90s
American Gladiators
TV was never really fair to jocks. If you were a nerd, there were many game shows you could try out for, but if you were a musclehead, your game show pickings were slim. But CONTINUE READING…
Retro Wiki
80s
Toy Stories: Big Trak
November of 1979 was the moment the future finally arrived in the American living room. When the holidays arrived a month later, many American children (mostly boys) were treated to the toy of their dreams, CONTINUE READING…
80s
Voyagers!
Most folks, if they got their hands on a time-travel device, would probably end up using it to bet on sporting events, sign the Beatles, take vengeance on childhood bullies, kill Hitler, or maybe stop Abraham CONTINUE READING…
Gnarly '90s
Chain Wallets
In the mid-1990s, chain wallets were a surefire way to tell others how cool you were. I know that in order to fit in at my Middle School, I begged Mom to buy me one. CONTINUE READING…
Gnarly '90s
The Skip-It
One toy that any kid from the 90s is likely to remember is the Skip it! Don’t remember it? Well, I’m sure you’ll remember the catchy theme song from the commercials that repeatedly played while CONTINUE READING…
90s
The George Foreman Grill
Do you remember the George Foreman Grill? I had one of these babies in my college dorm room, and even though it was against the rules, this little baby grilled me up a piece of CONTINUE READING…
90s
Are You Afraid of the Dark
For kids who had a hunger for the occasional spooky story, the early days of Nickelodeon had something right up their alley, guaranteed to raise a few goosebumps. Debuting in 1992 as part of the CONTINUE READING…
90s
Eerie, Indiana
Imagine taking the quirkiness of a David Lynch-type series and applying it to a show for kids. The result might look something like Eerie, Indiana, which aired for a single season on NBC in 1991 and CONTINUE READING…
70s
Kolchack: The Night Stalker
While he will always be remembered as the perpetually grumpy patriarch (and proud owner of a certain long-legged lamp) in A Christmas Story, actor Darrin McGavin endeared himself to audiences as the frumpily dressed reporter, Carl CONTINUE READING…
90s
OK Soda
Like Hypercolor clothing and Tae Bo, OK Soda was a cult invention that some people loved with a passion, but that never really caught on with everybody. In 1993, beverage giant Coca-Cola looked at Generation CONTINUE READING…
Gnarly '90s
Lethal Enforcers Arcade Game
The streets were filled with thugs, dealers, armed robbers, and other scum (even ninjas), and only two hard-nosed lawmen had the guts and the skills to take out the trash. They were Lethal Enforcers, stars of CONTINUE READING…
Junk Food
Jiffy Pop
Popcorn has been around since the first Thanksgiving celebrated by this country, a gift from the Native Americans that we embraced then and still do. A staple of movie theaters since the early 1900s, the CONTINUE READING…
70s
Toy Stories: Lawn Darts
Starting in the 1970s, people began to cast a suspicious eye on the safety standards used in making toys. Parents and lawmakers began voicing their concerns and this led to new legal standards for what CONTINUE READING…
90s
Toy Stories: Tamagotchi
Few phrases strike more fear in the hearts of parents than, “Can I have a puppy/kitty/bunny/parakeet/lizard?” (for the record, those are separate pet options, not one horrible, genetically-engineered super pet). And with good reason. Mom CONTINUE READING…
90s
Cop Rock
When people who aren’t television fans are asked why they don’t watch, they usually answer with something like, “It’s just the same old stuff,” or “No one has tried anything new on television in years.” CONTINUE READING…
