National Geographic - 80s The Decade That Made Us (2013) Part 4 Masters of the Universe

Take a rollercoaster ride through the decade that made us!

The 80s is not about nostalgia; it is about a decade of people, decisions and inventions that changed our future, told from the perspective of unknowing history makers who lived these iconic moments. It was 10 years of nonstop glamour, unchecked excess, ruthless ambition and explosive technological innovation that combined to produce the historic changes and global events that made us who and what we are today.

The fingerprints of the decade best known for Pac-Man and the personal computer are everywhere in our daily lives: The first launch of NASA's Space Shuttle triggered a technological explosion in global communications that now makes our world-wide love affair with smartphones and the Internet possible; when Madonna rolled around on stage in a wedding dress at a music awards show, it sent shock waves through a celebrity-hungry world that can't get enough of “Gangnam Style” and Lady Gaga today.

Take an epic journey back in time with original interviews from music and film superstars as well as global titans of technology, business, media and politics , unforgettable archival footage and memorable moments that only the 80's could provide.

Part 4: Masters of the Universe

With the mantra “greed… is good,” Gordon Gekko encapsulates the 1980's drive for excess and ruthless ambition in Oliver Stone's “Wall Street” while big traders mirror his notoriously bad behaviour with insider trading and drug use in real life. In the 80s, CEOs see their salaries skyrocket while women struggle to overcome office boys clubs. And, the quest to climb higher also leads to one of the 80s biggest tragedies, as NASA's Space Shuttle Challenger explodes during lift off, claiming the lives of all on board.