In 1983, Coleco launched the Adam--a bold attempt to turn its hit ColecoVision video game console into a full-fledged home computer.

By this point in the 80s, Coleco had made a huge dent in the video game market, and, at the same time, was behind one of the biggest toy crazes in history.

With all their success--and deep pockets--was Coleco ready to take on the big PC players like Apple, IBM, and Commodore? What Coleco released ended up becoming one of the most infamous product failures of the entire 1980s.

It's the story that includes leather shoes, Pong, and Full House, and it's a look at how cruel the world of 1980s technology could really be.

• Karate Kid movie review: Patreon.com/80s

If you grew up watching Wheel of Fortune, you probably read the title of this episode the same way the audience would call it out during the show's opening.

That's the cultural impact Wheel of Fortune had; it's the game show that goes back to the mid-70s but really rose to prominence in the 1980s.

Not only did the format change in the 80s, but the show made the big move from daytime to the evening. The 1980s are also when the world first met Pat Sajak and Vanna White.

So grab some consonants and a vowel as we dive into the history of one of the most popular game shows in history: Wheel of Fortune.

• Get access to new shows early, and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

The Care Bears weren't just colorful, stuffed animals--they were one of the biggest cultural and business success stories of the 1980s.

From a simple sketch to the eureka moment of their final creation, the story of the Care Bears is a testament to how to launch a child's brand with surgical precision.

When they finally hit shelves in 1983, it didn't take long for the Care Bears to become a pop culture phenomenon. With their very specific and strategic rollout, the Care Bears were hard to ignore.

Today, we look back at the history of a defining 1980s brand, the brand that may have been the gold standard in how to promote a kids' toy. Not only did the Care Bears become a billion-dollar brand, but they also beat Disney at their own game, and may have also led to the death of a beloved cartoon character...

• Karate Kid movie review: Patreon.com/80s

When it came out in the summer of 1983, War Games was seen as a fun, summertime popcorn movie. But was the premise of this film starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy more realistic than we realized?

Welcome to a free preview of the Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast, which you can find at Patreon.com/80s. In this episode, we look back on the movie that was a bit of a surprise hit and went on to become a 1980s classic.

But, at the same time, War Games raised some serious questions--questions that even went all the way to the White House...

• The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Even though part of it was considered the Bronze Age, the comic books of the 1980s were like a golden age for kids who grew up during that time. It was the decade that saw massive changes to how comics were distributed, but also a time that saw a significant shift in how comic book stories were told.

The big two--Marvel and DC--were still on top, but something was changing... an independent boom was taking place, and underground and indie comic books were blazing their own trail. And there was one specific creation that would go on to become one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons of all time...

So let's go back to the decade when you could spend all day in the comic book store. A time that not only saw the end of the Bronze Age of comic books--but the introduction of a brand new, Modern Age.

• Special guest: Alex Grand: comicbookhistorians.com
• Alex's book: Understanding Superhero Comic Books

Get the first look at new episodes early, and ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

It could not have come out at a better time...When the Happy Meal was first launched at the end of the 1970s, it entered the 1980s as the perfect merchandising vehicle.

Not only did the Happy Meal give us some of the most beloved toys and promotions of the decade, but it also ushered in a whole new era for McDonald's.

This is a look back at one of the most famous fast food items in history, an item with humble origins that quickly became a fast food juggernaut.

We'll look back at the creation, launch, and the success of the childhood favorite, some of those favorite Happy Meal toys and promotions, then a deep dive into the psychology that made the Happy Meal irresistible to kids.

It's the story that includes breakfast cereals, Boss Hogg, French chefs, and, most importantly: Ronald Reagan...

• Get early access to new episodes, ad-free: Patreon.com/80s

It was a Sunday night like any other. But for those living in Chicago, it would be a night they would not soon forget. For those tuning in to WGN-TV, their broadcast was interrupted by the most unlikely of people, one of the most popular characters of the 1980s: Max Headroom.

Why did Max Headroom, or what appeared to be Max Headroom, now appear on their screens? Just as soon as this TV hijacking had begun, the screen went blank and normal programming resumed.

But just two hours later--it happened again. This time it was WTTW. But during this broadcast interruption, things got much more disturbing...

Today, we look back at one of the most bizarre unsolved mysteries of the 1980s: The Max Headroom Incident.

• Weird Science movie review: Patreon.com/80s

Today, we delve into the fascinating--and somewhat controversial--creation of the movie rating that changed Hollywood forever: PG-13.

Born out of the wave of 1980s blockbuster movies that pushed the boundaries of family entertainment, PG-13 was the solution to a rapidly growing problem: there was no middle ground between PG and R-rated movies.

We'll look back at some of the 1980s movies that led to a call for change, and the two specific movies that pushed it over the edge--two movies connected to Steven Spielberg.

And it would be Spielberg himself who led the charge for a brand new rating, a rating that would change movies as we know them, and usher in a whole new era for how Hollywood made and marketed movies.

• Weird Science movie review: Patreon.com/80s