Plot

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Best TV Shows of the 1980s

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The 1980s expanded television's creative possibilities through innovative shows that blended genres and pushed content boundaries. Programs like Miami Vice, Hill Street Blues, and The Twilight Zone demonstrated television's potential for cinematic storytelling and sophisticated themes.

A Case For Two (1981) poster

A Case For Two (1981)

Newhart (1982) poster

Newhart (1982)

Armored Trooper VOTOMS (1983) poster

Armored Trooper VOTOMS (1983)

Pili (1988) poster

Pili (1988)

Ranma ½ (1989) poster

Ranma ½ (1989)

The Golden Girls (1985) poster

The Golden Girls (1985)

Take the High Road (1980) poster

Take the High Road (1980)

The Bold and the Beautiful (1987) poster

The Bold and the Beautiful (1987)

The Equalizer (1985) poster

The Equalizer (1985)

Masterpiece Mystery (1980) poster

Masterpiece Mystery (1980)

American Masters (1986) poster

American Masters (1986)

Heut' abend (1980) poster

Heut' abend (1980)

Danger Bay (1985) poster

Danger Bay (1985)

Kotowaza House (1987) poster

Kotowaza House (1987)

MacGyver (1985) poster

MacGyver (1985)

Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983) poster

Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983)

48 Hours (1988) poster

48 Hours (1988)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

Baywatch (1989) poster

Baywatch (1989)

The Seasons (1987) poster

The Seasons (1987)

Family Ties (1982) poster

Family Ties (1982)

Neighbours (1985) poster

Neighbours (1985)

The Cosby Show (1984) poster

The Cosby Show (1984)

Murphy Brown (1988) poster

Murphy Brown (1988)

This decade's experimentation with television formats and storytelling techniques established foundations that would support the medium's later artistic achievements.