Current Events > Why did the 80s seem to have more popular franchises than today?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Like TMNT, Ghostbusters, Terminator, Chucky, Nightmare on Elm Street, E.T., Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Beetlejuice...properties that had movies, TV shows, games, toys...

There hardly seems to be any now.
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They ate shit up, even if it was literal shit.
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There was more desire to create something new
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dave_is_slick posted...

They ate shit up, even if it was literal shit.

What?
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Because people have been thinking about them for 30 years. Plus, media proliferated at that point with lots of channels and studios branching out, meaning there was simply more.

Really, though, we'll probably say the same thing in a few decades about now. Nostalgia is a powerful thing.

YoshitoKikuchi posted...

dave_is_slick posted...

They ate shit up, even if it was literal shit.

What?

What "what"? I don't see what's confusing about my statement.
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dave_is_slick posted...

YoshitoKikuchi posted...

dave_is_slick posted...

They ate shit up, even if it was literal shit.

What?

What "what"? I don't see what's confusing about my statement.

I'm saying your negative assessment of the quality of those properties is puzzling.
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Everything in the 80s was basically a huge toy commercial.
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Sure there was the occasional Ghostbusters and Terminator. But the vast majority of it was garbage failure.

coinstarcad posted...

Sure there was the occasional Ghostbusters and Terminator. But the vast majority of it was garbage failure.

Most of those I listed aren't garbage
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True, what you listed wasn't garbage. Read on.

Awful garbage that wouldn't cut it today:
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punky brewster
just the ten of us
harry and the hendersons
soul train (oh god)
the ropers
joanie loves chachi
parker lewis always loses
mr belvedere ain't funny
please gimme a break
ghostbusters (as opposed to the real ghostusters)

Every good cost 4-6 fails. To fill spots that died they spammed mash, gilligan's island, bewitched, and I dream of genie which were syndicated shows of previous decades used as bandages for widespread creative poverty.

Shows like A-team and MacGuyver were outstanding havens in a wasteland of experiments shackled by strict content rules. People watched because they were out of their minds from 80's boredom. Were's the beef was famous because of desperation for amusement. There was nothing funny about Gorbachev's scar but it kept an infinite loop of comedic attempts in all the media.

Go watch A-team or Ripley's Believe it or Not. Slow-paced, unfunny show does not hold up.

I see your point but at least the good franchises did endure even to now.
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Disney bought everything
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They're all the Avengers now
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What the fuck is wrong with Harry and Hendersons? Even if a person doesn't think sasquatch is real it's still a part of American culture. Fucking everybody has heard of Bigfoot. There could totally be another Harry and Hendersons and people would watch it
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The toys were better which led to greater fanaticism among kids. The lack of video games for much of the decade meant the TV + toys formula was much more focused and had less competition.
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They didn't. You are just seeing things through nostalgic goggles

80s just had more originality to it then anything 2000 onwards. Music, television etc.

Somebody saying ghost busters wouldn't cut it today don't know what they're talking about. It had a huge toyline, cartoon spin off and video games, cereal and slimer had a disgusting hi-c spin off drink that lasted till the early 90s way after the series wore out it's welcome.

Transformers, made in the 80s and still going today, same with teenage mutant Ninja turtles, still going today. The record will speak for itself decades to come.
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KillerKhan420 posted...

80s just had more originality to it then anything 2000 onwards. Music, television etc.

Somebody saying ghost busters wouldn't cut it today don't know what they're talking about. It had a huge toyline, cartoon spin off and video games, cereal and slimer had a disgusting hi-c spin off drink that lasted till the early 90s way after the series wore out it's welcome.

Transformers, made in the 80s and still going today, same with teenage mutant Ninja turtles, still going today. The record will speak for itself decades to come.

Agreed
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because r-rated movies had toys made for kids.

it was an awesome time to be a kid.

now it's all about how many likes they can get on social media and shit.
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