0:00:02 > 0:00:04Meet the Ashby Hawkins family.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08For one summer, they are giving up the trappings of their modern lives
0:00:08 > 0:00:10and travelling back in time
0:00:10 > 0:00:12to live through 50 years of British weekends.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21Steph, Rob, Daisy and Seth will experience a radical transformation
0:00:21 > 0:00:24- in how we spend our leisure time. - I'm free!
0:00:24 > 0:00:26- From the formal... - I feel like I'm going to a wedding.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29- ..to the frivolous. - We're going on holiday!
0:00:29 > 0:00:30From do-it-yourself...
0:00:32 > 0:00:36- ..to doing almost nothing. - You've turned into Wham.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37- Starting in 1950...- Oh, my...
0:00:37 > 0:00:40..their own home will be their time machine...
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It's 1961!
0:00:43 > 0:00:46..fast-forwarding them through a new year each day...
0:00:46 > 0:00:49What on Earth are you doing?
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We're making a massive dartboard.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53It's beige!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Oh, there's a telly up in the corner as well, look.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58..as they discover how a social...
0:00:59 > 0:01:02- ..technological...- What's that?
0:01:02 > 0:01:06- ..and spending revolution... - Oh, my God!
0:01:06 > 0:01:10..has transformed our free time forever.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12- Are you ready?- Yes!
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Last time, the Ashby Hawkins strutted their way
0:01:15 > 0:01:17- through the 1970s...- Oh!
0:01:17 > 0:01:20..a decade filled with family togetherness.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I wanted to create memories...
0:01:23 > 0:01:26and we have.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31This time, they enter an era of aspiration - the 1980s.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34This is a power suit. I'm going to look like a boxer.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36But what will the multiple distractions on offer...
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Hello, everybody. My mum has just returned from work.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42- ..mean for family life? - We're all going in that direction,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46I'm not sure what it is that's going to bring us back together again.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00It's the next chapter in our time-travelling adventure.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03It's 1980 and the family's eye-catching '70s house
0:02:03 > 0:02:06has been transformed into a chintzy show home...
0:02:08 > 0:02:10..and their humble Renault
0:02:10 > 0:02:13exchanged for a top-of-the-range Vauxhall Cavalier.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19I'm back with the social historian Polly Russell to let loose the '80s.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Oh, my eyes.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26This is the decade that's most identified
0:02:26 > 0:02:28with the rise in home ownership.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29Your home is your biggest asset,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and evidence of your success and your taste.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34There isn't one style here, is there? And I think that's
0:02:34 > 0:02:36because, in this period, you know,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39home decorating becomes the sort of national obsession.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41People who hadn't really done any home decorating before
0:02:41 > 0:02:44started in the '80s and you can see that it took them a while
0:02:44 > 0:02:47- to get the hang of it.- Yes, you've got a kind of mishmash of styles,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50with the ruched curtains and all the flowers
0:02:50 > 0:02:54and the chintz and the wallpaper that's giving you a headache.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57A reminder that not everybody in the '80s lived in a pop video.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00No, there's none of that kind of sleek coolness, is there?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It certainly looks a lot like my house that
0:03:02 > 0:03:04- I grew up in during the '80s. - Does it?
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Yeah, I think my mother would be desperate
0:03:05 > 0:03:07if she thought I was saying that.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Ah, totally open plan now.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13And the colour palette is disgusting.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15It's a kind of flesh.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Also, my beady eye for a design feature tells me
0:03:17 > 0:03:20that it's a breakfast bar, the key '80s thing.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23You run in, coffee, boom, off you go and then just run off
0:03:23 > 0:03:25to the deregulated City and start making money.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28It's about pleasure and fun, so it's not about labour.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31I think what it's suggesting is really busy, affluent lives.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35A year before the '80s began,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Margaret Thatcher had been elected Prime Minister
0:03:37 > 0:03:41on a promise of freedom for the market and the individual.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45There are many things to be done to set this nation on the road
0:03:45 > 0:03:50to recovery and I don't mean economic recovery alone,
0:03:50 > 0:03:55but a new independence of spirit and a zest for achievement.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57What a nation we could be.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Aspiration was prized, even as inequality rose.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08To keep up with the Joneses, many of us were spending beyond our means,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11a trend seen clearly in the Family Expenditure Survey, which
0:04:11 > 0:04:14asked thousands of households to record all their purchases,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17from a meal out to a new car.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21The original handwritten diaries had been shredded,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25but the survey's data give us the best possible clue about what
0:04:25 > 0:04:28families were doing in their leisure time.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32We've had the Family Expenditures Survey analysed and what you see
0:04:32 > 0:04:34is that expenditure goes up significantly
0:04:34 > 0:04:36on leisure and entertainment.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39It goes up by a whopping 60 billion over the decade.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Looking down here, it's VCRs, videos, home computers.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44In the '50s, it was a shilling on fags.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47This man owns five televisions, but how does this gel with the idea
0:04:47 > 0:04:49of the '80s as the haves and the have-nots?
0:04:49 > 0:04:53What you have to remember is that there's been deregulation of credit,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57so you can spend a lot of money without necessarily having
0:04:57 > 0:04:58the requisite income.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Here's a man who is 45 from Wales,
0:05:00 > 0:05:05he earns £549 per week but he's got £741 credit card debt.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08So sitting there and watching adverts and buying everything
0:05:08 > 0:05:09that they tell him to buy, isn't he?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12So even people who haven't got money are really stretching themselves
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- trying to have it all. - Yes, I think that's right.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20The Family Expenditure Survey will guide everything
0:05:20 > 0:05:22the Ashby Hawkins do in the 1980s.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26The '70s, to me, was a real golden time in terms of spending it
0:05:26 > 0:05:29with the family, so I'm hoping that we can keep that
0:05:29 > 0:05:30kernel of fun together.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I sort of enjoyed spending time with my family,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36but really hope we're going to be spending less time together
0:05:36 > 0:05:38and more time on technology.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- DAISY:- Look at the car! - I can't wait to drive it.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Ew.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- SETH:- This room is so small. - Oh, it's lovely.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54What a lot of furniture!
0:05:54 > 0:05:58- Oh, it has a ghetto blaster! - There's a lot of weird stuff.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00I mean, look at that.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05You've got a pretending-to-be Ming vase with silk flowers.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08In a stately home, you could have a vase of that size,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11but in a lounge in suburbia... what's all that about?
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Look at the Hi-fi system. Look, twin deck!
0:06:14 > 0:06:15HE GASPS
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- It's very hi-tech though, isn't it?- It's the future.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21I had a ghetto blaster and I used to carry it around with me
0:06:21 > 0:06:26on my shoulder and you could have a party anywhere when you took that.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- That is such a small TV. - It's remote control.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- DAISY GASPS - We don't have to get up now,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33we can sit about lazing, watching TV all day.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38- It's the tackiest taste I've ever seen.- Is this edible?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- No, it's for smelling, look. - It's air freshener.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43It was an alternative to...
0:06:43 > 0:06:45You'd smell it when you'd go into the toilet at my nan's house.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Smells like disinfectant.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- Oh! Whoa.- Wow!
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- DAISY:- Look at this! It's bigger.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- It's beige! - SETH:- We have a microwave.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01They've replaced the wall with work surface.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Look at the breakfast table, the breakfast table is awesome.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06There's a telly in here as well.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Oh, look! It's like the first mobile phone, but you can't take it...
0:07:10 > 0:07:12How was that mobile? You're attached by a cord.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Yeah, but you can take it around the house.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Yeah, we have got a lot of stuff, so it looks like we've been spending.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21I remember in the '80s, appearance was important and substance less so
0:07:21 > 0:07:23and this room epitomises that for me.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26I've got to last a decade in this house
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and I think I'm going to be going slightly mad...
