6 Underrated ’80s Fantasy TV Shows That Still Hold Up Today

These fantasy TV shows from the ’80s are just as good as a lot of other fantasy TV of the modern era. Fantasy TV can be a difficult genre to pull off, and when it comes down to it, it can be hard to name more than a few that we could consider truly excellent.

Some of the best fantasy TV shows have come out in recent years, with Game of Thrones, The Magicians, and Arcane being a few notable series. Fantasy was in a rougher spot previously, with special effects and production not being where they needed to be, but these ’80s series are worth checking out.

Down To Earth (1984-1987)

Down to Earth is a fantasy sitcom series that ran for seven seasons and follows Ethel MacDoogan (Carol Mansell), a free-spirited woman from the Roaring ’20s. After suffering a fatal accident, Ethel enters a waiting area in Heaven for 60 years before being sent back to Earth to earn her wings.

Ethel comes into contact with the Preston family, your typical modern-day (at the time of air) family. She guides the family through all the troubles and conflicts people experience in everyday life, and once she earns her wings, Ethel makes a deal that allows her to stay with the Prestons until they no longer need her.

It’s a charming and sweet sitcom that could have been a bit run-of-the-mill were it not for its fantasy element, which really helps spin the series into something special. Down to Earth is the type of fantasy that can rope people into harder fantasy. First, you’re watching a helpful angel, then you’re onto dragons and wizards.

Friday The 13th: The Series

Friday the 13th: The Series ran for three seasons and, despite the name, has no connection at all to the Friday the 13th film series. Even though Jason Voorhees doesn’t make an appearance, there is still plenty of horror in this fantasy show, which is set in a mysterious antique store.

The show follows Micki (Louise Robey) and Ryan (John D. LeMay), two cousins who inherit an antique store from their late uncle, who made a deal with the devil to sell accursed objects for power and wealth. Now, the cousins decide it’s their duty to retrieve the evil objects and store them safely in the store.

It’s a surprisingly bloody syndicated show that does not skimp on the blood or the gore, and the search for the objects provides a puzzle-like and thrilling backbone to the series. The idea of a show about a group of friends rooting out different forms of evil was fairly novel, inspiring later shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer​​​.

Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985)

The animated series Dungeons & Dragons is, of course, based on the role-playing game of the same name, which has been adapted endlessly over the years. One of the first adaptations, however, came with this three-season TV show that premiered on CBS. It follows a group of six young friends transported to the world of Dungeons & Dragons.

Each of the friends is given a weapon that turns them into one of the character classes of the game, and they meet a mysterious Dungeon Master who guides them on their journey. Their main goal is to return to their world, but along the way, they have numerous adventures and side quests.

Even though the show is made for children, Dungeons & Dragons was never afraid to show that some decisions have consequences, and even suggests that killing could be a possible choice for the heroes. The series captures the free-roaming fantastical atmosphere of the game very well.

He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (1983-1985)

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an animated ’80s TV show based on the Masters of the Universe toy line by Mattel. The series has since been adapted many times into a variety of media, including comic books and movies, and there have been a handful of popular spinoffs as well.

It’s this first TV series where most of the understanding of He-Man comes from, however. Like the toy franchise, the show takes place on the planet Eternia, where Prince Adam gains the Sword of Power, allowing him to transform into He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe.

He-Man battles a variety of foes, but his greatest enemy is the evil Skeletor. One of the most successful animated children’s shows ever, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is a thrilling, well-animated, and memorable series that throws everything you can imagine at the wall to make Eternia unique.

The Storyteller (1987-1990)

The StoryTeller is a live-action anthology TV show by Jim Henson featuring his singular puppetry. There are two seasons of the show, one about lesser-known Eastern European fables and the other about more classic Greek myths. In each, an elderly gentleman tells stories to his talking, puppet dog.

In the first version, John Hurt plays the Storyteller, while in the Greek season, the character is played by Michael Gambon. It’s a warm and cozy series that begins with the Storyteller, done up in a lot of makeup and prosthetics, telling a story to his eager hound companion in front of a roaring fire.

None of the myths in The StoryTeller are particularly novel or mind-blowing, and the clear moral lessons of each myth mean there aren’t too many surprises. However, the production and puppetry of each episode give the series a slightly unnerving and strange atmosphere that is as frightening as it is fantastical.

Robin Of Sherwood (1984-1986)

Robin of Sherwood is a British television series starring Michael Praed and Jason Connery as two incarnations of Robin Hood, the legendary archer and thief who takes from the rich and gives to the poor. In this series, Robin Hood is almost like a title, bestowed upon one man after another falls.

It’s an unusually dark and gritty series for the era, showing the economic distress and violence that permeated English society in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. It’s this kind of life that gives rise to someone like Robin Hood, and Robin of Sherwood combines these elements with some intriguing fantasy.

This should be considered the definitive version of the Robin Hood myth. If you loved the Disney movie Robin Hood from 1973 or Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood from 2010, you should absolutely check out this version. It’s dark, atmospheric, surprising, and down-to-earth even with its fantasy elements.