The 50 best TV shows of 1986

List of the 50 best TV shows of 1986 as selected by visitors to our site: Guest from the Future, ALF, In Search for Captain Grant, Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Moonlighting, If Tomorrow Comes, Battle for Moscow, Batallions Ask for Fire, Miss Marple: A Murder Is Announced, Anne of Green Gables, The Real Ghostbusters, Sledge Hammer!, The Twilight Zone, Back to the Future, North and South, Dragon Ball, She-Ra: Princess of Power, Amazing Stories, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Stir Crazy
actionadventureanimebiographycartooncomedycrimedetectivedocumentarydramafamilyfantasticfantasyhistoryhorrormelodramamilitarymusicmusicalshortsporttalk showthrillerwestern
Markimdb: 8.2
Genrefantastic, fantasy, adventure, family
CountrySoviet Union
Duration05:17

Alice Seleznyova, a girl from the future, finds herself 1984. Following her are the space pirates Krys and Joker Y, with most nasty pirate's intentions. Coming to her help is an ordinary boy, Kolya, and his friends from 6th grade. Based on Kir Bulychyov's 1077 novel "One Hundred Years Ahead."

Markimdb: 7.4
Genrefantastic, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryUSA
Duration00:22

A furry alien wiseguy comes to live with a terran family after crashing into their garage.

Markimdb: 8.2
Genreadventure
CountrySoviet Union, Bulgaria
Duration07:35

Lord and Lady Glenarvan found a bottle in the ocean. this bottle contained a letter from captain Grant that he and 2 of his sailors had survived a disaster in sea and need help. Unfortunately, the letter was damaged by water, and only latitude is known (37 degrees), but no longitude. The Glenarvans decide to find captain Grant.

Markimdb: 7.5
Genrefantasy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryUSA
Duration00:22

Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears is a Disney animated television series that first aired in the United States in the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. The series was the first animated production by Walt Disney Animation Television, and loosely inspired by the gummi bear candies; Disney CEO Michael Eisner was struck with inspiration for the show when his son requested the candies one day. The series premiered on NBC on September 14, 1985, and aired there for four seasons. The series moved to ABC for one season from 1989 to 1990, and concluded on September 6, 1991 as part of the Disney Afternoon television syndication package. Of the series' 65 shows, 30 were double-features, consisting of two 11-minute cartoons, thereby bringing the series total to 94 distinct episodes overall. The show is well-remembered for its theme music, written by Michael and Patty Silversher and creation of "gummiberry juice" which was a topic of magic potion, gaining abilities to defend them against the foes. The series was later rebroadcast on the syndicated Disney Afternoon block, and rerun on the Disney Afternoon through the summer of 1991. In later years, it was shown on the Disney Channel and Toon Disney, with its most recent televised airing occurring on Toon Disney on December 28, 2001. Seasons 1 to 3 of the series were released on DVD on November 14, 2006.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama, detective
CountryUSA
Duration00:43

After being duped and going bankrupt, model Maddie is convinced by David to become a partner in a detective agency. Together they solve various cases, while getting comfortable with each other.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genredrama, crime, detective
CountryUSA
Duration05:04

Tracy Whitney was in love, pregnant and engaged to marry into one of America's best family. And then, with one phone call, she lost everything. After 5 years of unjust imprisonment, Tracy emerges from prison a new woman. Cunning. Ruthless. Determined to survive. But there is one man as formidable as she is. As their paths crisscross, they eventually become daredevil partners in an adventure that climaxes their criminal careers.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genredrama, military, history
CountrySoviet Union, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Vietnam
Duration05:58

The Battle of Moscow is a 1985 Soviet multi-part war narrative, presenting a dramatized account of the 1941 Battle of Moscow and the events preceding it. The battle was the first major defeat of German Wehrmacht in the Second World War.

Markimdb: 8
Genredrama, military
CountrySoviet Union
Duration04:45

A story of a several days of intense fighting on the Eastern Front during one of the Soviet offensives in WWII.

Markimdb: 7.9
Genredrama, crime, detective
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA, Australia

An advertisement announcing the time and place of a forthcoming murder appears among the ads of the paper in the small village of Chipping Cleghorn.

