The 1980s are one of the most popular relatively recent decades. They’re distant enough to make people nostalgic for it but not so much that they would no longer remember it. It helps that some of the greatest science fiction works were created in the 1980s, such as theStar Trekmovies with Captain Kirk’s crew,The Terminator,Blade Runner,Back to the Future,Star Wars, and the list goes on.
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However, many TV series from this decade weren’t so lucky as the movies, and these days, not as many people remember them and watch them as they would have deserved.
6The Day Of The Triffids (1981)
The UK excels in adapting classic works of literature, as it proved many times before. And that also includes science fiction novels. John Wyndham’sThe Day of the Triffidsabout deadly plants that take control over the planet after almost all people go blind has been adapted multiple times.
The 1981 series is a lesser-known version but still a high-quality one. It has only six episodes so everybody interested will be able to binge-watch it fast. The series had a lower budget than it would have deserved, but it creates a strong atmosphere, the actors are solid, and the tension is high, proving that the story works in multiple forms of media.
5The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (1981)
Douglas Adams and his seriesThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyis one ofthe most popular British sci-fi sagas. Despite that, its adaptation never became as well-known as other shows of the same genre. It’s been largely overshadowed by the 2005 movie version with Martin Freeman in the leading role. Despite that, all fans of sci-fi comedies shouldn’t miss out on watching the British series.
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It has only six episodes, so it’s possible to finish watching it fast. It retains the novels' strong sense of humor and will make the viewers laugh more than once. Some people believe that the series served as an inspiration source for the more famousRed Dwarf, which is as good a recommendation as any!
4Under The Mountain (1981)
A majority of science fiction showstake place in space. And when they’re set on Earth, it’s usually in the USA. That’s what makesUnder the Mountainrefreshing since the story happens in New Zealand. The local people have led pretty ordinary lives until something from the stars came to their homes. The people are starting to act strange and two kids, Theo and Rachel, decide to investigate and find out what’s going on.
The series is oriented toward the younger audience but will entertain everyone regardless of their age. It can be surprisingly scary at times and also keeps a fast pace since the show only has eight episodes and only slightly over three hours of total runtime.
3V (1984)
Aliens coming to Earth is a popular topic in science fiction shows, and more often than not, the aliens have hostile intentions. That’s also the case of this show. The aliens already control the planet and the only hope is the small group of resistance fighters who defy them. The cast includes some known names, such as Robert Englund, best known for playingFreddy inNightmare on Elm Street.
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It’s true that the special effects and tricks didn’t age as well as in other sci-fi series butVstill works even today because the stakes are high, and the viewers will be interested to learn how the war against the alien invaders will turn out. The good news is that they won’t have to wait too long to find out sinceVis a miniseries and has only three episodes, each over an hour long.
2Captain Power And The Soldiers Of The Future (1987-1988)
Even though the title of the series might make it look like a superhero show, that’s not the case. Instead, it focuses on a team of soldiers who fight the machines who took control over Earth and their leader, the traitorous Lord Dread. As allThe Terminatorfans will know, when machines get too much power, it doesn’t end well. Luckily, as long as heroes are surviving, humanity still has hope.
The special effects don’t work as well today as they did when the series was released butCaptain Power and the Soldiers of the Futureis still a fun series to watch since it’s unclear how the story will turn out and whether the heroes will win or lose. Plus, the main characters are charismatic and the 22 episodes in total will fly by fast.
1The Twilight Zone (1985-1989)
The Twilight Zoneis a well-known name but most fans of science fiction and horror will rememberthe version from the 1960sor the one from the 1990s more than the 1980s series. With four versions in total, with the latest one relatively new, only from 2019,The Twilight Zoneis one of the classics. Regardless of which versions the audience watches, it has a lot to offer.
Each episode works with a different story so even if the audience doesn’t enjoy one, they might like the next. The series ran for three seasons and has 65 episodes in total, which offer a lot of content for all fans of the genre.
