Question of the Day 5.31.12

Name the TV show!

Answer to yesterdays’s QOTD: Billy Idol’s “White Wedding”. Congrats to ‏@RICANROLL, ‏@MrsSweatheifer, Todd, and @PeoplesLima for guessing correctly.

L.A. Law

NBC must have been a little worried as Hill Street Blues was ending its seven-season run. The show was a complete juggernaut, anchoring the most popular night of television in the early-mid 80s.

Turns out they didn’t need to worry at all, because life at McKenzie Brackman was never dull; L.A. Law was an instant hit.

Debuting in the fall of 1986, the show took us all on one of the wildest rides on television. Beginning with the simple slam of the trunk each week, we were party to some of the funniest, most shocking, heartfelt, and inventive moments in TV history.

Sure, some of them happened in the 90s (the show wrapped in May 1994), but L.A. Law was an 80s show, first and foremost. Created by Stephen (The A-Team) Bochco and former attorney Terry Louise Fisher, it was perfect for the decade of excess.

From super-slick Arnie Becker (Corbin Bernsen) and his trusty secretary Roxanne (Susan Ruttan) to the simmering sexual tension between Michael Kuzak (Harry Hamlin) and Susan Dey’s Grace van Owen (we all remember the gorilla suit, right?) L.A. Law was a spot-on blend of comedy and drama. Plus, there was, of course, Jimmy Smits, Jill Eikenberry, Michael Tucker, and Larry Drake as the loveable (and, sure, a little slow) Benny.

Heck, any show that opens with one of the firm’s partners dead (and smelly) at his desk, well– that’s perfectly fine by us.

L.A. Law was not only a hit with fans (generally spending each year as one of TV’s top 20 shows), it got plenty of recognition in the form of Emmys, too. With 15 little statues in all (including 3 straight for best drama, 1989-91), it remains one of the more decorated shows from our favorite decade.

…and we didn’t even mention poor Rosalind falling down that elevator shaft. She never saw it coming.

We ♥ L.A. Law.

Question of the Day 5.30.12

Name the music video!

Answer to yesterdays’s QOTD: My Stepmother is an Alien. Congrats to ‏@buttercup081474, ‏@MrsSweatheifer, ‏@KarenTJ72, ‏@robfossey, and Kailyn for guessing correctly.

Our Lips are Sealed

“Can you hear them? They talk about us, telling lies, well that’s no surprise…”

When the 80s rolled around, the Go-Go’s were a punk band playing places like (fittingly enough) the Whiskey a Go Go. But it wasn’t until they decided to change direction and become more of a pop act that they found success. HUGE success.

They had a minor hit with their soon-to-be anthem “We Got the Beat”, and then in the summer of 1981 they hit it big.

“Our Lips are Sealed” was the first song from their debut album (they’d re-record and re-release “We Got the Beat” shortly after), and just like that, Belinda, Jane, Gina, Kathy, and Charlotte became household names.

…well, “The Go-Go’s” did, anyway.

Co-written by Jane (Wiedlin) and Fun Boy Three’s Terry Hall, “Our Lips are Sealed” was a quick, catchy tune with a pretty memorable video (we bet you’re picturing the girls splashing around in that fountain right now, right?)

The tune went on to linger on the Billboard charts for 30 weeks, peaking at #20 in December 1981. The industry may remember it as one of the Go-Go’s lesser hits, but for us 80s kids, well… we remember it as the awesome start of the girl band revolution.

Bangles, Exposé, and Bananarama– we hope you said ‘thank you’.

We ♥ Our Lips are Sealed.

Question of the Day 5.29.12

Name the movie!

Answer to Fridays’s QOTD: Queen’s “I Want to Break Free”. Congrats to @MrsSweatheifer, @buttercup081474, Kailyn, Emma, and Constanza for guessing correctly. (Half credit to @StarLady82.)

Rock Lords

“Rock Lords, rocks come alive! Rock Lords, fighting to survive…”

Looking back, you may be reminded of that scene in Big when Tom Hanks raises his hand and questions the coolness of the toy that transformed from a robot into a building.

“I don’t get it.”

Well, if you had a problem with robot-buildings, hold on to your horses… ’cause 80s had something even, um, cooler: robots that turned into rocks!

Yeah!

Since Tonka’s GoBots were already getting their butt kicked by Hasbro’s Transformers line, what else could they do? The whole vehicle-to-robot thing was pretty much spoken for, so the genius people in the corner office decided that ROCKS were the way to go. (Apparently trees and shrubs were already taken.)

