Activity
Lists
Search
Alerts
Profile

Every movie. Every show. One diary.

Download on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play

Explore

  • Browse
  • Search
  • Activity
  • Watchlists

Product

  • Flickfolio Pro
  • Updates

Company

  • About
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Instagram

Legal

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy

© 2026 Flickfolio · v1.14.0

This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.

    activitysearchbrowsewatchlists
    Sign in
    Home/Browse/TV Shows/1980s TV Shows/1980s Action & Adventure TV Shows

    1980s Action & Adventure TV Shows

    The 40 most popular 1980s action & adventure TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.

    40shows
    Filter & sort these in Search
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    TMDB3.9

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

    1987

    country: United States

    Four turtles fall into the sewers and are befriended by Hamato Yoshi a Japanese man sent to New York who was forced to live in the sewers. One day he sees a strange green glow which transforms the four turtles into human-like creatures. Hamato (now Master Splinter) changes into a giant rat from the green glow and teaches the turtles the skills of the ninja as they team up with news reporter April O'Neil to battle against Yoshi's arch enemy Shredder and Krang, an alien warlord from Dimension X.

    Star Trek: The Next Generation
    TMDB4.2

    Star Trek: The Next Generation

    1987

    country: United States

    Follow the intergalactic adventures of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and his loyal crew aboard the all-new USS Enterprise NCC-1701D, as they explore new worlds.

    Quantum Leap
    TMDB4.0

    Quantum Leap

    1989

    country: United States

    Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished... He woke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home.

    Knight Rider
    TMDB3.8

    Knight Rider

    1982

    country: United States

    Michael Long, an undercover police officer, is shot while investigating a case and left for dead by his assailants. He is rescued by Wilton Knight, a wealthy, dying millionaire and inventor who arranges life-saving surgery, including a new face and a new identity--that of Michael Knight. Michael is then given a special computerized and indestructible car called the Knight Industries Two Thousand (nicknamed KITT), and a mission: apprehend criminals who are beyond the reach of the law. The series depicts Michael's exploits as he and KITT battle the forces of evil on behalf of the Foundation for Law and Government.

    Dragon Ball Z
    TMDB4.2

    Dragon Ball Z

    1989

    country: Japan

    Now happily married and with a son, martial arts champion Goku must defend Earth from a series of extraterrestrial invaders bent on destruction.

    MacGyver
    TMDB3.9

    MacGyver

    1985

    country: United States

    He's everyone's favorite action hero... but he's a hero with a difference. Angus MacGyver is a secret agent whose wits are his deadliest weapon. Armed with only a knapsack filled with everyday items he picks up along the way, he improvises his way out of every peril the bad guys throw at him. Making a bomb out of chewing gum? Fixing a speeding car's brakes... while he's riding in it? Using soda pop to cook up tear gas? That's all in a day's adventures for MacGyver. He's part Boy Scout, part genius. And all hero.

    The A-Team
    TMDB3.7

    The A-Team

    1983

    country: United States

    A fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel work as soldiers of fortune while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit."

    Ranma ½
    TMDB4.3

    Ranma ½

    1989

    country: Japan

    Ranma Saotome, a teenage martial artist, and his father Genma travel to the 'cursed training ground' of Jusenkyo in China. There, despite the warnings of the Chinese guard, they fall into the cursed springs. From now on, whenever Ranma is doused in cold water, he turns into a girl and a cute, well-built redhead at that. Hot water changes him back into a man again, but only until the next time. To make matters worse, his father engages him to Akane Tendo, a girl who hates boys.

    WWF Superstars
    TMDB3.6

    WWF Superstars

    1986

    country: United States

    WWE's flagship show of the early-90s featuring great in-ring action, news from the world of sports-entertainment, and more.

    The Equalizer
    TMDB3.6

    The Equalizer

    1985

    country: Canada

    Robert McCall is a former agent of a secret government agency who is now running his own private crime fighting operation where he fashions himself as "The Equalizer." It is a service for victims of the system who have exhausted all possible means of seeking justice and have nowhere to go. McCall promises to even out the odds for them.

