K-9 & Company
BBC1 broadcasts the pilot (and only) episode of the first Doctor Who spin-off ever to see production, K-9 & Company. Focusing on K-9 and Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), the pilot fails to attract enough of an audience to make it a viable series prospect, though the inclusion of a black magic storyline in a spin-off aimed at Doctor Who’s younger viewers may have some bearing on the decision to abandon the idea. Bill Fraser and Colin Jeavons guest star. A spin-off series involving Sarah Jane and K-9 does eventually appear, but not until 2007.
More about K-9 & Company in the LogBook
Hear about it on the Sci-Fi 5 podcast
Tales Of The Unexpected: Hijack
ITV airs the 51st episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Denis Quilley guest stars in the fourth season finale.
More about Tales Of The Unexpected in theLogBook.com Store
Tales Of The Unexpected now streaming on Amazon Prime
Darkroom: Episode 5
NBC airs the fifth episode of Darkroom, a horror anthology hosted by James Coburn. The series features multiple stories per episode; this installment includes The Partnership, guest starring David Carradine (Kung Fu), Daisies, guest starring Rue McClanahan (The Golden Girls), and Catnip, guest starring Karin Argoud (Mama’s Family).
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Blake’s 7: Blake
BBC1 premieres the 52nd and final episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. By all accounts one of the most memorable and unsettling television finales ever, the final episode hints strongly that evil has triumphed, and some viewers already experiencing depression as the Christmas holiday closes in are extremely disturbed by the series’ conclusion. Gareth Thomas guest stars as Blake, bringing the series full circle.
More about Blake’s 7 in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Blake’s 7 now streaming on Britbox
Darkroom: Episode 4
NBC airs the fourth episode of Darkroom, a horror anthology hosted by James Coburn. The series features multiple stories per episode; this installment includes A Quiet Funeral, guest starring Carmen Argenziano (Stargate SG-1), and Make-Up, guest starring Billy Crystal and Brian Dennehy.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
The Greatest American Hero: The Lost Diablo
ABC airs the 15th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.
More about The Greatest American Hero in theLogBook.com Store
The Greatest American Hero now streaming on Amazon Prime
Blake’s 7: Warlord
BBC1 premieres the 60th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. This is Jacqueline Pearce’s final appearance as Servalan in the series.
More about Blake’s 7 in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Blake’s 7 now streaming on Britbox
Darkroom: Episode 3
NBC airs the third episode of Darkroom, a horror anthology hosted by James Coburn. The series features multiple stories per episode; this installment includes Needlepoint, guest starring Esther Rolle (Good Times), and Siege Of 31 August, guest starring Ronny Cox.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
The Greatest American Hero: The Beast In The Black
ABC airs the 14th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.
More about The Greatest American Hero in theLogBook.com Store
The Greatest American Hero now streaming on Amazon Prime
Blake’s 7: Orbit
BBC1 premieres the 60th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. John Savident guest stars.
More about Blake’s 7 in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Blake’s 7 now streaming on Britbox
Astronauts: Episode 7
ITV premieres the seventh episode of the sitcom Astronauts, concerning a fictional British space station crew aboard Skylab. This episode closes the first season of the show, and the show has proven popular enough to film a second season in 1982, though those episodes won’t air until 1983.
Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends: The Quest Of The Red Skull
NBC airs the 13th episode of the Marvel animated series Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends, starring the voices of Dan Gilvezan (Transformers), Kathy Garver (Family Affair), and Frank Welker (Scooby-Doo, Transformers, The Smurfs). This concludes the show’s first season.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Defender
Atari releases the home version of the arcade hit Defender as a cartridge for the Atari VCS home video game system. Though the game undergoes major alterations to fit within the VCS’ memory, Defender sells well. It includes the first issue of a tie-in comic book, Atari Force, created by DC Comics (a subsidiary of Warner Communications, just like Atari).
Darkroom: Episode 2
NBC airs the second episode of Darkroom, a horror anthology hosted by James Coburn. The series features multiple stories per episode; this installment includes The Bogeyman Will Get You, guest starring Helen Hunt (Mad About You, Twister) and Randy Powell (Logan’s Run), and Uncle George, guest starring Claude Akins and June Lockhart (Lost In Space).
