Explore every episode of the podcast Everything 80s

Today, I'm sharing something exciting, an episode from Generation: Baby-Sitters Club, the new podcast from Connecticut Public. 

This series goes beyond nostalgia to explore this iconic book series as a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s and beyond. 

In this episode, host Daniela Doncel uncovers how the Baby-Sitters Club books came to be and how they changed the business of book publishing, and features an exclusive interview with series co-creator Jean Feiwel -- now Senior Vice President and Publisher at Macmillan.

The episode also features insights from author and University of California-San-Diego literature professor,  Seth Lehrer, and University of Alberta professor, Margaret Mackay. 

To listen to the other episodes of this great series, see here: Generation: Baby-Sitters Club 

Welcome to the Everything 80s Halloween Special! In this annual tradition, we travel back to revisit Spooky Season during the 80s, and in this episode, we look back at the defining name in Halloween costumes and why the 80s were such a notable period for them.

Then, we look back at the origins of one of the most famous pop-up shops in retail history, and also at the time Elvira teamed up with Coors for the Halloween season.

But that also leads into one of the most bizarre stories of the decade, as one of the most unexpected companies got caught up in all the Satanic Panic of the 1980s...

• Young Guns movie review: Patreon.com/80s

The 1980s in Britain were one of the most turbulent but creative decades any country has produced. It started with a new Prime Minister and ended with a cultural revolution.

In this episode, we look at how Margaret Thatcher's economic revolution shaped the nation, and how an underground music scene soon dominated North America -- which included a brand-new music video channel. Between Duran Duran, Culture Club, Wham, Flock of Seagulls, and the Human League, the look and sound of music were about to change more than ever before.

But there was so much more; a superstar Royal was making headlines around the world, British movies and actors were having a major impact on Hollywood, and some beloved 1980s North American TV shows would not have happened if it wasn't for the Brits...

• Bonus 1980s content: patreon.com/80s

They were two legendary toy car companies that were a part of growing up for millions of kids. But behind the scenes, it was a cutthroat battle for our brand allegiance.

Matchbox and Hot Wheels had been fighting it out since the late 1960s, and even though both brands went through tumultuous times in the 70s and into the 80s, the toys stayed strong and even grew in popularity.

The die-cast toy car industry of the 1980s was so big that several other companies entered the picture. From Sears to generic knock-offs, everyone wanted a piece of the action. Including one company that decided they were going to make things much smaller...

• The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Unsolved Mysteries was one of the scariest TV shows in the 80s, especially if you were a younger viewer... But it was also one of the most-watched shows of the decade. 

Its roots go back to the early 80s, and the show went through several iterations and hosts, including Perry Mason himself. But eventually came the host with one of the most distinctive voices in television history: Robert Stack.

You'll hear why its intense theme music was deliberately created to scare you, how viewers became part of the story, and how it helped launch the true crime boom from America's Most Wanted to today's podcasts. 

And despite debuting nearly 40 years ago, Unsolved Mysteries is still with us to this day...

• Support the show and get bonus 1980s content: Patreon.com/80s

It felt like a true golden age. An era that gave us multiple sports dynasties and individual athletes that seemed larger than life.

The 1980s weren't just a historic era for the Big Four North American sports, but it led to some generational rivalries. Rivalries that included a changing of the guard in the NHL and NFL, and an on-court rivalry between the bad boys of the NBA and the future of the league.

In the 1980s, we also saw two women battle it out for tennis supremacy, one of the greatest boxing matches of all time, and an original 6 battle from the 1940s, still going on in the 80s.

And then, there was what may be the true defining rivalry of the 1980s: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and a decade-long battle between the Lakers and the Celtics.

• Get early and ad-free access to new episodes: Patreon.com/80s

It's been called the "Spotify of the 80s," and if you grew up back then, you know The Columbia House Record and Tape Club was not only your access to a vast world of music, but it also seemed too good to be true...

Twelve albums for a penny? Who could resist? It turns out, not a lot, but little did we know that by sending that penny in, we were committing to a years-long fulfillment obligation.