    Baywatch
    TMDB3.0

    Baywatch

    1989

    country: United States

    Join the Baywatch lifeguards on their thrilling adventures filled with beautiful beaches and those iconic red swimsuits.

    Hunter
    TMDB3.6

    Hunter

    1984

    country: United States

    Hunter is an American police drama television series created by Frank Lupo, and starring Fred Dryer as Sgt. Rick Hunter and Stepfanie Kramer as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1991. However, Kramer left after the sixth season to pursue other acting and musical opportunities. In the seventh season, Hunter partnered with two different women officers. The titular character, Sgt. Rick Hunter, was a wily, physically imposing, and often rule-breaking homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. The show's main characters, Hunter and McCall, resolve many of their cases by shooting dead the perpetrators. The show's executive producer during the first season was Stephen J. Cannell, whose company produced the series.

    Pili
    TMDB3.5

    Pili

    1988

    country: Taiwan

    Pili is a puppet show from Taiwan. It is made by Pili International Multimedia. The TV series started in 1985, and it still continues today. It is one of the most popular TV shows in Taiwan. Pili puppet show is performed by many kinds of puppets, some of them are cool, some are intelligent, and some are funny. Unlike traditional puppet shows, Pili puppet show uses state-of-the-art animation to help present its fighting art. The delicate design of the appearance and characteristics of each puppet has made Pili puppet show a well-known entertainment in Taiwan.

    Airwolf
    TMDB3.8

    Airwolf

    1984

    country: United States

    As part of a deal with an intelligence agency to look for his missing brother, a renegade pilot goes on missions with an advanced battle helicopter.

    Spaceship Sagittarius
    TMDB3.3

    Spaceship Sagittarius

    1986

    country: Japan

    Uchūsen Sagittarius is a 77-episode Japanese science fiction anime series directed by Kazuyoshi Yokota and created by Nippon Animation and TV Asahi. It aired from January 10, 1986 to October 3, 1987. The series is based on Altri Mondi, an Italian comic book drawn by physicist Andrea Romol.

    Fist of the North Star
    TMDB4.0

    Fist of the North Star

    1984

    country: Japan

    It's the year 199x, and Earth burns with the fires of a nuclear holocaust. On the charred remains of the planet's surface, humans struggle desperately to survive a fearful world. The young wanderer Kenshiro rises to stand against the violent reality. Upon his chest are seven scars in the shape of the North Star!

    WWF Wrestling Challenge
    TMDB3.4

    WWF Wrestling Challenge

    1986

    country: United States

    The biggest WWE Superstars of the late 1980s and early '90s settle their differences in the ring on "Wrestling Challenge"; featuring exciting matches and memorable interviews, this weekly television series captures an important era of WWE history.

    SUPERKID
    TMDB4.0

    SUPERKID

    1983

    country: Japan

    Mitsuo encountered Superman, an alien who is a part of a federation that tries to maintain peace in the galaxy. He then received a helmet (that also serves as a mask) that gives superhuman strength, a cape that enables the wearer to fly, and a badge that allows him to breathe underwater and communicate with his fellow comrades whom he met soon after he utilized these gifts. Superman made it clear to all Permans that their identity must be kept a secret or their brain will be destroyed should it ever be revealed and they are given a special doppelganger robot that can replace them while they are away to achieve this feat, although it is not entirely foolproof nor is it free from potential problems. These equipments then allowed them to be young Permans who try to maintain peace and help the people who are in need.

    The Transformers
    TMDB3.9

    The Transformers

    1984

    country: United States

    The Transformers is the first animated television series in the Transformers franchise. The series depicts a war among giant robots that can transform into vehicles and other objects.

    G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
    TMDB3.8

    G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

    1983

    country: United States

    An elite team of soldiers thwart the evil Cobra organization's desire for world domination at every turn, cleverly stopping them from controlling the weather, creating unstoppable weapons, and genetically engineering super-warriors.

    Jake and the Fatman
    TMDB3.1

    Jake and the Fatman

    1987

    country: United States

    Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.