0:07:29 > 0:07:31by the end of it.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- Hello, Giles. - Hello! You look amazing.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37This is your exciting '80s show home.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40This house is an expression of having it all but you're going to
0:07:40 > 0:07:42need money to pay for it, so you're going to become
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- a dual income family. Steph, you're going to be going out to work.- Yay!
0:07:45 > 0:07:48But there's still an expectation that you should be in the kitchen
0:07:48 > 0:07:50cooking the dinner, so you're going to be doing both.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Rob, the job-for-life thing is gone,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55so you're going to have to work longer and longer hours and although
0:07:55 > 0:07:58most of you are going to find work creeping into your leisure time,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00that won't be the case for you, Seth. You're going to have
0:08:00 > 0:08:03- a lot more choice in your leisure time.- OK, good.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05So, there's your mail for the decade.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I'm going to leave you to get on with one of the most popular
0:08:08 > 0:08:12pastimes of the 1980s, which is DIY, home improvement.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14- We're all doing that? - All of you are doing it
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and if you can improve on this, I'll be really surprised.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- So have fun with that.- That shouldn't be too hard.- Excellent.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It's going to be flamboyant and frilly, isn't it?
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- What is there to decorate? - Everything.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Decorating gave property owners the chance to stamp their personality
0:08:31 > 0:08:33all over their home.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36The really important thing with stencils is that you don't
0:08:36 > 0:08:39put too much paint on that because otherwise it just splurges.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43The expansion of right-to-buy and mortgage deregulation in the '80s
0:08:43 > 0:08:47saw home ownership grow by 10% across the decade.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50And, thanks to newly opened DIY superstores, owners could
0:08:50 > 0:08:54improve their properties with all the latest daring styles.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Carefully painting across the stencil.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00This takes you into your wonderful fancy world
0:09:00 > 0:09:03where you can have any pattern that you could ever imagine.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Oh, look! I don't think it's meant to do that...
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Daisy! Stop stencilling your brother.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21The Expenditure Survey reflects this obsession with redecoration,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24like this 47-year-old man from the Southeast who
0:09:24 > 0:09:28spent £40 on paint, the equivalent of £120 today.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34No, no, no! We've got to live in here!
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I don't even know what we were doing to that poor kitchen wall.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41You can't have my mum, control freak number one,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45and my sister, control freak number two, doing the same thing
0:09:45 > 0:09:48and hope there to be complete peace. That will not happen.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50I have to say, like it or loathe it,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53we've certainly transformed the room.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Meanwhile...
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Rob is busy making his own improvements.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Whoa!
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- It totally changes this room.- Why...
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Why do people think that this would improve their housing?
0:10:14 > 0:10:17I was looking outside at the road, no-one's got it.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Yeah, I wonder why(!)
0:10:21 > 0:10:23When we weren't chintzing of our homes,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26we spent most of our time doing one thing...watching TV.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30# Video killed the radio star... #
0:10:30 > 0:10:32The time we spent glued to the box
0:10:32 > 0:10:36went up from 19 to 26 hours a week in the first half of the decade.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42So I'm bringing the family a new gadget which will help them
0:10:42 > 0:10:44cram even more telly into their lives.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- What is that?- What is that?! Do you really mean, what is that?
0:10:48 > 0:10:53- I think I might know. It can't be a DVD player.- A DVD in 1980?
0:10:53 > 0:10:57- Oh, is that a VCR?- Yes! It is. - That's brilliant.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Yeah, it means you can record things when you're out and come back
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and watch them later. This is the birth of on-demand TV.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06You can spend the entire week just watching telly.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08A really expensive piece of kit.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- Do you remember how expensive it was?- Really expensive!
0:11:11 > 0:11:14A chap like this would have been £599,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18which is about two grand, about £1,900 in today's money.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21It's a month's salary. So people mostly rented them.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25I'll put it down here and I'll leave you to try and work it out.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27- Thank you.- Cheerio.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- There we go! - That's the eject button.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36The Expenditure Survey is awash with this revolutionary
0:11:36 > 0:11:38piece of home technology.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43By the end of the decade, 60% of homes had one.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46VCRs were just, like, the most exciting thing
0:11:46 > 0:11:48when they first came out.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51OK, it's on. It's flashing 12.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55I think it's really cool that I should be able to record TV now.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- DAISY:- When setting the length of the recording set,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00the minute button must be first.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Read the instructions! That's how you record stuff,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09that's the instructions on how to record it!
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- Go away.- For God's sake!
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Oh, look, it's doing it, yes! Yay!
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Right, insert this side into the recorder. It's a bit big...
0:12:20 > 0:12:23What about that? This is called Dallas.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28- Sounds like a cowboy Western. - With JR Ewing.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33- So should we record this so we can watch it later?- Yeah.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36In the early '80s, British viewers couldn't get enough of
0:12:36 > 0:12:38US television imports like Dallas.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44And our special relationship with all things American
0:12:44 > 0:12:45didn't stop there.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49The bond between Margaret Thatcher and new president Ronald Reagan
0:12:49 > 0:12:51would define the decade.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53This great friendship is, if anything,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56stronger than it has ever been.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00And American influences were everywhere.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Dinner time!
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Oh, yay! What've we got, what've we got?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- Got a takeaway, got a takeaway. - What is it?
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Fries, burgers and fizzy drinks.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- Do you think we could do this every night, then?- Yep.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- It's the shooting of JR.- Yeah.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23We're actually going to see JR get shot!
0:13:23 > 0:13:25I had a mirror badge that said, "I shot JR".
0:13:28 > 0:13:31THEME MUSIC PLAYS
0:13:31 > 0:13:34It was about the American multimillionaires, so they
0:13:34 > 0:13:38lived in these massive houses and people just aspired to be like them.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40On the 26th May, 1980,
0:13:40 > 0:13:4522 million Brits tuned in to watch arch-villain JR get shot.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Oh, the door is open. There he is!
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- LOUD SHOT FROM TELLY - Oh!
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Bang, bang. Is he dead?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58We don't even know if he's dead!
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- Mom, he went, uggggh. And he got shot twice.- Whoa!
0:14:02 > 0:14:07I was more excited there than I was then, back in the '80s.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10That was ultra exciting. Shall we watch it again?
0:14:10 > 0:14:13We can rewind the tape and watch it again.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18We're in a completely new era with a lot more technology.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Everything seems a bit more relaxed.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24I've heard of a VCR, but I didn't actually know what it was.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29They are really complicated and obviously Dallas, you know... Wow.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It's a new day at the Ashby Hawkins which, in this experiment,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40means a new year.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44It's 1981, the year of the wedding.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47We may have been enthralled to all things American,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50but some occasions had us proud to be British.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54On 29th July, there was a national holiday to mark the marriage
0:14:54 > 0:14:55of Charles and Diana,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59and Britain celebrated in true '80s style by going shopping.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03They put the Royal Wedding on everything.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06From Royal Wedding sweatshirts to Royal Wedding beer
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and even Royal Wedding trainers.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Like ten million of us, the Ashby Hawkins are going to have
0:15:14 > 0:15:18a party for friends and neighbours at their local hall.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Really, is that Diana, do you think?
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Oh, my God, that's terrible.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Wow, this is amazing!
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Granny Jennifer is here to join in the festivities.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37In 1981, over half a million people congregated in London,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40hoping to capture a glimpse of the Royal party.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47And to grab the prime spots, people camped for days.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- REPORTER:- 'You couldn't actually see an inch of pavement anywhere
0:15:49 > 0:15:52'and money wouldn't buy you a space for most of these people.'
