1980's Clear/Transparent Phone

Does anyone else remember these clear/transparent phones that were popular in the 80's? I had one when I was a teenager and I remember that it lit up when it rang. It sure brings back a lot of good memories of spending hours on the phone!

Forever by Judy Blume

Forever was written by Judy Blume in 1975.

Katherine loves Michael so much, in fact, that she's willing to lose her virginity to him, and, as the months go by, it gets harder and harder for her to imagine living without him. However, something happens when they are separated for the summer: Katherine begins to have feelings for another guy. What does this mean about her love for Michael? What does this mean about love in general? What does "forever" mean, anyway?

Schoolhouse Rock! The Greatest Show on Earth

Schoolhouse Rock! is a series of animated musical educational short films that aired during Saturday morning children's programming on ABC. Topics covered include grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and politics. The best of the series aired between 1972 and 1986.

Here is The Greatest Show on Earth from 1979!

 

1983 U.S. Army Commercial

Here's a 1983 U.S. Army commercial...

Be all you can be!

Twister

Twister was released in 1966 and became an overnight success when Eva Gabor played it with Johnny Carson on television's Tonight Show on May 3, 1966.


Twister is played on a large plastic mat that is spread on the floor or ground. The mat is like a board game. It has four rows of large colored circles on it with a different color in each row: red, yellow, blue, and green. A spinner is attached to a square board and serves as a die for the game. The spinner is divided into four labeled sections: right foot, left foot, right hand, and left hand. Each of those four sections is divided into the four colors (red, yellow, blue, and green). After spinning, the combination is called (example: right hand yellow) and players must move their matching hand or foot to a dot of the correct color. A person is eliminated when they fall or when their elbow or knee touches the mat. There is no limit to how many can play at once, but more than four is a tight fit.
 
Here's an 80's commercial for Twister...
 

Sanford and Son

Sanford and Son was a sitcom that ran on the NBC television network from 1972 to 1977.

The main characters were Fred G. Sanford, a 65-year-old junk dealer living at 9114 S. Central Ave. in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California; and Lamont Sanford, his 30-year-old son.

Sanford was a sarcastic, stubborn, and argumentative antiques and junk dealer, whose frequent money-making schemes routinely backfired and created more troubles. Lamont dearly would have liked to enjoy independence but loved his father too much to leave him to his devices and schemes. Although each owned an equal share in the business and technically Fred was the boss, Lamont often found himself doing all the work and having to order his father to complete tasks and duties. Often, Sanford can be heard insulting his son, usually calling him a "big dummy". Lamont also insulted his father, sometimes referring to him as an "old fool".

1979 Taco Bell Commercial

Here is a 1979 Taco Bell commercial...

Taco, Taco, Taco Bell!

Little Golden Book: Eloise Wilkin's Mother Goose

A Little Golden Book memory...

Eloise Wilkin's Mother Goose (1961)

80's "Don't Drown Your Food" PSA

Here is a memorable PSA from the 80's called "Don't Drown Your Food." It encouraged children to skip using condiments, such as gravy, ketchup and salad dressing, and learn to enjoy the natural flavors of vegetables, eggs, etc.

1983 Chic Jeans Commercial

Here's a 1983 commercial for Chic Jeans...

Sesame Street: Funny Farmer #6

Here is a classic Sesame Street segment with a funny farmer singing about the number 6!

1969 ABC "Meet Us In September" Promo

Here's 1969 ABC "Meet Us In September" Promo featuring The Survivors and Love, American Style, and many more!

The Littles

The Littles was an animated series that ran on ABC Saturday mornings from 1983 to 1985.

It featured a family of tiny but intelligent humanoid creatures with mouse-like features (the Littles) who live in a house owned by the Bigg family. The mouse-like features include a long, furry tail, long teeth and mouse-like ears. Their height is 4-6 inches. The Little family consists of Frank and Helen Little, their children Tom and Lucy, and Grandpa Little.

Henry Bigg is the boy who lives in a house with The Littles. He is one of the few humans who knows of the Littles' existence. Dr. Hunter is an evil scientist who makes several attempts to capture the Littles so that he can expose them to the rest of the world and thus become rich and powerful. He is also depicted as being Henry's arch-nemesis. Peterson is Hunter's main (and only) henchman and sidekick. He assists Hunter in his every dark attempt to capture the Littles.

1960's McDonald's Commercial

Here's a classic 1960's McDonald's commercial...

Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary

Ramona the Brave was written by Beverly Cleary in 1975.

In this touching and funny story, the ebullient Ramona, feeling brave and grown-up, enters first grade. Quickly she finds that her new teacher, Mrs. Griggs, appears perplexed by pupils who like to be different. Since Ramona cannot help being different, clearly the two are incompatible.