Today we look back on the seven-decade history of Columbia House, a program that started as a simple record club in the 1950s, but grew into a massive powerhouse in the 1980s. 

Columbia House was a huge part of growing up in the 80s, and, amazingly, still existed right up to the time of this recording in 2026...

• Get early, ad-free access to new episodes: Patreon.com/80s

Peter Cullen was not just the iconic voice of Optimus Prime on the Transformers, but was also a part of more 1980s cartoon shows than you may realize.

Today we look back at the remarkable career of the man who became one of the defining voices for an entire generation. His work spanned an incredible six decades, including hundreds of animated characters.

He also created sound effects for two of the biggest blockbuster movies of the 1980s. And besides being the voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen was also the voice of another one of the most famous cartoon characters in history.

• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie review: Patreon.com/80s

The early 1980s were a golden age for video games. From iconic arcade games like Space Invaders and Pac-Man to the growth of home consoles like the Atari 2600, it felt like a magical time for kids and video game lovers.

But all of that almost came to an abrupt end...

In the early 80s, video games — specifically arcade games—had caught on so quickly and spread so far that many wondered whether it was healthy for kids to play them for hours on end. It wasn't just physical concerns, but psychological ones, too.

From the UK to North America, arcade games were soon under attack, and many cities were taking measures to restrict kids from playing them.

It was an issue that went all the way to the Supreme Court, and a generation had no idea how close we came to losing them...

• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie review: Patreon.com

A lot of us grew up in the 1980s with Flinstone vitamins. Or you may have had one of the many other kids' chewable vitamins endorsed by cartoon characters and other famous figures.

This was a time when kids' health products, vitamin supplements, and some medicines had become indistinguishable from candy -- and that had created a lot of issues...

Children overconsuming these great-tasting products had been an issue for decades, but in the 1980s, it grew out of control as candy-flavored health products exploded onto the market. Products like children's candy-flavored vitamins were being heavily promoted--with no restrictions--and kids were consuming them more than ever...

This was also having a spillover effect into the world of breakfast cereals, as the line between health and candy had really started to blur...

• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie review: Patreon.com/80s

Welcome to a free preview of the Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast that you can find at Patreon.com. This is a previous episode devoted to one of the defining movies of the entire 1980s: The Karate Kid.

In this episode, we do a full plot recap, then look at what went into making this era-defining movie. That includes taking the direction of the original Rocky, but honing the themes to younger viewers.

We then look at the release and phenomenal success of the Karate Kid, a film that came out during one of the most competitive summers of the 1980s. And we finish by looking at the lasting legacy of the movie that many describe as their all-time favorite.

• The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Unbeknownst to us at the time, the three-year stretch from 1983 to 1986 may have been among the most dangerous years in human history.

Cold War tension looked to be at its peak, but how close did the world actually come to nuclear war? It may have been a lot closer than we realized...

With the Cold War reaching a fever pitch, along came a TV movie that terrified millions -- including President Ronald Reagan. 

All of this was going to set up a famous showdown in October 1986: a face-to-face summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

• Get the first look at new episodes early, and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

If you grew up watching TV in the 80s, you only knew the 'Big Three' networks: ABC, NBC, and CBS. But in 1986 came something we hadn't seen in thirty years: a legitimate fourth network.

Welcome to the final episode of a three-part mini-series that looks back on the rapidly changing world of television in the 1980s.

In part three, we look at the creation and launch of Fox, a network that started from scratch, but, in just a few short years, gave the big networks a run for their money.

We'll look back at Fox's similarities with another fourth network from the 1950s -- The Dumont -- and how, thanks to shows like  Married...With Children and The Simpsons, Fox managed to break through in a big way.

People in the industry said it wouldn't even last six months... but somehow, CNN, a station devoted to the unorthodox concept of 24-hour news, not only survived, but changed the face of cable TV in the 80s.

This is part 2 of a three-part mini-series looking back at the rapidly changing world of television in the 1980s. In this episode, we look at another huge risk by Ted Turner, and the technical mountain that needed to be climbed to make CNN happen.

