.

Starting in 1987 and running for 10 seasons until 1996, Turtlemania ran wild and swept over the world, largely thanks to the animated series’ depiction of these Heroes in a Half-Shell (who were much darker and more violent in Mirage Comics). While the later seasons might not possess the same quality and appeal as the earlier ones, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” remains one of the most popular and fan-favorite iterations of this franchise. It’s incredible to think how most kids in the late ’80s wanted to be turtles more than they did Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman — and it was all due to this show. Also, who could argue that it’s an animated series with one of the best TV theme songs of all time?

William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy’s Spock defined “Star Trek” for a generation of viewers, so it was always going to be risky to bring back the concept decades later, especially without the original Enterprise crew. Yet, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” rolled the dice and took the gamble in 1987. This time around, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew — featuring the likes of William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), and Data (Brent Spiner) — boldly went where no one had gone before… except for the previous Enterprise crews, of course.

Seven seasons and countless accolades later, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” cemented itself as not only one of the best entries in the “Star Trek” franchise, but also one of the greatest sci-fi series ever made. To this day, you’ll encounter debate among Trekkies if “TNG” is actually a better overall show than the original series. Much like children, it’s difficult to choose your favorite (but everyone secretly does it anyway).

In the ’80s, sitcoms that centered around the stereotypical family unit still proved to be in vogue — except for one that flipped the script. Released in 1985, “The Golden Girls” focuses on four older single women — Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Rose Nylund (Betty White), and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) — who live together after they lose their husbands through divorce or death. Each of the sassy ladies possesses a firecracker personality, as the episodes deal with them learning to get along and how to handle the next phase of their lives.

What’s special about “The Golden Girls” is how it challenges the status quo of how older women were perceived at the time. There was an expectation that they should be married, or living on their own if widowed. Instead, the sitcom portrays how they have agency over how and when events impact their lives; no one needs to be what society says you should be. Furthermore, the show demonstrates how it’s never too late to make new friends, as life is what you make of it. Also, who wouldn’t want to hang out with Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia for a cup of tea in the ’80s?

Nowadays, having a car that speaks to you using artificial intelligence doesn’t sound all that special. In 1982, though, “Knight Rider” was a mind-blowing and innovative concept from the late Glen A. Larson, as Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) partnered with the high-tech car KITT in an effort to fight crime as part of the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG). For four seasons, Michael and KITT have a wheels-with-benefits relationship, becoming a formidable team and making bad guys rue the day they decided to break the law. As a matter of fact, they’re still a TV couple that we miss every Valentine’s Day!

Despite “Knight Rider” being a hallmark of pop culture and an embodiment of ’80s TV, the show wasn’t well-received upon release. At the time, The Washington Post wrote, “‘Knight Rider’ is all revved up but has no place to go, except, maybe, headlong into a large brick wall.” Fortunately, the show didn’t crash and burn as many predicted, slowly winning over the doubters and confirming its place as one of the most memorable series in TV history.

Even though the ’80s feel nostalgic for viewers now, people from that era were also clamoring for the previous golden years, specifically the ’60s and ’70s. “The Wonder Years” captures this longing for days gone by and bottles it in a moving coming-of-age story about Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) and his friends as they go from teenagers to adults.

The series chronicles Kevin and his pals’ suburban ohs and woes for six years, as viewers watch them grow up in front of our eyes — figuratively and literally. Friendships blossom and wither, as love heals and hurts, but one thing remains certain: There’s no escaping the passage of time. Much like the last day of a summer holiday, it’s a bittersweet moment to watch the final episode of “The Wonder Years.” Yes, you know that nothing lasts forever, but you want to hang onto that feeling of eternal freedom for as long as you can.

Having said that, this is one show that easily transports people to a special era of television. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. But you’ll never forget “The Wonder Years.”

Before Michael Bay channeled his inner-Bayhem and blew up everything in sight with the “Transformers” movies, the Autobots and Decepticons fought for supremacy (without Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky in tow) in the 1984 animated series “The Transformers.” Yes, much like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and every cartoon from the ’80s, the primary purpose of the show was to peddle toys to kids and encourage parents to open up their wallets and spend more. Having said that, “The Transformers” actually delivers decent storylines and lays down the foundation of lore about this centuries-old robot war.

For kids in the ’80s, “The Transformers” was like catnip. Not only was this show about a bunch of intergalactic fighting robots with their own high-tech weapons and personalities, but they also transformed into awesome vehicles capable of extraordinary feats. Honestly, does anyone need any other reason to watch this series? “The Transformers” aired for four seasons, even receiving its own in-continuity movie. Of course, these robots didn’t disappear afterward and spawned off multiple films and series, but it’s still fun to revisit the show that started it all.

Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone” proved to be popular in the late ’50s and ’60s — here’s our ranking of the 15 best episodes — but it made its return to TV in 1985. The anthology series aired for three seasons, introducing more weird and contemplative tales to perturb viewers. Some of the well-known stars who popped up in this revival included the likes of Bruce Willis, Annie Potts, Lin Shaye, James Cromwell, Morgan Freeman, and Martin Landau, lending even more credence to how top talent loved the stories and wanted to be a part of the show.

Yet, the true influence of “The Twilight Zone” reboot is in how it showcased the audience was hungry for spooky and paranormal tales on TV. Think about the rest of the ’80s and early ’90s for a second; they were littered with horror and horror-adjacent programming and anthologies. From “Tales From the Crypt” to “The X-Files,” everyone wanted more stories that sent shivers down the spine. Would this have happened without the “Twilight Zone” resurgence? Debatable.

Ever wondered which role indicated to producers that Pierce Brosnan was the right guy to play James Bond? Look no further than “Remington Steele.” While Brosnan doesn’t play a spy in this detective series, he displays the buckets of charm and charisma that would serve him well later as 007 in the ’90s.

From 1982 to 1987, “Remington Steele” delighted audiences with a smart and original story. Private investigator Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist) launches her own detective agency, but she discovers there’s a sexist attitude toward her operation because it isn’t run by a man. So, what does she do? She creates the identity of Remington Steele as a figurehead. A conman (Brosnan) sees an opportunity and steps in to fill the role of Steele — much to Laura’s initial dismay. However, Steele starts to learn the ropes and works with Laura, as a romance blooms between them.

If there’s one reason to watch “Remington Steele,” it’s because of the off-the-charts chemistry between Brosnan and Zimbalist’s characters; they’re easily one of the best TV show couples with slow-burn romances. Don’t be surprised to start one episode of this show, then discover you’re five seasons in before too long. It’s that addictive.

When lists consider the best TV shows of all time, there’s a reason “Cheers” finds itself on nearly all of them. It isn’t because the sitcom reinvents the wheel or features the greatest comedic performances of all time. No, it’s more about the sum of its parts and unabashed authenticity. “Cheers” captures how real people speak and behave; in other words, the complexities of being human. Of course, it helps that the relaxed workplace setting of a bar puts the viewer at instant ease — and Sam Malone (Ted Danson) is a well-written and hilarious protagonist — but this show gets what works, valuing clever jokes and smart storylines rather than forced gags.

Debuting in 1982, “Cheers” proved a mainstay of the ’80s, eventually wrapping up after 11 seasons in 1993. It isn’t outrageous to say that if it weren’t for the success of this series, other popular sitcoms like “Seinfeld” and “Friends” may have never existed. 

It’s a trailblazing show from the ’80s — one that served as a comfort watch for many people during the decade. The best part? It’s still as fantastic today as it was back then, so grab a slice of nostalgia by watching some “Cheers” reruns.