Seared in our memory, here are the transformative decade’s movie and TV cookeries.

By Nicholas Tamarin

The 1980s featured iconic kitchens from movies and TV shows that not only served as backdrops for memorable scenes but also captured the decade’s interior design trends and cultural nuances. The films and sitcoms in this list continue to evoke a sense of nostalgia for that era while also influencing the current resurgence of trends such as over-the-top maximalism and Memphis Group styles. Let’s take a look at the aliens, senior roommates, time travelers, yuppies and boomers that make up this motley crew.

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The kitchen in this Gen X classic played a significant role in its scenes, whether it was E.T. transforming household items to create a makeshift communication device or chugging cans of Coors. This set was hugely influential on the design of suburban homes in the ’80s, especially the triangular kitchen table with built-in banquettes beneath the classic Tiffany-style glass chandelier.

2. The Golden Girls (1985-1992)

The Miami home shared by Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia featured a prototypical ’80s kitchen with a round table, where much of the beloved sitcom’s senior-centered action happened, as its focal point. With pastel colors, floral prints and plenty of wicker and rattan — not to mention, cheesecake — this space epitomized the style of the decade…so much so that production designer Ed Stephenson was nominated for an Emmy for his work on show! Fun fact: when designing the set, Stephenson took inspiration from his own time living in the Sunshine State.

3. Back to the Future (1985)

With its open layout, hanging plant and metallic microwave — along with Diet Pepsi and peanut brittle — the McFly family’s kitchen was quintessentially ’80s. White-painted cabinetry, an avocado-colored fridge and a washer-dryer set completed the mise-en-scène for perhaps the most culturally influential blockbuster of the decade.

4. Baby Boom (1987)

Director Nancy Meyer has nearly made a career showcasing enviable kitchens — think Something’s Gotta Give and It’s Complicated. But it all started with 1987’s Baby Boom starring Diane Keaton as a harried New Yorker starting over in a 200-year-old, 62-acre Vermont spread. The farmhouse kitchen is her co-star with its fieldstone walls, rustic-chic periwinkle cabinetry and antique furnishings…and it’s also the perfect setting for the mass manufacturing of apple sauce.

5. Family Ties (1982-1989)

The Keaton family’s kitchen, with its cozy and rustic design, was an essential setting for the endearing sitcom that endures as an ’80s time capsule. One of the multi-camera show’s three primary sets, the kitchen featured warm wood tones and a country-style charm all centered around one of the decade’s ubiquitous built-in islands.