How quickly popular culture forgets.

[alcina2]

I have just seen a YouTube video about odd McDonalds free toys. It records that in 1983, three years (significant the number!), after the release of the film E.T. another round of E.T. toys was released.

Please tell me there is someone else here who understands why 3 years after the cinema release was important?

Comments

[princess_kessie]

Looks like I'm not the only one who has no clue whatsoever...

[alcina2]

In those days films were first released on video and shown on Tv after 3 years from their (US) theatrical release dates. Am I the only one who used to count down the months as a teenager???

Jimmer: I suspect the terrible Atari game was released at this time for thge same reason, not that iot saved it from an eternal home in a big hole in New Mexico...

[princess_kessie]

Not me. I wasn't allowed to watch tv much, unless it was an approved documentary or The News when mother/stepfather had it on. Once I got to grade 6 and beyond, my afternoon/evening was homework/chores/dinner/dishes/homework/study/bed - for the next 6 years until I finished school (and left home a few months later and discovered soaps for the first time!), and weekends were for being "outside" until dark, then for chores and reading for the new school week. Holidays were not - I was an unpaid worker in mother's home day care centre.

I never remember even knowing what movies were coming to tv, let alone counting down for them :/

[ironlord]

Was it something to do with trying to promote the dreadful Atari 2600 game and save it from the scrapheap?

[deliberateblank]

Well, if it *had* been 1983, I would have said a cynical attempt to cash in on RotJ merchandising.

However IMDB says first release was in June 1982 (USA) / December 1982 (UK), with a re-release in 1985, and a bit of extra googling says that McD's had tie-ins to both releases.