As the clock counted down on December 31st, 1989, it brought one of the most remarkable decades of the 20th Century to a close. A decade that--when it came to pop culture--may have been one of the most significant in history. Today, we look back on all the movies, TV shows, music, sports, tech, and video games that made up an extraordinary year. Th…

It was a gigantic risk... a brand-new character and product line set to launch alongside some of the most popular toy brands in history. How would this new character--that no one knew anything about--be able to stand out in an increasingly crowded toy market? One way it would stand out was physically as a new era in toys was about to begin. But it …

As we close out Black History Month, today we look back at 10 of the most groundbreaking Black sitcoms of the 80s. These shows not only helped define the decade but also had a huge impact on pop culture and changed television forever. These ten shows (plus a few forgotten ones) include some spin-offs of other popular sitcoms, a few break-out stars,…

If you were around in the late 80s, he seemed impossible to miss... An anthropomorphic cartoon camel that quickly became one of the defining spokes characters of the decade--but one that came with endless controversy. This is a look back on the creation, popularity, and backlash of Joe Camel. It's also the story of the state of the tobacco industry…

Not everything could be a hit... Even though the 1980s gave us some of the best video games of all time, there were others that just slipped by the wayside--and some of them deserve better than that. Today we will look back at ten forgotten video games covering the big three systems: The Atari 2600, The NES, and the Sega Master System. Since there …

It was just supposed to be a regular safety test... but in the early morning hours of April 26th, 1986, something went terribly wrong... For those opposed to nuclear energy, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident was the nightmare scenario. But it took a while for the rest of the world to even find out. By the time they did, the effects of the …

I've got a bad feeling about this... that was the thought that crept into people's minds back in November 1978. They were about ten minutes into the Star Wars Holiday Special--and it wasn't exactly what they had hoped for... Despite how bizarre the special was, one segment was universally praised; an animated feature called 'The Story of the Faithf…

It's a battle that's been going on for well over a century featuring two of the biggest brands of all time. But in the 1980s--the war really heated up... Today we look back on the battle between Coke and Pepsi during a transformative time for not just the two colas, but for society in general. It's the story that involves some of the most iconic co…

No matter how many times you've seen it--you've probably never seen the whole thing... This is a deep dive into the original Back to the Future to cover specific moments, Easter eggs, and many hidden things that may not be obvious. This episode is also an experimental one as it's a hybrid watch-along. If you're able to put the movie on, I'll be sha…

It's the toy and cartoon that may best define the entire 1980s, a toy that goes back to the 1960s but re-created for a new era. This is the complete history of G.I. Joe, and in this episode we look at: The two fashion dolls from the 1950s that helped inspire it Why two simple words were so important in its initial success The impact of the Vietnam …

It's been more than 35 years since the 80s ended, but the decade continues to be with us as much as ever--especially when it comes to our entertainment. In this year-in-review special, we look back at all the 1980s-related movies, TV shows, Netflix series, and documentaries that came out in 2024. And there was a lot... Unfortunately, over these las…

By 1987, Jim Henson had already provided us with so much great entertainment from all his remarkable creations--including some pretty wonderful Christmas specials. But his best was yet to come... this is a look back on A Muppet Family Christmas that first aired on ABC on December 16th, 1987. We'll look back at one of the best holiday specials of th…

It's time for a very 80s Christmas as we travel back to revisit the holiday season during the 1980s. In this episode, we look back at the holiday movie that was a surprise hit and then the story of a beloved TV special that didn't come from the 80s--but was adopted as our own. Next, we look back at the creation of a modern classic Christmas song an…

Some of the all-time great TV Christmas specials go all the way back to the 1960s. But it's easy to forget how many memorable ones came from the 80s. Today we look back at ten of the best specials the 80s had to offer. Some of those shows include: Two separate specials based on a few of the hottest fads of the decade A sadsack comic strip character…

If you grew up in the 80s, you grew up in the era of physical media. Our videotape collections allowed us to watch our favorite movies and TV shows over and over, allowing us to develop a deep appreciation for the things we loved. But how did we get here, and how did it all end up changing so drastically? Today we not only revisit the origins of th…

It seems funny to think, but in the early 80s, a gigantic industry almost came to a grinding halt... Video games--and arcades--had grown so quickly, and on such a wide scale, that many began to ask if it was ok for our kids to be playing them so much. This is when video games and arcades became under attack as parents, watch groups, and entire citi…

In late 1985, Disney had just set the record for the most helium balloons ever released. As a way to kick off their 1986 United Way campaign, the city of Cleveland thought breaking this record would be a great way to draw attention to the fundraising event. But the balloon release didn't exactly go as planned... This is a look back at Balloonfest '…

