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Here’s what the Stranger Things crew are watching
The final season of the hit sci-fi horror series Stranger Things is nearly upon us, and it teases one last epic adventure. Since season five is set in the fall of 1987, I thought it would be fun to take you on and take you back in time to explore what the Stranger Things characters might have been watching.
Back then, there were five movies ruling the box office and five TV shows ruling the Nielsen ratings. Let’s dive into those titles, starting with the big screen and moving to the small.
10
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
In 1987, Steve Martin and John Candy films were some of the funniest to grace the big screen. Case in point: Planes, Trains and Automobiles—another relatable, rib-tickling gem from John Huges, except this one focuses on the stressors and magic of holiday travel through the lens of (supposed) grownups.
Super-uptight marketing exec Neal Page (Martin) is anxious to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. Life, though, has other plans, as at every effort, diversion, delay, and roadblocks await. When he meets Del Griffith (Candy), a well-meaning but annoying salesman, the two wind up travel companions and embark on a three-day journey full of misadventure, frustration, and utter hilarity. This movie is comedy gold and, over the years, has secured its cult classic status as a must-see holiday film.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is streaming on Paramount+.
9
Dirty Dancing
One of the sexiest movies of the 80s, Dirty Dancing was and still is a work of art featuring the wickedly talented Patrick Swayze. This movie made him famous, and it’s full of good music, compelling drama, fancy footwork, and steamy intentions.
When Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) gets stuck spending her summer at an upper-class resort in the Catskills with her parents, she’s completely bored and bummed, until she meets resort dance instructor and entertainer Johnny Castle (Swayze). What ensues are broken rules and gender norms, forbidden love, and class differences—so, plenty of drama—amid the sexiest, classiest dancing you’ll ever see. You’ll want extra butter on your popcorn for this one, trust me.
Dirty Dancing is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
8
The Princess Bride
Growing up, The Princess Bride was one of my favorite movies, and it still is to this day. It’s brilliant and witty, riddled with swashbuckling action and laugh-out-loud moments, with just enough heartfelt exchanges so as not to overdo it.
The Princess Bride is a timeless comedic fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman named Buttercup (Robin Wright) and her farm boy/one true love, Westley (Cary Elwes). When he leaves in search of fortune so he can marry her, she’s unexpectedly forced to wed the villainous Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon). Under the assumed identity of the Dread Pirate Roberts, Westley returns to rescue her with the help of a vengeful swordsman and a gentle giant.
The story is framed as a book being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson, played by a young Fred Savage. Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, and Carol Kane also star in this timeless cult classic comedy.
The Princess Bride is streaming on Hulu.
7
Fatal Attraction
After watching Fatal Attraction at the age I did, I’ve never looked at rabbits the same… or kitchen counters. A salacious psychological thriller, the film is based on James Dearden’s 1980 short film Diversion and is your chance to see Glenn Close and Michael Douglas unleashed with desire.
Dan Gallagher (Douglas) is living a good life as a hotshot lawyer and family man, but all that changes when he meets Alex Forrest (Close), a sultry book editor. He can’t stop thinking about her, nor can he resist engaging in a tryst. Once he does so, then jilts her, Alex grows unnerved and unstable as she progresses from aggressively pursuing Dan to obsessively stalking him in unthinkable ways. It isn’t long before he realizes it’s not hiding the affair that matters, it’s protecting his family.
Fatal Attraction is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
6
Three Men and a Baby
Honestly, what’s funnier than watching three Manhattan bachelors try to raise a baby? In Three Men and a Baby, that’s exactly what happens—unexpectedly, of course.
Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson star as roommates Peter, Michael, and Jack. They’re all handsome, successful in their jobs, and happily unmarried. One day, everything changes when a fourth roomie shows up on their doorstep with nothing but a car seat, a note addressed to Jack, and a pacifier. With Jack away on business, Peter and Michael are forced to babysit, and they soon find themselves quite attached to the adorable little girl. It’s endearing to see these men trade wine, women, and partying for a crib, lullabies, and stinky diapers. It’s one of the most heartwarming, feel-good movies of 1987.
Three Men and a Baby is streaming on Disney+.
5
Cheers
Cheers tells the story of a blue-collar bar in Boston and all the wonderful, quirky patrons who work and drink there. The sitcom immediately snatched American hearts as one of the most fabulous half-hour comedies to sink your teeth into, and it also features a fair amount of drama to up the ante.
