Memorable entertainment moments in 2015

The entertainment world and social media gave us their fair share of memorable moments in 2015. Here are some of the top events and water-cooler topics from the past 12 months:

Nostalgia

Depending on when you grew up, you may have fond memories of television shows in the ’80s, ’90s and early ’00s, so naturally Hollywood wants to take advantage of that.

This year, It seems like everyone’s favorite shows and movies from the past several decades found new life and new audiences with remakes, sequels and reboots.

Netflix streamed a new show based off the cult movie “Wet Hot American Summer,” and “Creed,” a sequel/spin-off to the “Rocky” series, premiered in theaters.

The popular family sitcom “Full House” is getting a new chapter with most of the original cast in “Fuller House,” which is scheduled to stream on Netflix on Feb. 26, 2016.

Other reboots announced this year include a new “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” movie, a “Baywatch” movie, and new episodes of “The Magic School Bus” and “The X-Files.”

Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey almost squeaked by without going viral in 2015.

The comedian and television host made a major flub at the Miss Universe Pageant on Dec. 20 when he mistakenly named the first runner-up, Miss Colombia, as the winner.

Several minutes passed — filled with lots of confetti and waving — after she was crowned before Harvey announced he misread the results and an awkward exchange of the crown to Miss Philippines followed.

Marvel moments

The success of Marvel comics and the shows and movies it produced continued throughout 2015.

Netflix launched TV shows “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones” this year, while ABC’s “Agent Carter” debuted.

Film-wise, megahits “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Ant-Man” hit the theaters, as well as 20th Century Fox’s less-than-stellar “Fantastic Four” reboot.

We’ve also gotten a taste of what’s to come in 2016 with trailers for “Deadpool,” “Captain America: Civil War” and “X-Men: Apocalypse.”

Black-and-Blue/White-and-Gold dress

A washed-out photo of a dress posted on social media website Tumblr became an unexpected Internet sensation in 2015.

The Internet was divided regarding whether “The Dress” in the photo was blue and black or white and gold, sending millions of commenters into a tizzy.

Many people became increasingly agitated by the trivial debate, while others took it as an opportunity to explain the neuroscience behind the optical illusion or to give a sense of how people with autism and sensory issues perceive things.

The Dress is — and always has been — blue and black, by the way.

Star Wars

Director J.J. Abrams helped bring back one of the world’s most popular franchises with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

The highly anticipated film shattered records, including grossing $119.1 million on Dec. 18, making it the biggest single and opening day on record.

“The Force Awakens” made a record $248 million during its opening weekend, and it’s expected to continue dominating the box office for early 2016.

Viola Davis

Actress Viola Davis made history when she became the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Annalise Keating on “How to Get Away with Murder.”

She used her win to give an emotional speech about diversity in Hollywood.

“Let me tell you something, the only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity,” she said. “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”

Late night shuffle

The landscape of late night television changed after two of its staples decided to say goodbye.

David Letterman retired from “Late Show” after 22 years on the CBS show. Stephen Colbert hopped in his place, leaving his popular show on Comedy Central.

“Daily Show” host Jon Stewart also left his desk at Comedy Central after 16 years. His show was taken over by Trevor Noah in September.

Left Shark

Katy Perry was the headliner for the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, but a dancing sea creature stole her spotlight.

An Internet sensation was born when a backup dancer dressed in a shark costume didn’t appear to hit the choreography on point and just kind of loosely moved around.

“Left Shark” went viral with its video, memes and even merchandise.

Adele

Four years after she released her album “21,” Adele said “Hello” to the world again with a record-breaking album.

The singer’s album “25” became the fastest-selling album of the 21st century and the best-selling album of 2015 after its debut on Nov. 20. It sold 3.38 million copies in the United States in its first week alone.

Tickets for Adele’s 2016 North American tour sold out within minutes, overwhelming Ticketmaster’s website and leaving millions of fans frustrated and ticketless.

Dickey writes for the Anderson (Indiana) Herald Bulletin.