CNN to launch radical, top-secret docuseries on declassified missions and the ’80s

Folks sure do love learning about classified missions, almost as much as they do reminiscing about the ’80s. That’s what CNN is banking on with a pair of documentary series planned about those respective subjects.

Hosted by Mike Rogers, former U.S. congressman and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Declassified will feature recently declassified missions, told first-hand by agents who participated in them. Possible topics include the time the CIA stole back Hitler’s brain, the eight failed assassination attempts on the Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, and the rescue of Bing Crosby from Yakuza thugs. Or they may spend eight episodes covering real things that actually happened.

The Eighties will focus on a decade when everything was bigger, including hair, shoulder pads, mixtape collections, coke habits, and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s muscles. The series will look at important cultural events, like that time Punky Brewster ended the epidemic of children trapping themselves in vintage refrigerators. The Eighties will be produced by Gary Goetzman and Bosom Buddies star Tom Hanks, in association with HBO and Mark Herzog. No word if the two series will have a special A-Team crossover episode, but one can hope.

The new series were announced during Time Warner’s upfront market presentation; it was also announced that The Wonder List With Bill Weir and This Is Life With Lisa Ling were renewed, and that they are shows that exist on CNN.