The series is set in Shanghai in the 1920s in early Republican China. Hui Man-Keung is a graduate from Yenching University who served three years in prison for participating in the May Fourth Movement student protests. He decides to make a fresh start in Shanghai. He meets the fruit vendor Ting Lik, who lets him stay at his shack for one night. After Hui acquires the executive position in a small-time gang, he invites Ting to be his partner. Hui acquires a good relationship with Fung King-yiu, a wealthy tycoon and gang boss, after saving Fung's daughter Ching-ching from being held hostage. Fung wants Hui to work for him but Hui refuses. Ching-ching falls in love with Hui. When Ting Lik kills a rival after a personal dispute over a woman, other gangs attack Hui and Ting, causing them to lose everything they created. They join Fung King-yiu's company for protection. When Hui discovers that Fung is collaborating with secret agents from the Japan-based Black Dragon Society to destroy the patriotic Ching-mou School, he is indecisive whether to follow his morals or to be disloyal to Fung. When Hui kills the Japanese spy Kaoriko Yamaguchi, Fung is furious with Hui's betrayal and he sends men across Shanghai to hunt down and kill Hui. However, Ting secretly helps Hui escape on account of their friendship.
Hui settles in Hong Kong. While Fung's men are still hunting for him, Hui fakes his death. Hui marries So Wong-tai and starts a new life with her family, opening a small restaurant. While in Shanghai, Ching-ching is unable to get over Hui's death and when she visits Hong Kong where there were rumours of Hui. When she sees Hui, she does not believe him when he tells her he is already married. When Hui takes her to his house, Fung's assassins secretly followed them and kill Hui's entire family but Hui survives because he was not at home. Hui swears vengeance on Fung and returns to Shanghai to take his revenge.
上海灘系列（1980）[编辑]
主条目：上海灘 (1980年電視劇)、上海滩续集和上海滩龙虎斗
《上海灘》是香港電視廣播拍攝製作的劇集，於1980年3月10日至4月11日期間首播，全劇共25集，監製招振強，編審陳翹英。此劇為《上海灘系列》第1輯。
故事以民國年間的上海為背景，描述上海幫會內的人物情仇，和许文强与三个女人的愛情故事。由周潤發、趙雅芝、呂良偉主演。此劇是呂良偉首次以一綫身份演出電視，呂良偉亦因此而一炮而紅。
《上海灘》在香港首播後大受歡迎，之後無綫電視於同年拍攝製作了兩輯續集：第2輯《上海灘續集》和第3輯《上海灘龍虎鬥》，其中兩輯續集各共分為20集、以及在《上海灘系列》之內；之後有許多以類似題材拍攝的電視和電影，亦曾多次被搬上電影銀幕。
此劇系列在中國大陸也大受歡迎，成為1980年代的經典電視劇之一，有國語和粵語兩個發音版本。
劇中主要人物[编辑]
許文強（周潤發飾）：燕京大学知識青年，五四運動中被捕，出獄後到上海，發奮成為上海幫會頭目。與馮程程有一段刻骨銘心之情。由于反对馮敬堯勾结日本人而保护精武门被迫逃亡香港，妻子又被馮敬堯派人杀害，于是再次回到上海投靠民族资本家聂人王。在杀死馮敬堯与聂人王之后和丁力一统上海黑社会势力，无奈最终由于势力过大遭上海法租界当局派来的人伏击乱鎗射死。
丁力（呂良偉飾）：上海贫民出身，為人重義，恩怨分明。與許文強成為結義兄弟，後來成為幫會最大頭目。與馮程程結婚，但經常處於許文強的陰影之下。
馮程程（趙雅芝飾）：上海大亨馮敬堯女兒，女学生，业余话剧演员。結識為馮工作的許文強後與他熱戀。但感情因為許、馮二人之間的衝突而被迫無疾
燕京大學學生許文強（周潤發飾）在五四運動中不僅失去了愛人，還失去自由。三年監牢生活後，決心「洗心革面」，為自己前程「奮鬥」。他隻身來到繁榮的上海，初來乍到的他舉目無親，徬徨中結識了窮苦的賣梨小販丁力（呂良偉飾），兩人結為好友。 許文強找到老同學、上海的名交際花方艷芸（林建明飾）。在方艷芸的幫助下，許文強開始進入上海的黑幫，並憑藉堅毅果敢的作風嶄露頭角，終於在一次叛亂事件中成為一方之主。有點成就的許文強不忘舊好，邀丁力加盟他的公司，成為自己的得力助手。上海法租界大亨馮敬堯（劉丹飾）看中許文強的才幹，想將之收為己用，但許文強更想自己打開一片天地。馮敬堯雖心有不甘，但仍然與許、丁過從甚密，成為合作的親密搭檔。馮敬堯之女馮程程（趙雅芝飾）從北京讀書歸來，在火車站被殺手綁為人質，許文強機智地化解了危機，並贏得美人的一片芳心。馮程程念念不忘許文強的風采，主動與其交往。但許文強一心事業，不想談兒女私情，兩人關係若即若離。在一次幫派糾紛中，不夠冷靜的丁力襲殺對方頭腦金某，引起一直對許文強懷有戒心的諸幫派圍攻。許文強、丁力走投無路，只好投奔馮敬堯。馮敬堯大喜，以兩人為左右手。這樣，馮程程更是得到經常接近許文強的機會。許文強終明白其心意，兩人終於互表心跡，並且準備不日結婚。在這緊要關頭，許文強發現馮敬堯勾結日本間諜山口香子（歐陽珮珊飾），向其出售情報，更獲悉山口香子將於當晚襲擊愛國團體精武門。許文強思之再三，決定將情況通知馮程程的前任男友、愛國青年陳翰林（湯鎮業飾），並請他轉告精武門，山口香子等人藏武器地點。