0:15:52 > 0:15:55I hope to be involved in a piece of history being made.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58On the streets that week was a ten-year-old Rob
0:15:58 > 0:16:02and mum Jennifer, who slept outside St Paul's for five nights.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05I just saw it on the television that people were gathering
0:16:05 > 0:16:09and I'm thinking, "Why aren't I there?"
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- You dropped everything for the Royal family.- I did!
0:16:12 > 0:16:15I did take a chance, really, taking you along, ten years old.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16We were so close to the church,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I actually felt like one of the guests.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21What I always remember, though, was right at the very last,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24when you knew the carriages were leaving Buckingham Palace,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27they were still vacuuming that carpet.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31But not everyone was as captivated as Jennifer by the Royal event.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36In 1981, a 16-year-old Steph went to a very different celebration.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39There were an awful lot of people in the country that didn't care
0:16:39 > 0:16:42and I kind of fell into that camp, really. Sorry!
0:16:42 > 0:16:45There was a "Not The Royal Wedding" bash at my local which I went to
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and no-one was allowed to mention the Royal wedding
0:16:48 > 0:16:51or wear anything red, white or blue and it was great.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Hey, how are you?
0:17:00 > 0:17:02We need more chairs?
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Rob's recording the whole event on a state-of-the-art '80s camcorder,
0:17:07 > 0:17:12precious family memories they can relive again and again on VCR.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14I'm not overly excited about seeing the wedding.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I'm not really a big fan of the Royals. So I don't...
0:17:17 > 0:17:19You say that, sitting next to me?!
0:17:23 > 0:17:25These are made into coasters.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Is that them coming out? Oh, yes!
0:17:27 > 0:17:30That's how close we were to it, huh? Incredible. I'm with Buzby.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33It was just worth bunking off school for a once-in-a-lifetime
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- opportunity, isn't it?- That is really what I wanted you to answer.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38There you go, see?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43You can never have too many balloons!
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Oh, it's time, it's time, I'm going to put the telly on!
0:17:48 > 0:17:51What are you doing? Sit down in the front!
0:17:51 > 0:17:53No messing around, the anthem is playing.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- She looks great, doesn't she? - CROWD ROARS ON TELLY
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Listen to the crowd.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03The wedding was watched by over 28 million people,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06more than half the UK population,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and globally reached a staggering 750 million viewers.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16- Hang on a minute, we're going to see us in a minute.- There!
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- The flags!- We were right there.
0:18:18 > 0:18:19Right where those flags were.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22She's looking over to us, look.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Wait, wait for the kiss, wait for the kiss.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- Oh, it's the famous kiss, of course. - Yes!
0:18:29 > 0:18:31That's not a proper kiss! Do it again!
0:18:32 > 0:18:35I'd never seen it on television before, the only time I'd seen it
0:18:35 > 0:18:37was live with my mother there,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40so to actually watch it with my mum, it was a lovely experience.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43I'd quite like to do it again, actually, it was really good.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49'It was really sweet to be in the hall, decorations and getting
0:18:49 > 0:18:52'dressed up and preparing food and the kids were messing about.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54'I love a party.'
0:18:54 > 0:18:58I just don't need the Royals as an excuse to do that.
0:18:58 > 0:19:001981...
0:19:08 > 0:19:10'82!
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- It's an important day for Steph. - I'm starting work today.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17And that's kind of nerve-racking and exciting at the same time.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20In their normal lives, she's the family's main breadwinner,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22but, for the first time in this experiment, Steph is going to be
0:19:22 > 0:19:26joining the 35% of women who were working full-time.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28OK, thank you, ma'am.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Are you wearing that to the office?
0:19:30 > 0:19:33I'm feeling that I need a bit more shoulder pad going on and something
0:19:33 > 0:19:36a bit more formal, something that makes me look more like a man.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38You need a bowler hat and a tash.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Not to worry, I sent Steph THE wardrobe essential
0:19:41 > 0:19:42for an '80s working woman.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Oh, now this...this is a power suit!
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Look at the shoulders on that!
0:19:50 > 0:19:52I'm going to look like a boxer!
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Whoa!
0:19:55 > 0:19:57What?
0:19:57 > 0:19:59It's definitely intimidating.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I'm going to look like a powerful businesswoman.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Yeah, I'd do what I was told if you told me.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07# I'm so excited
0:20:07 > 0:20:09# And I just can't hide it. #
0:20:10 > 0:20:12I love being at home and I love my family.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15But, equally, it drives me stir crazy.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Steph's new job comes with the latest accessories.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21A Filofax and a pager.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24This, this, if anything in the '80s, was a real status symbol.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26People used to wear them clipped on their belts
0:20:26 > 0:20:28so that you could see that you were on call.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31If you were on call, that meant you were indispensable
0:20:31 > 0:20:33and, therefore, hugely important.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38# Once in every lifetime comes a love like this
0:20:38 > 0:20:40With both parents working full-time, Daisy and Seth are joining
0:20:40 > 0:20:43a whole new generation of latchkey kids
0:20:43 > 0:20:45who could do exactly what they liked...
0:20:45 > 0:20:48# Darling, we're the young ones. #
0:20:48 > 0:20:52..leaving them free to indulge in social media 1980s style.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54- RADIO CRACKLES - Hello?
0:20:54 > 0:20:55- RADIO CRACKLES - Hello!
0:20:55 > 0:20:57- Ooh, God!- Hello!
0:20:59 > 0:21:02CB radio had been an illicit popular past-time in Britain for years.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Breaker one-four, breaker one-four.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Once legalised in the early '80s, thousands of kids got the bug.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- This is Kit Kat and Cherry Bomb as he likes to be known.- Cherry Bomb.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16What are your handles, guys?
0:21:16 > 0:21:17RADIO CRACKLES
0:21:17 > 0:21:19We are Crunchy and Doughnut!
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Ooh! I really fancy both of those right now.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Who is that?
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Ooh, God! you were so loud then. Oh, hello, Ella, how are you?
0:21:32 > 0:21:35I'm good, how are you?
0:21:37 > 0:21:39It's like talking to your grandmother.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- Like, hello!- Hello!- Yes, I'll repeat myself one more time!
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- This is a very bad version of social media.- Is Doughnut there?
0:21:47 > 0:21:48LINE CRACKLES AND GOES DEAD
0:21:51 > 0:21:52Is anyone there?
0:21:52 > 0:21:54LINE CRACKLES
0:21:55 > 0:21:57- Hello, Dad. - CB radio!- Yeah.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Oh, QSK, QSK, brilliant. I used to have one.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03They're so cool. I had a friend who had one on his bike
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- he used to ride around Worthing. - Oh, that's cool.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08With a big aerial sticking up the back. That's the best thing ever.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- Do you want to have a go? - Yes, why not.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- We're talking to Crunchy and Doughnut.- Crunchy and Doughnut?
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Crunchy and Doughnut? This is Fallout.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19My name's Fallout and I'm calling from south-west London.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25After a full day at the office, Steph's back from work.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- Hey, hello!- Hello, everybody, my mum's just returned from work.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32- Daisy, do you want chicken or prawn?- Erm, both.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35In the '80s, despite more women working full-time than ever before,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39they were still expected to do the housework when they got home.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42It feels like I am still actually attached to the kitchen sink
0:22:42 > 0:22:45but I've got one of those very, very long dog leads that allows me out.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47But, actually, I still always get pulled back here.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50Oh, kids!
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Jesus, have you seen this lounge?