The improbable rise of CNN in the 80s not only changed the way we consumed media and news, but it also laid the groundwork for many of the other speciality cable channels that dominated TV viewing in the 80s. 

Welcome to Part 1 of a three-part miniseries that looks back on the rapidly changing world of television in the 1980s.

In part one, we look back on the groundbreaking moment when Ted Turner -- via satellite -- took his local Atlanta TV station to a nationwide audience.

The rise and success of WTBS in the 80s would forever change the way we consumed television. By combining Atlanta Braves baseball games, MGM movies, and classic reruns, Turner created a scheduling template that became the identity of a specialty cable station.

And the success of TBS in the 1980s paved the way for ESPN, MTV, The Disney Channel, and all the other cable stations that helped transform our viewing habits in the 80s and beyond...

• Get the first look at new episodes early and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

In 1986, Halley's Comet made its famous once-in-a-lifetime return -- and revealed just how much progress had come since its last appearance in 1910.

In this episode, we look back at Halley's Comet over the previous centuries, our new world of 1986, and how its return was bookended by two of the worst disasters of the 20th Century. 

But, depending on your age back in 1986, Halley's Comet could actually be a twice-in-a-lifetime event...

• The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

To many, the summer of 1986 may have been peak 1980s. Because of the music, neon fashion, and a rapidly changing culture, this is when the 80s may have felt the most '80s.'

Today, we look back on the era-defining movies, decade-defining music, fashion, and the peak of mall culture -- all of which were a huge part of the summer of '86.

But this was also the time of some huge technological innovations that were about to change our lives forever. And, summers would also never be the same, as the rise of the VCR and video rental stores would forever change the way we consumed media...

• Do you like 1980s movies? Check out the Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Take more than a hundred lions, tigers, and other unpredictable jungle cats, mix them in with an inexperienced movie crew, and you've got the makings for a disaster.

Today, we look back on the movie Roar from 1981, a film that began with good intentions but, because of all these dangerous animals, became one of the most infamous movie productions of all time. 

It's the movie where no animals were hurt during filming -- only people...

• Aliens movie review: Patreon.com/80s

Was 1986 one of the biggest years for music ever? If it wasn't, it sure was close, as it's the year that gave us a defining heavy metal album, two defining hip-hop albums, a pop standout, and one of the last albums from a jazz legend.

But there was so much more: two breakaway solo artists, two huge soundtracks, and the era-defining album that gave us two of the biggest songs of all time. 1986 had a bit of everything, and all of these albums are now officially 40 years old...

Spotify Playlist:  1986 Albums

• Aliens Movie Review: Patreon.com/80s

Before "Zelda" became a household name, it began as "Adventure Mario," a game that started out as giant sketches on long pieces of draft paper. But things quickly changed...

This new video game would be nothing like Super Mario Bros. It would be a vast and seemingly limitless world. A world based around a legend, and a world filled with fantasy and adventure -- a world based on the childhood of its creator.

Today, we go back to 1986 to witness the origins of The Legend of Zelda, a game originally developed for the Nintendo Famicom in Japan. But the Famicom eventually became the NES, and the Legend of Zelda became the creation that changed the history of video games forever...

• Get the first look at new episodes early, and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

VHS and Beta weren't the only ones trying to capture our loyalty in the 1980s; the same thing was happening in the world of... bubblegum.

Heading into the 80s, bubblegum -- an industry that didn't even really exist five years earlier -- turned into a full-on battleground. The target? Kids everywhere...

But now, led by the Big Three bubblegum brands, variety stores everywhere were about to get filled with many competitors -- all looking for their piece of the market. 

From companies that went back more than a hundred years, to new players with origins in baseball dugouts, the 1980s Bubblegum Wars came about at the perfect time, as bold flavors, ads, and Saturday morning cartoons made simple bubblegum a billion-dollar industry.

• Check out new episodes early and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

Before the first ball was even kicked, World Cup '86 had faced a massive uphill battle. A change of venue, a struggling economy, and then a massive earthquake set to derail what was one of the most anticipated World Cups of all time.

But World Cup 1986 eventually kicked off, and now, all eyes were on the greatest football in the world -- and specifically, Argentina and their phenom, Diego Maradona.

