Ah, the Eighties! A harrowing decade of rockin’ hair metal bands, Reaganomics, aerobicizing, Walkmans, Cabbage Patch Kids, and video arcades. It was also an era when science fiction on television was still trying to find a solid footing.
Uncertain times breed unpredictable outcomes, and so it is with Hollywood and its uneasy relationship with the genre. Special effects were progressing with varying results, but intelligent storytelling was leading the charge as viewers became more discriminating.
Following our tough-to-beat lists of the best sci-fi TV shows of the 1950s, the 1960s, and the 1970s, let’s delve into the next ten-year segment of provocative speculative fiction fare to see what enticing series sparkled!
10. Alien Nation
Buddy-cop movies in the ’80s were a bona fide Hollywood staple with releases like “48 Hours,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” and “Lethal Weapon,” so taking the sub-genre into sci-fi territory with the big screen’s “Alien Nation” in 1988 was a no-brainer.
It starred James Caan as a human detective and Mandy Patinkin playing a humanoid alien cop in a near-future Los Angeles where the two species co-exist. The pair form an uneasy and sometimes humorous alliance while uncovering a drug ring revolving around a dangerous alien narcotic.
This 1989 TV show, based on the film, continues the police drama surrounding the original LAPD characters of Matthew Nikes (Gary Graham) and alien “Newcomer” Sam Francisco (Eric Pierpoint). Much more of the alien culture was explored here in the solo season aired on FOX during the network’s infancy, including male pregnancy, but costs unfortunately caused its premature cancellation before it really had a chance to shine.
9. The Powers of Matthew Star
- Original air date: 1982-1983
It only lasted a single season on NBC in 1982, but “The Powers of Matthew Star” is remembered fondly by a certain generation of kids.
Quadris is a planet 12 light-years away from Earth that has been attacked and taken over by an alien armada, causing the crowned Prince (Peter Barton) to flee to Earth with his loyal royal guardian (Lou Gossett Jr.). There, he lives a secret life as a normal teenager, yet one under constant danger of being discovered by his extraterrestrial enemies and the fear of his uncanny abilities being exposed.
Episodes revolved around impromptu…
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