0:22:53 > 0:22:55In a bid to keep up appearances,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57women were doing two hours' more housework than a decade before.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02No wonder, when advertisers were persuading us
0:23:02 > 0:23:05that even our carpets needed to wear perfume.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07ADVERT JINGLE
0:23:07 > 0:23:08# Do the shake n' vac...
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Steph's not the only one vacuuming in a power suit.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12# Put the freshness back
0:23:12 > 0:23:15# Do the shake n' vac and put the freshness back
0:23:15 > 0:23:17# When your carpet smells fresh, your room does too
0:23:17 > 0:23:21# Every time you vacuum, remember what to do...
0:23:21 > 0:23:22I think I might open a window.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24# Put the freshness back! #
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Dinner means Steph can finally sit down.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29BEEPING
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- Not absolutely sure what that is. - BEEPING
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- It's coming from your handbag. - Thank goodness for that.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- Oh, God, it's my pager. - Have you got a pager coming?
0:23:38 > 0:23:39BEEPING
0:23:39 > 0:23:41- Seriously, you've got a pager? - Yep.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45In a world before mobiles, pagers were phenomenally popular
0:23:45 > 0:23:49with 61 million users globally by the end of the decade.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51The person who wants to send you the message
0:23:51 > 0:23:53first phones up a control centre.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56And an operator there keys it into a computer.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58The message goes out in a series of coded pulses.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Sold as a way to free people from the office,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04this new technology was a double-edged sword.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10'All this immediacy of communication, it has its benefits
0:24:10 > 0:24:13'but the reality of pagers was that you could never switch off.'
0:24:13 > 0:24:14OK, cheers, thanks, bye.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17'This device is probably the very start of that intrusion
0:24:17 > 0:24:20'into your personal life, of work.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22'It's a slippery slope.'
0:24:22 > 0:24:25What it's saying is work is more important than family.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26'That's the wrong way round.'
0:24:26 > 0:24:29# Give me time. #
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Wait for it.
0:24:41 > 0:24:441983.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46- ALL:- Yay!
0:24:46 > 0:24:50A year when the country could cram even more telly into their day
0:24:50 > 0:24:52with the launch of Breakfast TV.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54TV MUSIC
0:24:54 > 0:24:56The Family Expenditure Survey shows that,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00for more and more families, one TV was no longer enough.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Thousands of households now had multiple sets. TV.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- TV:- Hello, good morning.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06The two main channels went head-to-head
0:25:06 > 0:25:09with cheerful, unthreatening styles.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10The BBC had Selina Scott.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Now, it's British Fashion Week and, all this week,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15the best of British fashion is on show in London,
0:25:15 > 0:25:16and here on Breakfast Time.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19But ITV had a secret weapon.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Morning, Roland, what are you wearing this lot for?
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Well, I thought I'd deck myself up this morning.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26- Roland Rat! - TV:- But you're not Scottish.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30I must say, you look very smart this morning, Nicko. Heh.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34I mean, it's great that there's breakfast television.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36They kind of waste it with a talking rat.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38That thing's really creepy.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Heh.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Seth and his friend Harvey are heading off to try out
0:25:44 > 0:25:46one of the most popular leisure activities
0:25:46 > 0:25:47for boys in the early '80s.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50Video games.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56With local authority cuts closing many youth clubs,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59'80s kids turned to the bright lights of the arcade.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Out on the street, you can't go around zapping things generally,
0:26:02 > 0:26:07can you? But here, you can stick 10p in a slot
0:26:07 > 0:26:09and you can zap things all you want.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Run, run, run!
0:26:13 > 0:26:15'In the '70s, I was like, "Yay! I've got Pong."
0:26:15 > 0:26:18'But it was really boring after, like, an hour.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19'This is a lot more exciting.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21'And it's in colour, it's a lot more advanced.'
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Up, up, down!
0:26:23 > 0:26:25I've got no proper supervision from my parents.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27There's no-one there to tell me, let's go now.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31I'm away from my parents and I kind of like it that way.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33Back at home...
0:26:35 > 0:26:38..Steph's got her hands on her own video technology.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42She's trying out the latest American-inspired fitness fad.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Are you ready to do the workout?
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Jane Fonda's workout was a top seller,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50shifting 17 million copies worldwide.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51Big circles.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55'She looks amazing. And it is quite hypnotic watching her on the screen.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56'It's a very aspirational thing.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58'They're obviously having a really good time.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00'It's something you could do at home.'
0:27:00 > 0:27:02It's very elegant, isn't!
0:27:02 > 0:27:03'If you're unfit and flabby, you can do it
0:27:03 > 0:27:06'without too much shame in your own home.'
0:27:06 > 0:27:08TV: EXERCISE MUSIC
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Very good. You should be warmed up and ready
0:27:11 > 0:27:13to go on to the arm exercise.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Oh, was that a warm-up? Holy Moses.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21DOORBELL
0:27:21 > 0:27:25It wasn't just women who aspired to have the perfect body in the '80s.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26ROB LAUGHS
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Men were also focusing on their appearance.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Steph, come and see.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35We're going to get a tan. That is awesome, isn't it?
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Dear Rob. In the '80s, pale and interesting won't cut it.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42You need a tan. So, I've bought you a cutting-edge machine,
0:27:42 > 0:27:43a tanning bed.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45- Excellent!- Wow.- Will you turn me over when I'm done?
0:27:45 > 0:27:46ROB GIGGLES
0:27:49 > 0:27:52EIGHTIES PARTY MUSIC
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Love the shorts.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Of the ridiculous things I've ever done in my lounge,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59this is definitely up there.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03In the '80s, we were told this was a safe way to tan.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05And this is a pastime. I mean, at least in the '60s,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08we went to the seaside to do this.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10It was more of an occasion, wasn't it?
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Seth! Come and see how ridiculous your father looks.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15ROB LAUGHS
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Look, look.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22This is really weird. I don't even understand the point of this.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24ROB LAUGHS
0:28:24 > 0:28:27I could do with a pina colada, that might help.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30But no bad boy's look would be complete
0:28:30 > 0:28:33without the most popular finishing touch for men.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34Oh!
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Why have you put a jellyfish on my head?
0:28:37 > 0:28:38Blond highlights.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40MUSIC: Bad Boys by Wham!
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Ooh. Ow! Oh. Urgh!
0:28:43 > 0:28:45ROB SQUEALS
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Tonight, Daisy is Rob's stylist.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50THEY GIGGLE
0:28:51 > 0:28:53DAISY LAUGHS
0:28:58 > 0:29:00- I'm laughing with you really. - Oh, yeah, that's right.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- ROB LAUGHS - You could be Andrew Ridgley
0:29:05 > 0:29:08and I could be George Michael. We could be Wham! together.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10No! I'd die.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Yes, it's pretty good.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Yeah. Well done, Daisy.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18# Whoo whoo! #
0:29:21 > 0:29:23As the '80s moved on,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27our leisure time was increasingly dominated by American imports.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Seth and Harvey are trying one out.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33I've enlisted the help of break dancer B-boy, Steady,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36to put them through their paces.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39- Hi, guys.- Hi. - I'm Steady from Flawless.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- From the '80s, right?- Yep. - That's what we used to wear, nice.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Direct from New York, kids from Norwich to Newport
0:29:45 > 0:29:47were breaking out the frog splash.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50We're going to learn some top rock first,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54and then a drop which is how we get to the floor. Then a six step.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56- That sounds complicated.- Yep.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Don't think too hard, just let your body do the work.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02So, five, six, seven and cross.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06- In, cross. In, cross. In, cross. - Oh!
