National Geographic Channel Gathers the Biggest Names in Pop Culture To Tell the Story of The '80s: The Decade That Made Us

Six-Part Cultural Programming Event Features Exclusive, Original Interviews With Jane Fonda, Larry Hagman, Steven Tyler, Naomi Campbell, DMC, Michael J. Fox, Tony Hawk and More

The '80s: The Decade That Made Us – Narrated by Rob Lowe – Premieres April 14–16, 2013, on the National Geographic Channel

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- They challenged us, riveted us, entertained us, made us laugh, cheer, cry and believe — and National Geographic Channel announced today that the names that defined a generation will appear in the revolutionary miniseries, The '80s: The Decade That Made Us, narrated by Emmy-nominated actor and '80s icon Rob Lowe.

The '80s: The Decade That Made Us is the defining biography of a decade, as told through exclusive interviews with more than 40 icons, entertainers and innovators who shaped its identity, including:

• Harry Belafonte
• Sandra Bernhard
• Nina Blackwood
• Tom Brokaw
• Naomi Campbell
• Joan Collins
• Jim Craig
• Jim Cramer
• Danny DeVito
• Sam Donaldson
• Mike Eruzione
• Linda Evans
• Jane Fonda
• Michael J. Fox
• Grandmaster Flash
• Linda Gray
• Larry Hagman
• David Hasselhoff
• Tony Hawk
• Reverend Jesse Jackson
• Quincy Jones
• Donna Karan
• Larry King
• Calvin Klein
• Robin Leach
• Darryl "DMC" McDaniels
• Al Michaels
• George Schultz
• Oliver Stone
• Ted Turner
• Steven Tyler
• Jimmy Wales
• Dionne Warwick
• Malcolm-Jamal Warner
• Bruce Weber
• Steve Wozniak

The '80s: The Decade That Made Us also includes Larry Hagman's last in-depth interview before his death in November 2012. In it, Hagman speaks about the extraordinary success of "Dallas" and how the show helped define the "me" culture of the 1980s, changed the idea of family values on television and captivated audiences around the world.

The six-part series will roll out over three nights in the United States, beginning Sunday, April 14, 2013, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and continuing Monday, April 15, and Tuesday, April 16, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and globally on the National Geographic Channel throughout the spring in 171 countries and 38 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/The80s and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NGC_PR.

In addition to the entertainers featured, the series also gathered the top opinion leaders, authors, writers and experts to add in-depth analysis and perspective to the decade, including:

• Kurt Andersen, Spy Magazine
• David Brooks, The New York Times
• David Colton, USA Today
• Barbara Ehrenreich, Author
• Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
• James Hohmann, Reporter, POLITICO
• Walter Isaacson, Author, Steve Jobs
• Larry Kramer, President, USA Today
• Suzanne Massie, Personal Advisor to President Reagan
• James B. Meigs, Popular Mechanics
• Elvis Mitchell, Film Critic
• Richard Perle, Assistant Secretary of Defense, 1981–87
• John Powers, Vogue
• Jessica Shaw, Entertainment Weekly
• David Sirota, Author, Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live in Now—Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Everything
• Jay Winik, Historian

"The participating celebrities, revolutionaries, innovators and experts in The '80s: The Decade That Made Us represent a wide range of experience, talent, opinions and beliefs, but there's one thing everyone can agree on — the 1980s had an unmistakable influence on our lives today," said Michael Cascio, Executive Vice President of Programming, National Geographic Channel. "We've assembled the biggest names in entertainment, music, fashion, sports and technology to tell the story of the decade they helped define."

The '80s: The Decade That Made Us isn't about nostalgia; it's about the history of our modern world that spawned political, technological, cultural and social revolutions that began in the United States and went on to dominate the world. This cultural programming event is the defining biography of a generation. It's about a decade of people, decisions and inventions that changed our future, told from the perspective of the unknowing history makers who lived these iconic moments.

We worked out, worked harder, played harder and consumed more — because the 1980s was the decade when we went forward to the future. The first launch of the Space Shuttle triggered a technological explosion in global communications that gave birth to our modern love affair with smartphones; Madonna rolled around on stage in a wedding dress, sending shock waves through a celebrity-hungry world that can't get enough of Lady Gaga and Katy Perry today. These and other incredible stories reveal surprising, unexpected details and twists and turns from a decade you only thought you knew.

The '80s: The Decade That Made Us is produced by Nutopia for the National Geographic Channel. For Nutopia, Jane Root and Peter Lovering are executive producers; Fred Hepburn is series producer. For National Geographic Channel, executive producer is Brooke Runnette, vice president of production and development is Lynn Sadofsky, executive vice president of programming is Michael Cascio and president is Howard T. Owens.

About Nutopia

Nutopia is a leading independent television production company, with offices in both London and Washington, D.C. Nutopia creates groundbreaking, factually inspired shows on an international scale with titles such as "America: Story of Us" (History), "Targeting Bin Laden" (History) / "Bin Laden: Shoot to Kill" (Channel 4) and "9/11 State of Emergency" (History US and Channel 4 UK). Founded by Jane Root, former BBC2 controller and president of Discovery US in 2008, Nutopia has created Emmy award-winning and record-breaking programs.

National Geographic Channels

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in 84 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in 440 million homes in 171 countries and 38 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

SOURCE National Geographic Channel