Tag: retro television

Serpentorslair Staff · June 18, 2026

KITT, Michael Knight, and the Dream of One Man Making a Difference

June 18, 2026June 18, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1980s pop culture, 1980s TV shows, 80s action series, 80s childhood memories, 80s kids, 80s nostalgia, Bonnie Barstow, classic action TV, classic NBC shows, classic TV cars, David Hasselhoff, Devon Miles, Gen X nostalgia, hope in classic television, justice in 80s TV, kindness in 1980s TV, KITT, KITT car, Knight Rider, Knight Rider article, Michael Knight, Michael Knight article, nostalgic TV article, one man can make a difference, Pontiac Trans Am, retro television, shows about second chances, talking car, turbo boost, TV heroes0 comment

The 1980s loved a good machine. Talking computers. Transforming robots. Time-traveling cars. Super helicopters. Laser-equipped everything. If it had flashing lights, a dashboard full of buttons, and a theme song that made you want to run through a wall, the decade was ready for it. But few machines were cooler than KITT. That black Pontiac Trans Am rolling through the night with the red scanner light sweeping back and forth across the front. The voice. The turbo boost. The bulletproof shell. The impossible technology. The feeling that justice itself had…

Serpentorslair Staff · June 17, 2026

The Gong Show: What Was That All About?

June 17, 2026June 17, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1970s television, Chuck Barris, classic TV shows, Murray Langston, NBC game shows, Paul Reubens, Pee-Wee Herman, retro television, The Gong Show, The Gong Show NBC, The Unknown Comic, vintage TV0 comment

Story By @GIJoeRepairShop This past Sunday was the fiftieth anniversary of the premiere of The Gong Show on NBC. As a child, I never quite understood what was going on there. Why was there a giant gong? Why were some of the acts so terrible? Why was there a guy with a paper bag over his head? As an adult, I can see that adding a giant gong and paper bags over people’s heads would certainly be an improvement to shows like American Idol. The Gong Show’s premise is simple enough.…

Serpentorslair Staff · June 7, 2026

The A-Team and the Lost Art of Helping the Little Guy

June 7, 2026June 7, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1980s action shows, 1980s heroes, 1980s TV shows, 80s childhood memories, 80s nostalgia, 80s pop culture, 80s television memories, B.A. Baracus, classic action TV, classic TV heroes, Face Peck, Gen X nostalgia, Hannibal Smith, helping the little guy, hope in classic television, Howling Mad Murdock, kindness in 1980s TV, Mr T nostalgia, Mr. T, nostalgic TV articles, retro action series, retro television, The A-Team, The A-Team blog, TV shows about teamwork0 comment

There was something magical about The A-Team that went way beyond explosions, van chases, and Mr. T throwing bad guys through conveniently placed furniture. Sure, the show had all the glorious 1980s action ingredients: machine guns that somehow never hit anyone, vehicles flipping through the air like Hot Wheels, disguises, one-liners, and that iconic black van roaring into danger like justice had a V8 engine. But underneath all of that noise was something surprisingly kind. Every week, The A-Team showed up for people who had been pushed around, ignored, cheated,…

Serpentorslair Staff · May 13, 2026

When the Harlem Globetrotters Visited Gilligan’s Island

May 13, 2026May 13, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1970s pop culture, 1970s television, 1980s pop culture, 1980s television, basketball entertainment, childhood TV memories, classic comedy shows, classic sitcoms, classic TV crossovers, classic TV memories, Gilligan’s Island, Gilligan’s Island castaways, Gilligan’s Island mystery, Harlem Globetrotters, Harlem Globetrotters history, Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island, Harlem Globetrotters Pope Leo XIV, Harlem Globetrotters Scooby-Doo, Harlem Globetrotters TV appearances, nostalgic TV shows, old TV specials, pop culture icons, Pope Leo XIV basketball, retro entertainment, retro pop culture, retro television, Saturday morning cartoons, Scooby-Doo guest stars, strange childhood memories, TV nostalgia, Vintage television0 comment

Story by @GIJoeRepairShop I have a strange memory from childhood. I know that I’ve watched the Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Harlem Globetrotters were everywhere. They were even on Scooby-Doo. Indeed, they’re still everywhere. Just last month, they had Pope Leo XIV spinning a basketball on his finger! So, their appearance on the show alone isn’t that surprising. As an adult, I have to question how the entire Harlem Globetrotters organization managed to get onto, and then off of, Gilligan’s Island so easily, while…