1980s Books, Films And TV: The Decade Guide
Channel 4 arrives, soaps take over the schedules, and video shops change how films get watched.
Below: the books worth reading from the 1980s, then the films and television year by year from 1980 to 1989.
Useful for a themed night, a reading list, a reminiscence session or working out what someone grew up with.
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Happy Birthday Papa (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
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Years covered in the 1980s
- 1980 - The decade opened with the SAS on live television and John Lennon's death in December. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1980
- 1981 - A royal wedding, riots in several cities and the first London Marathon. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1981
- 1982 - The Falklands, the launch of Channel 4 and the arrival of the Spectrum. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1982
- 1983 - Breakfast television, the pound coin and a general election landslide. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1983
- 1984 - The miners' strike, the Brighton bombing and Band Aid at Christmas. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1984
- 1985 - Live Aid, the first EastEnders and a very bad year in football. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1985
- 1986 - The Hand of God, Chernobyl and Neighbours arriving on daytime television. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1986
- 1987 - The great storm, Black Monday and a third election win. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1987
- 1988 - Acid house, Kylie's first number one and a grim run of disasters. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1988
- 1989 - Hillsborough, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the decade. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1989
- That is every 1980s year we have written up so far: 1980 to 1989.
Books of the 1980s
- Roald Dahl, The BFG (1982), The Witches (1983) and Matilda (1988).
- Terry Pratchett, The Colour of Magic (1983) - the first Discworld.
- Janet and Allan Ahlberg, The Jolly Postman (1986).
- Sue Townsend, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 (1982).
- Martin Handford, Where's Wally? (1987).
- Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen (1986-87).
- Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day (1989).
- Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose (English translation 1983).
- Jill Murphy, Peace at Last (1980) and Five Minutes' Peace (1986).
Film and television, year by year
- 1980 - The Empire Strikes Back was the film of the year.
- 1981 - Only Fools and Horses began in September, quietly, to small audiences.
- 1982 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was the film of the year.
- 1983 - BBC Breakfast Time launched on 17 January, with TV-am following on ITV in February.
- 1984 - Ghostbusters and Gremlins filled the cinemas.
- 1985 - EastEnders began on 19 February; the Christmas Day episode drew an enormous audience.
- 1986 - Neighbours began on BBC One and became a daytime and teatime fixture.
- 1987 - Dirty Dancing and Fatal Attraction filled the cinemas.
- 1988 - Red Dwarf and Home and Away both began on British screens.
- 1989 - Batman was the film of the year; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was close behind.
More from the screen
- 1980 - Yes Minister began on BBC Two; Hi-de-Hi! also started.
- 1981 - Brideshead Revisited ran on ITV and was the television event of the year.
- 1982 - The Snowman was first shown on Channel 4 at Christmas.
- 1983 - Blackadder began; Return of the Jedi was the film of the year.
- 1984 - Threads, a drama about nuclear war set in Sheffield, was broadcast in September and frightened the country.
- 1985 - Back to the Future was the film of the year.
- 1986 - Top Gun and Crocodile Dundee were the films of the year.
- 1987 - Inspector Morse began on ITV in January.
- 1988 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Rain Man were the films of the year.
- 1989 - Sky Television began broadcasting by satellite in February.
How to use this
- Themed night: one film from the decade, the matching party playlist, and a quiz round from the trivia page.
- Reading list: pick one book from the decade someone was born in and one from the decade they turned eighteen.
- Reminiscence session: read the television lines out and let people finish the theme tunes.
- Anyone born in 1980 turns 50 in 2030, 60 in 2040 and 70 in 2050.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop cards Look back to 1980 Look back to 1981 Look back to 1982
How to write it so it lands
- Pair one film and one playlist from the same decade for an easy themed night.
- For a card, name the book or programme they grew up with rather than the decade.
- Charity shops are still the cheapest place to find the older titles on this list.
Where to shop next
- Look back to 1980
- Look back to 1981
- Look back to 1982
- Look back to 1983
- Look back to 1984
- Look back to 1985
- Look back to 1986
- Look back to 1987
- Look back to 1988
- Look back to 1989
- 1980s history: events, politics and culture
- 1980s calendar: year by year
- 1980s timeline: key dates and events
- 1980s music: songs, genres and trends
- 1980s films and directors
- 1980s books: novels and authors
- 1980s art: artists and styles
- 1980s fashion: styles, designers and trends
- 1980s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
- 1980s travel: destinations and holidays
- 1980s technology: gadgets and computers
- 1980s shopping guide: what to buy
- 1980s games: board, card and video
- 1980s trivia: fun facts
- 1980s quiz: questions and answers
- 1980s party playlist
- The 1980s: the whole decade
- Retro gift guide: the 1980s
- The decade before: the 1970s
- The decade after: the 1990s
- All decade guides in one place
- Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
- Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
- Decade history by era
- Decade calendars: every year from 1920
- Decade timelines: key dates and events by era
- Decade music: songs, genres and trends
- Decade films: best movies and directors
- Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
- Decade art: artists, styles and trends
- Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
- Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
- Decade travel: destinations and holidays
- Decade technology: gadgets and computers
- Decade shopping guides
- Decade games: board, card and video games by era
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Decade quiz: test your memory
- Shop art prints and posters
- Shop greetings cards
- Shop birthday cards
- Shop funny cards
- Milestone birthday cards
- Nostalgia gift shop
- Retro party supplies
- 80s kids' TV shows
- 80s quiz questions
- Toys of the 80s and 90s
- Computers and consoles we grew up with
- Saturday morning TV
- Cassette tapes and taping the charts
- Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
- Guess the year quiz
- Care home reminiscence quiz
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- Birthday cards for kids
- Wedding cards
- Wedding cards guide
- Pin badges
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What are the best books of the 1980s?
The list above names real titles published between 1980 and 1989, with their years - a mix of the novels that defined the decade and the children's books that have stayed in print since.
What films and TV shows were popular in the 1980s?
The year-by-year list above gives the screen highlights for each year of the decade. For the full picture of any single year, open that year's page.
Where do these come from?
The film and television lines use the same checked facts as our year pages. The book lists are our own picks - real titles with real publication years, nothing invented.
Do you sell books or films?
No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read and free to copy.