Back to the Eighties New Years Special

It's the last show of 2012! And in BTTE Towers, it's time to welcome a special guest - Kalel Prime! Yes, it's been a while since the Batman Commentaries, so it's well past due to have the dulcet tones of Dave on the show again. This week, the guys let you all in on what Father Christmas brought them tis year - and it's an eclectic and suprising list, I can tell you (mainly because I was there). Also on the show; some Transformers news (some good, some bad, all interesting though) and a few Star Wars stories, and Dave, Phil and Glenn answer a question posed by our very own Boglodite Thanos. To all our listeners, a Happy and Prosperous New Year, may you live as long as you want but never want as long as you live! Back to the Eighties: It's Better Than Watching Eastenders.

Christmas Special 2012

Yes folks, it's hello and welcome to this year's Christmas special, where Glenn, Phil and Jii take a look back in time to 1985 and 1986, to see what Christmas telly was like back then, in the year before Eastenders took root as the BBC's festive choice year, after miserable year. There's also all the news worth looking at, including some very interesting Lego (and not-Lego) developments, some actual good third party news, and all change regarding the Star Wars comics! Back to the Eighties: It's Better Than Watching Christmas Eastenders.

When the Music Stops: Christmas Special

Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas! Yes folks, tis the season of goodwill and peace, and in the spirit of giving, this Christmas we at BTTE Towers are giving you the gift of TWO readalong classics! First up, it's the tale of how Scrooge McDuck renounced his miserly ways (only to have them turn up in Ducktales again) in Mickey's Christmas Carol, and then, it's the turn of a true Christmas classic, as we join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang for A Charlie Brown Christmas! Merry Christmas Everyone!

Episode 129

It's nearly Christmas at BTTE Towers, and Glenn, Phil and Jii are getting ready by reading out your lists to Father Christmas! There's also all of the news that's fit to talk about this week (including some news about GI Joe: Retaliation, the new Star Trek movie and even Man of Steel), and there's even a discussion about crisps which ends up making Glenn and Phil feel decidedly old (Jii, not so much.) Back to the Eighties: It's Better than Watching Eastenders.

Episode 128

Glenn's not here this week, so Phil has enlisted the help of two, yes TWO people this week to assist with the podcast, you lucky people. Joining Phil this week are Jii, the esteemed third member of the BTTE team, and Andy, the Moon Baws himself! Together, they discuss topics as diverse as Lego, Kamen Rider and the new Star Trek movie trailer, as well as all the news goodies you've come to expect from our little show. Back to the Eighties: It's Better Than Watching Eastenders.

Episode 127

This week sees Phil and Glenn taking a look at what your top 5 gameshows of the 1980s are, and discussing the all of the news. Which let's face it, due to it being nearly Christmas, there's not much of. Fear not however, because in the next couple of weeks there shall be a battle of the Christmas songs, to see which one is the greatest. And it shall be good. Oh yes, it shall be good.

When the Music Stops: Autobots Fight Back

This week's readalong confection is a return to the Ladybird Transformer universe, where the Autobots are learning more and more about the strange planet of Earth, and the Deceticons yet again get the wrong end of the stick and misunderstand Earth technology. Such fun!

PIFs For Your Perusal

Here's a few of the Public Information Films that we've had on the show recently, kicking off with The Management giving us some firework safety tips:

When the Music Stops: Star Trek and Spider-Man

Yes folks, because there's no regular podcast this week (thanks, Glenn), we'll have a double dose of readalong goodness, shall we? This week, from Power records, it's two adventures from 1975, with the crew of the Entreprise having a tricky time with wine as they find out 'In Vino Veritas', then we relocate to New York to see how Spidey deals with 'The Bells of Doom'!

Episode 126

This week sees Phil and Glenn looking at one of the quintessential 80's gameshows, with one of the quintessential 80's gameshow hosts - Bob Monkhouse! Yes folks, it's time to take a trip to Bob's Full House, where, as Bob himself would always say, the doors are always open for you! There's also all the news that we can gather together this week, and a question or two about 80's computers, and a poser about immortality itself...hopefully we won't be playing the Game of Rassilon here at BTTE Towers though. Not quite yet, anyway.

When the Music Stops: Zoids - The Legend of Heroic Combat

Hark, gentle listener, and pray silence for the Namer, Guardian of the Names of Power, as he guides you through the wastelands of what once was the planet Zoidstar, and introduces you to the many and varied combatants in the war between the forces of the Red and Blue ZOIDS! (With many, many thanks to Grufflock for providing me with this weeks audio!)

Episode 125

This week's edition of the podcast that travels back through time in a rose-tinted DeLorean sees Jii joining Glenn and Phil once more, as they take a look at what YOU think about Disney's recent acquisition of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franschise. But that's not all, as they also take a look at all the news that's fit to discuss this week, including the casting news of the fourth Transformers movie, as well as some Turtles Lego and Masters of the Universe news. We also look at our 80's guilty pleasures, and Jii attempts to disturb the others into not sleeping tonight. *shuddertwitch*

When the Music Stops: Back to the Future

Remember, remember, the 5th of November. No, not for Guido Fawkes, silly, for the night that Doc Emmett Brown invented time travel!