The 11-season show follows bar owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson), who’s also a womanizing former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, and the barflys looking to relax and socialize. While running his day-to-day operations, Sam meets the love of his life. The cast includes Shelley Long, George Wendt, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, Kirstie Alley, Bebe Neuwirth, John Ratzenberger, and Nicholas Colasanto.
Cheers is streaming on Hulu.
Cheers
- Release Date
-
1982 – 1993-00-00
- Network
-
NBC
- Showrunner
-
James Burrows, Glen Charles, Les Charles, Ken Estin, Sam Simon, David Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee, Bill Steinkellner, Cheri Steinkellner, Phoef Sutton, Tom Anderson, Dan O’Shannon
4
Growing Pains
When you’re a kid growing up, there’s nothing better to watch than a TV show about the misadventures of another family. That show in the 80s was Growing Pains, and it was easily the “father knows best” sitcom of the decade.
Alan Thicke stars in the seven-season sitcom as family patriarch Dr. Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist who moves his Long Island practice into the family home so his wife, Maggie (Joanna Kerns), can resume her journalism career. Also in the house are their four children: rebellious troublemaker and oldest kid Mike (Kirk Cameron), honor student and secondborn Carol (Tracey Gold), rambunctious Ben (Jeremy Miller), and baby Chrissy (Ashley Johnson). A very young Leonardo DiCaprio also stars as a homeless teen who is adopted into the Seaver family later in the show’s run.
Growing Pains is streaming on Tubi, Plex, and Pluto TV.
3
Who’s the Boss?
Who’s the Boss? made Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano huge household names in the 80s and 90s.
Danza stars as Tony Micelli, a widower and former Major League Baseball player forced to retire due to an injury. In wanting to raise his daughter, Samantha (Milano), away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, he relocates their life to Fairfield, Connecticut. There, he takes a job as a live-in housekeeper to divorced, high-powered businesswoman Angela Bower (Judith Light) and her son, Jonathan (Danny Pintauro). A clash of personalities ensues, as Tony is laid-back, always injecting humor in every situation, while Angela, on the other hand, is full of type-A behavior. To survive this experience, they must learn to coexist as they raise their kids together and maybe fall in love.
As one of the most popular sitcoms of the 80s, the show was nominated for more than 40 awards, including 10 Primetime Emmys and five Golden Globes, ultimately winning one of each.
Who’s the Boss? is streaming on Hulu.
2
Night Court
Nominated for 31 Emmy Awards and winning seven, Night Court focuses on the eccentric staff of a Manhattan criminal courtroom and the unusual cases they preside over on a nightly basis.
One of the best shows of the 80s, Night Court is generally lighthearted and funny, oftentimes inserting dramatic moments when least expected. With such a limited setting, the show keeps things fresh with its wide array of comical petty-crime cases, which provide plenty of opportunities for rib-tickling humor and situations involving oddball witnesses and defendants. It also features a wonderfully relatable cast of characters, such as John Larroquette, Markie Post, Harry Anderson, and Richard Moll.
Night Court is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Night Court
- Release Date
-
1984 – 1992-00-00
- Network
-
NBC
- Directors
-
Jim Drake, Alan Bergmann, Jay Sandrich, Gary Shimokawa, Asaad Kelada, John Larroquette, Tim Steele, James Burrows, Lee Bernhardi
1
ALF
When an Alien Life Form from the planet Melmac follows an amateur radio signal to Earth, he crash-lands his spaceship in the suburban California garage of the Tanner family. Unsure what to do, the family takes him in to hide him from the Alien Task Force, as well as their nosy neighbors, until he can repair his ship.
Real name Gordon Shumway, ALF is a smart-mouthed creature who’s vertically challenged, has a bad attitude, and is always trying to eat the cat—a delicacy on Melmac. Episodes deal with the furry foreigner navigating culture shock and loneliness as he learns about Earth, befriends humans both inside and outside the Tanner family, and experiences what it’s like to be part of a human family.
ALF is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
ALF
- Release Date
-
1986 – 1990
- Network
-
NBC
- Directors
-
Nick Havinga, Burt Brinckerhoff, Gary Shimokawa, Peter Bonerz, Paul Miller, Nancy Heydorn, Tony Csiki, Peter Baldwin, Rick Gough
That was a blast back in time! Not only has the entertainment of the era evolved, but so too has the technology. We don’t use walkie-talkies as much as the Stranger Things gang does, for example!
