This doesn’t need a lot of explanation beyond the thread title. You know them, you love them. Usually you’d get a preview during the week before with Grave Voiceover Guy saying, “Then, on a very special episode of KATE & ALLIE …” It always deals with a Big Subject Matter (virgin sex, youth violence, child molestation, etc.). There’s always one single moment where the conflict comes to a head, followed by a lesson learned, which is scored either by 1) that slow piano music, or 2) complete silence because the audience is very respectful to the subject matter.
Let’s get them out there folks.
I’ll start:
FAMILY TIES: “Say Uncle”
FAMILY TIES was the king of the very special episode. Just the mention of “Uncle” must be enough to identify this one. Guest star Tom Hanks, playing Uncle Ned, Elyse’s shiftless younger brother, shows up after losing yet another job. He’s become an alcoholic, and that doesn’t hit anyone harder than Alex, for whom Ned has always been an idol. (See what I did there?)
Big Conflict Moment: Alex presents Ned with clipping of past glories, Ned tries to tear them up, Alex interjects, Ned coldcocks his Canadian pygmy nephew. It’s a classic moment in the history of television.
(Note: I was surprised not to find a thread like this, but if there is one please link. Gracias)
DIFF’RENT STROKES-- The episode even had Mr. Drummond (or was it Gordon Jump?) announce it so. It was the one where Gordon Jump played a NAMBLA poster boy and tried to get Arnold to look at dirty pictures.
The loveable Gordon Jump? As a boy-molester? Very special indeed.
I was just thinking about these kind of these shows the other day, and how I absolutely hated the Fresh Prince of Bel Air versions of these that I heard Will Smith insisted on. The main one I remember was when Will started using energy pills and inadvertently gave some to Carlton, who took way too many. I can’t remember too much about it, but there was a big teary speech from Smith about how it’s all his fault to his uncle.
That stuff on sitcoms always felt so forced, like the crew just to wanted to show their good will towards whatever cause.
Love the “Very Special Episodes”. Besides the aforementioned Family Ties episode (which I believe included a belligerent Uncle Ned polishing of a bottle of vanilla extract once the liquor supply ran out), there was also a VSE involving a hopped up Alex P. painting his room in the middle of the night (freaking out his hippie folks) as well as the classic episode where APK’s buddy died in a car accident that Alex himself was thisclose to also being in. An off camera shrink is always a win.
Originally Posted by stunt poop I was just thinking about these kind of these shows the other day, and how I absolutely hated the Fresh Prince of Bel Air versions of these that I heard Will Smith insisted on. The main one I remember was when Will started using energy pills and inadvertently gave some to Carlton, who took way too many. I can’t remember too much about it, but there was a big teary speech from Smith about how it’s all his fault to his uncle. That stuff on sitcoms always felt so forced, like the crew just to wanted to show their good will towards whatever cause.
I always remember that one and one from Family Matters when Eddie Winslow gets into some gang troubles at the school and there’s a shooting.
My favorite is always when the actors involved in the Big Conflict talk to the camera at the end of the episode to encourage kids watching to talk to their parents when, for example, the troop leader gives the kid the exam for the Handjob badge.
To wit:
MR. BELVEDERE: “The Counselor”
Wesley, our favorite braces-wearing nancy boy, goes off to day camp, where he’s summarily molested by a counselor. The counselor urges Wesley to keep it secret, and for a while he does. The idea of Bob Uecker as a father to a molested kid, helping him through that whole ordeal, just makes me laugh. I know it shouldn’t, but I’m kind of evil that way.
At the end of the episode, Mr. Belvedere (Christopher Hewett) and Wesley (Brice Beckham) give the message to the audience about how it’s, you know, good to not get molested, and how Wesley shouldn’t have worn those short shorts. Okay, I made that up. But you get my point.
The ones I’ll always remember: Two drinking-themed ones, one from Full House and one from Family Matters. The Full House one involves DJ pretending like she’s drunk at a school dance and Uncle Jessie catching her. The kids DJ’s with totally punk out on her and make it look like DJ is the drunk. Hugging ensues.
The Family Matters one is the one where Eddie gets Urkel drunk at a high class party and Urkel tries to fly. Notable only because we learn a little bit about Urkel’s family, and that his dad is a doctor.
