List Best tv shows 70s 80s and 90s
by Srferdude | created - 13 Jun 2013 | updated - 02 Feb 2017 | PublicMany of my favorite tv shows while growing up. Some of them still are.
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1. Kung Fu (1972–1975)
TV-PG | 60 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
The adventures of Shaolin Monk Kwai Chang Caine as he wanders the American West armed only with his skill in Kung Fu.
Stars: David Carradine, Radames Pera, Keye Luke, Philip Ahn
Votes: 7,239
My number one favorite show growing up.As a kid David Carradine was my hero as a result of "Kung Fu". Always saying something deep and profound followed by kicking ass and takeing names. I even had a poster of him in my room. Today he is still my hero for going out the way he did, kudos for keeping it interesting. That being said i am glad it didnt happen during my childhood years when i was only afraid of finding monsters in my closet.
2. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
TV-PG | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.
Stars: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton
Votes: 135,922
Was hooked on this show during high school. Helped me in finding my inner nerd. I even learned some klingon and looking back at that time now i probably have my obsession for this show to thank for not getting laid even once during those years
3. Baywatch (1989–2001)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
At a Los Angeles beach, a team of lifeguards led by Lieutenant Mitch Buchannon save lives, deal with personal dramas, fight crime and participate in over the top adventures on a daily basis.
Stars: David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, Jeremy Jackson
Votes: 30,321
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4. The X-Files (1993–2018)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two F.B.I. Agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained, while hidden forces work to impede their efforts.
Stars: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis
Votes: 249,697
5. The Wonder Years (1988–1993)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Kevin Arnold recalls growing up during the late 60s and early 70s; the turbulent social times make the transition from child to adult unusually interesting.
Stars: Fred Savage, Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, Jason Hervey
Votes: 40,762
6. Parker Lewis Can't Lose (1990–1993)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Fantasy
For a cool high-school kid and his friends, thwarting authority figures and other enemies is never a problem.
Stars: Corin Nemec, Billy Jayne, Troy W. Slaten, Melanie Chartoff
Votes: 6,229
7. Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000)
TV-14 | 45 min | Comedy, Drama
A high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.
Stars: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine
Votes: 153,219
8. Sledge Hammer! (1986–1988)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Comedy
The adventures of a deranged and dumb police detective who always looks for the most violent solution to any problem.
Stars: David Rasche, Anne-Marie Martin, Harrison Page, Leslie Morris
Votes: 7,520
9. Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Family, Romance
The life and adventures of the Ingalls family in the nineteenth century American Midwest.
Stars: Melissa Gilbert, Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Rachel Lindsay Greenbush
Votes: 26,861
10. Saved by the Bell (1989–1992)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
A close-knit group of six friends get through their teens together while attending Bayside High School in Palisades, California.
Stars: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies
Votes: 37,513
11. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
A streetwise, poor young man from Philadelphia is sent by his mother to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins in their Bel-Air mansion.
Stars: Will Smith, James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali
Votes: 144,616
12. Home Improvement (1991–1999)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Family
The daily trials and tribulations of Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, a television show host raising three mischievous boys with help from his loyal co-host, loving wife, and eccentric neighbor.
Stars: Tim Allen, Earl Hindman, Taran Noah Smith, Zachery Ty Bryan
Votes: 49,105
13. Babylon 5 (1993–1998)
TV-PG | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the mid 23rd century, the Earth Alliance space station Babylon 5, located in neutral territory, is a major focal point for political intrigue, racial tensions and various wars over the course of five years.
Stars: Mira Furlan, Richard Biggs, Stephen Furst, Andreas Katsulas
Votes: 34,613
14. Cheers (1982–1993)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama
The regulars of the Boston bar "Cheers" share their experiences and lives with each other while drinking or working at the bar where everybody knows your name.
Stars: Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, George Wendt
Votes: 62,016
15. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993–1998)
TV-G | 60 min | Drama, Family, Western
The trials and adventures of a female doctor in a small Wild West town.
