TRN Library Archives : The Retro Network

Remembering Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips

Arthur Treacher’s once brought a taste of British fish‑and‑chips flair to American fast food, and though most locations are long gone, its golden fried memories and unmistakable charm still linger in the hearts of those who grew up with it.

Coy and Vance Duke: A Strange Chapter in Hazzard County History

Mickey Yarber

The brief Coy and Vance era on The Dukes of Hazzard became one of TV’s strangest detours, a replacement experiment that baffled fans, shook the show’s momentum, and left behind a uniquely memorable chapter in Hazzard history.

Rollergames: The Wildest, Loudest, Most 1989 Thing Ever Put on Television

Mickey Yarber

Rollergames was peak 1989 chaos, a roller derby spectacle supercharged with rock music, wild characters, and over the top action that turned the figure eight track into one of the loudest and most unforgettable shows on television.

Marvel 2099: The Future That Defined a Comic Book Decade

Mickey Yarber

In the early 1990s, Marvel Comics was riding high on a wave of speculation, foil covers and larger than life storytelling. It was a decade obsessed with the future. Virtual reality was on the rise,

Toy Stories: Fisher Price Adventure People

Mickey Yarber

If you grew up in the late seventies or early eighties, chances are you crossed paths with the Fisher‑Price Adventure People. They weren’t flashy. They didn’t come with a cartoon series or a comic book.

Sambo’s Restaurant And A Controversial Chapter in American Dining History

Mickey Yarber

In the landscape of mid-century American diners, Sambo’s Restaurant once stood as a prominent chain known for its hearty breakfasts and family-friendly atmosphere. But behind the pancakes and coffee was a name and branding that

The Alien Autopsy That Fooled the World

Mickey Yarber

In the mid-1990s, when grainy VHS tapes and tabloid TV ruled the airwaves, one broadcast sent shockwaves through living rooms across America: Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? Airing on Fox in 1995, the special promised

ESPN2 Was the Sports Network Built For the ’90s

Mickey Yarber

On October 1, 1993, at exactly 7:30 p.m. ET, a new kind of sports network flickered to life. With a smirk and a wink, co-host Keith Olbermann opened the inaugural broadcast of SportsNight by welcoming viewers to

The Rise and Fall of ShowBiz Pizza Place

Mickey Yarber

In the neon-lit world of 1980s family entertainment, few places captured the imagination of children quite like ShowBiz Pizza Place. With its animatronic band, arcade games, and cheesy slices of pizza, ShowBiz wasn’t just a

Fascinating Facts About Mr. Wizard

Mickey Yarber

Long before Bill Nye donned a bow tie or the MythBusters blew things up for science, there was Don Herbert, better known as Mr. Wizard, the calm, curious, and endlessly inventive host who brought science

Toy Stories: Fireball Island

Mickey Yarber

In the golden age of 1980s board games, few titles captured the imagination quite like Fireball Island. Released by Milton Bradley in 1986, this wasn’t just another game, it was a spectacle. With its three-dimensional

HyperColor Was Going To Be the Fashion Trend Of the Future

Mickey Yarber

In the summer of 1991, fashion got weird—in the best way possible. That was the year Hypercolor shirts exploded onto the scene, turning ordinary cotton t-shirts into thermochromatic canvases that changed color with heat. For

Comic Books

Knightfall: The Breaking and Rebuilding of Batman

Mickey Yarber

Knightfall was the storyline that shattered Batman to his core, a brutal early‑’90s epic that broke the Dark Knight’s body, tested his legacy, and forced Gotham to confront what happens when its greatest hero finally falls.

Woodstock ’94: 2 More Days of Peace, Music, and Mud

Mickey Yarber

In August 1994, 25 years after the original Woodstock defined a generation, a new wave of music lovers descended on a muddy field in Saugerties, New York, for a revival that was part tribute, part

Television

TRN Library

Remembering Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips

Coy and Vance Duke: A Strange Chapter in Hazzard County History

Rollergames: The Wildest, Loudest, Most 1989 Thing Ever Put on Television

Marvel 2099: The Future That Defined a Comic Book Decade

Toy Stories: Fisher Price Adventure People

Sambo’s Restaurant And A Controversial Chapter in American Dining History

The Alien Autopsy That Fooled the World

ESPN2 Was the Sports Network Built For the ’90s

The Rise and Fall of ShowBiz Pizza Place

Fascinating Facts About Mr. Wizard

Toy Stories: Fireball Island

HyperColor Was Going To Be the Fashion Trend Of the Future

Knightfall: The Breaking and Rebuilding of Batman

Woodstock ’94: 2 More Days of Peace, Music, and Mud

Remote Control: The MTV Game Show That Broke All the Rules

Enertech Water Guns: The Realistic Water Guns That Created Controversy

Hulk Hogan and the Heel Turn That Shocked the Wrestling World