0:30:06 > 0:30:08- You've got it! - I went backwards, though.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10OK, you made a little mistake, but you got it.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14OK, this is a six step, OK?
0:30:15 > 0:30:17One... STEADY LAUGHS
0:30:17 > 0:30:20- Bend down. - ..two, three, four,
0:30:20 > 0:30:22- five, six. - Oh, no.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Jump up.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Right. Music time?
0:30:28 > 0:30:30- MUSIC PLAYS - Five, six, seven and
0:30:30 > 0:30:33march, march, march, march.
0:30:33 > 0:30:34- Yep.- Cross.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36# Good girl! #
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Six step's nice.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39Out.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41I thought you said you were no good!
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Most people I'm teaching that would take two or three lessons
0:30:45 > 0:30:48just to learn that, you've learnt it in 20 minutes.
0:30:48 > 0:30:49THEY LAUGH
0:30:49 > 0:30:52I didn't really like break dancing, and the idea of it.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54So, I was just a bit worried about it.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56But when I got into it, I really enjoyed it.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Tat, tat, tat, tat.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59High fives.
0:30:59 > 0:31:00While Seth's breaking in the park...
0:31:00 > 0:31:03I think I've twisted my ankle.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07..Daisy's also fallen under the spell of all things American.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08Ow!
0:31:08 > 0:31:11But '80s fashion comes at a price.
0:31:11 > 0:31:12Argh!
0:31:12 > 0:31:14SHE SQUEALS
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Are you trying to rip my hair out of my skull?
0:31:19 > 0:31:20# Holiday!
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Madonna burst onto the music scene in 1984.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Her radical style was immediately embraced by fans.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29And high-street shops were soon selling out of lace gloves,
0:31:29 > 0:31:33as Madonna-mania swept the country.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36In the '50s, '60s and '70s, you weren't following a celebrity,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39you were following what everyone else was wearing. Whereas this,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41it's like you choose your celebrity and you look like them.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43# Holiday!
0:31:43 > 0:31:45I do think I can express myself more as I can put anything on
0:31:45 > 0:31:48and someone will go, oh, that's totally normal.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50- What's the dance in the '80s? - # Holiday!
0:31:50 > 0:31:52It's all like that.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54# It would be so nice. #
0:31:55 > 0:31:57MUSIC: Jump by Van Halen.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03# I get up...
0:32:03 > 0:32:04While the kids transform themselves,
0:32:04 > 0:32:09Rob's taken up yet another craze from across the pond, jogging.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10# You got it tough
0:32:10 > 0:32:12# I've seen the toughest all around...
0:32:12 > 0:32:13I'm pleased to be out.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16I know I'm on my own but I like the isolation of exercising on my own.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18So, I'm really pleased to be out,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20and pleased to get rid of the excess energy that I have.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22# Just how you feel. #
0:32:22 > 0:32:26We were enthusiastically embracing American culture in 1984.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30But there was one import from the USA that was far from popular.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35- TV:- The message was clear. Spring, said the organisers, brought life,
0:32:35 > 0:32:36cruise missiles, death.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39The year before, American cruise missiles
0:32:39 > 0:32:42had arrived at Greenham Common.
0:32:42 > 0:32:43And, as the Cold War intensified,
0:32:43 > 0:32:46fears of a nuclear conflict were at a peak.
0:32:50 > 0:32:56In 1984, seven million people tuned in to the BBC's drama Threads
0:32:56 > 0:32:59which depicted the horror of nuclear war, and its aftermath.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04- TV:- If anyone dies while you are kept in your fallout room,
0:33:04 > 0:33:08move the body to another room in the house.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12That guy's voice, to this day, curdles my blood.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15- Felt like it had taken away my future.- It was horrible.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18I remember thinking, I don't want to bring children into this world
0:33:18 > 0:33:21if they're going to be living in a nuclear wasteland,
0:33:21 > 0:33:23if they were lucky enough to survive it.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- TV:- Attack. Warning red. - Attack warning? Is it for real?
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Attack warning? It's not bloody real!
0:33:29 > 0:33:31TV: AIR RAID SIREN
0:33:32 > 0:33:34TV: SCREAMS OF PANIC, ALARMS RING
0:33:36 > 0:33:38TV: SIRENS
0:33:38 > 0:33:39'It's making me think,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42'what would you do in your last four minutes of living?'
0:33:42 > 0:33:43Would you try and run and survive,
0:33:43 > 0:33:45or would you try and embrace the last four minutes?
0:33:47 > 0:33:48TV: SCREAMS OF PANIC
0:33:54 > 0:33:57'It's really, really chilling.'
0:34:04 > 0:34:06Oh, my God.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12It's actually a cracking piece of television.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- STEPH SNIFFS - I hate it.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19I hate it.
0:34:21 > 0:34:22I hate it.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26I hate it as much the second time round as I did the first time round.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31- TV:- Jesus Christ, Tommy.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37I spent that entire part of my life being angry, frightened,
0:34:37 > 0:34:41resentful. Scared.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43And it all came rushing back in Technicolor today
0:34:43 > 0:34:45which is why I got emotional.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47TV: PANICKED VOICES
0:34:47 > 0:34:51By the mid-'80s, TV had become a powerful cultural force.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Ronald Reagan watched Threads, and the American equivalent,
0:34:54 > 0:34:58The Day After, which he said changed his mind on nuclear policy.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Three years later, Russia and the USA signed a treaty
0:35:02 > 0:35:04to reduce nuclear weapons.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12One, two, three. Orange!
0:35:12 > 0:35:17# Together! Together in electric dreams. #
0:35:20 > 0:35:24It's 1985, and Polly is bringing the Ashby Hawkins
0:35:24 > 0:35:28a bit of cutting-edge technology which would revolutionise our lives.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33We're growing up into a computerised world
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and, really, everyone's going to need one by the time they grow up.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40- Hello. - Hello, Polly.- Ah, I see a keyboard.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43- I'm bringing you the future.- Wow. - It's a home computer.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46- Commodore 64. - How happy is Seth, look.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50By the mid-'80s, as many as three million households had one.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53And there were multiple British brands to choose from.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55As well as the ZX Spectrum or the BBC Micro,
0:35:55 > 0:35:57there was also the Grundy New Brain.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01The Jupiter Ace. And the Welsh-made Dragon computer.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08But, in the end, we fell for another American import, the Commodore 64.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10It would become the biggest seller of all time.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18This model costs around £200. That's about £1,000 in today's money.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22They sold 17 million in 12 years of its existence.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27The expenditure survey shows an astounding number of us
0:36:27 > 0:36:29jumping on the home computer bandwagon,
0:36:29 > 0:36:34including this 30-year-old man from Scotland who bought one for £188.50.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38# Einstein a go go. #
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Unlike today's tablets and laptops,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43you couldn't just download apps or games.
0:36:43 > 0:36:4764K RAM. Normal computers are four gigabytes of RAM.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50They were designed for you to create everything yourself
0:36:50 > 0:36:52by writing your own computer code.
0:36:53 > 0:36:59- Try this, type in ten.- Yep.- Space.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Question mark. Quote, Seth smells.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04The thing with computers is,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06although they're capable of very clever things,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09they are actually very stupid.
0:37:09 > 0:37:1120. Go to. Ten.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17- There we go.- It says "Steph smells"! That's not right!
0:37:17 > 0:37:20But programming is no easy feat.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24It is being extremely...stupid!
0:37:24 > 0:37:26I don't like dollar signs any more!
0:37:26 > 0:37:30it's still creating dollar signs. I'm pressing delete!
0:37:30 > 0:37:34And now top, at the top again. Why is it doing that!