On September 22, 1982, a new show debuted on NBC. It felt like a throwback to the family sitcoms of yesteryear, but, at the same time, felt like a big risk... The early 1980s seemed to be a time when the family sitcom had disappeared. Primetime TV at the time was all about dramas, and the popular sitcoms were shows like M.A.S.H and Three's Company.…

It's a year that, thanks to George Orwell, had been in the public consciousness for decades. But when it finally came around, 1984 ended up being memorable for many different reasons... Today, we look back on the movies, TV shows, cartoons, music, tech, and sports that made up a pretty remarkable year. It's a year that featured some of the biggest …

Welcome to the Everything 80s Halloween Spooktacular! Today, we travel back to revisit Halloween in the 80s and take a look at three things: The first is one of the goriest and most violent video games ever made up to that point. Then we look at five forgotten horror movies from the 80s and finish with the history of a certain Mistress of the Dark.…

It's just not the Halloween season without them... Today, we go back to witness the creation and release of everyone's favorite breakfast monsters. it's a story that goes back to the early days of cereal, the silent film era, the monsters of the 60s, and their release in the '70s. But it was during the 1980s that Monster Cereals continued to grow i…

The Brits had taken over music and pop culture in the 1960s, and then--to a lesser extent--they did it again in the early 80s. But now, it was time for the Aussies to take over... This is a look back on the 1980s Aussie invasion, a time when the Land Down Under heavily influenced radio, record stores, TVs, and movie theatres in North America, and a…

It's the decade that gave us some of the most beloved cartoon shows of all time. Some of those cartoons became huge franchises that continue to be a part of our modern entertainment. But not everything could be a hit. Today we look back on 10 of those forgotten cartoons (plus a few bonus ones). Hopefully there are a bunch here you remember, but the…

"So we go into NBC, we tell them we've got an idea for a show about nothing." "Exactly" "They say what's your show about? I say nothing." "There you go" "I think you may have something here..." This is the conversation that takes place between Jerry and George in a Seinfeld episode from season 4 called "The Pitch." It was the fictionalized version …

Here's an idea: 5 robot lions that turn into a super robot. Sounds pretty simple and straightforward, doesn't it? But the story of how Voltron came to be was much more complicated. It's a story that begins in Japan, involves multiple anime shows, and then goes through the ardous process of being transformed for a North American kids audience. It's …

If you grew up in the 80s, there's a good chance that the very first computer you ever used or owned was a Commodore 64. And this is because it's the machine that changed home computing forever... Today we look back on the history of the Commodore 64. It was the machine intended to be for the masses. A machine that was not only practical and usable…

What do you get when you combine Pong, the Disneyland Tiki Birds, and a coyote? You get the foundations for one of the most beloved children's restaurants ever. Today, we look back on the history of Chuck E. Cheese, a restaurant that has had a tumultuous existence, but was always the ultimate birthday destination. We'll look back on its origins, th…

With a Beetlejuice sequel finally about to hit theatres, we revisit the original 1980s classic by traveling back to 1988. It was a movie that many weren't too sure of--including some of its cast. Today we look back on the making of Beetlejuice, how the original version was going to look quite different from the version we know, and how the movie al…

"Ford to City: Drop Dead..." These are the words that appeared on the cover of The Daily News in 1975. Financially, New York was hanging by a thread and the city appealed to President Gerald Ford for some federal help. As the 70s came to an end, and the 1980s began, it felt like a make-or-break decade for the city that never sleeps. Today, we look …

When you think back on the video game consoles of the 80s, I'm sure Atari, Nintendo, and Sega immediately come to mind--but there are many others... The early 80s gave us an explosion of new video game consoles as many companies wanted a piece of the white-hot home video game market--but little did they know what was waiting for them in 1983... Tod…

As a new decade began, the late-night sketch comedy show found itself hanging in the balance. The start of the 80s represented a time of massive transition for Saturday Night Live and the show underwent some major changes. The 1980s became a make-or-break period for the late-night institution. Today we look back on this tumultuous time for SNL, how…

It seems weird to think, but there was a time when Hollywood didn't look favorably at comic book and superhero movies. The original Superman from 1978 had been successful, but for comic book films, the 80s seemed like a string of flop after flop. This all changed in 1989. Tim Burton's Batman was a project ten years in the making that no one believe…

It's been exactly 40 years since one of the most important Summer Olympics in the history of the modern Games. The Summer Olympics were coming off two less-than-ideal previous editions and very few cities even wanted to host. Add to this a Soviet-led boycott, and the 84 Summer Games faced serious uncertainty. However, the Los Angeles Summer Games c…

