10 Forgotten '80s Sci-Fi Shows That Are Still Worth Watching Today

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The 1980s gave us some great science fiction shows, from "V" to "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the early days of "Quantum Leap." Still, the decade's sci-fi can suffer from the same problem other TV genres of the era do: Everyone remembers the absolute cream of the crop, but not necessarily the perfectly good shows that are bubbling immediately under the top. That's why there are so many hit shows from the 1980s that nobody talks about today. 

It's hard to stay in the zeitgeist for four decades and counting, especially when the 1990s went on to roll out its own bunch of sci-fi shows that still hold up today. Still, the 1980s have their share of commendable science fiction shows, too. Let's take a deep dive into 10 of the most interesting forgotten sci-fi gems of the decade.  

One of the United Kingdom's finer contributions to 1980s science fiction is "The Tripods," which ran for two seasons from 1984 to 1985. Based on "The Tripods" trilogy by writer John Christopher, the young adult show is a surprisingly intense look into the year 2089. The world has been taken over by aliens that patrol the landscape with giant tripod machines, and the population is kept in check with a handful of devious tricks. The most oppressive of them is a process called capping, where a mind control plate is installed on every person's head when they're young.

Of course, there's a resistance force, and a handful of young protagonists are looking to escape their fate as capped servants. Chances are, you've seen versions of the story before. It's the details that make "The Tripods" so captivating, though. 

"The Tripods" is also very adept at communicating the utter helplessness of the human characters. The viewer will tune in just to see whether it's even possible to overthrow a race of high-tech alien conquerors who control the population. 

The BBC's 1987 sci-fi drama "Star Cops" is getting more topical than ever, since it's set in the year 2027 and captures the jaded attitudes of our time almost eerily well. On the show, humanity is in the process of colonizing space, which has led to all manner of space crime. It's up to the wildly disrespected operation known as the International Space Police Force (aka the Star Cops) to maintain a semblance of order in this greatest wilderness imaginable. In other words, "Star Cops" takes the time-tested tradition of exasperated British TV detectives and applies it to a hard sci-fi setting.

The ISPF troops are nothing like your average, dashing space police force. Instead of cool uniforms, unlimited resources, laser guns, and lantern jaws, the Space Cops are a ragtag bunch in ratty overalls, led by a balding Chief Superintendent (David Calder) who can barely hold the operation together and prefers to have his heart-to-hearts with a handheld computer.  

It's a fresh take on the well-worn space law enforcement trope, and the murders, terror attacks, and internal corruption that the ISPF has to deal with are invariably interesting. What's more, the show's approach is just realistic enough to make you wonder how far we are from this particular spin on the future of space travel. 

Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is a legendary work of comedic science fiction, and as the lukewarm 2005 film adaptation indicated, it's a job and a half to adapt properly. However, there's one spirited attempt to bring the story to life that's actually good enough to be worth a sci-fi fan's time: the 1981 BBC series also titled "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." 

Based on a BBC Radio adaptation of the story and starring much of the same cast, the show's charming and extremely British vibe offers a surprisingly efficient take on the unique scenarios Adams' story describes. From the perennially befuddled and robe-wearing Arthur Dent (Simon Jones) and the eccentric alien traveler Ford Prefect (David Dixon) to the wild, two-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox (Mark Wing-Davey) and even the blocky Marvin the Paranoid Android (Stephen Moore), the characters are well-crafted and memorable. Fans of classic "Doctor Who" will also have plenty of fat to chew here, which is no surprise considering Adams also worked on numerous "Doctor Who" projects over the years.

There are many great one-season sci-fi shows out there. One of them is Kenneth Johnson's "Alien Nation," the 1989 crime drama that was perhaps always destined to live in the shadow of the movie of the same name. 

"Alien Nation" the film came out in 1988 and tells the story of humanity's struggles to co-exist with a distinctive alien race called the Newcomers. As human cop Matthew Sykes (James Caan) and his Newcomer partner Sam Francisco (Mandy Patinkin) learn to work together, the nasty and tragic truth about the aliens slowly begins to unfold. The Emmy-winning show remixes things a little, renaming the main duo as Matthew Sikes (Gary Graham) and George Francisco (Eric Pierpoint). However, it retains and elaborates on the concept of the aliens' difficulties fitting in, and the buddy cop chemistry between Graham and Pierpoint is the beating heart of the show. 

An effective combination of a case-of-the-week procedural and a "District 9"-style exploration of othering the unknown, "Alien Nation" had all it takes to become a long-running sci-fi classic. Unfortunately, this wasn't on the cards for the show, which was canceled by Fox after just one season. Fortunately, the story eventually continued with a string of TV movies. 

Carl Macek's "Robotech" is a curious but worthy watch, as animated 1980s sci-fi series go. The 1985 show doesn't just look like anime; it was very specifically adapted into an American story from three unrelated Japanese mecha series:  "Super Dimension Fortress Macross," "Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross," and "Genesis Climber Mospeada." 

Macek combined the trilogy by mashing the three films' themes and key plot points into one grand story about a vast war. This makes "Robotech" an ambitious, swooping, and surprisingly effective tale that combines American storytelling sensibilities with anime aesthetics. 

