The 10 Most Groundbreaking American TV Shows of the 80s

Look, I will not pretend that V The Series is better than the two mini-series that came before it. However, V The Series is a show that I have a ton of nostalgia for and it was the first big American produced TV show that I remember being weekly appointment viewing for me!

It’s a show about a race of reptilian aliens that disguise themselves as humans to try and take over the planet. The series picks up right where the second mini-series left off and it is a great continuation. It is kind of more of the same, but if you enjoyed the two V mini-series, there is no way that you would not have a ton of fun here too.

While Dallas started in the late 70s and ran until the early 90s, I had to have this on my list of the 10 most groundbreaking American TV shows of the 80s as it had its more prominent years during the that time. Dallas was one of those shows that pretty much everyone’s parents back in the 80s watched.

As a kid, I just had to watch what my parents watched and I would get into the show as well. However, the main reason that this has made an appearance on my list is the whole “Who Shot J.R.?” thing. You can look back now and get an idea of how big a deal this was, but at the time there had been nothing like this on a TV show. It may sound crazy, but this was a huge defining moment with tons – and I mean tons – of people tuning in to find out! This has to be one of the biggest cliffhangers of all time.

The Golden Girls is another one of those shows that my folks watched so I kind of had to just watch it, but it was always a show that I had a lot of fun with, even if some of the more risqué humor would go right over my head.

The story of these four older in years-but young at heart ladies who shared a home in Florida was always a fun time. Each of the ladies had their own personality (Rose was always my favorite) and the chemistry that the talented actresses had is something that I truly do appreciate today. The Golden Girls was one of those shows that really did capture the attention of families all over the world at the time it was released. Sure, it was aimed at adults, but it was the kind of show that the kids (like me) who had to watch also had a great time with too.

The Facts of Life is an absolute staple of American TV shows of the 80s. The Facts of Life started out as a spin-off from another popular show (that could have been on this 10 most groundbreaking American TV shows of the 80s list) Different Strokes.

Edna Garrett has a new job, working as a house mother, looking after kids at a fancy all-girls New York private school. One of the things that is interesting about The Facts of Life is that the first season was decent, but the showrunners realized that things needed to be fine-tuned and they made some pretty big changes to the cast for the second season. You do have to wonder, had these changes not been made, would this show have caught on the way that it did?

Who doesn’t love Cheers? This was a huge cultural phenomenon and one of those shows that really caught on and had people from all walks of life enjoying it. Cheers is about a Boston bar that is owned by the coolest ladies’ man around, Sam Malone.

The fun comes from the bar staff and the various bar patrons and the different stories and relationships that they have. To this day when I watch a Pixar movie, I get a kick out of the roles that our favorite mailman, Cliff Lavin, shows up in. Cheers is certainly one of those shows that I appreciate more as an adult than I did as a kid back in the 80s. However, I can see why this was such a popular and important show for so many years.

Ok, so this list of the 10 most groundbreaking American TV shows has been shows that I remembered and liked, but many of them were shows my parents kind of forced me to watch. Knight Rider was a show that was all about me. Well, me and my dad, as he enjoyed it too.

The show is about a crime fighter/detective/vigilante or whatever the heck you want to call him, called Michael Knight. Michael is not alone, he is joined by KITT, the coolest Firebird ever. Not only is KITT packed with all the latest technology, but his advanced AI makes him an actual character in the show. Knight Rider is just fun 80s action cheese at its best. Each episode was like a mini movie and it always had me on the edge of my seat. At the time, it felt like Knight Rider had sky high production values too, it was very impressive what they were able to do. Granted, I watch this now and I get a chuckle out of some of the more absurd and hokey stuff that happens in the show.

Hmm, should Quantum Leap be on this list? At the end of the day, this is more of a 90s show, but it has always felt like an 80s show to me and it did start in the 80s. So with my mental gymnastics and the fact that this is my list so I can do what I want, Quantum Leap makes the cut. Also, I love this show!

Quantum Leap is one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time. It’s the story of Dr. Sam Beckett, a brilliant scientist who creates time travel, but then starts leaping from person to person in order to try and find his way home. Joined by his hologram pal Al and their computer Ziggy, each episode of Quantum Leap was fun, exciting, and in some cases, heartbreaking too. What made Quantum Leap such a groundbreaking TV show was that each episode ended on a huge cliffhanger with a little glimpse into what was to come the following week with Sam’s trademark, “Oh boy”.

What would you do if I sang out of tune and left The Wonder Years off this list? This is one of the best coming of age stories ever created! It was prime time viewing for many families in the late 80s and early 90s. The story of young Kevin Arnold and his journey into young adulthood is just as entertaining and relevant today as it was back then.

There are many things that made The Wonder Years such a great and iconic show and I want to touch on two of them specifically. While this is an 80s show, it is set during the 60s and 70s, making it look and feel different from the other TV shows of the era. From the fashion, the music, and the “current events” that were discussed in the show, it made The Wonder Years a very unique show. Also, they could not have got the casting any better for this show. The entire Arnold family was perfect as was the supporting cast. Plus, The Wonder Years has one of the most annoying big brothers ever in Wayne!

There was no other TV show in the 80s that looked and sounded like Miami Vice! Cool looking guys shooting guns and taking down bad guys all done to a very 80s soundtrack with 80s fashion make this an absolute staple of the 80s. It is easy to say that Miami Vice is just another cop show, but this is so much more than that.

Following two tough undercover cops in Sonny and Rico, Miami Vice was full of over-the-top chases on the road and on the water, shootouts, and lots of very attractive people. To this day, I think that 80s Don Johnson is one of the coolest and most stylish guys ever! Miami Vice is one of those shows that is 100 percent a product of the time it was made, but the fact it is so 80s makes it just as much fun to watch today as it was when I was a kid.

When I think of the most groundbreaking American TV shows of the 80s and what shows clicked with me the most and what shows I have continued to watch for over 30 years, no question The A-Team is at the top of that list. The A-Team is 80s to the max! It has an epic 80s style intro, tons of over-the-top action, and it has Mr. T in it as well, one of the biggest stars of the 80s.

The A-Team is about a group of mercenaries that take on various jobs that the proper authorities cannot solve. Most episodes have Hannibal putting a plan together, Face showing his charming skills, Murdoc doing something insane, and BA. Barracus kicking butt and not wanting to get on a plane! The A-Team is one of the most fun shows ever created and I have a hard time imagining this show getting made in any decade other than the 80s. To this day, I can fire up a random episode of The A-Team and have an awesome time watching it.