0:37:35 > 0:37:37- Oh, my God! - HE GROANS
0:37:38 > 0:37:42I've waited 30 years so far for a computer.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45I want my laptop back now. It's so much quicker than this.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49He might not be sold on its charms,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52but the kids who learned to programme on these computers
0:37:52 > 0:37:55would go on to create the games Seth loves.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- Hey, Seth, are you sure you don't want to come outside?- No.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01And actually enjoy the sunshine?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04I've got to do this.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08It changes your brain, changes your behaviour
0:38:08 > 0:38:09when you're on the screen all the time.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12I can see how addictive it is.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14That's why it's not working.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Ah!
0:38:19 > 0:38:23But, on July 13, 1985, there's a huge global spectacle
0:38:23 > 0:38:27that will tear even Seth away from his computer.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30- TV:- It's 12 noon in London, 7am in Philadelphia,
0:38:30 > 0:38:34and, around the world, it's time for Live Aid!
0:38:34 > 0:38:38It was the most amazing thing ever.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41And you could not buy a blank videotape for love nor money
0:38:41 > 0:38:45in the week leading up to this because everyone recorded it.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49# I bought a ticket to the world
0:38:49 > 0:38:51- CROWD:- # But now I've come back again...
0:38:51 > 0:38:55Pop singers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure galvanised the music industry
0:38:55 > 0:38:58to stage the biggest global charity event in history
0:38:58 > 0:39:01in an attempt to help the desperate situation in Ethiopia.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03# I want the truth to be said. #
0:39:04 > 0:39:08- TV:- Dawn. And, as the sun breaks through the piercing chill of night
0:39:08 > 0:39:13on the plain outside Korem, it lights up a biblical famine.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Don't go to the pub tonight. Please, stay in and give us the money.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18There are people dying now.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21He basically mobilised the whole country, didn't he?
0:39:21 > 0:39:22This was unique.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24McCartney, Bowie, there's Wham!
0:39:24 > 0:39:27George Michael in the yellow shirt. Woohoo!
0:39:27 > 0:39:311.9 billion people tuned in worldwide,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33one of the largest TV audiences ever,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35and it raised a colossal £70 million.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39- # Are the clanging chimes of doom... - This is giving me goose bumps.
0:39:39 > 0:39:46# Well, tonight, thank God it's them instead of you
0:39:47 > 0:39:50# And there won't be snow in Africa... #
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Thanks to Live Aid, charity fund raising took off.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56And, in true British style, the sillier, the better.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- Where's your dad, what's he up to? Something weird again?- Mm.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Woohoo!
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- What is it?- Best thing ever.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Gripped by the charity bug, Rob's got his hands
0:40:10 > 0:40:14on the latest vehicle to hit the market, the Sinclair C5.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- I want one! - Awesome.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20- Let's go and raise money 1985-style. - Wa-hey, hey.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22How are we going to do that.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25We're going to let people ride on it for money.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Madam, good afternoon. Welcome to Live Aid 1985.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- And pedal. - You've got to press quite hard.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Don't forget, we've got your dog as deposit.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36DOG BARKS
0:40:37 > 0:40:38THE FAMILY WHOOP
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Stop.
0:40:40 > 0:40:41THEY LAUGH
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Money for Live Aid!
0:40:43 > 0:40:45'It's a really positive thing.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47'And it's a real upbeat part of the '80s for me.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50'I feel like the tide's turning and changing a bit.'
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Because there's been quite a lot of dark stuff up to now.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58As a pastime, it was fun, and we did it together.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00And it was for a good cause.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05The legacy of Live Aid remains,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08and the charity is still taking donations today.
0:41:08 > 0:41:09THEY CHATTER
0:41:10 > 0:41:12COINS JINGLE
0:41:12 > 0:41:16But a less glorious future awaited the C5.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19So, pedal first, get it going and then push the button in.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23It was hoped that this electric tricycle would replace cars.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24STEPH LAUGHS
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Nimble in traffic and easy to park, and only £399.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30- Stop, stop! - # We're on the road to nowhere... #
0:41:30 > 0:41:32I wonder how fast you can go on this.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36However, its exposure to the elements and low-profile
0:41:36 > 0:41:38made it unsafe and uncomfortable.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42I have seen so many youngsters just come straight across the road,
0:41:42 > 0:41:44no signals, no nothing.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47I do, I think they're an absolute hazard on the road.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48Whoever brought out that, well,
0:41:48 > 0:41:50wants putting up against a wall and shooting.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53After only a few months on the market,
0:41:53 > 0:41:57with poor sales and terrible press, it was a total flop.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00I love it. I want one.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Live Aid is amazing.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Oh, my goodness, it's incredible.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10That is the trigger of
0:42:10 > 0:42:12every single Comic Relief, every Sports Relief.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15It's stuck with us, and it's just awesome, it's really cool.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17It had dreadful beginnings. But the actual event,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19it really did bring hope.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23It really restored my faith in people.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Despite a multitude of distractions...
0:42:30 > 0:42:32How's it going, mate?
0:42:32 > 0:42:35..one activity has dominated the family's activity time.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39# The sun always shines on TV
0:42:39 > 0:42:40# Hold me... #
0:42:40 > 0:42:41Television.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44We're watching a lot more television than in previous decades.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47It's brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49'Long live my square eyes.'
0:42:49 > 0:42:54In the '80, Britain was watching 50% more than a decade earlier.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57And, naturally, it was the TV that told us
0:42:57 > 0:42:59about brand-new things to buy.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02What's up?
0:43:02 > 0:43:06You know these British Gas shares? They're really easy to do.
0:43:06 > 0:43:07- Give them a ring. - CAR HORN
0:43:07 > 0:43:09If you see Sid, tell him.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12In 1986, the government began privatising
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Britain's nationalised industries.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16Most famously, British Gas.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23People made a bucket-load of money almost instantly.
0:43:23 > 0:43:24BELL
0:43:24 > 0:43:27As thousands of buyers cashed in their new shares,
0:43:27 > 0:43:29it meant the chance to buy even more stuff.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35- Oh!- Ooh, it's a Fiesta.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37- Steph's car. - It's really exciting.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40HORN BEEPS
0:43:40 > 0:43:44By the end of the decade, 23% of Britons were two-car families.
0:43:44 > 0:43:45ENGINE STARTS
0:43:45 > 0:43:47And, what better way to put them to use
0:43:47 > 0:43:50than another favoured leisure pursuit.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52Right, let's go shopping.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56The Family Expenditure Survey indicates that
0:43:56 > 0:43:59even men were catching the shopping bug,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01and the male fashion market rocketed.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06I've arranged for Rob and Steph to get some style tips
0:44:06 > 0:44:07from expert Caryn Franklin.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Hello. Look at you, you look amazing.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14In 1986, Caryn told the British public what to buy every week
0:44:14 > 0:44:16on the Clothes Show.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19With the massive choice available in your high streets
0:44:19 > 0:44:23this very minute, there really is no excuse for looking shoddy.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25Is there, boys?
0:44:25 > 0:44:31- OK, Rob, I've got you these. Nice sloppy suit.- Wow.
0:44:31 > 0:44:32- Have a go.- Look at the colours.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37This was the time, really, when menswear was really blossoming.
0:44:37 > 0:44:42Suddenly, the weekend was about shopping as a hobby.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45And buying clothes, and buying style.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48There were big shopping malls sprouting up,
0:44:48 > 0:44:50where everything was under one roof.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53So, we were encouraged to shop.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55So, Rob, how are you getting on with that?
0:44:55 > 0:44:57I am ready.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00Let's have a look. Wa-hey!