    Saint Seiya
    TMDB4.2

    Saint Seiya

    1986

    country: Japan

    Ages ago, the goddess Athena was served by fighters called Saints who channeled the power of the Cosmos within them. Now a youth named Seiya has trained to become a Saint himself by earning the mystical Cloth of Pegasus. He is joined by other Saints with Cloths of their own to fight for Athena.

    Scarecrow and Mrs. King
    TMDB3.4

    Scarecrow and Mrs. King

    1983

    country: United States

    Scarecrow and Mrs. King is an American television series that aired from October 3, 1983, to May 28, 1987 on CBS. The show stars Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner as divorced housewife Amanda King and top-level "Agency" operative Lee Stetson who begin a strange association, and eventual romance, after encountering one another in a train station.

    Tour of Duty
    TMDB4.1

    Tour of Duty

    1987

    country: United States

    The trials of a U.S. Army platoon serving in the field during the Vietnam War.

    Ninja Hattori-kun
    TMDB3.2

    Ninja Hattori-kun

    1981

    country: Japan

    11-year-old Kenichi Mitsuba is an average kid who goes to secondary school and struggles with his studies, he is very stubborn and is very lazy and therefore always ends up frustrating his parents and teacher. He loves to find an easy way of things. He befriends Hattori Kanzo, a ninja from the Iga Clan, and he becomes part of the Mitsuba family along with his brother, Shinzo and his ninja dog, Shishimaru. Hattori helps Kenichi with his problems, and constantly keeps an eye on him, as a good friend. The main antagonist Kemumaki, a Koga ninja and his ninja cat, Kagechiyo always troubles Kenichi, mainly because of their feud over one girl, Yumeko. Kenichi asks Hattori to take revenge as a recurring storyline in many episodes. Although Hattori is a good friend, Kenichi sometimes fights with Hattori due to misunderstandings created by Kemumaki. Sometimes Jippou, Togejirou and Tsubame help him.

    Wiseguy
    TMDB3.3

    Wiseguy

    1987

    country: United States

    Vinnie Terranova does time in a New Jersey penitentiary to set up his undercover role as an agent for the OCB (Organized Crime Bureau) of the United States. His roots in a traditional Italian city neighborhood form the underlying dramatic base throughout the series, bringing him into conflict with his conservative mother and other family members while acting undercover as syndicate enforcer.

    The Fall Guy
    TMDB3.8

    The Fall Guy

    1981

    country: United States

    Hollywood stuntman Colt Seavers picks up some extra pocket money by using his rough-and-tumble skills to track and capture bail jumpers.

    Onihei Hankachō
    TMDB3.9

    Onihei Hankachō

    1989

    country: Japan

    Hasegawa is a chief police of big heart who leads a band of samurai police and cultivates reformed criminals as informants to solve difficult crimes.

    Shōgun
    TMDB3.8

    Shōgun

    1980

    country: United States

    An English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in complex political games in feudal Japan.

    Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers
    TMDB3.8

    Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers

    1989

    country: United States

    Chip and Dale head a small, eccentric group of animal characters who monitor not only the human world, but the animal community as well, solving mysteries wherever they may be. The "Rescue Rangers" take the cases that fall through the cracks.

    WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
    TMDB4.2

    WWE Saturday Night's Main Event

    1985

    country: United States

    A professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation banner on NBC airing in place of Saturday Night Live. The series was made up entirely of star vs. star bouts in a time when weekly programming consisted primarily of established stars dominating enhancement talent.

    The Real Ghostbusters
    TMDB3.9

    The Real Ghostbusters

    1986

    country: United States

    The continuing adventures of paranormal investigators Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, their secretary Janine Melnitz and their mascot ghost Slimer.

    Mashin Hero Wataru
    TMDB3.5

    Mashin Hero Wataru

    1988

    country: Japan

    Mashin Hero Wataru is a comedy/adventure Super Robot multimedia franchise originally consisting of 45 episode anime series created by Sunrise first aired on April 15, 1988. Sunrise credited "Hajime Yatate" for the storyline and Shuji Iuchi directed the series. The series employs a kinetic visual gag style, often employing characters running with their feet over their shoulders derived from Sunrise's previous Super Robot anime series Choriki Robo Galatt.

