MACK #112: Very Special Episodes

July 4, 2021July 4, 2021 MACK | Middle Aged Cool Kids a very special episode, all in the family, boy meets world, diff'rent strokes, different strokes, fresh prince of bel-air, full house, Golden Girls, maude, mr. belvedere, the bicycle man, very special episodes, wkrp in cincinnati

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Hey there folks! Today’s show is all about Very Special Episodes.

I’m not sure if this is just a US thing or if our friends in other countries also experienced these horrifying plots shoved into half hour comedy shows, but just in case you aren’t familiar with the term:

“Very special episode” is an advertising term originally used in American television promos to refer to an episode of a sitcom or drama series which deals with a difficult or controversial social issue.^[1] The usage of the term peaked in the 1980s.”

It seems as if every half hour comedy that aired in the 70s and 80s (and into the 90s as well) had to put a halt to the funny and take an opportunity to teach us about whatever. Child abuse, Pedos, Aids, Lesbians, Drugs — and more.

It was a cringe fest as it happened and honestly, if you were young enough, it was also pretty traumatizing.

There are quite a few lists of cringe inducing Very Special Episodes, so this will be a two-parter. In this show we tackle the many episodes that wikipedia deems “Very Special.”

Lots of fun chat and many many tv show clips included in this one!

If you’re interested in more TV talk from us, give Our Top 5 70s TV Shows and Our Top 10 Favorite TV Show Theme Songs a listen!

Thanks for putting up with our nonsense!

XOXOXO

Shecky