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
The Greatest American Hero: Classical Gas
ABC airs the 13th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.
More about The Greatest American Hero in theLogBook.com Store
The Greatest American Hero now streaming on Amazon Prime
Games By Apollo founded
Newly exposed to the rapidly expanding video game industry, Dallas businessman Patrick Roper files incorporation papers for a new video game manufacturer, Games By Apollo. Having started a video game company, Roper places ads in local newspapers seeking programmers to make games for the Atari VCS. In one year of operation, Roper – seeing the much better-funded Activision as his primary competition – overproduces all of Apollo’s nearly dozen titles, leading to a round of price cuts on the company’s products.
Blake’s 7: Gold
BBC1 premieres the 49th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Roy Kinnear guest stars.
More about Blake’s 7 in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Blake’s 7 now streaming on Britbox
Astronauts: Episode 6
ITV premieres the sixth episode of the sitcom Astronauts, concerning a fictional British space station crew aboard Skylab.
Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends: Pawns Of The Kingpin
NBC airs the 12th episode of the Marvel animated series Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends, starring the voices of Dan Gilvezan (Transformers), Kathy Garver (Family Affair), and Frank Welker (Scooby-Doo, Transformers, The Smurfs).
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Darkroom: Episode 1
NBC premieres the first episode of Darkroom, a horror anthology hosted by James Coburn. In the tradition of Night Gallery, the series features multiple stories per episode; this installment includes Closed Circuit, guest starring Robert Webber and Richard Anderson (The Six Million Dollar Man), and Stay Tuned, We’ll Be Right Back, guest starring Lawrence Pressman and Joanna Miles.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Fantasy
Better known for making jukeboxes and speakers, Rock-Ola continues trying to make inroads into the video game industry by releasing Fantasy in the United States. The arcade game, originated in Japan by SNK, is one of the very first coin-op games to allow players to insert additional coins to continue from the location of their previous game’s end within a set amount of time. With several screens requiring players to develop completely different strategies on the fly, Fantasy doesn’t gain much of a following; many arcade operators gut and convert their Fantasy machines into other games. (This is your webmaster’s all-time favorite arcade game.)
The Greatest American Hero: Hog Wild
ABC airs the 12th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.
More about The Greatest American Hero in theLogBook.com Store
The Greatest American Hero now streaming on Amazon Prime
Blake’s 7: Sand
BBC1 premieres the 48th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Jacqueline Pearce guest stars.
More about Blake’s 7 in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Blake’s 7 now streaming on Britbox
Astronauts: Episode 5
ITV premieres the fifth episode of the sitcom Astronauts, concerning a fictional British space station crew aboard Skylab.
Depeche Mode: Speak & Spell
Mute Records releases the first Depeche Mode album, Speak & Spell, featuring the singles “New Life”, “Dreaming Of Me” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”.
Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends: Knights And Demons
NBC airs the 11th episode of the Marvel animated series Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends, starring the voices of Dan Gilvezan (Transformers), Kathy Garver (Family Affair), and Frank Welker (Scooby-Doo, Transformers, The Smurfs).
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Ladybug
Arcade game maker Universal presents its entry in the industry-wide rush to get “a game like Pac-Man” into locations everywhere, the maze chase Ladybug. This is the first game from Universal to utilize the unique “spell EXTRA” method of awarding players extra “lives”, which practically becomes a Universal trademark in later games. 
The Greatest American Hero: Don’t Mess Around With Jim
ABC airs the 11th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.
More about The Greatest American Hero in theLogBook.com Store
The Greatest American Hero now streaming on Amazon Prime
Blake’s 7: Games
BBC1 premieres the 47th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Jacqueline Pearce and Stratford Johns guest star.
More about Blake’s 7 in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Blake’s 7 now streaming on Britbox
Astronauts: Episode 4
ITV premieres the fourth episode of the sitcom Astronauts, concerning a fictional British space station crew aboard Skylab.