0:45:00 > 0:45:02- Whoa. - Look at you,- mister. Amazing.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05- How do you feel? - Comfortable and stylish,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08a lot better than how I was dressed when I went in there.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11I've got the finishing touch here. We've rolled up your sleeves,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14because that's a big part of the look.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17Don Johnson's really the look that we're channelling here.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20He was the David Beckham of his day.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23What he wore on telly influenced men
0:45:23 > 0:45:26and women would have just tuned in to adore him.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28- Have a look at yourself in the mirror.- It's very comfortable.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30Oh! I haven't seen it all.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33- Whoo!- Who's that?- Wow, yeah.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36No, I need now is a Ferrari Testarossa, and I'll be off.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40MUSIC: I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
0:45:40 > 0:45:42It wasn't just Miami Vice influencing us.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44The '80s was the golden age of advertising.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51# Ooh, I bet you're wondering how I knew
0:45:51 > 0:45:53# About your plans... #
0:45:53 > 0:45:55I've come to meet John Hegarty.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59The man responsible for one of the decade's most memorable ads.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01So, what changed in the 1980s?
0:46:01 > 0:46:03Well, Thatcher came along.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07She talked about individualism, achieving things yourself.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10All of a sudden, there was a huge change
0:46:10 > 0:46:12in the way people thought and felt.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16People had this sense of, I can do it. I can achieve it.
0:46:16 > 0:46:21Advertising used to be about us, the family. About togetherness and that.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24And, I think, the '80s, advertising was about me.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27What I can achieve. It's about me.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29The amazing thing about the 501s ad with Nick Kamen was,
0:46:29 > 0:46:31in theory, you were selling jeans.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33But, in fact, you changed the kind of pants people wore.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36My drawer full of Y-fronts became irrelevant.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39My girlfriend bought me a pair of boxer shorts.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42But what's funny about it is, the original script,
0:46:42 > 0:46:44we had him stripping down to a pair of Y-fronts.
0:46:44 > 0:46:46- Completely different ad. - Completely different ad.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49But I think the other thing that Levi's did with that campaign
0:46:49 > 0:46:52was that they change the way people appreciated music.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56They changed not only Levi's but fashion itself.
0:46:56 > 0:47:01And it had an impact on how you could tell a story in advertising.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03It could be sexy, it could be individual,
0:47:03 > 0:47:07it could be very different. And I think it became a mark for that era.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09As a spotty 17-year-old,
0:47:09 > 0:47:13even I bought a pair of Levis in a bid to look like Nick Kamen.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16And I've managed to get hold of a few pairs for the family.
0:47:16 > 0:47:17I love these jeans.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21The guy in the advert, cor, he was just sex on legs.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24# Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine... #
0:47:24 > 0:47:27The advert was so successful, Levi's sales went up by 700%
0:47:27 > 0:47:30and they struggled to keep up with demand.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33# Oh, I heard it through the grapevine. #
0:47:33 > 0:47:36I love these jeans. They feel really cool.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47The last night out Steph had was bingo in the '60s.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50Now, as a liberated '80s woman with a full Filofax,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52she can go out with friends after work
0:47:52 > 0:47:55to a new female-friendly wine bar.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58- Shall I get a bottle of white? - Yes. Mm.- I'll go and get that.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01# Sisters are doing it for themselves. #
0:48:02 > 0:48:06Most pubs in the '80s were rowdy, male-dominated environments.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10But the recently opened Pitcher & Piano was the first bar
0:48:10 > 0:48:14to target working women with money to spend on socialising.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16It banned fruit machines, and designed a look
0:48:16 > 0:48:19that was a world away from the traditional British boozer.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22- Cheers.- Cheers.- Cheers. Our first outing to a wine bar.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26- Dartboard, pool table. - Smoking.- Smoking.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30Horrible, grotty wallpaper. Sticky carpets.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33But this, this is very different from a pub.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37- It's open and light. - Airy, clean.- Posh.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40I think it took a long time for the hospitality industry
0:48:40 > 0:48:42to realise that women had got money to spend.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45In true '80s style, the night out gives Steph to a chance
0:48:45 > 0:48:49to name-drop about her latest purchases.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51I've just got a car, I've got a Ford Fiesta.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54- No! What colour?- Blue?
0:48:54 > 0:48:57You see, that's a girl's question. And it's my car.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00- Rob's got the boring family car. - What's he got?
0:49:00 > 0:49:02He's got a Vauxhall Cavalier which is, it's maroon.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04- Ooh.- Ugh.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07So far in this experiment,
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Steph has done the lion's share of the housework.
0:49:11 > 0:49:16However, in 1987, a new phrase came into common parlance, the new man.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20# What have I, what have I, what have I done to deserve this? #
0:49:20 > 0:49:22I feel more useful and comfortable now that
0:49:22 > 0:49:26I'm back into what I would normally do in the contemporary life.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29But, despite the hype, most men were actually only doing
0:49:29 > 0:49:32a couple more minutes of housework a week.
0:49:32 > 0:49:33Ugh.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36HE MAKES A SUCTION NOISE
0:49:36 > 0:49:37Whoo!
0:49:37 > 0:49:41- Daisy has given him blond highlights in his hair.- Oh, yes? No!
0:49:41 > 0:49:45- He's got a tan.- Really. - Oh, God.- It looks so funny.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49'I'm not seeing her but at least I know she's having a good time
0:49:49 > 0:49:52'instead of being chained to the sink.'
0:49:52 > 0:49:53Look how important I am...
0:49:53 > 0:49:56'It's really good. I've definitely got my freedom in this era.'
0:49:56 > 0:49:58I haven't been out since the 1960s.
0:49:58 > 0:50:03So, really, really chuffed to actually get out and have fun.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07It was brilliant, that was so lovely.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09It's much more like what I'm used to doing.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11It felt like the old me a bit.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13I felt like I'd got my mojo back a bit.
0:50:16 > 0:50:21- RADIO:- This is Bruno Brookes live in London with a brand-new Top 40.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24A direct computer link with Gallup headquarters tells us
0:50:24 > 0:50:25the news as it comes in minute by minute.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27It's Sunday.
0:50:28 > 0:50:30Daisy's taping the Top 40.
0:50:30 > 0:50:31Pump up the volume.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36Ah, 1988, my hard-working one.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39Already? Wow. Time flies.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43Now Rob and Steph are both working full-time,
0:50:43 > 0:50:46they're using the very latest tools to bring the garden
0:50:46 > 0:50:49up to the standards of their '80s show home.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53One false move and your topiary's done for, isn't it?
0:50:56 > 0:50:58While his parents are gardening,
0:50:58 > 0:51:02Seth and his friend Harvey are off to the video shop.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05Pre-recorded tapes were expensive to buy,
0:51:05 > 0:51:09but the expenditure survey shows countless video rental entries.
0:51:09 > 0:51:14Like this family from the south-east who spent £3.99 on renting videos.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20- TV ARCHIVE:- Britain has more video recorders
0:51:20 > 0:51:22per head of population than any other country in the world.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26The rise of the video shop left cinemas struggling,
0:51:26 > 0:51:31as audiences dipped to their lowest levels ever in the mid-'80s.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35- Ghostbusters?- Seen it. Seen Indiana Jones. Seen that.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37Karate Kid? Maybe not.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39- Er. Crocodile Dundee.- No.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Dirty Dancing! First dance, first love, the time of your life.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47That is for girls. Flashdance? No!
0:51:47 > 0:51:48- There's Top Gun.- Yeah.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50I've not seen that one yet.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Top Gun's good, yeah. What about Ferris Bueller's Day Off?