What do you get when you combine Nerf with the Garbage Pail Kids? You get Madballs, one of the most memorable toys of the 1980s. Madballs came out during a time when a big segment of the toy industry followed the motto, "If it's gross or smells, it sells." Madballs continued with that formula of gross-out humor and quickly made a dent in the toy ma…

When does performance art go too far? How long do you suspend disbelief before you start asking yourself whether what you are seeing is actually real? Or is that the whole point... When it comes to performance art, there may be no better performer ever than Andy Kaufman. And in the 1980s, he took his unique brand of comedy to a wider audience than …

1987 was a good one. So was 1989. But summertime at the movies may not get much better than the magical summer of 1984. Today, we travel back exactly 40 years to one of the defining summers of the entire 1980s. The summer of '84 gave us blockbuster after blockbuster and fully cemented the summer movie season as one of the most important of the year…

After the phenomenal success of Sesame Street and then The Muppet Show, it seemed as if things couldn't get much better. But as the 1980s began, Jim Henson was just getting started... Two groundbreaking films, new Muppet movies, and one of the most beloved children's series of all time--these are just some of the amazing creations by Jim Henson in …

As the NES and Sega Master System were dominating the 1980s video game market, something interesting was happening in Japan. Something ahead of its time. Something revolutionary... The dream of a 16-bit system felt like it was years and years away, but, in 1987--it happened. It took a few more years, but the system that began as the PC Engine in Ja…

When it first aired in September 1986, no one was quite sure what to think of it--especially critics and parents. It was loud, bold, colorful, and crazy...and kids loved it. This is the story of one of the most remarkable kids' shows ever made. A show that provided an educational component, but they also promised you the nuttiest establishment you'…

As we enter the mid-80s, the Edmonton Oilers are on top of the hockey world. And on the best team was also the best player in the world: Wayne Gretzky. But while all this was going on, something remarkable had also been happening in the hockey world, and in the most unlikely place. You may not know the name Tony Hand, but in 1986, both he and the O…

They couldn't all be hits... During a decade that gave us so many beloved classics, there were other great movies that just flew under the radar. Whether it was too much competition, inadequate marketing, or bad timing, there are plenty of 1980s movies that could have been big hits, but just weren't. Today we look back at ten of those movies. Movie…

We're three years into a new decade and the 80s as we know it is starting to take shape. From the movies to TV shows, and music to video games, things are changing quickly--and pop culture would never be the same. Welcome to Rewind and an all-new version of my review of 1983. We look back on all the big pop culture moments along with sports and the…

Armed with a pocket full of change, you walk through those sliding doors and are greeted by a wonderland of amazing options as far as the eye can see. The biggest issue you face is what do you choose; candy, chocolate, chips, or a drink? This is a look back on the best snacks and junk food from the 80s, a decade that gave us some of the greatest pr…

There's a good chance you're reading this on your phone right now. And that phone of yours has some humble origins that go all the way back to 1983... This is the history of the Motorola Dynatac 8000x: the world's very first commercial cell phone. It's a story that begins in the 1970s and is followed by a massive uphill battle that lasted a decade …

Titanic was called the 'Ship of Dreams,' and for oceanographer Robert Ballard, his dream had always been to find the most famous shipwreck of them all. Today, we travel back to September 1985 and revisit an event many thought would never happen. The discovery of The Titanic made headlines around the world, but was there more going on beneath the su…

It all came from a dream... In the summer of 1986, a new movie hit theatres. It mixed science-fiction and adventure and when it came to computer-generated imagery; it was quite ahead of its time. This is a look back at Flight of the Navigator, a movie that many see as an underrated sci-fi gem, but had a big influence on the future of movie-making. …

What if there was a show so significant it could put an end to war? This was the approach taken by Jim Henson when he laid the foundation for Fraggle Rock. Henson didn't want to create some ordinary show, but a program that showed us the importance of taking care of ourselves, our environment, and each other. Besides being colorful, musical, and fu…

If you grew up during the 80s, you probably had a collection of VHS tapes. From new movie releases to your tapes with all your favorite TV shows or music videos, home video was a cornerstone of our entertainment. And all of that almost never happened... If things had gone differently, home recording would have been illegal and the VCR as we know it…

It may seem hard to believe, but as of the year of this recording, the album releases from 1984 are now forty years old. But these are no ordinary albums, as this is a year that gave us some of the most iconic--and important--albums ever made. Today we look back at 10 significant releases that not only changed the course of music but led to astonis…

Where were you the night of November 21st, 1980? If you were like the majority of the public, you were huddled around your TV waiting to find out the answer to one of the biggest questions in television history: Who Shot J.R.? The 'Who Shot J.R.' episode of Dallas was so big that it spread well beyond North America, becoming part of the public disc…