What kind of brilliance and on-field dramatics would take place in Mexico in 1986? When Argentina and England faced off on June 22nd, 1986, it was not only a tense matchup between two countries in conflict, but the game was about to produce two of the most famous moments in the history of sports...

• Get the first listen to new episodes, early and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

In this episode, we look at some notable Canadian events and people from the 1980s, but this show is all about the world of pop culture. And when it comes to 1980s pop culture, Canada contributed a lot more than you may realize.

From the music, movies, TV shows, kids' shows, and massive celebrities, Canada was at the forefront of 1980s pop culture.

From Saturday morning cartoons, chart topping songs, and one of the greatest athletes who has ever lived, the story of Canada in the 80s is the story of the country that helped shape the decade as we know it.

• The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Not every kids' show from the 1980s could be an era-defining and long-lasting one. Some, for various reasons, just couldn't break through.

But that doesn't mean they weren't any good. Today, we look back at ten live-action 1980s kids' shows that just weren't able to reach the heights of shows like Fraggle Rock or You Can't Do That on Television.

Some of these shows may ring a bell, some may be brand new to you, but hopefully, there are a few on this list that you loved but had forgotten all about. 

• Police Academy movie review: Patreon.com/80s

From an experiment in the 1970s to a global phenomenon, the story of Nickelodeon is one that includes Walter Cronkite, satellites, and some simple hand puppets.

But it was in the 1980s when the kids-only network really took off. With a new leader and a new direction, Nickelodeon would soon reach more homes than ever, all because of a low-budget sketch comedy show from Canada. A show that would make every kid know what follows the phrase, "I don't know..."

But in the 80s, things behind the scenes at Nickelodeon were still rocky. It would take an entire rebrand and a specific kids' game show that would turn the network's fortunes and make it the dominant force in cable television. 

-- The Book: Becoming Nickelodeon: How the First Network for Kids Went From Green Vegetables to Green Slime in the 1980s by Jason McFiggins

• Available on Amazon in Kindle or paperback

In part one, we looked at the origins of stand-up comedy and its evolution through the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Then, as we head into the 1980s, some big things happen.

A strike, mainstream exposure, and the rise of comedy clubs everywhere took the industry from smoky clubs to a major part of mainstream entertainment.

Today, we look at several of the breakout comedians -- including a few controversial ones -- who not only defined the 1980s but also became some of the biggest stars in the history of entertainment. Then, we look at how the stand-up comedians of the 80s became the go-to choices by the networks to star in some of the most popular sitcoms and talk shows of all time.

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

From small, smoky nightclubs to prime time TV and Hollywood, stand-up comedy has gone through many iterations over more than a century. But it was in the 1980s when a true comedy boom took place.

In part one of this two-part episode, we look back at the origins of stand-up comedy, going back to the days of Vaudeville, and then into the 50s and 60s when people like Jackie Gleason and Lucille Ball began to entertain millions. 

Then, through the 60s and into the 70s, comedians like Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and Richard Pryor took stand-up to the next level. But then, heading into the 80s, everything changes; the opening of some famous clubs, a comedy strike, and some of the most famous names of our time are about to take stand-up comedy to levels never seen before. 

• Subscribe to the Everything 80s Podcast so you don't miss out on Part two, where we look at some of those specific comedians that helped shape the 80s, the rise of sitcoms based around stand-ups, and how the comedy explosion spread throughout North America

Pac-Man was a solution to a major problem. That problem? The video game industry mainly attracted teenage males; no one else was really setting foot in arcades. Game designer Toru Iwatani believed he had created the right idea to change all that.

Not only did he change the world of video games, but his creation ended up creating an absolute pop culture phenomenon. Pac-Man was such a hit when it first hit arcades in late 1980 that it turned the entire entertainment industry on its head. 

• The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com

Before he was Hulk Hogan, he was Terry Gene Bollea. And before Hulkamania ran wild in the 1980s, he was carefully crafting the character that would not only change the world of professional wrestling but also break through into mainstream pop culture.

