Travel back in time

1981
Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends: Spidey Goes Hollywood

Spider-Man And His Amazing FriendsNBC airs the ninth 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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Bosconian

BosconianMidway releases the arcade video game Bosconian, licensed from Namco, the Japanese developers behind Pac-Man and Galaga. Read more (more…)

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Blake’s 7: Assassin

Blake's 7BBC1 premieres the 46th episode of Terry Nation’s science fiction series Blake’s 7. Richard Hurndall guest stars; Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner is so impressed with Hurndall’s “Hartnell-esque” performance that he casts the actor in the late William Hartnell’s role of the first Doctor in the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors in 1983. Read more (more…)

Astronauts: Episode 3

AstronautsITV premieres the third 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. Read more (more…)

The Greatest American Hero: Operation Spoilsport

The Greatest American HeroABC airs the tenth episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.

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STS-2: Columbia rides again

ColumbiaFor the first time in history, a space vehicle returns to space for a second complete mission. Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off on its second test flight, with another two-man crew consisting of Joe Engle and Richard Truly, the first all-rookie American space crew since the last Skylab flight. Refinements to various systems are to be tested on this mission, as well as the first use of the remote manipulator arm, upon which nearly all claims of the shuttle’s ability to deploy, retrieve and repair satellites rest.

Columbia takes up arm

ColumbiaKey to NASA’s claim that the Space Shuttle will be able to deploy, retrieve and repair satellites is the Canadian-built remote manipulator arm system (or “Canadarm”), a project first contracted in 1975 and making its first appearance on Columbia‘s second flight. During tests, the arm performs exactly as expected, and proves to be absolutely vital to many future shuttle missions. The Canadian Space Agency and its subcontractors quickly receive further orders – a Canadarm for every shuttle in the fleet. Fuel cell problems shorten Columbia’s mission from five days to two days, but the crew still accomplishes most of the planned objectives and experiments.

Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends: The Vengeance Of Loki!

Spider-Man And His Amazing FriendsNBC airs the tenth 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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Astronauts: Episode 4

AstronautsITV premieres the fourth episode of the sitcom Astronauts, concerning a fictional British space station crew aboard Skylab. Read more (more…)

The Greatest American Hero: Don’t Mess Around With Jim

The Greatest American HeroABC airs the 11th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.

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Ladybug

LadybugArcade 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. Read more (more…)

Categories 1981, Arcade, Video GamesTags
Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends: Knights And Demons

Spider-Man And His Amazing FriendsNBC 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).

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Depeche Mode: Speak & Spell

Depeche ModeMute Records releases the first Depeche Mode album, Speak & Spell, featuring the singles “New Life”, “Dreaming Of Me” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”. Read more (more…)

Astronauts: Episode 5

AstronautsITV premieres the fifth episode of the sitcom Astronauts, concerning a fictional British space station crew aboard Skylab. Read more (more…)

The Greatest American Hero: Hog Wild

The Greatest American HeroABC airs the 12th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.

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Categories Television
Fantasy

FantasyBetter 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.) Read more (more…)

Categories 1981, Arcade, Video GamesTags ,
Darkroom: Episode 1

DarkroomNBC 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.

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Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends: Pawns Of The Kingpin

Spider-Man And His Amazing FriendsNBC 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).

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Astronauts: Episode 6

AstronautsITV premieres the sixth episode of the sitcom Astronauts, concerning a fictional British space station crew aboard Skylab. Read more (more…)

Games By Apollo founded

Guardian by Games By ApolloNewly 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.

The Greatest American Hero: Classical Gas

The Greatest American HeroABC airs the 13th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.

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Darkroom: Episode 2

DarkroomNBC 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).

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Defender (Atari 2600)

Atari 2600Atari 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). Read more (more…)

Categories 1981, Atari VCS, Video GamesTags
Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends: The Quest Of The Red Skull

Spider-Man And His Amazing FriendsNBC 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.

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Astronauts: Episode 7

AstronautsITV 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. Read more (more…)

The Greatest American Hero: The Beast In The Black

The Greatest American HeroABC airs the 14th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.

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Categories Television
Kick (a.k.a. Kickman)

Kick or KickmanMidway releases the arcade video game Kick, a whimsical game which is later updated to include a “guest starring” appearance by Pac-Man (to which Midway also holds the North American license). Read more (more…)

Darkroom: Episode 3

DarkroomNBC 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.

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The Greatest American Hero: The Lost Diablo

The Greatest American HeroABC airs the 15th episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.

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Categories Television
Darkroom: Episode 4

DarkroomNBC 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.

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Categories Television