Nevertheless, Ramona can be counted on to keep things lively. Enraged when Susan copies her wise old owl prepared for Parents' Night and receives praise for it, Ramona rebels. Overcome by guilt and no longer brave, she tries mightily thereafter to please her teacher, but still Mrs. Griggs infuriatingly reports home that Ramona lacks self-control. Only because she is a girl with spunk, to use her father's word, does Ramona's courage return, earning her at last an uneasy truce with the teacher.

Schoolhouse Rock! The Four-Legged Zoo

Schoolhouse Rock! is a series of animated musical educational short films that aired during Saturday morning children's programming on ABC. Topics covered include grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and politics. The best of the series aired between 1972 and 1986.

Here is The Four-Legged Zoo from 1973!

1984 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Commercial

Here is a 1984 commercial for Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal...

Feelin' like Cinnamon Toast Crunch!

Winnie the Pooh

I loved Winnie the Pooh when I was little. I carried around a stuffed one like this and cried when mom would put him in the washing machine. I think the thing eventually fell apart from being dragged everywhere I went. Poor Pooh!

American Bandstand

American Bandstand was a television show that aired from 1952 to 1989, hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark.

The show featured teenagers dancing to Top 40-type music and at least one popular musical act would usually appear in-person to lip-sync one of their latest singles.

Check out the clothes and dance moves in this 1985 American Bandstand clip... (too funny!!)

1977 Almond Joy/Mounds Candy Bars Commercial

Here's a catchy commercial from 1977 for Almond Joy/Mounds Candy Bars!

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't!

Mr. Pudgins

Mr. Pudgins by Ruth Christoffer Carlsen was written in 1951.

This was one of my childhood favorites that I still have today (even though most of the pages are falling out)! As I remember it, the story is similar to Mary Poppins!

About Mr. Pudgins...
Wild and wacky things happen when Mr. Pudgins comes to sit for John, Pete, and Jane. Strangely enough they only happen when Mr Pudgins smokes his pipe...

1974 Forest Fire Prevention PSA

Here is a 1974 Forest Fire Prevention PSA featuring the Addams Family.

1986 Cherry Coke Commercial

Here is a 1986 Cherry Coke commercial... Outrageous!

Hee Haw: Samples Sales Skit

Hee Haw was an television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS from 1969–1992.

Samples Sales: Used car salesman role for Junior Samples, with Misty Rowe as his later assistant, in his guise as a magician called Junior the Great, would try to palm off a major 'clunker' and then hold up a sign to remind viewers that his phone number was "BR-549".

1982 NBC "Just Watch Us Now" Promo

Here's 1982 NBC "Just Watch Us Now" Promo featuring great shows like C.H.I.Ps, Gimme a Break, Real People, Taxi, Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life, Silver Spoons, Johnny Carson, Voyagers, Knight Rider, St. Elsewhere and many more!

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was a children's television series that was created and hosted by Fred Rogers from 1968 to 2001.

It was characterized by its quiet simplicity and gentleness. Episodes did not have a plot, and consisted of Rogers speaking directly to the viewer about various issues, taking the viewer on tours of factories, demonstrating experiments, crafts, and music, and interacting with his friends. The half-hour episodes were punctuated by a puppet segment chronicling occurrences in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

At the beginning of each episode, Fred Rogers enters his television studio house, singing "Won't You Be My Neighbor?". He hangs his coat in a closet, puts on a cardigan zipper sweater, and removes his dress shoes to put on sneakers. The reverse would happen at the end of the show with Fred Roger's singing, "Good Feeling."

Drak Pack

Drak Pack was an animated television series that aired on CBS between 1980 and 1982.

The series centered around three young men: Drak, Frankie and Howler, descendants of Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and a werewolf. To atone for their ancestors' wrongdoings, the three, united as the Drak Pack, became superheroes. They appeared initially as normal humans, but when they put their hands together and shouted "Whack-o!" they would transform into a vampire, a monster and a werewolf, respectively. Drak's powers included flight, telekinesis, and the ability to change shape. Frankie had superhuman strength and could release electrical charges. Howler had an ultrasonic howl and super-breath.

60's Trix Cereal Commercial

Here's an oldie... A 1960's commercial for Trix Cereal!

Iggie's House by Judy Blume

Iggie's House was written by Judy Blume in 1970.

The story concerns Winnie, whose best friend Iggie has moved away. The new family moving into Iggie's house are the first African Americans in the neighborhood. While Winnie is quick to make friends with the new kids, she realizes that some people, possibly including her own parents, have trouble seeing past a person's color.

Sha Na Na "Those Magic Changes"

"Those Magic Changes" was a pop song from the 1978 musical Grease which was performed by Sha Na Na in the film version.

Here is Sha Na Na performing it on their self-titled TV show! Love it!