Centuri releases the arcade video game Pleiades (spelled correctly on the arcade cabinet, though the game identifies itself onscreen as “Pleiads”), licensed from Japanese company Tehkan International. 
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Centuri releases the arcade video game Pleiades (spelled correctly on the arcade cabinet, though the game identifies itself onscreen as “Pleiads”), licensed from Japanese company Tehkan International.
NBC airs the second 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 episode is co-written by novelist Donald F. Glut (of The Empire Strikes Back novelization fame).
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Charisma Records and Atlantic Records release the 11th album by Genesis, Abacab, featuring the singles “No Reply At All”, “Abacab” and “Man On The Corner”.
NBC airs the third 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).
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BBC1 premieres the 40th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7, the first episode of the series’ fourth season. Due to a last-minute pickup by the BBC, the series has to reboot from this point with a new ship, new sets, costumes, props, and a new direction decided on without significant input from series creator Terry Nation. Jan Chappell provides a voice-over for Cally, who doesn’t appear in person. Glynis Barber is introduced as new series regular Soolin.
Mushroom Records releases The Swingers’ album Counting The Beat; the band is led by founding Split Enz frontman Phil Judd.
A musical ode to video gaming starts climbing the charts as Buckner & Garcia issue their single Pac-Man Fever (a full album, filled out with other video game tribute songs, will follow in 1982). Shortly before the album’s release, the “Pac-Man Fever” single peaks in the Billboard Hot 100 at #9, having sold over a million copies.
Atari releases the home version of the arcade hit Berzerk as a cartridge for the Atari VCS home video game system. Almost a dead ringer for the graphically simple arcade game, the console port is only missing the distinctive Cylon-esque voice synthesis of the coin-op. The second issue of the Atari Force comic from fellow Warner Communications subsidiary DC Comics is packed-in with Berzerk.
A&M Records releases the fourth album by The Police, Ghost In The Machine, featuring the singles “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Spirits In The Material World”.
NBC airs the fourth 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).
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BBC1 premieres the 41st episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7, concluding the opening two-episode story of Avon and crew securing a new ship and base for themselves.
Nichibutsu releases the arcade video game Frisky Tom.
Sun Electronics releases the arcade video game Funky Fish in the United States. A mixture of side-scrolling shooting action (a la Defender) and cute characters, Funky Fish does not enjoy widespread popularity, but is licensed to be ported to home video game consoles.
The second launch of Space Shuttle Columbia gets an unexpected one-month delay when a fuel leak forces NASA to remove, clean and re-attach 300 thermal tiles. The work can be done on-site, so Columbia simply stays on the pad. The second launch will be the last for the white external fuel tank, since NASA has determined that its brown insulating foam layer will cause no problems if left exposed; leaving off the coat of white paint saves several hundred pounds.
NBC airs the fifth 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).
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BBC1 premieres the 42nd episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Jacqueline Pearce returns as Servalan, attempting to hide her identity as Federation Commissioner Sleer. (Sleer was devised as a new character during pre-production for the fourth season when it appeared that Pearce would not return to the series; upon the actress’ return, Sleer is rewritten as Servalan’s alias after her fall from the presidency.)
Mattel Electronics releases the Snafu cartridge for the Intellivision home video game system.
Mattel Electronics releases the Space Armada cartridge for the Intellivision home video game system.
Mattel Electronics releases the Astrosmash cartridge for the Intellivision home video game system.
General Computer Corp., a small company making “grey market” modification kits to freshen up Pac-Man and Missile Command arcade games, cuts a deal with Midway, the American licensee for Pac-Man, handing over the code to its Pac-Man modification kit Crazy Otto. Midway contracts GCC to continue work on the kit, but now under license. The first thing to go are the kit’s name and its modified Pac-Man character, who now has legs. A few changes and a few months later, the game’s central character has no legs, but will now sport lipstick and a pink bow, as Midway prepares to officially release the new game as an authorized Pac-Man sequel, Ms. Pac-Man – amazingly good luck for a small business that could just as easily have been sued into oblivion.
Decca Records releases the first solo album by Lindsey Buckingham, Long Distance Voyager, featuring the single “Trouble”.
NBC airs the sixth 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).
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Sega raises the graphical bar for first-person driving games with the release, at year’s end, of the arcade game Turbo. Adding constantly-changing, scrolling scenery and a variety of other cars as obstacles, Turbo undoubtedly trips up many a video game racing veteran with pure eye candy.
BBC1 premieres the 43rd episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Barbara Shelley guest stars.
NBC airs the seventh 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).
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BBC1 premieres the 44th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Jacqueline Pearce and Kevin Stoney guest star.
ITV premieres the first episode of the sitcom Astronauts, concerning a fictional British space station crew aboard Skylab. Each episode is written by former Goodies cast members/writers Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie.
Reese Communications publishes the first issue – and, if it doesn’t sell well, likely the only issue – of Electronic Games Magazine, the first periodical devoted to video games and other electronic forms of entertainment. Video Magazine columnists Bill Kunkel and Arnie Katz (operating under the pseudonym Frank Laney Jr. in order to protect his more “serious” writing work) propose the magazine after a string of successful video-game-focused issues of Video, and, with Katz’ wife Joyce Worley joining in the writing and editing duties, become the first video game journalists, inventing such now-common terms as “playfield”, “screenshot”, and “Easter egg”. Though the first issue could have been a one-off experiment, the magazine goes monthly by the end of spring 1982.
Beating Atari’s home adaptation of Pac-Man to the punch by nearly half a year, Magnavox introduces K.C. Munchkin for the Odyssey². Within three weeks, after widespread documented occurrences of dealers describing the game as “just like Pac-Man” (despite specific instructions from Magnavox not to do so), Atari sues Magnavox for violating copyright law.
NBC airs the eighth 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 join theLogBook team and write this guide or support the webmaster’s efforts to expand the site.