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 around the world...

Whether you played knifey-spoony before or not, it was hard not to be aware of the Australian influence. From Kylie Minogue to Midnight Oil, and Paul Hogan to Yahoo Serious, the Aussies made a big impact on 1980s pop culture. 

Book: Beyond the Film: The Making of VHS Favorites From the Video Store Era

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

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 there are also some great deep cuts and some true blasts from the past. 

These are cartoons that could have been huge, but whether it was bad time slots--or all the competition--just weren't able to break through.

Some of them include a Voltron alternative, NBC's Saturday morning answer to MTV, characters that also started out as greeting cards, and a big swing by the company best known for bringing us beloved Christmas specials.

Field of Dreams movie review: Patreon.com/80s

"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 of the real process that led Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David to create one of the biggest and most successful shows in television history.

Today we travel back to 1988 to witness the origins, creation, and everything that went into the launch of the very first episode of Seinfeld, a pilot dubbed "The Seinfeld Chronicles" that first aired on July 5th, 1989.

It was a pilot that seemed dead in the water as the network, test audiences, and even some of the cast didn't think it had a chance of success. But little did everyone know what this tiny show about nothing would eventually become...

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

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 the show that caught everyone off guard when it became a surprise hit. This hit quickly spread worldwide, and the giant robot soon became a cornerstone of 1980s pop culture. This is the history of...Voltron.

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

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, but above all: affordable.

The C64 is the computer that also changed the gaming industry forever, and quickly went on to become one of the most succesful--and best-selling--personal computers in history. 

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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, the various names it went through, the success, competition, downfall, and resurgance. We'll also take a look at Chuck E. Cheese himself, a spokescharacter with a more detailed--and emotional--backstory than you might realize...

Support the show and get access to the Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

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 almost went by an entirely different name... 

It was a film that one of its stars believed would ruin everyone's career, but it ended up becoming a cultural touchstone spreading into all aspects of pop culture. 

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

"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 back on a tumultuous decade for the Big Apple and how it started to turn the corner.

But a lot of amazing things came out of NYC in the 80s, and we also look back on the music scene, Broadway, and a lot of beloved 1980s movies set in Manhattan.

Special Guest: Greg Young (The Bowery Boys History Podcast)

National Lampoon's Vacation Movie Review: Patreon.com/80s

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... Today, we look back on some video game systems that came and went quickly, others that got caught up in all the competition, and a few that even gave Atari a run for its money.

The NeverEnding Story movie review: Patreon.com/80s

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 managed to turn the corner, and then brought us some of the best performers, writers, and sketches in the history of the show.

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

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 believed in. Not only was Batman facing a giant uphill battle to get made, but the casting of the Caped Crusader created one of the biggest fan backlashes ever.

Despite all the challenges, Batman hit theatres--but then it had to compete during one of the biggest summers in movie history...

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