Markimdb: 8.5
Genremelodrama, drama, family
CountryCanada, USA, United Kingdom, West Germany
Duration03:19

When Anne Shirley arrives at the Cuthbert’s Farm on Prince Edward Island, she is a precocious, romantic child, desperate to be loved, and highly sensitive about her red hair and homely looks. Anne moves from one mishap to another as her wild imagination and far-fetched antics combine to constantly bring trouble upon her shoulders.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genrefantastic, action, fantasy, comedy, family, cartoon
CountryUSA

The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series spun-off from the Ghostbusters franchise. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with Filmation and its Ghost Busters properties. The series continues the adventures of paranormal investigators Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, their secretary Janine Melnitz and their mascot ghost Slimer.There also were two ongoing Real Ghostbusters comics, one published monthly by Now Comics in USA and the other published weekly by Marvel Comics in the United Kingdom, and a popular toy line manufactured by Kenner.

Markimdb: 8.2
Genrecomedy, crime
CountryUSA
Duration00:22

Sledge Hammer! is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and stars David Rasche as Inspector Sledge Hammer, a preposterous caricature of the standard "cop on the edge" character. Al Jean and Mike Reiss, best known for their work on The Simpsons, wrote for the show and worked as story editors.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, fantasy, drama, detective
CountryUSA, United Kingdom, Canada

This 1980s revival of the classic sci-fi series features a similar style to the original anthology series. Each episode tells a tale (sometimes two or three) rooted in horror or suspense, often with a surprising twist at the end. Episodes usually feature elements of drama and comedy.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genrefantastic, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryUSA, France

Eighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents' first meeting and attracting his mother's romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents' romance and - with the help of his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown - return to 1985.

Markimdb: 8.1
Genremelodrama, drama, military, history
CountryUSA

Two friends, one northern and one southern, struggle to maintain their friendship as events build towards the American Civil War.

Markimdb: 8.6
Genreaction, thriller, fantasy, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Long ago in the mountains, a fighting master known as Gohan discovered a strange boy whom he named Goku. Gohan raised him and trained Goku in martial arts until he died. The young and very strong boy was on his own, but easily managed. Then one day, Goku met a teenage girl named Bulma, whose search for the mystical Dragon Balls brought her to Goku's home. Together, they set off to find all seven and to grant her wish.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genrefantastic, action, fantasy, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryUSA, Japan

She-Ra, He-Man's twin sister, is leading a group of freedom fighters known as the Great Rebellion in the hope of freeing their homeworld of Etheria from the tyrannical rule of Hordak and the Evil Horde.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, fantasy, comedy, drama, adventure, detective
CountryUSA

A truly amazing, fantastical, science fiction, funny and odd, and sometimes scary, sad and endearing anthology series presented by Steven Spielberg with guest appearances by many famous actors, actresses, and directors.

Markimdb: 8.7
Genredrama, crime, detective
CountryUnited Kingdom

Dr. Watson, finds a mystery in an empty house, while Holmes and he later solve the mysteries of an abbey grange, the Musgrave ritual, a second stain, a man with a twisted lip, the priory school, and a half-dozen plaster busts of Bonaparte.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genrecomedy, crime
CountryUSA

Stir Crazy is a situation comedy aired in the United States on CBS as part of its 1985 fall lineup. Stir Crazy was based on the hit 1980 film of the same name. The theme song was "Stir It Up" by Patti LaBelle.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genreaction, drama, adventure, crime
CountryUSA, Canada

Angus MacGyver works as a troubleshooter for the Phoenix Foundation in Los Angeles and as an agent for a United States government agency, the Department of External Services. Educated as a scientist, MacGyer served as a Bomb Team Technician/EOD during the Vietnam War. Resourceful and possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of the physical sciences, he solves complex problems with everyday materials he finds at hand, along with his ever-present duct tape and Swiss Army knife. He prefers non-violent resolutions and prefers not to handle a gun, but will if necessary.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, fantasy, drama, detective
CountryUnited Kingdom, France, Canada, New Zealand

A Canadian-produced fantastic anthology series scripted by famed science-fiction author Ray Bradbury. Many of the teleplays were based upon Bradbury's novels and short stories.