In 1986, GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords hit theaters (well, one or two theaters, anyway…) and introduced us to Solitaire, Nuggit, Magmar, and the rest of the Rock Lord gang. Of course, it was all just a not-too-subtle way to launch the new toy line that was sure to put Tonka on the map again.

Whoops.

Despite the tagline “Powerful Living Rocks!”, Rock Lords were neither powerful NOR living. They were plastic, lumpy, and yes, kinda silly.

But that didn’t mean we still wouldn’t play with them… whenever we got bored with our Transformers.

Give them credit–– the Rock Lords actually managed to hang on for a while, and new lines were released each year, including those fuzzy little Narlies (remember Narligator?).

But by the time the 90s rolled around, the Rock Lords were nowhere to be seen.

Rest in peace, Pulver Eyes. We miss you, Sticks ‘n Stones. And loveable ol’ Granite? We miss you most of all.

We ♥ Rock Lords.

Question of the Day 5.25.12

Name the music video!

Answer to yesterdays’s QOTD: Tess. Congrats to @DailyRetroVideo for guessing correctly.

The Cardiac Kids

“You can see the time… Whittenburg… oh, that’s a long ways…”

In the spring on 1983, the University of Houston was on top of the college basketball world. After making it to the Final Four the previous year, the Cougars were a lock to get back their again, especially with Phi Slamma Jama leading the way. The tandem of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler were huge… demonstrating pure power and a heck of a lot of showmanship. And they arrived at the 1983 National Championship riding an incredible 27-game winning streak.

But while no one was watching, the North Carolina State Wolfpack was quietly sneaking up on them. Winners of nine straight themselves, including a pair of wins over Ralph Sampson-led UVA and another against Michael Jordan’s UNC squad, NC State somehow found themselves in Albequerque for the final, too.

And even though State held an eight point lead at halftime, head coach Jimmy Valvano’s boys had their hands full as Houston came roaring back to take the lead late. NC State tied it at 52 with almost two minutes to go. And the there was no more scoring that night–– until… Well, let’s just skip ahead to 2:00 of this clip:

Yep–– as time ran out, the Cardiac Kids pulled off the mother of all upsets. Valvano was running around looking for someone to hug, Houston players were pounding the floor in agony, and Whittenburg was jokingly telling everyone that his long-range heave was meant as a pass to Charles all along.

North Carolina State had finished their dream season as the best team in the land. It was one of the most memorable moments in sports history, so, of course, it happened in the 80s.

We ♥ the Cardiac Kids.

Question of the Day 5.24.12

Name the movie!

Answer to yesterdays’s QOTD: Alice. Congrats to @MrsSweatheifer, Taps, Carey, @buttercup081474, and @RICANROLL for guessing correctly.

Shirt Tales

“Who do you call when you’re caught in a jam? Too scared to stay, too scared to scram…”

No, not the Ghostbusters.

You would, of course, call Pammy, Rick, Bogey, Tyg, and Digger (and Kip, in Season Two)… Shirt Tales!

After watching American Greetings bring Holly Hobbie and Strawberry Shortcake into the public’s consciousness, it was only fitting that Hallmark would want to get in on the action. And so, Shirt Tales were born.

The gaggle of cuddly animals were the brainchild of greeting card designer Janet Elizabeth Manco, and they were SO huge that (duh) it didn’t take long for them to earn their own animated cartoon.

Debuting in 1982 on NBC, Shirt Tales featured the aforementioned animals, each of which sported a nifty t-shirt… shirts that (magically) would often include words or phrases that expressed the animals’ feelings at the time.

The Shirt Tales REAL reason for living, though, was to solve crimes while tooling around in their S.T.S.S.T. (that’s “Shirt Tales’ SuperSonic Transport”, for all you newbies). And let’s not forget how much fun it was to watch the Tales give ye olde park ranger Mr. Dinkle all kinds of grief.

After two seasons on NBC, Shirt Tales made the jump over to CBS, where it lasted for a couple of months before finally getting the dreaded pink slip.

…just in time for American Greetings to hop back in and reclaim their spot at the top, with 80s favs The Care Bears and The Get Along Gang.

We imagine that somewhere Tyg’s toddlin’ around in a shirt that says, “Bummer”. But it sure was fun while it lasted.

We ♥ Shirt Tales.