Top 5 Fight Scenes on TV

This a completely biased list of five of the best fight scenes I ever saw on TV or DVD. If you got something to add, post a comment below!

01. Angel
Angel vs. Marcus Hamilton
("Not Fade Away," 5/19/04)
Actually, there were lots of great fight scenes on Angel—a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which itself had a lot of great fight scenes. Buy Angel: Season Five on DVD

02. Department S
Stewart Sullivan and Jason King vs. henchman
("The Pied Piper of Hambledown," 3/30/69)
I only discovered this '60s British spy-fi series fairly recently, and now it's one of my favorites. This fight isn't just brilliantly-choreographed, it demonstrates how cool Jason King is even when he loses.

03. Six Million Dollar Man
Steve Austin vs. The Robot
("Day of the Robot," 2/8/74)
This early episode of the Six Million Dollar Man starred John Saxon as Steve's old friend Major Frederick Sloan, who is replaced by a lookalike robot. When the switch is discovered, it leads to full on, slo-mo, bionics-on-robot action. The moment where Steve knocks off the robot's face, revealing the wires inside, is classic. (And a precursor to those great Fembot episodes coming up on both Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman.) Buy the Six Million Dollar Man: Season 1 on DVD

Steve fighting a robot, his friend


04. Star Trek
Kirk vs. Spock
("Amok Time," 9/15/67)
One of the most iconic sci-fi fights of all time. Two men go into the ring, but only one comes out alive... Buy Star Trek: Season Two on DVD

Star Trek: Kirk & Spock Fight to the Death

05. It Takes a Thief
Robert Wagner vs. Bill Bixby
("To Steal a Battleship," 3/26/68)
Pro thief-turned-government agent Al Mundy (Robert Wagner) is assigned to recover NATO defense plans, and runs into an old rival thief, played by Bill Bixby. The fight scene is zowie, with two TV icons throwing punches, topped off with gorgeous Janis Hansen just sitting and watching while she eats an apple. Buy It Takes a Thief: The Complete Series on DVD

BONUS: Justice League Unlimited 
Task Force X vs. Shining Knight, Vigilante, and Atom Smasher
("Task Force X," 5/21/2005)
This stand-out episode of Justice League Unlimited plays out like a caper movie, as the members of Task Force X—super villains forced into government work or face the death penalty—sneak onto the JL satellite to steal a magical suit of armor. They are careful to avoid all the big guns—Superman, Green Lantern, etc—but  run into three also-ran superheroes who just happen to be passing by: Shining Knight, Vigilante, and Atom Smasher. One of the most brilliantly thought-out fight scenes in an American cartoon. Buy Justice League Unlimited: Season One on DVD

Task Force X 2/3


Related links:
Mystery TV Themes: SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN
Opening Theme: IT TAKES A THIEF
TV Themes: DEPARTMENT S (1969) / JASON KING (1971)
1960s Batman - Fight scene - YouTube
Original Batman Clips (fight scenes) (YouTube)
'Nikita' star 'enjoys fight scenes' - Nikita News - TV - Digital Spy
Steven Soderbergh on the Art of Directing a Fight Scene
Star Trek: Top 5 Fight Scenes With Captain Kirk - TV.com

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