"The A Team" premieres 1983

The A-Team, an action television show about a group of Vietnam vets that are on the lam, premiered January 23, 1983.  Over its five seasons, it had plenty of car chases, car crashes, explosions, and shoot-outs for any action buff.  The first episode, Mexican Slayride, starred George Peppard as Hannibal Smith, Dwight Shultz as Murdock, and Mr. T as B.A. Baracus.  Tim Dunigan appeared as Templeton "Faceman" Peck, but was replaced by Dirk Benedict.  

It was nominated for three Primetime Emmy awards for sound editing or sound mixing.

The show was never loved by critics but audiences loved it and made it a huge success.

Battlestar Galactica episode "Fire in Space" airs 1978

To me Fire in Space was one of the better episodes of the television series Battlestar Galactica, which aired December 17, 1978.  A Cylon kamikaze raid on the Galactica damages the ship and starts fires everywhere.  The attack critically injures Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) and traps Athena (Maren Jensen), Boomer (Herbert Jefferson, Jr.) and Boxey (Noah Hathaway) in an inside room.

Apollo (Richard Hatch) and Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) must find a way to put out the fires without destroying the Galactica.

I suppose I liked this episode since the hokiness and campiness weren't as prevalent as in other episodes.  It was just pure action from start to finish.  Lots of explosions! 

According to imdb.com, the episode used stock footage from The Towering Inferno and Damnation Alley.