great television 1980s
by pauldavidsmith-95844 | created - 07 Feb 2022 | updated - 07 Feb 2022 | Publictv
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1. Spitting Image (1984–1996)
25 min | Comedy
A satire show using puppets that are caricatures of major public figures.
Stars: Steve Nallon, Kate Robbins, Chris Barrie, Jon Glover
Votes: 2,484
2. Threads (1984 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 112 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
The effects of a nuclear holocaust on the working class city of Sheffield, England and the eventual long-term effects of nuclear war on civilization.
Director: Mick Jackson | Stars: Karen Meagher, Reece Dinsdale, David Brierly, Rita May
Votes: 20,131
3. The Day of the Triffids (1981)
50 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
When a comet blinds nearly everyone in the world, a genetically-engineered species of plant takes over.
Stars: John Duttine, Emma Relph, Maurice Colbourne, Jonathan Newth
Votes: 2,438
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981)
TV-PG | 152 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Arthur Dent and his friend, Ford Prefect, escape the destruction of Earth, only to face incredible trials, tribulations and adventures in space and time.
Stars: Simon Jones, David Dixon, Peter Jones, Sandra Dickinson
Votes: 11,721
5. Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982)
TV-PG | 25 min | Comedy
British sketch comedy starring the likes of Rowan Atkinson and Mel Smith.
Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Mel Smith, Pamela Stephenson, Griff Rhys Jones
Votes: 2,804
6. The Lenny Henry Show (1984–1988)
30 min | Comedy
A sketch show featuring many different characters and spoofs.
Stars: Lenny Henry, Robert Bathurst, Carla Mendonça, Lyndam Gregory
Votes: 130
7. Naked Video (1986–1991)
30 min | Comedy
Influential sketch show spun off from a long running Scottish radio show. It introduced the world to Glaswegian street philosopher Rab C. Nesbitt and The Baldy Man. Harry Enfield, Steve Coogan and Rik Mayall all wrote for the show.
Stars: Ron Bain, Gregor Fisher, Andy Gray, Helen Lederer
Votes: 171
8. Hale and Pace (1986–1998)
30 min | Comedy
Hale and Pace is a sketch-based British comedy show. The terms "Good Taste" and "Politically Correct" are obviously totally unknown to the writers.
Stars: Gareth Hale, Norman Pace, Melanie Kilburn, Regina Freedman
Votes: 592
9. Alas Smith & Jones (1984–1998)
30 min | Comedy
Mel Smith and Griff Rhys-Jones present a series of short (often tasteless, always scathing) sketches about modern life and the stupidity and gullibility of those who believe in it.
Stars: Mel Smith, Griff Rhys Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, Robin Driscoll
Votes: 1,924
10. Rockliffe's Babies (1987– )
TV-14 | 50 min | Crime, Drama
Series featuring the tough and experienced Det. Sgt. Alan Rockcliffe, and his squad of young and enthusiastic plain-clothes PCs.
Stars: Ian Hogg, Joe McGann, Alphonsia Emmanuel, Bill Champion
Votes: 105
11. The Paradise Club (1989–1990)
50 min | Crime, Drama
1980's Cockney London Villainy With Humour.
Stars: Don Henderson, Leslie Grantham, Leon Herbert, Barbara Wilshere
Votes: 124
12. First Born (1988)
150 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
Edward Forester is a genetic researcher, intent on breeding primate hybrids. But his experiments take a strange turn when he succeeds in breeding a human/gorilla hybrid.
Stars: Charles Dance, Philip Madoc, Julie Peasgood, Peter Elliott
Votes: 302
13. Blackeyes (1989)
196 min | Drama
Blackeyes is an attempt to explore "what does go on between men and women in their heads, to show the possibilities of the ways that they see each other." Complex and multi-layered, the ... See full summary »
Stars: Michael Gough, Carol Royle, Nigel Planer, Gina Bellman
Votes: 205
14. Hannay (1988–1989)
52 min | Adventure, Crime, Mystery
Richard Hannay is a man of his times: an Edwardian gentleman and adventurer, a mining engineer from South Africa of Scottish origin, who lives by his own standards and wits, upholding a ... See full summary »
Stars: Robert Powell, Christopher Scoular, Gavin Richards, Jill Meager
Votes: 208
15. Dempsey and Makepeace (1985–1986)
60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Dempsey, a tough NYPD cop, is sent to a London undercover police unit teamed up with the sophisticated, sexy, blonde Makepeace. They hunt down the top of London's underworld - when not quarreling.
Stars: Michael Brandon, Glynis Barber, Ray Smith, Tony Osoba
Votes: 2,054
16. Blackadder II (1986)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
In the Tudor court of Elizabeth I, Lord Edmund Blackadder strives to win Her Majesty's favour while attempting to avoid a grisly fate should he offend her.
Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny, Miranda Richardson
Votes: 49,911
17. Blackadder the Third (1987)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
In the Regency era, Mr E. Blackadder serves as butler to the foppish numskull Prince George amidst the fads and crazes of the time.
Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie, Helen Atkinson Wood
Votes: 47,111
18. Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, War
Stuck in the middle of World War I, Captain Edmund Blackadder does his best to escape the banality of the war.
Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie
Votes: 56,897
19. Red Dwarf (1988– )
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
The adventures of the last human alive and his friends, stranded three million years into deep space on the mining ship Red Dwarf.
Stars: Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn
Votes: 37,306
20. The New Statesman (1987–1994)
TV-14 | 70 min | Comedy
The ultra right-wing Alan B'Stard, the most selfish, greedy, dishonest, sadistic and sociopathic Conservative MP of them all, plots to achieve his meglomaniacal ambitions.
Stars: Rik Mayall, Michael Troughton, Marsha Fitzalan, Terence Alexander
Votes: 2,808
21. Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003)
TV-PG | 95 min | Comedy
Comedy that follows two brothers from London's rough Peckham estate as they wheel and deal through a number of dodgy deals and search for the big score that'll make them millionaires.
Stars: David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Roger Lloyd Pack, Buster Merryfield
Votes: 56,736
22. Colin's Sandwich (1988–1989)
30 min | Comedy
Struggling writer Colin has the unenviable daytime job of listening to the complaints of the public using British Railways.
Stars: Mel Smith, Louisa Rix, Tony Haase, Mike Grady
Votes: 145
23. Dear John.... (1986–1987)
30 min | Comedy
John Lacey comes home one evening to discover a letter from his wife, starting with "Dear John" and informing him that she is leaving him. Lonely and now divorced, John joins a club where lonely divorced people can meet.
Stars: Ralph Bates, Peter Blake, Peter Denyer, Rachel Bell
Votes: 555
24. Commercial Breakdown (1989–2008)
30 min | Comedy
A comedienne looks at amusing TV commercials.
Stars: Jim Davidson, Jo Brand, Ruby Wax, Jon Culshaw
Votes: 68
25. KYTV (1989–1993)
30 min | Comedy
KYTV is the BBC comedy show which parodied Sky satellite television, which when it first started on Britain was pilloried for its cheapness and lack of content.
Stars: Helen Atkinson Wood, Angus Deayton, Michael Fenton Stevens, Geoffrey Perkins
Votes: 119
26. The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (1988)
Unrated | 29 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Four kids travel to the magical land of Narnia where they must battle an evil queen with the direction of the lion, Aslan.
Stars: Richard Dempsey, Sophie Cook, Jonathan R. Scott, Sophie Wilcox
Votes: 6,505
27. The Children of Green Knowe (1986)
100 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
A young boy goes to live with his great-grandmother. While she tells him stories of his ancestors, he begins to see the spirits of children who lived in the house during the reign of Charles II.
Stars: Alec Christie, Daphne Oxenford, George Malpas, Heather Ramsay
Votes: 199
28. The Box of Delights (1984)
30 min | Family, Fantasy
Based on the classic children's novel by John Masefield, the story follows the exploits of a young boy, Kay Harker, who finds himself drawn into a world of magic and danger when he encounters an old Punch and Judy man.
Stars: Devin Stanfield, Robert Stephens, Geoffrey Larder, Jonathan Stephens
Votes: 951
29. Moondial (1988)
30 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
A teenage girl discovers a portal through time, and tries to help two children of the past.
Stars: Siri Neal, Tony Sands, Valerie Lush, Arthur Hewlett
Votes: 257
30. Birds of a Feather (1989–2020)
Not Rated | 75 min | Comedy
Comedy series following the lives of sisters Tracey and Sharon who are left to fend for themselves after their husbands are arrested for armed robbery.
Stars: Linda Robson, Lesley Joseph, Pauline Quirke, Alun Lewis
Votes: 2,481
31. Ever Decreasing Circles (1984–1989)
30 min | Comedy, Drama
Martin Bryce lives in a quiet suburban close with his wife Anne. He does his best to "organise" the leisure time of all of the other inhabitants of the close, running umpteen societies and doing "good works".
Stars: Richard Briers, Penelope Wilton, Peter Egan, Stanley Lebor
Votes: 1,344
32. The Two of Us (1986–1990)
60 min | Comedy
It's about a young couple living in a basement apartment and the funny things that happen to them and their family.