Stars: Jane Seymour, Joe Lando, Shawn Toovey, Chad Allen
Votes: 13,717
16. Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988)
TV-PG | 48 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The adventures of a Hawaii-based private investigator.
Stars: Tom Selleck, John Hillerman, Roger E. Mosley, Larry Manetti
Votes: 28,926
17. M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
TV-PG | 25 min | Comedy, Drama, War
The staff of an Army hospital in the Korean War find that laughter is the best way to deal with their situation.
Stars: Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr
Votes: 63,770
18. Columbo (1971–2003)
TV-PG | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.
Stars: Peter Falk, Mike Lally, John Finnegan, Bruce Kirby
Votes: 41,963
19. In Living Color (1990–1994)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, Music
The Wayans siblings present an African-American focused sketch comedy show.
Stars: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jim Carrey, Kelly Coffield Park, Terrence Brown
Votes: 12,757
20. Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A teenage genius deals with the usual problems of growing up, on top of being a licensed physician in a difficult residency program.
Stars: Neil Patrick Harris, Max Casella, Belinda Montgomery, Lawrence Pressman
Votes: 9,748
21. The Twilight Zone (2002–2003)
TV-14 | 43 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
This second revival of The Twilight Zone (1959) presents tales of suspense, fantasy, science fiction and horror.
Stars: Forest Whitaker, June B. Wilde, Chris Shields, Tangi Miller
Votes: 6,628
22. ALF (1986–1990)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
When an ugly creature, who loves eating cats, crash-lands into the Tanner family's garage, they treat him as a guest and allow him to live with them as he comments on the stupidity of mankind.
Stars: Mihaly 'Michu' Meszaros, Paul Fusco, Max Wright, Anne Schedeen
Votes: 39,118
23. 21 Jump Street (1987–1991)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The cases of an undercover police unit composed of young-looking officers specializing in youth crime.
Stars: Johnny Depp, Dustin Nguyen, Peter DeLuise, Holly Robinson Peete
Votes: 14,079
24. Happy Days (1974–1984)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Music
The Cunningham family live through the 1950s with help and guidance from lovable and almost superhuman greaser Fonzie.
Stars: Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley
Votes: 21,067
25. Miami Vice (1984–1989)
TV-14 | 48 min | Action, Crime, Drama
-Resplendent with authentic 1980s music, fashion, and vibe, "Miami Vice" follows two undercover detectives and their extended team through the mean streets of Miami, Florida.
Stars: Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas, Saundra Santiago, Olivia Brown
Votes: 30,175
26. Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
PG | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
The Bandit is hired on to run a tractor-trailer full of beer over state lines, in hot pursuit by a pesky sheriff.
Director: Hal Needham | Stars: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Mike Henry
Votes: 56,827 | Gross: $126.74M
27. Taxi (1978–1983)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The staff of a New York City taxicab company go about their job while they dream of greater things.
Stars: Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner
Votes: 15,820
28. Happy Days (1974–1984)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Music
The Cunningham family live through the 1950s with help and guidance from lovable and almost superhuman greaser Fonzie.
Stars: Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley
Votes: 21,067
29. Battlestar Galactica (1978–1979)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After the destruction of the Twelve Colonies of Mankind, the last major fighter carrier leads a makeshift fugitive fleet on a desperate search for the legendary planet Earth.
Stars: Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, Herbert Jefferson Jr.
Votes: 17,408
30. MacGyver (1985–1992)
TV-PG | 48 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The adventures of a secret Agent armed with almost infinite scientific resourcefulness.
Stars: Richard Dean Anderson, Dana Elcar, Bruce McGill, Robin Mossley
Votes: 42,006
31. I'll Fly Away (1991–1993)
60 min | Drama
Forrest Bedford is a Southern lawyer in the late 1950s, generally content with his privileged life.
Stars: Sam Waterston, Regina Taylor, Jeremy London, Ashlee Levitch
Votes: 1,036
32. Roots (1977)
TV-14 | 74 min | Biography, Drama, History
A dramatization of author Alex Haley's family line from ancestor Kunta Kinte's enslavement to his descendants' liberation.