The show technically consists of its source material. Yet, it's also very much its own thing, and the story it tells is much bigger than the sum of its parts. "Robotech" may not be the name on everyone's lips these days, but there's a reason it made it on our list of best animated TV shows of all time. This space opera still holds water, and it should be experienced with an open mind.

Glen A. Larson's "Automan" is a fun look into how 1980s science fiction perceived artificial intelligence. The show's titular character (Chuck Wagner) is an AI program that manifests in the real world as a man in a futuristic, glowing costume — essentially, he's a superhero. Automan's creator is a computer-savvy cop called Walter Nebicher (Desi Arnaz Jr.). 

Highly ambitious and surprisingly effects-heavy for a TV show of its era, "Automan" is worth any sci-fi fan's time for the sheer amount of imagination it pours in every episode. This isn't just a show about a computer dude in a blue outfit, you see. "Automan" goes to some very interesting places with its "computer programs in real life" premise, from Automan's many inventive powers to the presence of Cursor — a literal cursor object that can draw powerful vehicles into existence. It's a lot ... in the best possible way. 

In the end, though, "Automan" wasn't built to last. The show was canceled after just one season, but it's still worth checking out for fans who want to experience just about every sci-fi crimefighter trope of the era rolled into one, glowing package. 

Pairing a happy-go-lucky adult protagonist and a kid with smart aleck tendencies can be either extremely entertaining or a recipe for awkwardness, depending on the chemistry between the actors. James D. Parriott's NBC series "Voyagers!" skews heavily toward entertaining, thanks to the charming work by leads Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce.

The show focuses on a well-meaning but bullheaded and hedonistic time traveler called Phineas Bogg (Hexum) whose job is to correct wrinkles in history with the help of his young sidekick, Jeffrey Jones (Peluce). Thanks to a mishap, Bogg loses his time-fixing manual, and has to rely on Jeffrey's encyclopedic knowledge of historical events to do his job. With their dynamic established, the pair embark on a series of case-of-the-week quests that take them in the middle of various well-known events.

The end result is as clever as it is charming. Yet, like many other shows on this list, "Voyagers!" didn't enjoy a lengthy existence. The series was canceled after its first season, prompting "Late Night with David Letterman" to cover the loss in its "They Took My Show Away" segment.

Benji the dog doesn't often feature on lists of TV's best animals of all time, since the lovable mutt is usually more of a film presence. However, Benji has also made his mark on the land of television — and his only TV series, CBS' "Benji, Zax & The Alien Prince," is truly a sight to behold. It's worth keeping in mind that the show is very much made for children, but there's a surprising amount of lore hiding under the hood, and Benji's famous cunning works surprisingly well within the confines of the science fiction genre. 

Benji is going about his doggy day when he finds a crashed UFO and tags along with its occupants, Prince Yubi (Chris Burton) and the hovering robot Zax (voiced by Ric Spiegel). Benji soon establishes himself as Yubi's protector and outsmarts the bounty hunters trying to capture the prince. 

Sure, it isn't "Star Trek," but it never claims to be. "Benji, Zax & The Alien Prince" knows that its highly specific subgenre is "famous fictional dog outwitting evil aliens" – and honestly, it's hard to find a show that does this particular task better.

Tell us if you've heard this one: An injured cop with a monosyllabic last name enlists to a secret project where he pilots an experimental, black-tinted vehicle that's full of high-tech weaponry and secret abilities. Yeah, it's "Knight Rider." However, it's also "Street Hawk," ABC's one-season answer to the iconic NBC series with the talking car. The comparison isn't a slight on "Street Hawk," though. On the contrary, finding a neat 1980s show that bears such resemblance to the iconic "Knight Rider" is a delight — and "Street Hawk" answers the call with entertaining stories, great motorcycle-themed visuals, and a cool opening theme by Tangerine Dream.  

"Street Hawk" focuses on Jesse Mach (Rex Smith), a desk jockey cop who agrees to lead a double life as the secretive pilot of a mysterious prototype motorcycle, Street Hawk. The titular vehicle is a sci-fi gadget stuffed chock full of lasers, super speed, and other things you might or might not expect. Adding to the tension is Jesse's day job as a police PR officer, since his department hates Street Hawk's vigilante antics. There's even a spin on Michael Knight's (David Hasselhoff) constant back-and-forth with K.I.T.T. (William Daniels), thanks to Jesse's high-tech helmet and communication with his mission control, Norman Tuttle (Joe Regalbuto).

Take a quartet of space cowboys with cybernetic implants that give them superpowers and make them uphold law across the galaxy. Then, cast Jerry Orbach to voice their leader Zachary Foxx, and you've got "The Adventures of Galaxy Rangers." Smart, big, and bold, the 1986 show is far from your average cartoon. The titular Galaxy Rangers are responsible and capable peacekeepers who both uphold the law and defend their jurisdiction against the vampiric Crown Empire.

As this premise suggests, Robert Mandell's "The Adventures of Galaxy Rangers" isn't afraid to combine its retro-futuristic Western themes with a "Star Wars"-sized space adventure story that's easy on the eyes and even easier to enjoy.  The show's size extends to its episode count, too. There are a whopping 65 episodes of "The Adventures of Galaxy Rangers" to enjoy.