His later years would not be without their controversy, but in the 80s, he was like a real-life superhero for a new generation of kids. Today, we look back on Hulk Hogan in the 1980s; from bodyslamming Andre the Giant to the Rock n' Wrestling Connection and even prime time TV -- he managed to touch all areas of entertainment.  

Support the show and get bonus audio content: Patreon.com/80s

It was billed as the biggest event and the biggest matchup in the history of professional wrestling. Held at the Pontiac Silverdome, WrestleMania 3 not only became historic from a wrestling perspective, but also set a new world indoor attendance record.

And it was all built on the back of Andre the Giant vs Hulk Hogan. A match that, even up to the day of the event, was still up in the air as to who would win. Would Andre pass the torch to recognize Hogan as the new face of the business going forward?

A lot was riding on WrestleMania 3, but on that night back in March 1987, history was truly made. Hulk Hogan would pull off the seemingly impossible, and a record crowd of 93,173 was there to see it happen. But was that historic number actually a myth...?

• Get the first look at new episodes, early and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

Steven Spielberg was extremely nervous... this was the most personal project he had ever created, and he wondered if he had made a huge mistake. That project was E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, a movie that, at its core, is about a child dealing with divorce and loneliness. 

The movie had come together well, but was anyone going to see it, especially since it featured unknown actors, and no one had any idea what the alien even looked like?

Not only did people show up, but they showed up in historic numbers. ET not only touched an entire generation, but quickly became the most successful movie in history. A title it would hold for more than a decade. 

• Support the show and get bonus 1980s content: Patreon.com/80s

Before the internet could fact-check anything, the 1980s were a golden age for famous hoaxes, pranks, and April Fool's jokes. And a lot of people fell for them.

Today, we look back at 10 notable 1980s pranks and hoaxes that range from very amusing all the way to ones that created sheer panic. 

They include April Fool's day pranks involving three different iconic landmarks, one of the biggest sporting pranks of all time, one of the first internet hoaxes, and a fake natural disaster that set off a real-life panic...

• Terminator movie review: patreon.com/80s

It should have been just another regular journey... but in the early morning hours of March 24th, 1989, the Exxon Valdez was about to embark on a fateful voyage 

This is a look back on the accident that not only decimated the Alaskan coastline and its wildlife but also led to a two-decade-long court battle -- a battle that led to sweeping changes, and historic fines...

• Terminator movie review: Patreon.com/80s

It had been an agonizing four long years... but finally came one of the most highly anticipated sequels of all time. After Back to the Future became a massive hit in the summer of 1985, everyone wanted to see what would happen next.

In November 1989, we finally found out. It was the movie that not only gave us a glimpse into the future, but, in a rare move, actually took us back into the original movie.

But no matter how many times you've watched Back to the Future 2--have you really seen the whole thing...?

This is a deep dive into all the hidden moments and easter eggs in the movie. This episode is also a hybrid watch-along, as I'll be pointing out the time stamps to all the moments we're covering so you can see them yourself. 

• Special Extended Edition of this episode: Patreon.com/80s

Before Amazon, before Best Buy, there was Radio Shack--and in the 1980s, it was your one-stop shop for all things electronics.

Today, we look at the origins of the company--which go back to the early 19th century--then witness its rise through the 60s and into the 70s, culminating in its presence in every mall in North America in the 80s. 

But despite being such a prominent part of the retail landscape,  Radio Shack couldn't stay on top forever in a rapidly changing world. 

From the CB Radio craze to the rise of the TRS-80, Radio Shack was not just at the forefront of the PC revolution, but was a cultural touchstone of 1980s consumer culture. 

• Check out the old catalogs: radioshackcatalogs.com
• Support the show and get bonus 1980s audio content: Patreon.com/80s

Cassette tapes defined 1980s music. Not only did they give rise to the Walkman and Boombox, but also the art of making a mix tape.

Today, we look back on the creation that not only changed music and tech but also pop culture itself. From recording music off the radio and copying tapes--to the panic that faced the industry--analog audio quickly became the most important music format of the 80s. 

With origins going back to the 1960s, it didn't look like the compact cassette was going to hang on, until the Phillips company made a decision that would change the industry forever...