Markimdb: 8.6
Genrecomedy
CountryUnited Kingdom

James Hacker MP the Government's bumbling minister for Administrative Affairs is propelled along the corridors of power to the very pinnacle of politics - No. 10. Could this have possibly have been managed by his trusted Permanent Private Secretary, the formidably political Sir Humphrey Appleby who must move to the “Top Job” in Downing Street to support him, together with his much put upon PPS Bernard Wolley. What could possibly go wrong?

Markimdb: 6.2
Genrecomedy, family, cartoon
CountryUSA, Canada

The young blond boy with a cowlick and a mischievous personality, Dennis the Menace, gets into numerous scrapes and adventures with his dog Ruff and his friends Joey, Margaret, Gina, Tommy, PeeBee and Jay.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrehorror, thriller, comedy, drama, crime, detective
CountryUSA

The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1985 to 1986, and on the USA Network from 1987 to 1989. The series is an updated re-imagining of the classic 1955 series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Markimdb: 8.1
Genrecomedy, drama
CountryUSA

Four Southern Florida seniors share a house, their dreams, and a whole lot of cheesecake. Bright, promiscuous, clueless and hilarious, these lovely, mismatched ladies form the perfect circle of friends.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genrecomedy, family, cartoon
CountryLuxembourg, United Kingdom

Playful penguin Pingu lives with his family in Antarctica, where he often finds himself caught up in mischievous high jinks with his pal Robby.

Markimdb: 8.5
Genrecartoon, anime
CountryJapan

One day, Joe Maya, who lives on Mars, witnesses a battle between aliens. Those from Planet Zaboom are attacking the princess of Planet Radorio, she has escaped from the emperor of Zaboom who is scheming to conquer the universe and has crash landed on mars. Joe stumbles aboard the princesses ship, this starts a chain reaction of events that will alter their lives. Joe and his friends wield three powerful mecha beasts against the emperor of Zaboom and his forces, but the odds are stacked heavily against them. When all hope seems to be lost a mysterious ninja robot named Tobikage appears as if from nowhere to provide assitance, able to combine with the 3 mechanical beasts provides Tobikage with unmatched power, with his aide Joe fights the forces of Zaboom...

Markimdb: 8.2
Genredocumentary, music, biography
CountryUSA

American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

Markimdb: 5.4
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryAustralia

Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera. The show's storylines concern the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in Erinsborough, a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The series primarily centres around the residents of Ramsay Street, a short cul-de-sac, and its neighbouring areas, the Lassiters complex, which includes a bar, hotel, cafe, news office and park. Neighbours began with three families created by Watson – the Ramsays, the Robinsons and the Clarkes. Watson said that he wanted to show three families who are friends living in a small street. The Robinsons and the Ramsays had a long history and were involved in an ongoing rivalry.

Markimdb: 6
Genredrama
CountryUnited Kingdom

Drama series about the staff and patients at Holby City Hospital's emergency department, charting the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives.

Markimdb: 7.9
Genrefantastic, action, fantasy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryUSA

The inhabitants of the planet Thundera evacuate just before it is destroyed. They were pursued by a band of mutants. All but one of their escape ships was destroyed. Only a small group of Thunderans (Thundercats) remained. With only half engine power, the group, which was led by Jaga, had to set a course for the nearest planet. Jaga commanded their ship while the other seven were in their stasis tubes. Jaga died on their journey to Third Earth and their ship crashed there. Soon they made friends with various groups in the area and they designed a fortress. Mumm-Ra the centuries-old embodiment of evil, along with the mutants that destroyed the rest of the Thunderans are a constant threat. But Lion-O, the new leader of the Thundercats, with his weapon the "Sword of Omens" will help the Thundercats to have a standing chance.

Markimdb: 8.3
Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
CountryUnited Kingdom

Yorkshire detective Ronald Craven is haunted by the murder of his daughter and begins his own investigation into her death.

Markimdb: 7.2
Genrefantastic, action, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryFrance, Canada, USA, Japan

M.A.S.K. is an animated television series produced by the French-American DIC Enterprises, Inc and Kenner. The series was based on the M.A.S.K. action figures. It was animated in Asia by studios; KK C&D Asia, Studio Juno, Studio World, and Ashi Production.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime, detective
CountryUSA

Robert McCall is a former agent of a secret government agency who is now running his own private crime fighting operation where he fashions himself as "The Equalizer." It is a service for victims of the system who have exhausted all possible means of seeking justice and have nowhere to go. McCall promises to even out the odds for them.