The other Family Matters one that comes to mind is the one where Eddie gets pulled over for driving while black, and it turns out that the cop that harrasses him works in Carl’s precinct. Carl confronts the guy at a burger joint.
Then, Home Improvement’s “JTT May Have Cancer” one was pretty good, although the Taylor Thomas couldn’t sell it. Allen and Richardson were really trying and did a decent job, but there’s a moment where Randy is confronting his dad and he says something like “That I might have cancer?” His voice cracks on cancer, and it ruins the moment.
Originally Posted by Raspberry Leper as well as the classic episode where APK’s buddy died in a car accident that Alex himself was thisclose to also being in.
That reminds me of when Sandy (guest star Matthew Perry) died on GROWING PAINS. Jesus, don’t get me started on that.
It was a little before my time, but wasn’t there a “racism is bad” storyline on Family Ties, too? Something about Alex getting into an exclusive organization that didn’t accept black people?
Originally Posted by stunt poop I was just thinking about these kind of these shows the other day, and how I absolutely hated the Fresh Prince of Bel Air versions of these that I heard Will Smith insisted on. The main one I remember was when Will started using energy pills and inadvertently gave some to Carlton, who took way too many. I can’t remember too much about it, but there was a big teary speech from Smith about how it’s all his fault to his uncle. That stuff on sitcoms always felt so forced, like the crew just to wanted to show their good will towards whatever cause.
Fuck that. The definitive Bel Air VSE has Uncle Philip in full on “Give me the motherfucking gun, Tre” mode when Carlton is about to seek vengeance in the name of cousin Will after The Fresh Prince takes a bullet.
Also of note was Aaron Spelling (or whomever) deciding that each student at West Beverly was to have their own drug of choice. The list is as follows:
Dylan : Heroin
David : Crystal Meth
Kelly : Coke
Donna : Pills
Steve : Weed
Brandon : Ecstasy
And most of the time they went from first time trying to full blown addict to all better in, like, 2 episodes. That’s brave and honest TV right there.
Originally Posted by Andre Dellamorte I remember seeing a VSE of Punky Brewster in school where someone had THE VERY SPECIAL BAG OF DRUGS. The VSBOD you might remember from most VSE’s about drug abuse, and is notable for having a smattering of all illegal substances. Having now done about 40% of its contents, I can tell you no one has that bag.
I love any public service picture that lines up all kinds of drugs imaginable in one picture, with a beer bottle in the back. Love that random beer bottle in the back.
Originally Posted by Andre Dellamorte I remember seeing a VSE of Punky Brewster in school where someone had THE VERY SPECIAL BAG OF DRUGS. The VSBOD you might remember from most VSE’s about drug abuse, and is notable for having a smattering of all illegal substances. Having now done about 40% of its contents, I can tell you no one has that bag.
Damn I don’t remember that one, and I remember most of the PUNKY BREWSTER VSE’s ("Louise power!!". The one that sticks out most is when her friend’s dad was a drunk, leading to that great scene where they’re all in the back yard and the guy drives into some trash cans. ("Whoa, that trash can jumped right out in front of me!" The funny part is I actually wished that guy was my dad for a while. He seemed so cool and funny, while mine was always busy, you know, providing for his family. Plus, the dad was played by the immortal Todd Susman:
The King of “Punky Brewster” special episodes is the one where Punky and her friends are playing hide and seek. Her best bud Cherie hides in an old abandoned refrigerator and ends up locking herself inside. Cherie nearly suffocates, but thanks to Punky’s vast knowledge of CPR she is able to save her friend’s life. This led to a whole message about the importance of teaching kids CPR.
Here’s the capper. The episode title: Cherie Lifesaver.
The episode of The Hogan Family (or maybe it was Valerie or Valerie’s Family at the time) where Jason Bateman wanted to have sex with his now-hot childhood friend on the family’s fold-out couch.
Wikipedia says it’s the first time the word “condom” was used in prime-time TV.
There was a “crack” Growing Pains episode? I remember the episode that culminated in Mike being crestfallen because he though Boner tried blow (calm down, he didn’t), and then telling his dad he would never ever go to the bathroom ( because that is where people do cocaine).
. The one that sticks out most is when her friend’s dad was a drunk, leading to that great scene where they’re all in the back yard and the guy drives into some trash cans. ("Whoa, that trash can jumped right out in front of me!"