0:51:53 > 0:51:56- Ah, that's supposed to be good. OK, let's go.- Let's go play.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59As the decade progresses,
0:51:59 > 0:52:01the family are spending less and less time together.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06In the '60s and '70s, we did gardening out here together.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09But Seth's got other shiny distractions,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11and Daisy's going off and doing her own thing.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13I worry we're all going in that direction.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15I'm not sure what will bring back together again.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18It's almost like we're divorced from our children.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Which is sad, I don't like it. I miss them.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26# I went to the danger zone... #
0:52:26 > 0:52:29Instead of visiting the cinema like we did in the '50s,
0:52:29 > 0:52:32Seth can now watch films back-to-back
0:52:32 > 0:52:33in the comfort of his own home.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38- I feel the need. - ALL:- The need for speed!
0:52:38 > 0:52:40# Danger zone
0:52:40 > 0:52:44# Highway to the danger zone. #
0:52:45 > 0:52:48It's all the stuff we've been given.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50what it seems to do is make my house smaller,
0:52:50 > 0:52:53and push me further away from my family.
0:52:54 > 0:53:00You're replacing emotion and feeling with plastic and whirring.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02I think the '80s is much more about money,
0:53:02 > 0:53:05and being able to buy things, as opposed to create our own happiness.
0:53:05 > 0:53:11I feel materially richer, but I don't feel spiritually richer.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18# I see! I see! I see! #
0:53:18 > 0:53:21Away from home, as the '80s drew to a close,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24a new youth counterculture emerged.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27- RADIO:- Party crew, listen up.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30party crew, Fantasia girls and all the Saturday night party crew,
0:53:30 > 0:53:33- listen up.- Where is it, mate?
0:53:34 > 0:53:40Now, you get to The Cross, at Junction 4, A506, that's A506.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43Wait there for more info. Wait there. It's going to be a large one.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45- Tell your mates.- Tell our mates?
0:53:45 > 0:53:49- Tell our mates. If we had any.- How can we tell them without a mobile?
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Growing out of the pirate radio scene,
0:53:51 > 0:53:56acid house was a rejection of the brand-led consumerism of the '80s.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58With illegal parties in deserted warehouses,
0:53:58 > 0:54:01it was definitely not something to share with your parents.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05This is what it's like to be a proper teenager.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08Going out to raves, being rebellious and being cool.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10We are not cool in any way. We sit on our phones all day.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Why don't we just do this? I really wish we did this.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15# No, no. #
0:54:18 > 0:54:20I want to go to a rave, like, right now.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27It's 1989.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31To celebrate the end of the decade,
0:54:31 > 0:54:34the family are hosting a cocktail party.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36The '80s saw a renaissance in cocktail making.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38The more flamboyant, the better.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41It's no longer a breakfast bar.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43- Cocktail bar. - Cool.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45So, it's much more fun.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48After Tom Cruise made bar keeping cool.
0:54:48 > 0:54:49Oh!
0:54:49 > 0:54:53How you mixed the drink was almost as important as what went in it.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55- There it is, there's vodka. - One measure of vodka.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Three-quarters of a measure of tequila.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00- Quite an alcoholic one. - Measure of tequila.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04While Rob and Steph tend bar, Seth's found a job too.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08- What are you playing?- Paperboy. - I used to play Paperboy.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11- Is it good, Seth?- No, it sucks.
0:55:11 > 0:55:12- Watch the cat.- That's a dog.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15You should have gone on to the pavement then. There we go.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Oh! Yeah.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19- Whoa!- Oh, what!
0:55:20 > 0:55:23- Uh. Game over. - Yeah.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27That looks like you could probably clean any stain off anything with.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31- Shall we try them?- You first, yeah? - Straw each. So, this is a Blue Moon.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37It tastes like something you'd clean a toilet with as well.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40It's really nice. Do you not like that?
0:55:40 > 0:55:41DOORBELL
0:55:42 > 0:55:44Bonjour!
0:55:45 > 0:55:47THEY CHATTER
0:55:47 > 0:55:50Polly and I are back to find out
0:55:50 > 0:55:52what the '80s has meant to the family.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54I've just prepared a Harvey Wallbanger for you,
0:55:54 > 0:55:56there we are, excellent.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58And I accidentally put too much cucumber, so it's sunk.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01The problem with that is there's too much cucumber in it?
0:56:01 > 0:56:02I'll give it a go.
0:56:05 > 0:56:06Oh!
0:56:08 > 0:56:11So, how was the '80s from a kid's point of view?
0:56:11 > 0:56:14- Good.- Awesome.- Enjoyable, lots of technology. Fun.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17- Awesome, I loved it.- Really, it's all that good?- Yeah, I loved it.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20I did my dad's hair, as you can see, it was lovely.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22Raves. I dressed up like Madonna.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24I was really Madonna-ing up and I really loved it.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27The '80s is so cool, do whatever you want, and get away with it.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30What was it like for you as a family?
0:56:30 > 0:56:32We didn't spend a lot of time together.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35Unlike the '70s where we were always together doing fun stuff,
0:56:35 > 0:56:38in the '80s, this is all about have it all, a full-on lifestyle,
0:56:38 > 0:56:42- and appearance being really, really important.- Image, yeah, image.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44Here's the lounge.
0:56:45 > 0:56:50But no '80s bash would be complete without breaking out the karaoke.
0:56:50 > 0:56:55# Don't leave me this way
0:56:55 > 0:56:57# I can't survive... #
0:56:57 > 0:57:01I'll be sorry to leave '80s television
0:57:01 > 0:57:05because, for me, that was the best television ever.
0:57:05 > 0:57:11Um. But the '80s, for me, was the time for just buying lots of stuff
0:57:11 > 0:57:12that you don't need.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15You had to have it, keep having it, have more, have the new one.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17You don't need to do that.
0:57:17 > 0:57:23- ALL:- # Because I've had the time of my life
0:57:23 > 0:57:27# And I've never felt this way before. #
0:57:28 > 0:57:32I've got a full-time, meaningful job. I've got my own car.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34'I am allowed to go out on my own with my friends.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37'So, a bit more freedom. But it feels to me there is less leisure.'
0:57:37 > 0:57:41And what there is, is compressed into quite a short amount of time.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43SAXOPHONE MUSIC
0:57:45 > 0:57:47Well, having it all is not all it seems.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50They've had so much choice, so much more freedom, so much more to do.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53And yet, at what cost to family life?
0:57:53 > 0:57:55# Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon...
0:57:55 > 0:57:58'In the '80s, it feels as though we're going off on separate paths.'
0:57:58 > 0:58:01And we need a way to get us back together again.
0:58:01 > 0:58:02# You come and go. #
0:58:04 > 0:58:06# Don't tell my heart, my achy breaky heart
0:58:06 > 0:58:07Next time...
0:58:07 > 0:58:09# I just don't think he'd understand. #
0:58:09 > 0:58:12..the Ashby Hawkins launch into the '90s.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15Oh, my God! It's amazing!
0:58:15 > 0:58:19A decade when technology gets personal.
0:58:19 > 0:58:20THEY GASP
0:58:20 > 0:58:21I've got a mobile!
0:58:21 > 0:58:23One, two.
0:58:23 > 0:58:24I'm going to put this in my bedroom.
0:58:24 > 0:58:30- Can we get a photograph of you before you go?- Yes! It's a Game Boy.
0:58:30 > 0:58:32MUSIC: Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics
0:58:37 > 0:58:44# Sweet dreams are made of this Who am I to disagree?
0:58:44 > 0:58:48# I travel the world and the seven seas
0:58:48 > 0:58:52# Everybody's looking for something. #