Markimdb: 5.9
Genrefantastic, fantasy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryUSA, Canada

The Ewok Wicket and his friends from the Bright Tree Village go on many magical adventures.

Markimdb: 8.4
Genredrama, crime
CountryUSA
Duration00:43

The hard-boiled saga of hair-trigger cop Lieutenant Mike Torello and his obsessive pursuit of ruthless gangster Ray Luca.

Markimdb: 7
Genredrama
CountryUSA

L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and domestic violence. The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff.The show was popular with audiences and critics, and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.

Markimdb: 5.9
Genrefantastic, action, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryUSA, Canada

Star Wars: Droids, also known as Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO, and 2004 re-released on DVD as Star Wars Animated Adventures: Droids, is an animated television series that features the exploits of R2-D2 and C-3PO, the droids who have appeared in all six Star Wars films. The series takes place between the events depicted in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.Over the course of the series, the droids team up with four different sets of masters. The series is divided up into three cycles: at the beginning of each, the droids usually run into their new masters in an accidental way, and at the end of each cycle, they usually are forced to leave their masters for one reason or another. The Great Heep, a television special following the series, served as a prequel to the third Mungo Baobab cycle.The series' opening theme, "Trouble Again," was performed by Stewart Copeland of the Police and written by Copeland and Derek Holt.

Markimdb: 6.6
Genrecomedy, family
CountryUSA

Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, Long Island, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992.

Markimdb: 7
Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, detective
CountryUSA

Twin sisters trade places with unexpected results.

Markimdb: 4.7
Genremelodrama, drama, crime
CountryUnited Kingdom

The everyday lives of working-class residents of Albert Square, a traditional Victorian square of terrace houses surrounding a park in the East End of London's Walford borough.

Markimdb: 8.6
Genreaction, fantasy, adventure, cartoon
CountryJapan

Bosco Adventure is an anime TV series produced by Nippon Animation, mainly inspired by a book "Storie del Bosco" of the Italian writer Tony Wolf, and other books of this author. The series was very popular in Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and were shown in many European countries, America, and other parts of world like Egypt, Djibouti, Cameroon, Israel and South Korea. They were big success in France, Italy and Japan, but not very famous and was not commercialized in the UK or USA since they were never released in English. The Japanese DVDs were released on 25 July 2003.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genrecomedy, drama, crime, detective
CountryUnited Kingdom

The adventures of the eponymous Lovejoy, a likeable but roguish antiques dealer based in East Anglia. Within the trade, he has a reputation as a “divvie”, a person with an almost supernatural powers for recognising exceptional items as well as distinguishing genuine antique from clever fakes or forgeries.

Markimdb: 8.4
Genrefantastic, action, thriller, fantasy, adventure, family, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Ages ago, the goddess Athena was served by fighters called Saints who channeled the power of the Cosmos within them. Now a youth named Seiya has trained to become a Saint himself by earning the mystical Cloth of Pegasus. He is joined by other Saints with Cloths of their own to fight for Athena.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genrefantastic, action, fantasy, adventure, cartoon
CountryUSA

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1985 to 1986. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.

Markimdb: 7
Genredrama, crime, detective
CountryUSA

Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by The Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions, Viacom Productions and Paramount Television originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC; and from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format is similar to that of CBS's Perry Mason, with Matlock identifying the perpetrators and then confronting them in dramatic courtroom scenes. One difference, however, was that whereas Mason usually exculpated his clients at a pretrial hearing, Matlock usually secured an acquittal at trial, from the jury.

Markimdb: 7.5
Genredrama, crime
CountryCanada, USA

Night Heat is a Canadian police drama seriesThe show starred Allan Royal as journalist Tom Kirkwood, who chronicled the nightly police beat of detectives Kevin O'Brien and Frank Giambone.

Markimdb: 8.9
Genredrama, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Gin is a striped Akita-Inu puppy named after his silver coat. Shortly after being born, he watches his father, Riki, get killed by Akakabuto, a bear that terrorizes everything in his path. Being the third-generation of bear-dogs to try to stand up against Akakabuto, he ventures out to find dogs to join him in his fight against the demon bear.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
CountryUSA

Spenser: For Hire is a mystery television series




MoviesList