Transform and roll... well, sort of! This week on The Insanely Dangerous Retropodshow, Dangerous Dave travels back to the toy-filled world of 1984 to revisit the transforming robots that dared to take on Transformers... GoBots! Were they an underrated part of 80s toy history, or were they always destined to live in the shadow of Optimus Prime and Megatron? Dangerous Dave begins by firing up What Happened Way Back When?, revisiting five songs, five movies and five TV shows from 1984, including Ghostbusters, The Terminator, The Karate Kid, Wham!, Van Halen and The Real Ghostbusters. Then Retro Headlines looks back at some of the major stories making news in Britain and America during an unforgettable year. DANGEROUS DEEP DIVE – THE HISTORY OF GOBOTS Dave takes an extended look at the origins of GoBots, beginning with Bandai's Japanese Machine Robo toys before Tonka transformed them into the GoBots brand. We remember the heroic Guardians, led by Leader-1, and the evil Renegades, commanded by the brilliantly named Cy-Kill. There are memories of Turbo, Scooter, Small Foot, Crasher and Cop-Tur as Dave explores why the smaller and often cheaper GoBots became such popular pocket-money toys. We also revisit Challenge of the GoBots, the Hanna-Barbera cartoon that attempted to build a universe around the characters, and examine what happened when Transformers arrived and completely changed the transforming-robot battle. Was Transformers genuinely better... Or did superior characters, storytelling and marketing simply leave GoBots behind? DANGEROUS DETOUR – THE GOLDEN AGE OF 80s TOYS Why were the 1980s so ridiculously good for toys? Dave remembers an era dominated by He-Man, Transformers, MASK, Thundercats, G.I. Joe, Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Visionaries, Bravestarr and, of course, GoBots. It was a time when the cartoon, comic and toy aisle all became part of one enormous childhood universe. BACK IN THE ADS We're heading back to British television for another classic commercial as Dave remembers the wonderfully bizarre Smash Martians. Why were aliens laughing at humans for peeling potatoes? How did “For Mash Get Smash” become such a memorable slogan? And why do so many people still remember those little metal Martians decades later? RETRO RUMBLE – GOBOTS VS TRANSFORMERS It's the battle we've been waiting for. GoBots vs Transformers! The two transforming robot giants go head-to-head across toys, characters, cartoons, value for money and pure nostalgia. GoBots put up a surprisingly strong fight... But can Leader-1 and Cy-Kill really defeat Optimus Prime and Megatron? DANGEROUSLY UNDERRATED Dave gives Challenge of the GoBots another chance and argues that the cartoon deserves to be remembered as more than simply “that other transforming robot show.” ONE SEASON WONDER We also revisit the wonderfully 80s animated series Pole Position, with its high-tech vehicles, crime-solving adventures and connections to the classic arcade game. TOYBOX TIME MACHINE The Toybox Time Machine opens once again as Dave remembers Voltron and the brilliant idea of taking five robotic lions and combining them into one enormous warrior. And then... It's time for Gaz. GAZ'S RAPID RETRO REVIEW – GOBOTS Gaz has heard Dave defending GoBots for most of the episode... And he's having absolutely none of it. GAZ: "GoBots? Sorry, Dange... I didn't like them then and I don't like them now! They were the transforming robots you got when you really wanted Transformers. Leader-1? He's no Optimus Prime. Cy-Kill? He's basically an angry motorbike. And Scooter? Don't even get me started on Scooter. Transformers had Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave and Grimlock. GoBots had... well... GoBots. Were the toys cheap? Yes. Were they easy to transform? Yes. But that's because there wasn't much bloody transforming to do! I know you've spent this episode trying to convince everyone that GoBots deserve another chance, Dange, but I'm not buying it. For me... Transformers win every single time. Gaz's Rapid Retro Rating: ⭐⭐ – 2 out of 5 "Two stars. And I'm probably being generous. Back to you, Dange!" THE DANGER ZONE After Gaz completely destroys them, Dave enters The Danger Zone to mount one final defence of GoBots. They may never have matched Transformers for characters, storytelling or longevity, but Dave argues that history has treated them unfairly. They were affordable. They were fun. They were easy to collect. And for plenty of kids, a GoBot was their first transforming robot. Dave awards the franchise an impressive 27 out of 30 Danger Rating... Even if Gaz would probably like to deduct about twenty points from that score! HALL OF DANGER Finally, despite Gaz's objections, GoBots enter the Hall of Danger for their contribution to the transforming robot craze and their place in 1980s toy history. Love them... Hate them... Or still wish your parents had bought you a Transformer instead... GoBots are part of the story of the 1980s. And that's why they're worth remembering. NEXT TIME... Season 9 continues as Dangerous Dave swaps transforming robots for synthesisers and heads into the incredible catalogue of... PET SHOP BOYS From West End Girls and It's a Sin to Always on My Mind, Heart, Being Boring and Go West, we'll explore the history, albums, greatest hits and legacy of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. The Insanely Dangerous Retropodshow – keeping the greatest decades alive, one dangerously nostalgic episode at a time.
