Cobra Kaiis finally over. After six seasons and 65 episodes, the martial arts drama based on theKarate Kidmovies of the 1980s ended with its characters achieving closure. That’s quite rare in a world where TV shows so often get canceled before their stories reach a proper conclusion.
Cobra Kaiwasn’t the greatest TV show ever made, but it stayed true to its 80s origins, with a healthy dose of cheese, humor, and the good guys ultimately winning out. If you have a 1980s-shaped hole in your viewing schedule, there’s some good news becauseCobra Kaiisn’t the only TV show inspired by 80s movies. There are plenty more out there to watch if you can find them.
2022
1
Episodes
8
One of the joys ofCobra Kaiwas seeing old faces from the originalKarate Kidmovies making a return, with original cast members such as Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprising their roles. The same is true ofWillow, a fantasy series based on the 1988 movie of the same name. It stars Warwick Davis in the same title role that he played in the original Ron Howard movie.
The show had pretty good reviews, with acritic score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and is essential viewing if you’re a fan of the original movie. There’s a major catch, however. The show was created forDisney+, and in May 2023, it was pulled from the streaming service to cut costs, a move thatmany streaming services have madein recent years.
As a Disney+ exclusive, this means that it’s not available on any streaming service, effectively removing any (legal) way to stream the show. You can find DVDs and Blu-rays of the series online, but these are not official Disney releases.
2019
10
If you love the originalWillowmovie, then you’re probably a fan of the 1982 fantasy movieThe Dark Crystal, too. As you might expect from a film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, the movie features a cast entirely made up of puppets, but these aren’t the cute puppets you know fromThe MuppetsorSesame Street. There are some genuinely disturbing characters for a family movie.
TheDark Crystal: Age of Resistanceis a series that stands as a prequel to the original movie and once again features a cast of puppets but with an impressive voice cast including Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Helena Bonham Carter.
The show has mostly positive reviews, with a lot of praise for the use of physical puppets and practical effects rather than CGI, but some criticism of a lack of character depth. Sadly, the show was canceled after one series. However, if you were a fan of the original movie, it’s worth a watch, and thankfully it’s still available to stream on Netflix.
2016
3
55
WhileCobra Kaiwas a continuation of the originalKarate Kidstory, theLethal Weaponseries is a reboot of the original 1980sLethal Weaponmovies starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. The show is based on the same concept as the movies, with the focus on two mismatched detectives who become partners. Damon Wayans plays Roger Murtaugh, an aging family man, with Clayne Crawford playing Martin Riggs, a young and volatile detective who is struggling to deal with the murder of his pregnant wife.
After two seasons, Clayne Crawford was fired from the show, and his character was killed off. In the third and final season, Murtaugh gains a new partner, played by Seann William Scott. The show had mixed reviews but got a lot of praise for the chemistry between its two leads. You can currently stream all three seasons ofLethal WeapononAmazon Prime Video.
2015
30
If you’re a fan of 80s horror movies, then you’ll almost certainly have watched the cult classicEvil Deadseries. The first movie (The Evil Dead, 1981) was intended as a serious horror film, withEvil Dead II(1987) adding more humor to the mix andArmy of Darkness(1993) being an all-out horror-comedy.
Ash vs Evil Deadis set 30 years after the original movies and sees Bruce Campbell reprise his role as Ash Williams. He’s settled back into reality after the exploits of the movies and hasn’t made much of his life, but wouldn’t you know it, the Deadites return, and Ash is forced to try to save the world all over again.
If you loved theEvil Deadmovies, thenAsh vs Evil Deadgives you three seasons that are on par with the original trilogy. The only downer is that the series was canceled with the plot still unresolved, and there’s no sign of a fourth series as yet, despiterumors of an animated version.
You can watch all three seasons ofAsh vs Evil Deadon Starz. You can also access it on platforms such as Hulu and Prime Video with a Starz add-on subscription.
1994
22
The Dutch director Paul Verhoeven is seen by some as a genius and by others as a hack. I’m firmly in the first camp; I think he knows exactly what he’s doing with movies such asStarship TroopersandTotal Recall.RoboCopis arguably his best film, a perfect blend of sci-fi, political satire, and killer robots.
If you loveRoboCop, you might want to check out the 1994RoboCopseries. It was aimed at a younger audience than the original movie, so it lacks the same violence and gore. Despite that, however, you may be surprised, as there’s a lot to like about it.
The 22 episodes that are currently available on Amazon Prime Video should be enough to sate yourRoboCopneeds until the release of Amazon’sRoboCopseries that’sreportedly in the works. If that’s not enough, there’s also an animated series and the Canadian TV miniseriesRoboCop: Prime Directives(2011) to keep you going.
2024
The firstStar Warsmovie may have been released in the 1970s, but the two subsequent sequels were firmly in the 80s. If you loved the original trilogy, there’s an almost unending supply of movies and TV shows to keep you going, from the six other episodes of theStar Warsstory to major shows such asThe MandalorianandAndor.
With so much content to get through, there may be plenty of series you’ve not yet seen. The newest addition isStar Wars: Skeleton Crew, which is set five years after the events of 1983’sReturn of the Jedi. If you loved that movie, then you’re probably going to enjoySkeleton Crew, which captures the same sense of wonder and adventure of the original movies and has a real 80s feel. It follows four kids who end up on an adventure throughout theStar Warsgalaxy.
There’s only one place to go forSkeleton Crewand all of your otherStar Warsfixes, of course. It’s streaming exclusively on Disney+. Let’s just hope it doesn’t get removed likeWillowdid.
The 1980s were packed with incredible movies, including classics such asBack to the Future, The Empire Strikes Back, Blade Runner, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., The Blues Brothers, and more.The Karate Kidwas a fun movie, but it wouldn’t even make most people’s top 20, yet it still managed to produce an excellent spin-off TV show inCobra Kai. If you’re looking for a nostalgia hit or a new take on old classics, there are plenty of other 80s spin-off TV shows for you to enjoy, provided that you’re able to find a way to watch them…
