Wait…These Were Actually On TV?
The 80s gave us some of the biggest shows ever—but the decade also gave us a ton of shows that basically vanished from memory. Not bad…just forgotten (okay, some of them were just bad). Let’s see how many of these you actually remember. Because getting to five might be a lot harder than you think.
Manimal (1983)
A professor who could turn into animals to fight crime. Sounds amazing, right? And yet somehow it lasted only eight episodes. It leaned hard into its wild premise, maybe a little too hard for audiences at the time.
Screenshot from Manimal, NBC (1983)
Automan (1983–1984)
Think Tron meets a buddy cop show. A holographic police partner who could generate cars out of thin air. It starred Desi Arnaz Jr., which somehow makes it even more random. Very 80s idea. Just not one that stuck.
Screenshot from Automan, Universal Television (1983–1984)
Misfits of Science (1985–1986)
Before superhero shows were everywhere, this tried to get there first. A group of young people with powers solving problems together. One of them? Courteney Cox, just before Friends. It’s kind of wild this exists—and even wilder how quickly it disappeared.
Screenshot from Misfits of Science, NBC (1985–1986)
Small Wonder (1985–1989)
A family secretly adopts a robot girl and raises her as their daughter. Yes, really. It somehow ran for four seasons, which feels impossible now. Not because it was ahead of its time—just because it wasn’t.
Screenshot from Small Wonder, Metromedia Producers Corporation (1985-1989)
Out of This World (1987–1991)
A teenage girl discovers her dad is an alien, and she can freeze time with her fingertips. That’s the premise. It had a quirky charm and actually lasted a few seasons, but it rarely gets brought up when people talk about 80s TV.
Screenshot from Out of This World, NBC (1987–1991)
The Powers of Matthew Star (1982–1983)
A prince from another planet hides out as a high school student on Earth. Pretty standard 80s sci-fi setup. It had action, teen drama, and supernatural powers, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived.
Screenshot from The Powers of Matthew Star, Universal Pictures(1982–1983)
Jennifer Slept Here (1983–1984)
A sitcom about a ghost of a former movie star haunting a suburban home. It leaned into the absurdity, but not enough people stuck around to see where it went. One season and gone—and even at the time, it felt like a weird fit.
Screenshot from Jennifer Slept Here, Columbia Pictures Television (1983–1984)
The Wizard (1986–1987)
Not the movie—the TV show. A genius inventor who solves crimes using advanced tech. Basically a prototype for a lot of later shows, but at the time it didn’t quite find its audience.
Screenshot from The Wizard, 20th Century Fox Television (1986–1987)
Otherworld (1985)
A family gets transported to a parallel universe ruled by a strange authoritarian system. It sounds like something that could work today, but back then it lasted just eight episodes and quietly disappeared.
Screenshot from Otherworld, CBS (1985)
Mr. Smith (1983)
A talking orangutan with a genius IQ who works in politics. Let that sink in for a moment (read it again if you have to). Even for the 80s, this feels like a show that shouldn’t have made it past the idea stage.
Screenshot from Mr. Smith, NBC (1983)
Supertrain (1979–1980)
NBC threw a massive budget at this—one of the most expensive shows ever at the time. A luxury nuclear-powered train, guest stars, big expectations. And it still collapsed almost immediately. Yes, it premiered in the 70s, but it spilled into the 80s during its one and only season, so it counts (and honestly, we just really wanted to include it).
Screenshot from Supertrain, NBC (1979)
Voyagers! (1982–1983)
Time travel, history lessons, and a kid sidekick. It actually had a fun premise and a loyal fanbase, but it never broke through to mainstream success. Today, it’s more of a cult curiosity.
Screenshot from Voyagers!, NBCUniversal (1982-1983)
Bring 'Em Back Alive (1982–1983)
Set in 1930s Singapore, this adventure show followed a big-game hunter. It tried to capture that Indiana Jones energy, but didn’t quite get there. It had the setting and the vibe, just not enough to stand out at the time.