• Support the show and get bonus 1980s content: Patreon.com/80s

We live in an era where talent competition shows are a dime a dozen on TV. But in the early 80s, that wasn't exactly the case. Star Search was going to change all that, and in the process, it would change TV forever...

Today, we go back to 1983 to revisit the launch and success of the talent show that has origins going back to the early days of radio.

Not only did it feature one of the most famous late-night sidekicks of all time as host, but it also gave us the first look at many future stars, long before they became household names. 

• Bonus 1980s audio content: Patreon.com/80s

With his bright pink goggles and trademark thick glasses, Eddie the Eagle was hard to miss when he hit the ski jump at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. 

But it was a miracle he even got there. After sleeping in his car and scrounging garbage cans for food, the journey of Eddie the Eagle was the opposite of his ski jumps: it was a massive uphill battle. 

But his perseverance and determination could not be stopped, and the man officially known as Michael David Edwards would soon be given a new nickname, becoming an overnight celebrity in the process...

• The Breakfast Club Movie Review: Patreon.com/80s

Death, taxes, and the Soviets defeating everyone in international hockey games. Heading into the 1980s, those were the three guarantees in life. A "miracle on ice" seemed like something that only existed in a fairytale. 

For the 1980 Winter Olympics, the American hockey team didn't have a big pool to draw from, and the team would be made up of young, amateur hockey players. There were no expectations, and the team was intended to survive more than thrive.

But then something happened... this blue-collar team was not just holding their own--they were actually winning, and in the process, had captured the hearts of the entire country.

This setup a showdown with the powerhouse Soviet team, a game the Soviets saw as a formality as they marched towards the gold medal and their fifth straight Olympic championship...

• The Breakfast Club movie review: Patreon.com/80s

In the 1980s, the world of entertainment seemed smaller; it was all about movies, network TV, and music. Today, pop culture is much more fragmented, and there are a ton of ways for brands and celebrities to get more exposure. 

That really wasn't an option in the 80s, and for those who may have conquered the big and small screens, the next way to get more fame was in the world of music--and that gave us some truly unique celebrity albums.

From professional sports teams to professional wrestling, sitcom stars and action heroes, it seemed like everyone was trying to enter the Billboard charts. Today, we look back on some of those unique offerings, but also some genuinely talented celebrities who put out quality music. 

• Spotify playlist:  1980s Celebrity Albums

Get the first look at new episodes, early and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

How had things got so boring...? This was the question NASA was trying to answer after interest in the space program had dwindled. 

But they did find a solution: the 25th Space Shuttle launch would feature the first civilian in space,  a teacher, set to board the Space Shuttle Challenger.

On January 28th, 1986, millions of people watched in shock as the Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after lift off. Today, we look back at the events leading up to the accident, the warnings that were there, and the impact this event had on a generation of kids. 

• Get access to new episodes, early and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

If you grew up in the 80s, you remember how big television events felt. You knew that everyone was watching the same thing as you, and at the same time. But which shows and events were the biggest of the 1980s?

Today, we look back at some of the highest-rated and most-watched TV shows of the decade. We take a quick look at some major sporting events before moving on to the sitcoms, dramas, miniseries, presidential debates, and the biggest TV movie of all time.

But it wasn't just the network shows that captured our attention--and ratings--but there were also two major events that the whole world tuned in for...

• Live Aid Runaways: get the book available on Amazon or wherever books are sold

Get early access to new podcast episodes, ad-free: Patreon.com/80s 

The end of 2025 saw the tragic passing of Rob Reiner. Today, we look back on his incredible contributions to the world of film and television, specifically in the 1980s.

From 1984 to the end of the decade, Rob Reiner went on a golden run that gave us some of the best movies of not just the 1980s--but ever.

And, at the same time, he changed film forever by reinventing some film genres, taking them to levels never seen before.

In the 1980s, Rob Reiner created some era-defining, generational films, and he still had time to help bring us one of the biggest sitcoms in television history...

