When Crime TV Was at Its Absolute Best
The 1980s are often remembered as one of television’s true golden ages for crime dramas. Every week brought tough detectives, unforgettable partners, car chases, and enough dramatic interrogations to keep millions of viewers glued to the couch.
Some became massive hits, while others slowly faded from memory. Let’s see how many of these classic crime dramas you still remember.
Universal Television, Miami Vice (1984-1990)
#25. Crazy Like a Fox
Jack Warden and John Rubinstein starred as a father-and-son detective team that couldn’t have been more different. Their constant bickering solved just as many cases as their actual detective work. It quietly built a loyal audience between 1984 and 1986.
Screenshot from Crazy Like a Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment (1984-1986)
#24. Leg Work
Margaret Colin played private investigator Claire McCarron in this stylish 1987 series. Mixing comedy with detective work, it stood out from the usual police dramas but lasted only one season. It deserved a much longer case file.
Screenshot from Leg Work, The Walt Disney Company (1987), enhanced
#23. Stingray
Nick Mancuso starred as the mysterious Stingray, a detective-for-hire who accepted unusual jobs in exchange for favors instead of money. His sleek black Corvette became almost as memorable as the crimes he solved.
Screenshot from Stingray, NBCUniversal (1985-1987)
#22. Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer
Stacy Keach brought legendary private detective Mike Hammer back to television in this hard-boiled adaptation of Mickey Spillane’s novels. Hammer wasn’t afraid to bend the rules, and his tough-guy attitude made him one of the decade’s most memorable TV detectives.
Screenshot from Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Columbia Pictures Television (1984-1987)
#21. J.J. Starbuck
Dale Robertson played wealthy Texas businessman Jerome “J.J.” Starbuck, who spent his spare time solving murders around the country. Apparently retirement wasn’t exciting enough.
NBC Photo by Frank Carroll, Wikimedia Commons
#20. Sable
Lee Horsley starred as private investigator Harlan “Sable” Sabre in this adaptation of Erle Stanley Gardner’s detective stories. Fans of classic mysteries appreciated its old-fashioned investigative style, even if it only lasted one season.
Screenshot from Sable, ABC (1987-1988)
#19. Gavilan
Robert Urich starred as a former CIA operative turned college professor who couldn’t seem to stay away from dangerous investigations. If your professor looked like Robert Urich, attendance probably wasn’t a problem.
Screenshot from Gavilan, NBC (1982)
#18. The Insiders
Nicholas Campbell and Stoney Jackson portrayed detectives working inside Los Angeles’ toughest neighborhoods. Despite solid reviews, the series disappeared after one season and is rarely discussed today.
Screenshot from The Insiders, NBCUniversal (1985-1986)
#17. Hardcastle and McCormick
Brian Keith’s retired judge teamed up with Daniel Hugh Kelly’s race car driver to catch criminals using a high-performance sports car. It was part buddy comedy, part crime drama, and all pure 1980s fun.
Screenshot from Hardcastle and McCormick, Sony Pictures Entertainment (1983-1986),
#16. Houston Knights
Michael Paré and Michael Beck starred as detectives with completely opposite personalities forced to work together. Naturally, they argued constantly—but somehow still managed to solve crimes.
Screenshot from Houston Knights, Columbia Pictures Television (1987–1988)
#15. Matt Houston
Lee Horsley played wealthy Texas oil millionaire Matt Houston, who solved crimes as a private investigator. Only the 1980s could convince viewers that running an oil empire still left enough free time to chase criminals.
Screenshot from Matt Houston, Paramount (1982-1985)
#14. T.J. Hooker
William Shatner traded the captain’s chair for a police badge as veteran officer T.J. Hooker. Plenty of action, memorable chases, and Heather Locklear helped make this one of the decade’s biggest police hits.
ABC Photo Archives, Getty Images
#13. Spenser: For Hire
Robert Urich became the perfect television version of Robert B. Parker’s wisecracking Boston detective. Alongside his intimidating partner Hawk, Spenser always mixed sharp humor with solid detective work.
Screenshot from Spenser: For Hire, ABC (1985)
#12. Wiseguy
Ken Wahl starred as undercover agent Vinnie Terranova, whose long-term assignments blurred the line between law enforcement and criminal life. Its serialized storytelling was years ahead of its time.
Screenshot from Wiseguy, CBS (1987-1990)
#11. Hunter
Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer became one of television’s toughest detective duos as Rick Hunter and Dee Dee McCall. Their chemistry—and willingness to bend a few rules—made the show a fan favorite.
Screenshot from Hunter , NBC (1984–1991)
#10. Simon & Simon
Real-life brothers Jameson Parker and Gerald McRaney played detective brothers with completely opposite personalities. Watching them argue their way through investigations was almost as entertaining as watching them solve them.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
#9. Remington Steele
Pierce Brosnan charmed audiences as the mysterious Remington Steele, while Stephanie Zimbalist’s Laura Holt did much of the actual detective work. The show practically introduced America to its next James Bond.
Screenshot from Remington Steele, NBC (1982-1987)
#8. Cagney & Lacey
Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless broke new ground as New York detectives Christine Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey. They balanced serious police work with realistic personal lives, earning critical acclaim and devoted fans.
Pictorial Parade, Getty Images
#7. 21 Jump Street
Long before Johnny Depp became a movie superstar, he was undercover officer Tom Hanson. The series tackled teenage crime through youthful-looking officers infiltrating high schools and colleges.
Screenshot from 21 Jump Street, Fox (1987–1991)
#6. Magnum, P.I.
Tom Selleck’s mustache may have received almost as much attention as his investigations. As Thomas Magnum, he solved crimes around Hawaii while somehow making detective work look like the world’s greatest vacation.
Screenshot from Magnum, P.I., NBCUniversal (1980-1988)
#5. Hill Street Blues
This groundbreaking police drama completely changed television storytelling. Instead of simple weekly mysteries, viewers followed the personal and professional lives of an entire police precinct. Many modern crime dramas still owe it a debt.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
#4. Miami Vice
Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas made undercover detective work look impossibly stylish. Fast cars, pastel suits, unforgettable music, and nighttime Miami scenery turned the series into a worldwide phenomenon.
Screenshot from Miami Vice, NBC (1984–1989)
#3. Murder, She Wrote
Angela Lansbury’s Jessica Fletcher somehow encountered more murders than just about anyone in television history. If she ever invited you on vacation, it might have been safer to politely decline.
Screenshot from Murder, She Wrote, CBS (1984–1996)
#2. The Equalizer
Edward Woodward starred as former intelligence operative Robert McCall, quietly helping ordinary people who had nowhere else to turn. His newspaper classified ad became one of television’s most memorable premises.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
#1. Matlock
Andy Griffith proved courtroom crime dramas could still dominate television. As attorney Ben Matlock, he solved seemingly impossible murder cases with patience, sharp questioning, and a folksy charm that constantly fooled his opponents. By the end of the decade, Matlock had become one of America’s most beloved crime dramas.
Screenshot from Matlock, NBC (1986-1995)
How Many Did You Recognize?
The 1980s gave us some of television’s greatest detectives, lawyers, private investigators, and undercover officers. While a handful remain famous today, many have quietly slipped out of the spotlight. For baby boomers, though, these shows are a reminder of a time when Friday night meant settling into your favorite chair and trying to solve the mystery before the characters did.
Screenshot from Miami Vice, NBC (1984–1989)
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