Mental Floss

THE '80S

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When 'Dallas' debuted in 1978, the world wasn’t quite ready for the nighttime soap opera. The first season consisted of a five-hour mini-series, and the second season expanded into 24 episodes; both seasons had low ratings.

Garin Pirnia
IStock

From the mid to late 1980s, the most ubiquitous road sign didn’t advise you to stop, obey the speed limit, or be mindful of crossing deer. Instead, it was diamond-shaped, used a black-on-yellow color scheme, and came with a stern warning for nearby driver

Jake Rossen






Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

In 1983, Jim Henson unleashed a new kind of family entertainment on the world with 'Fraggle Rock'. Here are 17 things you might not know about the beloved series and its cast of characters.

Jennifer M Wood


Christopher Reeve stars in Superman (1978).

Today, comic book movies are ubiquitous. But these comic book superheroes might never have made the move from the page to the screen if it weren't for the success of Richard Donner’s 'Superman: The Movie' (1978).

Matthew Jackson










Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, and Jon Cryer in Pretty in Pink (1986).

By February 1986, John Hughes had established himself as the king of teen movies with hits like 'Sixteen Candles,' 'Weird Science,' and 'The Breakfast Club.' Then came 'Pretty in Pink.'

Garin Pirnia


J.C.'s Channel, YouTube

When Atari released their video game adaptation of 'E.T. The Extraterrestrial' in 1982, they thought it would buoy their brand and help them compete with the growing home computer market.

Anna Green