We you 80's child? If some of these TV shows make you feel warm and fuzzy and nostalgic inside, then you probably are ! As a kid in the 80s TV was everything, especially with working parents. We didn't get to watch a huge amount but we definitely milked it as much as we could.
With my bag brand Goodordering, i was inspired by childhood and our nostalgic memories of those golden years where there didn't seem to be a worry in the world. I love all things animated, drawn and i think my bags take the form of the simple line drawings of the animations from the 1980s and before.
We have some more great 80's references complied in our 80's PINTEREST BOARD. Check it out for more 80s warm and fuzzies.
Danger Mouse
UK cartoon Danger Mouse was an absolute classic. At one point in the early 1980s the show rated higher than Coronation street. David Cosgrove, the creator, director and animator of the show said "Danger Mouse was a mouse living in a world of humans. When he drives around London, his car is mouse-sized – he could get stepped on!"
Here is a clip from a classic Danger Mouse episode. You can stream more on Youtube. Its so much fun!
Punky Brewster
is an American sitcom television series about a young girl played by Soleil Moon Frye being raised by a her foster dad. She always wore really colourful clothes and had a spunky attitude. The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984, to March 9, 1986.
Inspector Gadget
This kids 80's tv show was about a dimwitted inspector and his niece Penny who solve crimes together with a dog called Brain. It was mainly Penny (the niece) who solved most of the crimes and Inspector Gadget was always getting himself into messes of one kind or another. Dr Claw is the nemesis who we never see. Penny also had a book which was very much like today's smart phone, fancy that! She also had an apple watch decades before they were invented !
I used to watch this most evenings before bath time. The one thing about all of these 80s kids tv shows is that the theme songs are REALLY really catchy. Check out the video below for the Inspector Gadget theme song - 'go gadget go!"
He Man
Originally designed as a viking, He-man and the Masters of the Universe were one of the most successful toy stories of all time. If you are a He-man fan then you are not alone, read 17 more amazing facts about the brand HERE. I remember my brothers watching and collecting the figurines. It was hours of fighting and fun.
Astro Boy
Astro Boy is a Japanese animated cartoon which follows the life of the half boy, half-robot and his adventures saving lives and the universe. The creater Hisashi Katsuta just died last year (Feb 2020) at age 92. The series was key in developing Japan's anime and manga industry and was shown all around the world. I grew up in Australia and it was huge there. The combination of emotion and fighting made this series really popular across lots of ages. I know it was a firm favourite in our household.
Monkey Magic
In the Worlds before Monkey,
Primal chaos reigned, Heaven sought order.
But the Phoenix can fly only when its feathers are grown.
The four worlds formed again and yet again,
As endless aeons wheeled and passed.
Time and the pure essences of Heaven,
The moistures of the Earth,
And the powers of the Sun and the Moon
All worked upon a certain rock - old as Creation,
And it magically became fertile.
That first egg was named Thought,
Tathagata Buddha, the Father Buddha,
Said, 'With our thoughts we make the world.'
Elemantal forces caused the egg to hatch,
from it then came a stone Monkey.
The nature of Monkey was irrepressable!
Two 26-episode seasons ran in Japan: the first season ran from October 1978 to April 1979, and the second one from November 1979 to May 1980. Monkey rode on a cloud and the horse who carried buddha occasionally turned into a person. Its definitely a show to reminisce on as an adult. I am tempted to watch the series again now. The cool thing about Monkey Magic is that its also educational, the story of Monkey is loosely based on a 16th century chinese book called 'Journey to the West' by Ch'eng-en about a monk who goes on a journey from China to India. In the TV show Tripitaka is accompanied and protected by three mythical people/animals called Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy. Their task was to collect the Buddhist scriptures from India and take them back to China for translation. Here is some more cool information about the show which was first commissioned in 1978. Check out the Monkey Mania website.
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock , the kids puppet series from the 1980s was probably the most underrated of the Jim Hensen projects. Sure, we all were completely obsessed with it, but it only lasted five seasons. The theme song is so catchy i could have it in my head for days. There are some more interesting facts about Fraggle rock HERE. The show debuted in 1983 and the creator Jim Henson described the Fraggle Rock series as "a high-energy, raucous musical romp. It's a lot of silliness. It's wonderful." I definitely have good care free memories of watching this show when i was a kid.
Do you have some other favourite 80s tv shows you used to watch? Please leave your favourite in the comments below!!