Toys R Us Commercials, 1980 & 1981

This is a bit of an experiment. In lieu of longform blogging for the time being, I'll just share quick, text-free bits of fun until I can get things going. Enjoy!

The Very First Episode of Solid Gold! September 13, 1980

 

Hello all! Today I'm sharing something I just found literally five minutes ago.

Today I present the very first episode of the hit syndicated 1980s music series Solid Gold. This series is mandatory viewing for learning 80s pop culture, especially music! Solid Gold captured the zeitgiest of the decade: music (of course), TV, movies, fashion, you name it, everything that was 80s was in this show.

Being the first episode from the first season in the fall of 1980, there's still some '70s influence here, but the episode lays the groundwork for the series' installments to come. Initially hosted by Dionne Warwick, later hosts would include Marilyn McCoo, Jose Feliciano, and Andy Gibb.

If you're the 80s fanatic that I am, you should find this to be a real treat--even the cringy parts. Enjoy below, or directly on YouTube here!

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve '86

 

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the Rockin' Eve production I featured earlier this week that welcomed 1982. Today, I feature the show that welcomed 1986. Enjoy below or on YouTube here.

I'll be back after the holiday. Happy New Year!

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve '82

 

Hello all! I hope you had a very Merry Christmas--I certainly did! I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family, great gifts, and great food. That's all you can ask for Christmas! Now it's time to look ahead to New Year's Day, and we do that with the full presentation of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve welcoming in 1982!

Every network has it's own New Year's Eve program these days, but back in the day, Dick Clark was the only game in town. Here he welcomes 1982 with performances by Alabama, Rick Springfield, Barry Manilow, and others. Hosted by Charlene Tilton and Tom Wopat (man, this really IS 1982!)

Enjoy the show below or directly on YouTube here. I hope to have another Dick Clark program this week. Thanks!

TV Commercials for Children's Christmas Music Albums

 

One of the joys of being a child in the '80s was being the target of many commercials for various products. It made us feel special to know that things were being made just for us. This was especially true around Christmas, and one of the things marketed heavily to us were christmas music albums.

They usually aired in the fall to allow plenty of time for delivery before the season, but it excited us to see them as a sign that Christmas was soon approaching. Here are a few examples.

Here are two commercials for Christmas albums created by Disney. I loved seeing these ads appear every year! Unfortunately, I never had either of these albums myself.

One I'm not sure I remember, but I find amusing nonetheless, is this commercial for a Christmas album recorded by...the Smurfs! This recording has nothing to do with the US TV cartoon, so don't expect the voices to sound like the cartoon, but if the Smurfs are your thing, this might be for you!

I'm sure the audio for these albums can be found on YouTube, so if you have the urge, I suggest you search there. I just might do the same myself.

Thanks!

Saturday Night Live, "The Contestant," starring Martin Short (1984)

 

As promised this past Monday, I have a fun clip of Martin Short from his one and only season as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. In fact, I believe this was his first starring skit on the show!

In "The Contestant," his original character Ed Grimley is present to audition as a contestant on the legendary game show Wheel of Fortune in front of a dispondent (to say the least!) producer, played dryly by the great Christopher Guest. I love Short, I love Ed Grimley, and I love this season of SNL--one of my favorite seasons of the series.

Enjoy!

The Fall Guy, "October the 32nd"

It's Friday, we made it! And because you worked so hard this week, you deserve a treat instead of a trick. And my treat for you this weekend is a second Halloween episode of the 1980s action series The Fall Guy!

I featured the first Halloween episode of this series during last year's Countdown, and was surprised to learn earlier this month that there was a second one. Not only that, like the first episode, this episode also features everyone's favorite Mistress of the Dark, Elvira!

The episode title is "October the 32nd," a play on the previous season's Halloween episode title "October the 31st," and the plot is...well, who cares what the plot is. It's Elvira on The Fall Guy, that's the plot!

Enjoy, and have a great weekend! Be spooky!

Amazing Stories, "Mummy, Daddy" (1985)

 

Hello again! Welcome to the first "real" post for this year's Countdown to Halloween. To start off the event properly, I present an episode of the 1980s fantasy anthology series Amazing Stories.

Amazing Stories, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, was a series on NBC that presented a different story of the fantastic every week: some scary, some sweet, all featuring a story of the supernatural, otherworldly, or scientific.

In this episode, "Mummy, Daddy," a horror movie actor, in full costume as a mummy for his latest movie, is trying to find his way to the birth of his new baby. However, a real mummy coincidentally makes his moves on the town the same night as the actor is on the way to his baby's birth. Confusion and hilarity ensue.

I was a fan of this series during its run, and this episode, which first aired October 27, 1985, is one of my favorites. Thanks to Twitter/X user Retro Art Blog for reminding me of this.

Enjoy!

Saturday Supercade: Donkey Kong, "How Much Is That Gorilla in the Window"

The Super Mario Brothers Movie is majorly cleaning up at box offices worldwide. It's been the number one movie for three weeks in a row and has quickly become one of the biggest animated movies of all time. But this isn't the first time Mario has appeared in animated form. Far from it! His first animated appearance was 40 years ago!

