«- Back
Where to watch "The '80s Greatest"
10. Walls Come Down
No release date yet
In the ’80s, the Berlin Wall symbolizes the divisions of the Cold War. But President Reagan wants a thaw and demands Gorbachev tear down the wall. On the other side, East German youth hunger for all things American, from jeans to classic ’80s TV, but most of all freedom, and some even risk death to escape. As the decade ends, the push for change is unstoppable, and with an unlikely assist from David Hasselhoff the Berlin Wall comes crashing down.
Disney+9. It's a Small World
No release date yet
This episode delves into how shrinking technology in the ’80s helped bring the world together. From the Walkman to the PC and the Rubik’s Cube, new small gadgets become global talking points, but it isn’t all fun and games. Getting the people’s hands on games from behind the Iron Curtain is not easy, and Japan’s looming economic might strikes fear into Americans.
8. Greed is Good
No release date yet
The ’80s, when nothing succeeds like excess. In Texas, a fictional oil millionaire’s lifestyle captures the world’s imagination and even changes the world. On Wall Street, a new philosophy breeds a new kind of capitalist, and for yuppies “Greed is Good.” In Los Angeles, music and fashion take new heights. But in this era of big hair, big bonuses and even bigger phones, what goes up must come down.
7. New Dynasty
No release date yet
For American women in the 1980s, life is not easy. Bullied by their bosses or stuck at home, they find unlikely inspiration and support from stars of the stage and screen. Eighties icons like Madonna, Jane Fonda and Joan Collins encourage them to speak up and break out of traditional gender roles, and by the end of the decade, the difference between men and women is no longer so clearly defined.
6. I Want it All
No release date yet
In the early 1980s America emerges from a recession and goes straight into an era of conspicuous consumption. Widely available credit cards spark a spending frenzy and competing brands battle to make a sale. Sex, and controversy, enter the advertiser’s toolkit — but one iconic brand is almost brought to its knees when it takes rebranding too far.
5. America Gets Wired
No release date yet
In the ’80s, a stratospheric rise of cable TV is helped by networks like CNN. The 24-hour news channel’s coverage of John Lennon’s death at the start of the decade and the rescue of baby Jessica McClure at the end cement its place in viewers’ homes. Many niche channels are spawned over the decade, including MTV, QVC and many televangelism channels. The downfall of famous televangelists Jim and Tammy Bakker becomes must-see TV.
4. The Culture Clash
No release date yet
It’s the 1980s and a generation of rebellious youngsters wages war on Reagan’s conservative America, determined to express itself by breaking all the rules. In the culture clash of the century that will come to define modern America, graffiti art is born, hip-hop music goes mainstream, and a nation of teen rockers refuses to be gagged by Washington’s own “Stepford wives.”
3. Family Values
No release date yet
In the ’80s, family values undergo a huge makeover, as depicted in films and sitcoms. At the start of the decade some, including President Reagan, yearn to go back to traditional ’50s family values, as seen in the hit movie “Back to the Future.” But by the end of the decade, with confidence growing and the help of the cartoon family “The Simpsons,” American families can finally express themselves and get real.
2. Passion for Profit
No release date yet
The ’80s, when doing what you love can turn your passion into profit. With the help of new technology, Jane Fonda’s exercise videos take the world by storm and change the way women work out. Teenager Tony Hawk brings a rebel sport into the mainstream and Ben and Jerry give ice cream a makeover and capitalism a conscience — changing for good the way we live, play and eat.
1. Miracle on Ice
No release date yet
As the ’80s begin, change is in the air. America’s “Miracle on Ice” hockey team take Olympic gold after defeating the Soviet Union in the semifinals. Ronald Reagan becomes president but, eager for street cred, hijacks Bruce Springsteen’s song “Born in the USA,” much to the singer’s dismay. Reagan goes on to get the largest slice of the youth vote since the ’60s — a demographic perfectly represented in the Republican-loving Alex of “Family Ties.”
