Everything 80s Patreon Feed

In the first episode, we looked at the early days of the Ninja Turtles and their comic book origins. This led to a short, animated series in 1987.And the goal of this cartoon show was to launch the brand new toy line. And this led to one of the biggest toy booms in history. Today, we not only look at the launch of the toys, and the continued success of the cartoon--but how Turtlemania took the wor...

Welcome to the first of two episodes devoted to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In this first part, we will explore the origins of the Ninja Turtles, the creators, the early days of the comic book, and the rapid success they quickly found. Next, we'll look at the expansion into the world of animation and the launch of one of the most succesful cartoon shows of all time. Enjoy part 1 early and ad...

It seemed just like any other day... But on May 18th, 1980, things were about to become radically different in the Pacific Northwest. This is a look back on the eruption of Mount St. Helens, a truly catastrophic event that started the decade off on a dire note. This is a look at the days leading up to the eruption, the extensive environmental damage, and how it compares to other historical volcani...

There are a handful of TV shows that truly represent the 1980s, and right at the top of the list is The A-Team. This is a look back on the origins of the show that no one believed in at first, but went on to become a ratings powerhouse. This is also a look back on the pop culture phenomenon that was the A-Team, how it became a merchandising juggernaut, and how the character of Mr. T became a bonaf...

During what can be considered a Golden Age of toys, a talking bear from a brand-new company outsold them all. Not only was Teddy Ruxpin the best-selling toy for 1985--but for most of 1986. When you think of the legendary toys that were out then, that's pretty extraordinary. This is a look back on the phenomenon of Teddy Ruxpin; some pretty remarkable technology; and how this iconic toy changed the...

Welcome to the Everything 80s Movie Review Club and a review of one of my all-time favorites: Back to the Future 2.The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast is just for members of the Boba Fett level and above. As we head into the fall of 1989, the follow-up to the monumental Back to the Future has become one of the most anticipated sequels in movie history. And I was right there on opening day. In...

I think I underestimated this year--but that was a mistake...This is my review of all the great movies, TV shows, music, technology, sports, and general pop culture for a year that may be the best of the decade.1988 gave us so many memorable moments, incredible music, new TV shows, and some of the best movies ever. Not to mention two Olympic games. In the world of technology, it was all about the...

I had a bunch of frustrating technical issues getting this show up but here it is, better late than never, and ad-free. This is a look back on a cartoon series that was much more groundbreaking than I ever realized. The Raccoons was a Canadian animated series launched during a time when all the excessive commercialism made it hard to compete. But despite that, The Raccoons had a huge advantage ove...

It traumatized a generation of kids and almost sank the entire franchise. Today, I look back on the infamous The Transformers: The Movie. Fortunately, this is a movie that has vastly improved with time compared to being a young kid and seeing all the death and destruction on the big screen. I look back on the pure commercial reasons behind the creation of this movie and how toy executives complete...

Walking into a video store in the 80s was like entering a whole new world of entertainment possibilities. And during the 80s, we lived through a true golden age of video rental. Whether it was a big chain store with 10,000 tapes, or just your small, neighborhood video store, it was a unique time in pop culture. This is a look back on a rapidly changing era of technology and pop culture; and it's a...

This isn't just a look at what I think are 10 of the best sitcoms of the 80s, but also a look at the origins of the sitcom and how going into the 1980s, they were almost dead. Because of the rise of cable TV, there was worry that going into the 80s that prime-time network TV could become a vast wasteland. As a new decade began, the major networks were actually losing money for the first time in ov...

There are many examples of things ahead of their time, but, in 1987, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future were ahead in many ways. The show and toy were meant to fill the void left by He-Man after the iconic toy started to fade away. Mattel, with some new toy technology ready to use, worked with a production company to create a TV show we could truly interact with. The Captain Power toys d...

It occurred to me that even though I've referenced Star Wars a lot on the podcast, I really haven't covered it too much directly. Welcome to the Patreon-only, Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast and a look back on one of the most important--and successful--films ever made: The Empire Strikes Back. We've all seen it a ton of times, but what makes this a fun review is not just a look back on the plo...