Saturday Supercade was a Saturday morning cartoon show that appeared on CBS from the fall of 1983 to the spring of 1985. The program consisted of several animated shorts featuring various popular video game characters. Donkey Kong led off each hour, and like the video game, featured the gorilla Donkey Kong racing off with Mario's girlfriend Pauline, with Mario himself in hot pursuit.

In honor of the new movie, I present the OG animated Mario for historical purposes. Please note that these cartoons weren't actually good, but I feature it today anyway just to show how far Mario has come.

Enjoy!

Valentine's Day TV Commercials

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

And what better way to celebrate a day devoted to love than with--commerce!

Today I present a few Valentine's Day TV commercials. I post holiday-related commercials all the time, but I don't think I've ever posted them for Valentine's Day before. Here goes!

Celebrate your sweetie with a Carvel ice cream cake!

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown is one of the most underrated Peanuts specials, and you should seek it out if you haven't seen it. Here is a quick promo for the special from 1979, preceded by another romatic program--an episode of the live action Spider-Man series. OK, maybe not.

McDonald's commercials are a longtime staple of this blog. Here is one for awesome-looking Valentines featuring your favorite McDonaldland characters!

This is a touching commercial from Kmart, featuring a teenage boy preparing a lovely Valentine's Day for his suprising sweetheart. Awwww!

Here is a low-tech and local commerical for Philadelphia Candies from 1987. Local, low-tech, from the '80s, and Philly-centric. It hits all my sweet spots!

Finally, here is another commerical from 1987, this time for the long-gone discount chain Woolworth's. I think everyone from Generation X and older has at least one fond memory of Woolworth's, if not more!

Once again, Happy Valentine's Day. Show your special someone how much you love them!

I may have another Valentine's Day post later this week. Stay tuned, and thanks!

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve '79

Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas or Hanukkah. But the holidays aren't over yet. We have one more celebration before we put a wrap on the holiday season--New Year's Day! And I can't think of a better way to celebrate the new year than by--celebrating an old year!

When I was growing up in my house in the '70s and '80s, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve was a yearly tradition. I wouldn't think of ringing in the new year without it! And here is an example of what made the broadcast so fun. Here is the one that welcomed 1979, and it's filled with late '70s goodness. Put on your platform shoes and dance along with everyone. Check it out embedded below or directly on YouTube here.

Enjoy! And stay tuned if you do enjoy it, because I think I'll post one or two more before 2022 is over.

Thanks!

Dancin' On Air Christmas Episode from 1981

This is it! The final week until Christmas. It's down to the wire. Let's party! And today, we party like it's 1981!

Today I feature an early episode of the local Philadephia series Dancin' On Air. It was a successor of sorts to Bandstand, in which local teens dance on camera to the hits of the day. This is a Christmas-themed episode from its inaugural year, 1981.

Admittedly, there's not much Christmasy about this episode with the exception of the studio decorations, but I'll use any excuse to showcase Philly 80sness.

Enjoy! You can also see the episode on YouTube here.

 

Max Headroom Christmas Special (1986)

 

Wait-wait-wait-wait WHAT? Max Headroom had a Christmas special?

Yep! And I'm as surprised as you are!

I knew Max Headroom had released a Christmas music single, "Merry Christmas, Santa Claus," back in the day, because I saw it on the shelf at Tower Records in Philadelphia in 1986 and contemplated buying it (I didn't). What I didn't know was that the song was part of a full Christmas TV special.

The Max Headroom Christmas Special debuted in the US on Cinemax on December 18, 1986; it was later shown in the UK on December 26 of that year under the name Max Headroom's Giant Christmas Turkey. The show features Max, played by Canadian comedian and actor Matt Frewer, being Max--singing, talking to friends and celebrities, including Robin Williams and Tina Turner, and being his usual zany, stuttering self. Rocker Dave Edmunds also appears.

Oddball specials such as this are one of the things that keep me blogging all these years. I love finding this strange, forgotten stuff and sharing it with others, especially when it's something I didn't know existed before.

Enjoy! You can also watch the special directly on YouTube here.

This is the last weekend before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so make it a jolly one! And starting this Sunday night--Happy Hannukah!

A Rock 'N' Roll Christmas, 1988 TV Special

 

Welcome to the first "real" article for my 2022 Countdown to Christmas! And today we have a rockin' good way to kick off the holidays. Today I present the 1988 TV special A Rock 'N' Roll Christmas!

This special aired during the holiday season of 1988 on the Fox network, and features clips of famous rock artists performing holiday hits, including John Mellencamp, Pat Benatar, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, Little Richard, Eddie Money, Elton John, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, and more. It's a who's who of mainstream rock artists up to that point! Dennis Miller, who was a big star on Saturday Night Live at the time, is the host.

If you love rockin' Christmas tunes, this is the show for you. You can watch below or directly on YouTube at this link. Enjoy!

The Fall Guy, "October the 31st," Guest Starring Elvira

 

Well, this is it! The last weekend before Halloween and my penultimate article for the Countdown. Time certainly does fly, but what a time we've been having along the way!

The last long-form program for the Countdown is a fun one. Today I feature a Halloween episode of the '80s action series The Fall Guy. The series stars Lee Majors as Colt Seavers, a full-time Hollywood stunt man and part-time bounty hunter who, with help from his friends, captures crooks on the run for extra money.

In this episode, Colt is supposed to be part of a horror movie starring Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (played, of course, by the always wonderful Cassandra Peterson) filming in an old house, but the owner of the house refuses to let the crew film there. Soon after, supernatural hijinks happen--or are they really supernatural?

The Fall Guy was always a lighthearted series, but this episode is even more tongue in cheek than usual. And they're not just paying lip service to Halloween with an episode title like "October the 31st." This episode actually aired on Halloween night, 1984.

Enjoy! Make the most of this last spooky weekend! Please come back Monday for my last article for the Countdown to Halloween!

Square Pegs, "Halloween XII"

 

Hey there, Generation X! Today we get totally tubular on the Countdown with a Halloween episode of the short-lived early '80s sitcom Square Pegs.

In this series, two nerdy high school girls, played by Amy Linker and Sarah Jessica Parker (yes, THAT Sarah Jessica Parker) go to great lengths to be popular, with usually unsuccessful results. The show includes the usual cast of offbeat suburban teens you'll find in most '80s projects, but the show still has a sweetness and charm that many other '80s teen shows lack. And the show is dripping with 80s-ness. You'd think it was a modern day period piece laying the '80s on thick, but no, this is just the way the show is. I love it!

In this episode, the girls are suprised to be invited to a Halloween party for the cool kids. But after awhile, they suspect they are being watched. For nefarious purposes, maybe?

Tune in and see. Enjoy! Totally!

Garfield in Paradise (1986)

 

Aloha! Welcome to Summer 2022!

Well, it's summer depending on how you look at it. For a majority of Americans, summer starts with Memorial Day Weekend. For others, it's whenever they finish the school season. Still others wait until the calendar says so, this year stating June 21st. However you declare it, I hope you have a fantastic summer!

For the purposes of this blog, summer starts right now, and we begin with an animated treat: Garfield in Paradise!

First airing on this very day back in 1986, the special stars Garfield, Odie, and Jon Arbuckle booking themselves a Hawaiian vacation, only to find they've been sold a bill of goods. They instead go on their own looking for a Hawaiian adventure, and they find it with a bunch of rock 'n' rolling native habitants, including their leader, voiced by none other than the late great Wolfman Jack!

It's a rockin', rollin', good time with Garfield and friends. Enjoy!

Have a great, safe, wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation!

ABC Weekend Special, "The Adventures of a Two-Minute Werewolf"

 

Welcome to Friday! This means we have a long-form program to share, and this week it's something I've been looking for for years and couldn't find it--until now! Today I present the 1985 ABC Weekend Special "The Adventures of a Two-Minute Werewolf!"

The ABC Weekend Special aired on ABC for a number of years as part of the network's Saturday morning lineup, scheduled after the earlier morning cartoons and before American Bandstand, and was aimed at a preteen audience. As for this particular installment, I'm going to borrow the description from the YouTube user who uploaded it, as it's clear and concise:

"13-year-old Walt Cribbens finds himself transforming into a werewolf for two minutes at a time. He has no idea why he is a werewolf, so he decides to seek answers with the help of his best friend Cindy, who witnessed his very first transformation. This quest is complicated by a series of local robberies that throw suspicion on Walt."

I remember this being a lot of fun, so I hope you enjoy as well.

Have a great weekend! Look out for Michael Myers, he's back in town!

You Can't Do That On Television, "Halloween"

Today's Countdown post should be a fun one for Generation X readers out there. Today I present an episode of the fondly remembered '80s Nickelodeon series You Can't Do That On Television.

You Can't was a Canadian-produced sketch comedy show aimed at pre-teens. The series began airing locally in Ottawa in 1979 before going national in Canada and in the US on Nickelodeon in 1981. The show became a huge hit for Nick, becoming the most famous show on the network at the time. The green slime poured on the show's young performers remains associated with the network to this very day.

Each episode's skits revolved around a particular theme, and in this episode, that theme is Halloween. This video is courtesy of the Museum of Classic Chicago Television, a YouTube channel that is a showcase of classic TV recorded in the Chicago area. It's one of my favorite YT channels; check them out!

Enjoy!

Fridays, "Diner of the Living Dead"

 

Today on the Countdown I offer a fun, if gross, skit from the infamous 1980s comedy series Fridays.

Fridays aired for three seasons on ABC in the early 80s and featured future Seinfeld co-creator Larry David and cast member Michael Richards ("Kramer"). The skit below is one of the earliest, and most notorious, of the entire series. On the third episode of the first season, "Diner of the Living Dead" aired, about a young human couple looking for a bite to eat, and stop at a local diner--completely staffed by flesh-eating zombies.

The skit is pretty gory for a comedy show, even one airing late at night, and a decent number of ABC affiliates were so offended by the sketch that they dropped the series from their schedules

So I choose to show it to you now. Enjoy!

Just don't watch while eating!