Stars: Nicholas Lyndhurst, Janet Dibley, Tenniel Evans, Paul McDowell
Votes: 199
33. Around the World in 80 Days (II) (1989)
49 min | Documentary
Michael Palin attempts to copy the exploits of fictional character Phileas Fogg, by trying to travel around the world (without flying) in 80 days.
Stars: Michael Palin, Basil Pao, Chris Collins, Terry Gilliam
Votes: 1,928
34. In at the Deep End (1982–1987)
50 min
2 presenters are given intensive training to learn a new profession, then have their skills appraised by the experts.
Stars: Chris Serle, Paul Heiney, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston
35. Supersense (1988– )
Documentary
Smell your way across an ocean as a salmon does. See, through the multi-aspected eye of a fly, what a human hand looks like when it is about to strike. Amazing effects reveal the secrets of animal perception.
Votes: 22
36. Minder (1979–1994)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Roguish comedy drama following the misadventures of small-time crook Arthur Daley. Can his ex-boxer bodyguard Terry stay level-headed whilst working for the King of Dodgy Deals?
Stars: George Cole, Glynn Edwards, Dennis Waterman, Gary Webster
Votes: 2,835
37.
Play for Today (1970–1984)
Episode:
The Flipside of Dominick Hide
(1980)
90 min | Comedy, Drama
Dominick Hide has a mission to study and report on the transport systems of the past, but only as an observer. Yet when his Great Aunt Mavis talks about one of his ancestors, Dominick begins to bend the rules and become involved.
Director: Alan Gibson | Stars: Peter Firth, Caroline Langrishe, Pippa Guard, Patrick Magee
Votes: 344
38. The Tripods (1984–1985)
TV-PG | 30 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Earth has been conquered by an alien race known as the Masters using their giant Tripods. When humans reach the age of sixteen, they must undergo a process known as capping which places ... See full summary »
Stars: John Shackley, Ceri Seel, Jim Baker, Robin Hayter
Votes: 1,569
39. All Creatures Great and Small (1978–1990)
TV-PG | 50 min | Comedy, Drama
The trials and misadventures of the staff of a country veterinary office in Yorkshire from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Stars: Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy, Peter Davison, Lynda Bellingham
Votes: 4,402
40. One by One (1984–1987)
50 min | Comedy, Drama
Stories about real-life international zoo vet David Taylor (in the TV programmes, he was called Donald Turner) from his early days as a newly-qualified vet in the 1950s to his international... See full summary »
Stars: Rob Heyland, James Ellis, Sonia Graham, Heather James
Votes: 41
41. Saturday Night Clive (1989–1991)
Talk-Show
Sitting Behind a desk in front of a giant TV screen, Clive James does what he does best. Taking his own wry, observational look at: strange news clips, foreign TV shows and commercials.
Stars: Clive James, Peter Cook, Ruby Wax, P.J. O'Rourke
Votes: 27
42. Yes Minister (1980–1984)
TV-PG | 679 min | Comedy
The Right Honorable James Hacker has landed the plum job of Cabinet Minister to the Department of Administration. At last he is in a position of power and can carry out some long-needed reforms, or so he thinks.
Stars: Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds, Diana Hoddinott
Votes: 16,564
43. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983–2004)
60 min | Comedy, Drama
Seven British construction workers escape Britain's ever-growing dole queues and travel to Germany to work on a site in Düsseldorf. Follow their trials and tribulations of working away from home and away from the women they left behind.
Stars: Timothy Spall, Jimmy Nail, Tim Healy, Kevin Whately
Votes: 4,017
44. Alexei Sayle's Stuff (1988–1991)
30 min | Comedy
Comedy sketch show which ran on BBC2 for a total of 18 episodes over 3 series from 1988 to 1991.
Stars: Alexei Sayle, Tony Millan, Angus Deayton, Owen Brenman
Votes: 162
45. Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988–1999)
TV-PG | 36 min | Comedy, Game-Show
Host Clive Anderson arbitrarily awards points as four players act their way through a series of improvisational games based on suggestions from either Clive or the studio audience.
Stars: Clive Anderson, Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Richard Vranch
Votes: 5,925
46. Jack the Ripper (1988)
TV-PG | 91 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A Scotland Yard police inspector, battling the booze, investigates the Jack the Ripper murders and discovers a conspiracy that leads all the way up to the Queen.
Stars: Michael Caine, Armand Assante, Ray McAnally, Lewis Collins
Votes: 5,678
47. Robin Hood (1984–1986)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
A forest mystical being appoints two men in succession as the legendary outlaw defender of the oppressed.
Stars: Peter Llewellyn Williams, Ray Winstone, Mark Ryan, Clive Mantle
Votes: 4,990
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