ITV airs the second episode of the HTV West-produced children’s fantasy series Into The Labyrinth, co-created by Bob Baker (Sky, Doctor Who, K-9) and starring Ron Moody and Pamela Salem. 
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ITV airs the second episode of the HTV West-produced children’s fantasy series Into The Labyrinth, co-created by Bob Baker (Sky, Doctor Who, K-9) and starring Ron Moody and Pamela Salem.
NOAA’s GOES-5 Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite is launched from Cape Canaveral into a geosynchronous orbit over 85 degrees west longitude on Earth, a position which will change several times over GOES-5’s career until 1988, allowing it to monitor weather over the continental United States and Europe. GOES-5’s primary set of “eyes” will fail in 1984, forcing NOAA to return GOES-1 and GOES-4 to service until a replacement can be launched in 1987. Its usefulness as a weather satellite at an end, GOES-5 will be boosted into a graveyard orbit in 1990.
BBC 1 premieres the fourth and final episode of the short-run series The Nightmare Man, written by former Doctor Who script editor Robert Holmes, directed by ’70s Doctor Who director Douglas Camfield, and starring many faces familiar to fans of that series. Not intended to be an ongoing series, this one-off four-part serial is commissioned to fill a gap in the BBC’s summer schedule.
ITV airs the 42nd episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Colin Blakely guest stars.
The tenth episode of Brian Daley’s radio drama adaptation of the science fiction blockbuster Star Wars airs on National Public Radio stations in the U.S. Mark Hamill stars as Luke Skywalker and Perry King stars as Han Solo.
A team of American astronomers discovers what they believe is a third moon of Neptune from ground-based telescope observations, but S/1981N1 isn’t seen again for several years, so the discovery is left in the “unconfirmed” category…until it is next seen by Voyager 2 in 1989, confirming the original sighting many years later. In 1991, the International Astronomical Union will name this moon Larissa. (Voyager 2 photo of Larissa shown)
ITV airs the third episode of the HTV West-produced children’s fantasy series Into The Labyrinth, co-created by Bob Baker (Sky, Doctor Who, K-9) and starring Ron Moody and Pamela Salem.
ITV airs the 43rd episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Gary Burghoff (M*A*S*H) and Damian London (Babylon 5) guest star.
The 11th episode of Brian Daley’s radio drama adaptation of the science fiction blockbuster Star Wars airs on National Public Radio stations in the U.S. Brock Peters stars as Darth Vader and Bernard “Bunny” Behrens stars as Ben Kenobi.
Magnavox releases the video game Pachinko! for the Odyssey² home video game system in North America, designed and programmed by Ed and Linda Averett. The game is released later in Europe for the equivalent Videopac console, and in France for the Jopac.
Magnavox releases the video game Blockout! / Breakdown! for the Odyssey² home video game system in North America, designed and programmed by Ed and Linda Averett. The game is released later in Europe for the equivalent Videopac console, and in France for the Jopac.
Magnavox releases the video game Casino Slot Machine! for the Odyssey² home video game system in North America, designed and programmed by Ed and Linda Averett. The game is released later in Europe for the equivalent Videopac console, and in France for the Jopac.
Magnavox releases the video game Pocket Billiards! for the Odyssey² home video game system in North America, designed and programmed by Ed and Linda Averett. The game is released later in Europe for the equivalent Videopac console, and in France for the Jopac.
The first episode of the short-lived TVNZ series Under The Mountain premieres on New Zealand’s state-run television network. Shot entirely in New Zealand, the single-season children’s fantasy show is adapted by Ken Catran from Maurice Gee’s book of the same name. 
ITV airs the fourth episode of the HTV West-produced children’s fantasy series Into The Labyrinth, co-created by Bob Baker (Sky, Doctor Who, K-9) and starring Ron Moody and Pamela Salem.
The first edition of British author Kenneth Gatland’s detailed non-fiction book “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Space Technology“ is published by Harmony Books, proving to be a fantastic distraction through the remainder of your webmaster’s time in the public school system.
Columbia Records releases an album of John Williams‘ soundtrack from Raiders Of The Lost Ark in advance of the movie’s theatrical premiere.
Midway releases the arcade video game Wizard Of Wor, a maze shooter for one or two players who can play cooperatively or against each other – though in many cases, a single game can start cooperatively and end competitively!
ITV airs the 44th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Anthony Quayle (Strange Report, The Evil Touch) and Nigel Hawthorne guest star.
The 12th episode of Brian Daley’s radio drama adaptation of the science fiction blockbuster Star Wars airs on National Public Radio stations in the U.S. Mark Hamill stars as Luke Skywalker and Perry King stars as Han Solo.
The second episode of the short-lived TVNZ series Under The Mountain premieres on New Zealand’s state-run television network. The single-season children’s fantasy show is adapted by Ken Catran from Maurice Gee’s book of the same name.
ITV airs the fifth episode of the HTV West-produced children’s fantasy series Into The Labyrinth, co-created by Bob Baker (Sky, Doctor Who, K-9) and starring Ron Moody and Pamela Salem.
ITV airs the 45th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Micheline Presle guest stars.
The 13th episode of Brian Daley’s radio drama adaptation of the science fiction blockbuster Star Wars airs on National Public Radio stations in the U.S. Mark Hamill stars as Luke Skywalker and Brock Peters stars as Darth Vader. This episode concludes the radio retelling of the first movie, and has proven to be Public Radio’s most popular (and, during fundraising pledge drives, profitable) radio drama production.
The third episode of the short-lived TVNZ series Under The Mountain premieres on New Zealand’s state-run television network. The single-season children’s fantasy show is adapted by Ken Catran from Maurice Gee’s book of the same name.
ITV airs the sixth episode of the HTV West-produced children’s fantasy series Into The Labyrinth, co-created by Bob Baker (Sky, Doctor Who, K-9) and starring Ron Moody and Pamela Salem.
Launched unmanned in April, the Kosmos 1267 space station module docks automatically with the recently vacated Salyut 6 space station – the first-ever on-orbit expansion of a previously launched space structure. The module, a hardware holdover from the abandoned Almaz military space station program, provides engineers on the ground with information needed to safely add modules to the upcoming Salyut 7 space station to expand its habitable space. The experience gained will also be instrumental in the construction of the Mir station and the International Space Station. Kosmos 1267 remains docked to Salyut 6 until the combined structure tumbles out of orbit in 1982.
ITV airs the 46th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Telly Savalas (Kojak) guest stars.
ITV airs the seventh episode of the HTV West-produced children’s fantasy series Into The Labyrinth, co-created by Bob Baker (Sky, Doctor Who, K-9) and starring Ron Moody and Pamela Salem. This episode concludes the first season’s storyline, while leaving the characters open to further adventures.
Columbia Records releases Bob Sakuma‘s soundtrack from the early ’70s TV anime Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman (Science Ninja Team Gatchaman), better known to the western world in its significantly-altered dubbed (and partially re-scored) version, Battle Of The Planets. (A separate Battle Of The Planets release, combining Sakuma’s music with that of American composer Hoyt Curtin, will occur early in the 21st century.)