• Support the show and get bonus 1980s content: Patreon.com/80s

As the dust settled after the Great Video Game Crash of 1983, a new console emerged ready to take the world of video games to a whole new level. But the Nintendo Entertainment System wouldn't be the only console that made a mark on the 1980s...

The NES had gotten there first and had taken a stranglehold on the market, but another Japanese company was about to enter our homes. It began as the Mark 3, but in 1986, after some design changes and a new name, the Sega Master System was ready to hit North America.

Boasting better graphics, colors, and accessories, the high-tech Master System seemed like a step up from the NES -- but had Nintendo left room for anyone else...?

• Gremlins movie review: Patreon.com/80s

Welcome to the Everything 80s, year-in-review special. This is the episode where we look back at everything 80-related over the last 12 months.

And, as usual, there was quite a bit. In this special, we look at several movies, songs, and people that turned 40 in 2025. We look at several 1980s movies that are getting reboots or sequels, some 1980s-based movies that hit the big screen, and the return--and final season--of the iconic show that's been like a love letter to the 80s.

We also look at some notable people with connections to the 80s that we lost over the last year.  And then I turn the show over to you to take a look at who you all are, where you're listening from, and your favorite episodes and 1980s topics from the last year.

• Gremlins movie review: Patreon.com/80s

It's Christmas Eve, so we're rewinding the VHS tape to revisit 10 iconic 1980s TV Christmas specials. 

In this remastered edition of one of my previous shows, we dive back into the golden age of holiday programming, when we were all watching the same things at the same time.

Highlights of this episode include a few comic strips that came to the small screen, a few Christmas offerings from Jim Henson (including the one that appears to have influenced a future Pixar film), and a certain Saturday morning performer making his prime-time debut.

This list includes a few classics, some you may have forgotten about, and some that may be brand-new to you. But they were all a big part of the holiday season during the 1980s.

• Support the podcast and get bonus audio content: Patreon.com/80s

Welcome to the annual Everything 80s Christmas special! There really was nothing like the holiday season during the 1980s, and today, we'll take a look back at:

• The knock-off versions of some of the big toys of the 80s that began to appear on toy shelves
• A unique new holiday catalog that combined several iconic 1980s brands and TV shows
• The holiday versions of some of our favorite breakfast cereals
• A lesser-known, but unique TV Christmas special that combined two of the biggest network stars of the decade

So, sit back, relax, and let's journey back to the holiday season during the 1980s

• Support the show and get bonus 1980s content: Patreon.com/80s

What began as a simple doll sold at craft fairs in the 1970s soon became one of the biggest toy fads in history. After beggning their life as "doll babies," the soft and playable dolls went through some more changes before becoming the Cabbage Patch Kids.

And their release in 1983 couldn't have been timed out better, as, coming out of the Great Video Game Crash, there was a return to simple, more traditional toys. But then something happened...

The growing popularity, combined with a very short supply, led to one of the biggest toy crazes of all time. Heading into the holiday season of 1983, utter chaos emerged in retail, and toy stores everywhere...

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She-Ra: Princess of Power wasn't just a He-Man spinoff, but a standalone character with her own persona, legacy, and mythology.

She was a bold experiment by Mattel and Filmation to crack into multiple toy markets at the same time, while also growing the He-Man brand. 

From breaking the "Smurfette principle" to its unique introduction, She-Ra quickly became a defining 1980s brand. 

Today, we look back at the creation, launch, and success of what ended up being a relatively short-lived toy and 1980s cartoon that still managed to make a huge dent in 1980s pop culture. 

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Over the years, there's been a steady return to traditional media. From vinyl albums to 4K Blu-ray, people want to hold--and own--the content they love. There's also been a return to traditional film. 

Our digital, streaming age is incredible, but sometimes it can feel like something is missing. And if you're a fan of 1980s movies, that means seeing these films we love, the way they were meant to be seen. 

Traditional film, such as 35mm and 70mm, is making a comeback as real film provides a richer, more organic movie-watching experience compared to digital projection. 

To look deeper into this, I took a trip to an independent cinema to talk to a true film projectionist and learn about the movies we grew up watching, and the theatres we watched them in. 

• The Hyland Cinema: hylandcinema.com
• The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s