Episode 124

It's Channel 4's 30th anniversary this week, and Back to the Eighties marks this with a look back at some of it's greatest (and not so greatest) moments! From lesbian kisses to doing anything to get on television, it's time to keep an eye on 4! There's also plenty in the news to keep us occupied this week too, with a certain House of Mouse taking over a certain Star of Death...but do Glenn and Phil have a bad feeling about this, or will the Force be with us? WARNING: May contain Glenn and Phil singing Australian soap opera themes.

When the Music Stops: The Story of Dracula

Happy Hallowe'en! No intro this week, just the absolute brilliance of Christopher Lee, narrating the terrifying story of Dracula! Yes, that's Dracula himself, narrating his own story. That's meta for you.

Episode 123

Jii joins us again this week, as Glenn and Phil take a look at the lessons you learned from the 'moral' segments of the cartoons of the 80s, we give you all the news that's worth talking about this week, and mark the end of what for many Brits was their first version of the interwebz; Ceefax. We also mark the passing of Michael 'Rimfyre' Taylor, who sadly left us this week. RIP Michael.

When the Music Stops: JLA - The Lunar Invaders

It's time for another aural adventure into yesteryear, this time to 1982, where Marv Wolfman and some Muppets bring Superman et al to life in this Justice League of America caper, as they take on the mysterious Lunar Invaders!

A Thief Would Like Your Bike

Here's the Public Information Film that was at the end of this week's show - the incomparable Derek Griffiths telling us that our bikes aren't safe from tea leaves!

Episode 122

It's Phil's turn in the spotlight this week, and it's a corker; he's talking about one of the best ever cartoons of the 80s, the Dungeons & Dragons classic, The Dragon's Graveyard! Also this week, all the news you love, including some intriguing Ghostbusters news, and a (very slight) war of words between Hugo Weaving and everyone's favourite movie director, Michael "Sunset" Bay.* *This is a lie, obv.

When the Music Stops: Masters of the Universe

It's that time of week again, where we listen in to another 80's audio adventure - this time it's the turn of the Most Powerful Man in the Universe, as He-Man fights Skeletor via the medium of a 33rpm record!

Learn to Swim with Dangerous Diamonds!

Here's the two PIFs from the last couple of weeks - Dangerous Diamonds, and more recently, Learn to Swim!

Episode 121

It's the start of NYCC (New York Comic Con for the uninitiated), so Glenn and Phil bring you all the pre-con news for the Big Apple this week - and believe me, there's very exciting stuff afoot, especially if you're a GI Joe of Transformers fan! Also in this week's episode, we talk about your favourite episodes for the 4 seasons of the Generation One Transformers cartoon, answer of couple of very interesting listener questions, and find out what Glenn did for his birthday this year! HINT - It involved Cardiff, a Time Lord, and Sheldon Cooper's t-shirt folder.

Episode 120

This week, join Glenn and Phil as they spotlight a classic Generation One Transformers episode set in a land of giants - Child's Play! Also, there's news of all kinds (including a mini-review of the brand new TMNT series that started last week), and a question of a very Twittery nature. All this and more awaits you - as long as you steer clear of the dangerous diamonds!

When the Music Stops: The Ghostbusters Meet the Laser Ghost

You ain't afraid of no ghosts? Well, you may be afraid of the Laser Ghost in this readalong oddity, Ghostbusters fiction based off the movie, and not the Real Ghostbusters!

Snow Seen

Here's the Public Information Film that was heard at the end of this week's show; it's called "Snow Seen" and is from 1980, with a voiceover by Ray Brooks.

Episode 119

Phil's back this week, just in time for the guys to be joined by an extra special guest; comic colourist and soon-to-be superstar artist, Auto Assembly 2012 guest Sam Palmer! Together, they discuss your picks for a new TV show, packed full of your favourite 80s TV stars (and a skiing testicle-shaped being)! They also rummage around the news bin for the choicest cuts of news, before answering a question which brings up some painfully funny memories.
If Horace were to ski and no one was there to watch him, would the game still have sucked? Yes. Yes it would have.

Sam's website: http://sampalmerart.wordpress.com/comics

When the Music Stops: Star Trek - The Motion Picture

This week's audible confection sees the first cinematic adventure for Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise, as we find out the identity of the mysterious V'Ger, and what they want with planet Earth!

Homework for Episode 119

If you had the chance to produce an Expendables style TV show starring 80's action stars (as the characters they played back then of course) who whould you cast, and how would the story go?

Dread Tidings: Generation One Stepper

Once he was an obscure Japanese Transformer, talked about in revered tones. These days it would seem, he's old hat. And a former shelfwarmer in the Land of the Rising Sun. Whatever he is, he's certainly Generation One Stepper! Or Ricochet. Possibly.

Episode 118

This week, Glenn and Jii go to the seaside, specifically, Cockleshell Bay, where they have a great time building sandcastles and reminiscing about simpler, more innocent times. Then, it's back to Earth with a bump, because the depths of the toy news need to be plumbed (although considering the time of year, there's quite a bit of news about). After all that, it's time to take the train to Question Town, as we've got your questions that need answering!

I think that's about as far as I can go with the travel metaphor. If indeed that's what it is. It might be an allegory. It's not a similie, that's for sure.

My head hurts.