Whether we ordered it in or went out to eat it, little did we know the battle that was raging behind the scenes. The Pizza Wars of the 80s were so much deeper than I realized. And the war was based around the big three: Little Ceasars, Dominos, and Pizza Hut. This multi, multi-billion dollar industry grew so fast in the 80s that it changed the course of the entire fast food industry. And we, as th...

Does it get more 1980s than ALF?This is one of my all-time favorite shows, but it's ultimately a story about a true pop culture phenomenon. Back in 1986, I didn't know all the details that went into making this incredibly difficult show--or the massive marketing and revenue the character generated--I just knew I loved it. Today we look back on all things ALF; the origins; NBC taking a big risk on...

March 30, 1981 was just a regular day in the scedule of the new President. He was speaking at a trade union meeting at the Washington Hilton, just a few miles from the White House. But as he left, the world almost changed forever in 1.7 seconds. This is a look back on the attack on Ronald Reagan, the incredibly bravery--and life-saving efforts--of the secret service, and the bizarre reasons behind...

I grew up with a younger sister, and she always got TV watching priority. I explain this more in the episode, but I had to sit through her shows before I got to see mine. One show that was her priority was Jem and the Holograms. And little did we know at the time, but this franchise was one of the stealthiest marketing jobs of the entire 1980s. Built off the success of Transformers, and GI JOE, Je...

I think this is the most research I've ever done for a show...The cable revolution of the 1980s changed our TVs and home entertainment forever. But this is a story that actually goes all the way back to the days of radio. Cable itself can even be traced back to the early days of television. This is a look back on why cable TV exploded in the 80s and a look at some of the big channels and shows tha...

If you were of a certain age in 1983 and had access to a TV, there's a good chance that on the night of February 28th, you had it tuned to CBS. This was the night of the biggest TV finale ever--and one of the most-watched television events in North American history. Even if you weren't a fan of M*A*S*H, this was a pretty remarkable time in TV and a watershed moment in the history of ratings and ne...

Welcome to the Everything 80 Movie Review Podcast! This is just for members of the Boba Fett level and above. Today, it's not only one of my favorite movies of the 80s--but of all time: Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Released all the way back in 1985, this was the little movie that could. It had no budget, featured a character that not everyone was familar with yet, a brand new director, and a composer...

We all grew up with stories, myths, and fairy tales. These fantastical stories are filled with heroes, dragons, and mythical creatures. And then there are giants...But if you grew up in the 1980s, you experienced one of these giants come to life: Andre Roussimoff better known as Andre the Giant. This is a look back on the incredible (and very short) life of the 8th Wonder of the World. We'll look...

It's easy to think of the 1980s video format war as VHS vs Beta, but we often forget about the third entry in that battle: LaserDisc. LaserDisc really was a remarkable technology and its origins go all the way back to the 1950s. Its first release in North America was prior to the 80s, and only a few years after the VCR debuted. LaserDisc had better picture, sound, and features. So why did it lose...

I haven't read a physical newspaper in a while, but I took a look at my local one and realized there were now only four comic strips in it--none of which I recognized. It made me think back to the days when newspaper comics were a huge part of my daily routine--and there were a ton of them. Then, there were also the highly anticipated, color weekend editions. And a key part of all of this was one...

You know how there are those things from our childhood that just sort of fell into the back of our minds? Well, this is one for me. I was looking through some movie release dates from 1986 when I saw an image of Michael Jackson and a movie called Captain EO. I immediately had a faint memory of this but was still kind of shocked it existed. It was almost like I was seeing it for the first time.  It...

If you're a long-time listener, you may remember one of the very first episodes I ever put out all about Knight Rider. But I took that down a while ago as I never felt like I did it justice. Hopefully, this version captures everything about one of the most iconic shows of all time--and an absolutely definitive part of the 1980s. I look back on the origins of the show (which involves the Lone Range...