Everything 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...

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...?

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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.

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