Stars: LeVar Burton, Robert Reed, John Amos, Louis Gossett Jr.
Votes: 18,869
33. Spin City (1996–2002)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York City, and his team of half-wits must constantly save the Mayor from embarrassment and the media. Mike is later succeeded by Charlie Crawford.
Stars: Michael J. Fox, Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear, Richard Kind
Votes: 30,774
34. Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
The original surreal sketch comedy showcase for the Monty Python troupe.
Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle
Votes: 78,775
35. Fawlty Towers (1975–1979)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Hotel owner Basil Fawlty's incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance form a combination that ensures accidents and trouble are never far away.
Stars: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth
Votes: 100,118
36. Due South (1994–1999)
TV-PG | 46 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
The adventures of an impossibly upright Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable and his American colleagues in the city of Chicago.
Stars: Paul Gross, Beau Starr, Tony Craig, David Marciano
Votes: 7,566
37. Northern Exposure (1990–1995)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A city doctor is forced to work in the remote Alaskan town of Cicely, where he encounters peculiar locals, including a former astronaut, as he adjusts to small-town life.
Stars: Rob Morrow, Janine Turner, Barry Corbin, John Cullum
Votes: 21,658
38. Matlock (1986–1995)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Ben Matlock is a very expensive criminal defense attorney, who charges one hundred thousand dollars to take a case. Fortunately, he's worth every penny, as he and his associates defend his clients by finding the real killer.
Stars: Andy Griffith, Linda Purl, Kene Holiday, Nancy Stafford
Votes: 9,339
39. The Benny Hill Show (1969–1989)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A skit based show with Benny Hill, often containing smutty humour.
Stars: Benny Hill, Henry McGee, Jackie Wright, Bob Todd
Votes: 5,510
40. The Kids in the Hall (1988–2021)
TV-14 | 25 min | Comedy
The TV series of the Canadian sketch comedy troupe that, more often than not, puts bizarre, unique, and insane twists in their skits.
Stars: David Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney
Votes: 11,087
41. Hale and Pace (1986–1998)
30 min | Comedy
Hale and Pace is a sketch-based British comedy show. The terms "Good Taste" and "Politically Correct" are obviously totally unknown to the writers.
Stars: Gareth Hale, Norman Pace, Melanie Kilburn, Regina Freedman
Votes: 590
42. Highway to Heaven (1984–1989)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy
A probationary angel, sent back to Earth, teams with an ex-cop to help people.
Stars: Michael Landon, Victor French, James Troesh, Margie Impert
Votes: 6,517
43. The Outer Limits (1995–2002)
TV-PG | 44 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A modern revival of the classic science fiction horror anthology show The Outer Limits (1963). Episodes often have twist-endings and involve aliens. Sometimes, a story from one episode continues in a later episode.
Stars: Kevin Conway, Alex Diakun, Eric Schneider, Garvin Cross
Votes: 13,769
44. The Simpsons (1989– )
TV-14 | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner
Votes: 435,710
45. ER (1994–2009)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Romance
The doctors who work in the ER at the County General Hospital in Chicago grapple with ups and downs in their personal and professional lives while trying to give apt medical care to their patients.
Stars: Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Eriq La Salle
Votes: 67,714
46. Chicago Hope (1994–2000)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
The lives and trials of the staff of a major hospital in Chicago.
Stars: Mandy Patinkin, Adam Arkin, Hector Elizondo, Peter Berg
Votes: 4,694
47. Tales from the Crypt (1989–1996)
TV-MA | 25 min | Comedy, Crime, Fantasy
"Tales from the Crypt" was a 1989 horror story anthology series based on the gruesome E.C. comic books of the 1950s presented by the legendary "Crypt Keeper", a sinister ghoul obsessed with gallows humor and horrific puns.
Stars: John Kassir, Roy Brocksmith, Miguel Ferrer, Cam Clarke
Votes: 27,062
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