Made In The 80s: The Decade That Shaped Our World | Preview (Channel 4)

A story of ‘80s Britain told in a new way: how a cocktail of politics, culture and technology – along with some extraordinary personalities - reshaped the nation and arguably, the world.

But it’s not simply about the past; the series will serve as a prism for looking at the our present - a letter to the future showing how sometimes as a nation, when we are our most divided, we are also at our most brilliant.

This eye-opening account of the 1980s will explore how - in a decade of division and conflict - Britain reinvented herself through radical politics, ferocious culture wars and futuristic technology. And by doing so, laid the foundations for the world we live in today.

The three episodes will range across how the threat of nuclear Armageddon dominated politics and seeped into the nation’s psyche.

How popular culture brought about change by stealth in an atmosphere of moral panic; and how Thatcher’s Britain replaced coal with computers to pioneer some of technology’s biggest innovations.

Ian Katz said: “From musical satire about Prince Andrew to an exploration of cancel culture in art via men with very large penises, this season shows that Channel 4 is still as mischievous, disruptive and distinctive as when it was born 40 years ago...

"Instead of a nostalgia-thon of highlights from the last four decades, we are celebrating with a collection of irreverent, thought-provoking and hugely entertaining shows that no other broadcaster would air. If we must age, we plan to do it disgracefully.”

Episode 1: With the threat of nuclear Armageddon dominating politics and seeping into the country's psyche, a handful of Brits influenced the Cold War in ways noone could have imagined.

From the ad men who shaped the tastes of the nation before triumphing in Hollywood, to the women who face down the American military and a spy who saves us from oblivion, this episode pieces together the story of how Britain's internal divisions influenced the course of world history.

Begins Monday 24th October at 9pm on Channel 4.