    Rambo: The Force of Freedom
    TMDB3.7

    Rambo: The Force of Freedom

    1986

    country: United States

    Rambo: The Force of Freedom is an animated series based on the character of John Rambo from David Morrell's book First Blood and the subsequent films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II. This series was adapted for television by story editor/head writer Michael Chain and the series even spawned a toy line.

    BraveStarr
    TMDB4.1

    BraveStarr

    1987

    country: United States

    On the planet New Texas, people live in futuristic conditions reminiscent of the Wild West. Here, Marshall Bravestarr fights for justice and righteousness with his supernatural abilities.

    The Mysterious Cities of Gold
    TMDB3.9

    The Mysterious Cities of Gold

    1982

    country: Japan

    The adventures of a young Spanish boy named Esteban who joins a voyage to the New World in search of the lost Cities of Gold and his father.

    City Hunter
    TMDB3.9

    City Hunter

    1987

    country: Japan

    Ryo Saeba works the streets of Tokyo as the City Hunter. He's a "sweeper" and with his sidekick Kaori Makimura, he keeps the city clean. People hire the City Hunter to solve their dangerous problems, which he does with a Colt Python. When Ryo's not working on a case, he's working on getting the ladies, and Kaori must keep him in check with her trusty 10 kg hammer.

    He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
    TMDB3.7

    He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

    1983

    country: United States

    When Adam, Prince of the planet Eternia, raises his magic sword he transforms into He-Man (the most powerful man in the universe). With his allies and friends, he battles the evil Skeletor and his minions to protect the secrets of Castle Grayskull.

    Blue Comet SPT Layzner
    TMDB4.3

    Blue Comet SPT Layzner

    1985

    country: Japan

    Blue Comet SPT Layzner, sometimes translated as Blue Meteor SPT Layzner, is an anime series produced by Sunrise and Tatsunoko Production between 1985 and 1986. Its original creator was Ryousuke Takahashi of Armored Trooper Votoms fame who served as the writer and wrote the scripts for such shows as Panzer World Galient, Tetsuwan Atom, Zero Tester, Fang of the Sun Dougram, Cyborg 009, Gasaraki and Blue Gender.

    Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
    TMDB3.6

    Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

    1986

    country: Japan

    The year is Universal Century 0088. Directly after the end of the Gryps War, Haman Karn and her army of Zeon remnants on the asteroid Axis begin their quest of reviving the lost empire of the Zabi's, and proclaim themselves as the Neo-Zeon. With the Earth Federation as hapless as ever, only the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG) is able oppose the plans of Neo-Zeon. In need of all the help it can get after being decimated in the previous war and losing many of its key members, the AEUG ship Argama enlists the aid of a young junk collector from the Side 1 colony of Shangri-La named Judau Ashta to pilot its newest mobile suit, the ZZ Gundam.

    About 1980s Action & Adventure TV Shows

    The 1980s

    1980s television saw the serialized primetime drama take hold and cable begin to fragment the audience that networks had held uncontested for thirty years.

    Action & Adventure

    Action and adventure television has to sustain across seasons what a film delivers in two hours, so the best of it builds serialized stakes around the set pieces. Streaming budgets have narrowed the gap with film considerably.

    In this list

    Best reviewed
    Ranma ½ (8.6)
    Often also
    Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    Longest run
    88 seasons

    Common questions

    What are the best 1980s action & adventure TV shows?
    By popularity across Flickfolio and TMDB, the top picks right now are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Quantum Leap. The full ranked list of 40 sits above — open any show for ratings, reviews, and streaming availability.
    How is this list ranked?
    1980s action & adventure TV shows are ordered by overall popularity, which blends how often a title is viewed, searched, and logged. It updates as viewing habits shift, so the list reflects what people are actually watching rather than a fixed critical canon.
    Where can I watch these TV shows?
    Every show page lists current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region, alongside community ratings and reviews from Flickfolio members.

    Keep browsing

    Other Genres

    AnimationDramaComedyWesternCrimeDocumentaryMysteryFamilyKidsRealitySci-Fi & FantasySoap
    War & Politics

    Other Decades

    2020s2010s2000s1990s1970s1960s1950s