Screenshot from Bring 'Em Back Alive, CBS (1982–1983)
We Got It Made (1983–1988)
A sitcom about two guys who hire a beautiful housekeeper…and that’s basically the joke. It somehow ran longer than you’d expect (four seasons), but this one hasn’t aged well and rarely comes up in nostalgia conversations.
Screenshot from We Got It Made, MGM Television (1983–1988)
The Charmings (1987–1988)
Snow White and her family transported to modern-day suburbia. Fish-out-of-water comedy meets fairy tale. It’s a fun idea, but it came and went without leaving much of a mark. One of those shows you don’t remember until someone brings it up…then it’s gone again.
Screenshot from The Charmings, Columbia Pictures Television (1987–1988)
Sledge Hammer! (1986–1988)
A parody of over-the-top cop shows, featuring a reckless detective who loved his gun way too much. It had a sharp sense of humor, but it was maybe too niche for a wide audience at the time. Which was too bad, because this one was legit really good.
Screenshot from Sledge Hammer!, ABC (1986–1988)
Riptide (1984–1986)
Private detectives, a robot, and a helicopter. That’s not a pitch—that’s a guaranteed hit in the 80s, on paper at least. It even had Perry King and Joe Penny, who were everywhere back then. And yet…this is the one nobody remembers.
Screenshot from Riptide, Sony Pictures Television (1984–1986)
Hardcastle and McCormick (1983–1986)
A retired judge teams up with a race car driver to fight crime. It had Brian Keith, who was a big deal at the time. The show worked. It lasted. And still, it doesn’t really come up anymore.
Screenshot from Hardcastle and McCormick, 20th Century Fox Television (1983–1986)
Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982–1983)
This is basically Raiders of the Lost Ark with the serial numbers filed off, right down to the tone. Seaplanes, tropical bars, adventure. It even starred Stephen Collins before 7th Heaven. It’s all there. It just never quite becomes the thing it’s very clearly trying to be.
Screenshot from Tales of the Gold Monkey, Universal Television (1982–1983)
Starman (1986–1987)
The movie worked because it was simple and self-contained. Alien, road trip, done. The show takes that same idea and stretches it out week after week across episodes. It even starred Robert Hays from Airplane!…which feels like it should’ve helped more than it did.
Screenshot from Starman, Columbia Pictures Television (1986–1987)
The Phoenix (1982)
An ancient alien shows up in modern-day America with mysterious powers and no real explanation. That’s the hook. It starred Judson Scott, who sci-fi fans might recognize from Star Trek II. It lasted five episodes. That part makes sense.
Screenshot from The Phoenix, ABC (1982)
Best of the West (1981–1982)
A comedy western about a tenderfoot sheriff trying to survive in the Wild West. It had some charm, but it got lost among stronger comedies of the time. The kind of show that might have worked better if it came along a few years later…or maybe not.
Screenshot from Best of the West, ABC (1981–1982)
Square Pegs (1982–1983)
High school misfits navigating teenage life. It had a young Sarah Jessica Parker, but still didn’t last long. One of those shows that feels more important in hindsight than it did at the time.
Screenshot from Square Pegs, CBS (1982–1983)
The Master (1984)
A ninja master and his apprentice wandering America and fighting crime. Yes, ninjas were everywhere in the 80s. This one leaned all the way in—and still only lasted one season.
Screenshot from The Master, NBC (1984)
Blue Thunder (1984)
Based on the Roy Scheider movie, this followed a high-tech police helicopter and its crew. It even aired against Airwolf. Same idea, same era—and neither one really dominates the conversation now.
Screenshot from Blue Thunder, Columbia Pictures (1983)
Airwolf (1984–1987)
Jan-Michael Vincent, a high-tech helicopter, and Cold War-era vibes all over it. It had a real run. People definitely watched it. But it doesn’t get talked about the way you’d expect for something that lasted that long.
Screenshot from Airwolf, CBS (1984-1987)
So…How Many Did You Actually Recognize?
The 80s weren’t just about the classics. For every Dallas and Cheers there was a…well, one of the ones on this list. So, if you did remember 5 of these, color us impressed.
Screenshot from Airwolf, CBS (1984-1987)
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