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Private Notes
A nostalgic journey back through the archives to the Christmasses of the seventies and eighties, when Santa Claus was instructed to deliver Tonka cars and Barbie dolls to millions of expectant, excited children, afternoons were spent gripped in front of the TV for the likes of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Snowman, and music of the era featured everything from Phil Spector to Greg Lake.
Larry Hagman, who starred as pitiless oil baron JR Ewing in hit eighties American drama Dallas, remembers the year's highlights, from stage-school movie Fame to comedy with Diff'rent Strokes and Metal Mickey. Music is provided by the Human League, OMD, Liquid Gold, Kelly Marie and the Gap Band, all from a year in which girls donned jump suits and magazine The Face became the guide to style.
Stuart Goddard, alias dandy highwayman Adam Ant, remembers a turbulent year, when his single Stand and Deliver topped the charts, the Prince Charming Revue tour was launched and his band, the Ants, split up. It was also the year Duran Duran and Culture Club championed the New Romantic look, and pixie boots appeared for both boys and girls. Only Fools and Horses hit the small screen while Kim Wilde, Claire Grogan and Tom Selleck were the year's favourite pin-ups.
1980s DJs Dave Lee Travis and Mike Read take a look back at the year Bananarama dominated the charts, Imagination writhed to Body Talk and Musical Youth Passed the Dutchie. A year of classic television saw the first series of anarchic comedy The Young Ones, and Alan Bleasdale's Boys from the Blackstuff.
Roland Rat celebrates the year he rescued TV-am from falling ratings and saved a channel from going under. This was the year of the fitness revolution, pioneered by Jane Fonda, while Diana Moran - the Green Goddess - and "Mad Lizzie" Webb urged British audiences into leotards and legwarmers. Michael Jackson released the ground-breaking music video Thriller, Wham! topped the charts with Club Tropicana and the film Flashdance had people dancing in the cinema aisles.
Holly Johnson, singer with Frankie Goes to Hollywood, recalls the year his single Relax was banned by Top of the Pops and the major radio networks and its success ensured. Madonna was crowned queen of pop, Sade reinvented cool, and Nik Kershaw asked Wouldn't It Be Good? This was the year of the Brat Pack, launching the careers of Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez and Rob Lowe.
Pop icon Grace Jones looks back at the year she made her mark with Slave to the Rhythm. It was also the year when Bob Geldof staged Live Aid, the music event of the decade, in aid of the Ethiopian famine. Wayne Hemingway of fashion label Red or Dead recalls perennial footwear favourite the Doc Marten, Levis ruled supreme, anarchic comic Viz went national and American football made it to Britain on Channel 4.
Patsy Kensit recalls the year in which Sam Fox revealed all, Five Star rivalled the Jacksons and fashion demanded big specs and white stilettos. The TV show of the moment was Moonlighting, with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shephard, while all things Australian were big news.
Richard E Grant revisits the year he starred in "Withnail and I". Musical memories include Terence Trent D'Arby, Rick Astley, the Beastie Boys and Run DMC and the hit TV show was "Thirtysomething". Porsches, Filofaxes and nouvelle cuisine dominated yuppy culture, while fashion greeted shell suits, bum bags, trainers and puffballs.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles look back at the year when they were a big hit, alongside teen spoof Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Tiffany and Debbie Gibson vied for pop supremacy while 1988 also saw the advent of This Morning on daytime TV - and The Hitman and Her at night. Meanwhile, Bros wanted to know when they'd be famous and Kylie wished she was lucky.
Jason Donovan recalls the year that brought Challenge Anneka, Dirty Den's departure from EastEnders, Gameboys and the Bodyform advert. Guns 'n' Roses were the bad boys of rock and Soul II Soul were getting "back to reality". The nation briefly leapt to its feet as Bruno landed a punch on Tyson, and stencilling was all the rage in interior design. Also, the "Madchester" phenomenon occurred as Manchester's students quadrupled and party fever took hold.
