The title is a bit misleading. These are MY top 10 science fiction and fantasy shows of the 80's. Other people would possibly have shows like Knight Rider or Air Wolf on their lists. Not this fella.
As with the best of lists, we'll start at 10 and work our way to number 1. And sooooo...
10) Wizards and Warriors
I don't remember much about this show except that I was pissed that it was on CBS because our CBS station came in for crap. On a good night you could see the people. On a bad night, you could see the people through a snowstorm. However, this show was right up my alley and so I would do the best I could. It also starred Jeff Conaway who had been a big star on Taxi and in the movie Grease but would later be appearing on shows like Celebrity Rehab. Oh, and looky there! Julia Duffy from Newhart! This 1983 show managed to last 8 episodes, and many episodes were directed by The Incredible Hulk's Bill Bixby.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWEoHek8IM0
9) Shadow Chasers
Long before Dennis Dugan became the director for 90 percent of Adam Sandler's movies, he appeared on this show. The gist was that Dennis was a reporter for those newpapers like the Weekly World News where they have articles about bat babies. He was joined by straight-laced Trevor Eve, a British actor. They got on each other's nerves but spent much of the show chasing the paranormal. This show aired in 1985 and while 13 episodes were made, only 9 ever aired on ABC. The link is to a foreign edition of the title sequence so ignore the voice over blip and enjoy the rest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIy4NwtC4FY&feature=related
8) The Phoenix
Oh Judson Scott, where art thou? Besides having a sweet name and appearing in The Wrath of Khan, Judson also gained some fame playing blue-eyed barefoot mystic-type extraterrestrial Bennu on the show The Phoenix. Just not much fame. The show aired for just about a month on ABC in 1982. I remember it though. It was mighty fine, mighty fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SASkqWyn40
7) Voyagers!
Airing on Sunday nights at 7 on NBC (yes, I swear I remember that from memory), Voyagers! told the story of one Phineas Bogg, played by Jon-Erik Hexum, a time-traveler who accidently picked up a boy, Jeffrey Jones, and brought him through time with a device called an Omni. Jeffrey was played by another wonderfully named actor, Meeno Peluce. These 2 characters would land somewhere in time, and have to fix the problem before leaving. Abraham Lincoln leave his Gettysburg Address in his other pants? Voyagers to the rescue! Edison can't come up with a name for his bulb that makes light? Voyagers to the rescue! Actually, the show had some success and lasted a whole season. It's even on DVD!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm-o_7AGJRQ
6) Manimal
Somewhere along the way, someone said to an NBC executive "I've got an idea for a show. This man can turn into any animal he wants in an effort to fight crime!" The executive said "brilliant!" and greenlit the show. Then the special effects guys (Stan Winston!!!) realized that it took forever just to make this guy look like he was turning into a hawk and a black panther, so Manimal went from turning into any animal he wanted to turning into just two animals. Any other animal change occurred off-screen. Cept for an episode where he turned into a snake to pull a friend from quicksand. You get the drift. Simon MacCorkindale starred as Jonathan Chase, ably assisted by Flash Gordon's Melody Anderson and Ice Pirates Michael D. Roberts. The show lasted 8 episodes. I loved it. Sadly, this 1983 slice of heaven aired opposite Dallas, though I'm not sure it would have lasted any longer if it had aired opposite Cop Rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQZxRH6uoiY
5) The Highwayman
Speaking of Flash Gordon, I loved this futuristic show starring Sam J. Jones as a bad-ass dude who drove the highways in a futuristic semi that could turn into a helicopter. Airing on NBC, in 1988 (after a 1987 pilot movie), this show also featured Jane Badler from "V", Tim Russ who went on to appear as Tuvok on Star Trek Voyager (and who is now the principal on iCarly) , and a damn bad actor by the name of Jacko from Australia, who up until this show, was mainly famous for appearing in Energizer battery ads (Gonna surprise ya! New Energiza! Oy!). It lasted all of 9 episodes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLLyS88_DB8
4) Automan
When Tron came out and introduced the world to men and women in glowy outfits, it was revolutionary. So revolutionary in fact that ABC blatantly ripped off the look for this show about a police geek played by Desi Arnez Jr. who created a virtual person, Automan, played by Chuck Wagner. Automan helped "Walter Knebbish" fight crime and no one seemed to notice that under his clothes he was glowing. Walter, genius that he was, also never figured out that he if he would just put on a seatbelt while riding in Automan's car, he wouldn't slam into the window every time Automan made a 90 degree turn. The show began in 1983, ended in 1984, and managed to last 12 episodes (though 13 were filmed).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQb1ZD9W8_c&feature=related
3) Misfits of Science
The same NBC executive who greenlit a show about a dude turning into a bird also decided that it would be a good idea to make a comedy show about superheroes. And so we arrive at Misfits of Science, originally famous for being a bad show starring Dean Martin's son, but then more famous when one of it's actors, a woman by the name of Courteney Cox, found success on a little show called Friends. It managed to air 14 whole episodes, again versus that show killer Dallas. The cast included Mark Thomas Miller as Johnny B, a rocker who could shoot electric bolts and run super fast, Courteney as Gloria, a girl with telekinetic powers, and Dr. Elvin "El" Lincoln, a 7 foot tall scientist who could shrink to the size of a Ken doll. How did this NOT succeed??!?!?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcXYrODO8UI
2) Greatest American Hero
Holy cow, a show on here that was a success? Believe it or not, this show lasted from 1981 to 1983. On paper, it doesn't sound any less crazy than many of these other shows. A teacher gets a super suit from aliens but loses the instructions so he is constantly flying into walls and having people look at him like he's crazy. But it succeeded due to the chemistry between the 3 stars, the light-hearted feel of the show, a sweeeeet theme song (of which I used to have the 45), and decent effects. Well, at least that's why it succeeded with me. By the way, I've got William Katt's autograph and you don't. All 3 seasons are available on dvd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Q3orQhEcA&feature=fvw
1) Street Hawk
It takes quite a show to beat Greatest American Hero. But that's what this show is. It had everything I wanted. A cool looking vehicle. Great music. Awesome guest stars (George Clooney! Dennis Franz! Christopher Lloyd!). And stuff blowing up. Street Hawk was a super motorcycle driven by Jesse Mach (Rex Smith) and created by Norman Tuttle (Murphy Browns' Joe Regalbuto). The bike could shoot bullets, missles, and lasers, could jump over cars without the use of a ramp, stop instantly, and best of all, shoot into "hyperthrust" and go 300 miles per hour while the music of Tangerine Dream kicked in. My geek life was made that much more complete when the dvd of the series arrived in July of 2010, 25 years after it aired.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCItnKrXvMM
