«« Mini-Rewind ««

• September 27, 1986, tragedy struck when a tour bus carrying the band Metallica crashed in Sweden, killing their bassist, Cliff Burton.

• Charlotte Rae left the role of Mrs. Garrett & was replaced by Cloris Leachman on September 27, 1986.

• The NBC sitcom “Amen” starring Sherman Hemsley debuted September 27, 1986. The series ran for five seasons and aired a total of 110 episodes.

• Roxette released their hit single “Listen to Your Heart” (Sep. 27, 1988). The song was the second single from their debut album Look Sharp!.

• Billy Joel released the single “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Sep 27, 1989).

• Sep 28 The sci/fi tv series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" debuted today in 1987. The series aired 178 episodes over the course of seven seasons.

• "Let's Get It Started", the first official major-label studio album M.C. Hammer was released today in 1988. The double platinum album featured hit songs "Pump It Up", "Let's Get It Started" and "Turn This Mutha Out".

• The CBS sitcom "Designing Women" debuted on tv (Sep 29) in 1986. The series ran for seven seasons and 163 episodes.

• The t.v. show that featured the man who could do it all (with some bubble gum & a paper clip) debuted September 29, 1985 - "MacGyver". Starring Richard Dean Anderson, the series ran for seven seasons and aired 139 episodes.

• "Tales from the Darkside" debuted on tv on September 30, 1984 (the pilot episode aired on October 29, 1983). The horror series ran for four seasons and aired 89 episodes (plus the pilot).

• (September 30, 1982) Marvin Gaye released his hit single "Sexual Healing" from his album Midnight Love (1982).

• "Remington Steele" starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan debuted on NBC October 1, 1982. The series ran for five years and aired a total of 94 episodes.

• “Mr. Wizard’s World” debuted on Nickelodeon (October 1, 1983). The series ran for 6 seasons and aired a total of 78 episodes.

• "Friday the 13th: The Series" debuted (October 3) in 1987. The series ran for three seasons and aired a total of 71 episodes.

• The hit CBS show "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" debuted on tv in 1983 (October 3). The series ran for four seasons and aired a total of 88 episodes.

• The hit single "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson was released October 3, 1983. The song was recorded during production of McCartney's '82 Tug of War album, about a year before the release of "The Girl Is Mine", the pair's first duet.

Murder, She Wrote was one of those shows that somehow felt both cozy and suspenseful at the same time, which is probably why it became such a massive hit in the ’80s. It starred Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, a widowed English teacher turned mystery novelist who just happened to be really good at solving actual murders. The setup was classic: every week, Jessica would find herself caught up in yet another suspicious death - whether in her hometown of Cabot Cove, Maine (which had a suspiciously high crime rate for such a quaint little place) or while traveling around the world.

What made the show work wasn’t just the whodunits - it was Lansbury herself. She played Jessica as smart, kind, and sharp as a tack, the kind of character you couldn’t help but root for. Instead of tough cops or hardened detectives, you had this warm, grandmotherly figure who always outsmarted everyone with logic, intuition, and a lot of charm.

The show ran for 12 seasons starting in 1984 and pulled in huge ratings, especially with older audiences, but really it appealed to anyone who loved a good mystery. Today, it’s remembered as one of the quintessential comfort shows of the ’80s: murder made cozy.

If you grew up in the ’80s, chances are you remember M.A.S.K. - and no, not the Jim Carrey movie or the pandemic accessory, but the cartoon with transforming vehicles and high-tech helmets. The show, which aired from 1985 to 1986, was kind of a mash-up between G.I. Joe and Transformers. You had Matt Trakker leading the good guys (M.A.S.K.- Mobile Armored Strike Kommand) against the evil organization V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem). Even the names were gloriously over the top.

The hook was simple but brilliant: cars, trucks, and motorcycles that looked normal at first glance but could transform into battle-ready machines. A Camaro that turned into a jet? A motorcycle that split into a helicopter? Yes, please. Add in helmets with unique powers - like lasers, force fields, and invisibility - and every episode was basically a toy commercial kids actually wanted to watch.

And that’s exactly what it was: part action-packed cartoon, part marketing juggernaut. The toys were just as big as the show, with kids begging for Boulder Hill playsets or Matt Trakker’s Thunderhawk. Looking back, M.A.S.K. didn’t last as long as some other ’80s cartoons, but it left a lasting impression as one of those series that perfectly captured the era’s mix of adventure, tech obsession, and Saturday morning fun.

Max Headroom was one of the strangest, most unforgettable pop culture experiments of the 1980s. If you remember him, you know exactly what I mean. He wasn’t even a “real” person - he was a computer-generated TV host played by actor Matt Frewer under heavy prosthetics, designed to look like the world’s first digital personality. With his stuttering speech, glitchy edits, and sarcastic wit, Max felt futuristic and unsettling, yet somehow funny and cool at the same time.

He started off in a British TV movie called Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future, which was this dark, cyberpunk-style story about media control. From there, he became a pitchman for Coca-Cola, hosted a music video show, and eventually starred in his own American TV series. At the height of his popularity, Max was everywhere - you’d catch him on commercials, late-night TV, and even as a talking head commenting on real-world events.

The character tapped into ’80s fears and fascinations: technology taking over, media overload, and the blending of real and artificial. Looking back, Max Headroom was ahead of his time, almost predicting today’s virtual influencers and AI personas. He was weird, satirical, and totally ’80s - and that’s exactly why people still talk about him.

🎧 Retro Picks of the Week

📺 T.V. Show: Charles in Charge was a lighthearted sitcom from the mid-’80s starring Scott Baio as a college student who worked as a live-in babysitter for a family. The show mixed wholesome comedy with everyday teenage mishaps, making Charles the go-to “big brother” figure audiences loved.

📼 Movie: The Big Chill (1983) is a heartfelt dramedy about a group of old college friends reuniting after a friend’s funeral, spending a weekend reflecting on their past and what’s become of their lives. With its sharp dialogue, emotional honesty, and unforgettable Motown soundtrack, it perfectly captured the anxieties and nostalgia of a generation coming of age in the ’80s.

🎵 Song: Alphaville’s 1984 single Forever Young is a dreamy synth-pop anthem that captured the mix of youthful optimism and Cold War–era uncertainty. Its haunting lyrics and lush melodies made it an enduring ’80s classic, still resonating as a nostalgic call to hold on to youth and hope. It was the first slow song danced to with my high school sweetheart :)

🕹️ Video Game: Track & Field (1983) was a button-mashing arcade classic that let players compete in Olympic-style events like sprinting, long jump, and javelin throw. Its fast-paced gameplay and competitive spirit made it a staple in arcades and an early pioneer of multiplayer sports games.

👾 Cartoon: GoBots was an ’80s cartoon about transforming robots from the planet Gobotron, split between the heroic Guardians and the evil Renegades. Produced by Hanna-Barbera, it hit TV screens in 1984 - just before Transformers - and was paired with a full line of toy robots. While it never reached the same cultural heights as its rival, GoBots still holds a nostalgic place as many kids’ first introduction to shape-shifting robot adventures. Sorry GoBots, I had a few, but Transformers owned my toy box growing up.