The '80s: The Decade That Made Us

In this global mega-doc, National Geographic tells the story of the 1980s like never before. An epic rollercoaster ride told through astonishing archive and dramatic reconstruction, The 80s features interviews with music and film superstars as well as titans of technology, business, media and politics. We’ll bring you ten years of breakneck innovation, glamour, success, and ambition, all shot through fascinating trends. Welcome back to the 1980s.

Nonstop glamour and excess find a new poster girl in the 1980s when a hot young singer sees her chance to create her own brand. Madonna inspires countless girls across the globe to hit the nearest shopping mall to match her distinctive style. Young men with money to burn are buying into the young professional - or "yuppie" - lifestyle, and scooping up the latest expensive gadget: the cell phone. And, marketers learn an important lesson about the power of these new consumers in 1985 when Coca Cola’s disastrous launch of New Coke threatens its position against Pepsi.

The 80s - often described as the decade when greed was good. But it also marked the beginning of a potent alliance between charity and celebrity. Huge events are staged to deal with the crisis of poverty abroad and at home. President Reagan has set out a vision of a better future for Americans in the famous campaign ad, Morning in America. His foreign policy, however, is paying dividends - he is breaking down barriers as he pushes for an end to the Cold War.