1980s Action & Adventure TV Shows
The 40 most popular 1980s action & adventure TV shows on Flickfolio, ranked by popularity. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.

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
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.

Shoujo Commando IZUMI
1987
country: Japan
A high school girl, Izumi Gojo, who has been found guilty of murder, falls into the sea and disappears when running away from the police. However, a mysterious group rescues her and had her undertake training to transform her into an assassin. Years later, Izumi seeks to escape the group.

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.

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.

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
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.

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
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.

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 breaks... 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.

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.

Baywatch
1989
country: United States
Join the Baywatch lifeguards on their thrilling adventures filled with beautiful beaches and those iconic red swimsuits.

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.

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.

Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross
1984
country: Japan
By 2120, humans have successfully colonized other planets following the devastation of Earth from the last great world war. One such colony is surprised at the arrival of The Zor, coming to reclaim their former home world. A relentless war erupts between both races.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Journey to the West
1986
country: China
Journey to the West is a Chinese television series adapted from the classical novel of the same title. The series was first broadcast on CCTV in China on 1 October 1986. The series became an instant classic in China and is still being praised as the best and most authentic interpretation of the novel. Unadapted portions of the original story were later covered in the second season, which was released in 1999.

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.

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.

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.

ThunderCats
1985
country: United States
The inhabitants of the planet Thundera evacuate just before it is destroyed. They were pursued by a band of mutants. All but one of their escape ships was destroyed. Only a small group of Thunderians (Thundercats) remained. With only half engine power, the group, which was led by Jaga, had to set a course for the nearest planet. Jaga commanded their ship while the other seven were in their stasis tubes. Jaga died on their journey to Third Earth and their ship crashed there. Soon they made friends with various groups in the area and they designed a fortress. Mumm-Ra the centuries-old embodiment of evil, along with the mutants that destroyed the rest of the Thunderians are a constant threat. But Lion-O, the new leader of the Thundercats, with his weapon the "Sword of Omens" will help the Thundercats to have a standing chance.

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.

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.

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.

Tour of Duty
1987
country: United States
The trials of a U.S. Army platoon serving in the field during the Vietnam War.

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.

The Legend of the Condor Heroes
1983
country: Hong Kong
The Legend of the Condor Heroes is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It was first broadcast on TVB Jade in Hong Kong in 1983. The 59 episodes long series is divided into three parts. This 1983 version is considered by many to be a classic television adaptation of the novel and features the breakthrough role of Barbara Yung, who played Huang Rong.

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.

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.

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.

Rise & Fall of Qing Dynasty
1987
country: Hong Kong
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