A "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. There is no one uniform definition for what a "very special episode" is, but it is determined by a TV show's atypical serious subject manner compared to its usual content. The usage of the term peaked in the 1980s. Despite their intentions, "Very special episodes" are sometimes dismissed as showing inauthentic, simple solutions to complex problems. The format emerged in the 1970s, particularly with the socially conscious sitcoms produced by Norman Lear, and flourished in the 1980s into the early 1990s.

Topics

'Very special episodes' often have storylines having to do with abortion, birth control, sex education, racism, sexism, death, narcotics, pregnancy (particularly teenage pregnancy and unintended pregnancy), asthma, hitchhiking, kidnapping, suicide, drunk driving, drug use, sexual abuse, child abuse, child abandonment, sexual assault, violence (domestic, gang), cults and HIV/AIDS, among other things.

Portrayals

How a topic is portrayed can vary drastically from show to show, and its portrayal is influenced by a number of factors, including the personal beliefs of those involved in the show, advertising concerns, cultural attitudes, and the show's format, genre, and broadcasting company. The Atlantic summarizes the core values of a very special episode as thus:<blockquote>The main characters beloved by viewers would inevitably avoid serious harm. The dangers posed by story lines were more threats than actual occurrences, and on the occasion that bad things did happen, they usually happened to ancillary characters whom audiences cared less about. This selective meting of moral justice kept lessons from becoming too morbid, while still allowing episodes to serve as cautionary tales.</blockquote>

Public reception

The purpose of a very special episode is generally to raise awareness of an issue and encourage those affected to seek help if necessary. For example, the Diff'rent Strokes episode "The Bicycle Man", in the same year it was released, influenced a child in La Porte, Indiana, to inform his mother of a pedophile in the area, and the LaPorte police department credited the episode for the man's arrest. The Washington Post called the episode "a calm, careful and intelligent treatment of a difficult and potentially traumatizing subject. There seems little possibility that watching this program would do children harm, and considerable likelihood it could do them good."

Comedian Frank Caliendo spoofed this concept with "TV Promos" and "A Very Special Seinfeld" on his 2002 album Make the Voices Stop.

Notably, Larry David, producer and co-creator of Seinfeld, was reportedly strongly opposed to having a very special episode in the series, with the motto of writers and cast being "No hugging, no learning".

The concept was also spoofed on the 1996 Animaniacs episode "A Very Very Very Very Special Show" where Yakko, Wakko and Dot attempt to teach politically correct lessons in order to win a Humanitarian Animation Award.

An episode of WandaVision titled "On a Very Special Episode..." explains Wanda's creation of a new reality reminiscent of 80s sitcoms like Family Ties.

NPR referred to a 2018 episode of The Bachelor as a modern "very special episode" when Caelynn Miller-Keyes opened up about being sexually assaulted in college. This came after a 2017 controversy over possible sexual assault occurring on one of The Bachelors other shows, Bachelor in Paradise. While the cast had a sit down chat about the scandal, the public's response was not favorable.

Notable examples

  • All in the Family (1971–1979)
  • "Edith's 50th Birthday" (Season 8, Episode 4, aired October 16, 1977) – Edith Bunker, believing a serial rapist to be a police officer, lets him into her home and is almost sexually assaulted by him.
  • Boy Meets World (1993–2000)
  • "Dangerous Secret" (Season 4, Episode 8, aired November 8, 1996) – Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter discover that one of their classmates, Claire Ferguson, is being abused by her father. After confiding in Cory's parents, the boys inform the police of the situation and send Claire to live with her aunt, in order to keep her safe.
  • "Cult Fiction" (Season 4, Episode 21, aired April 25, 1997) – Shawn is under the influence of a sinister cult.
  • Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990–1996)
  • "Mind Pollution" (Season 2, Episode 1, aired September 14, 1991) – Linka visits her cousin Boris in Washington, D.C., and soon finds that he is under the influence of a street drug known as "Bliss", peddled by the Eco-Villain Verminous Skumm. Boris gets Linka addicted to Bliss by sneaking it into her food. In the episode's climax, Skumm offers Boris a bottle of Bliss in exchange for destroying the Planeteers. Boris agrees and swallows a handful of pills; as the Planeteers stop Linka from doing the same, Boris overdoses and dies on-screen. This tragedy causes Linka to break free of her addiction.
  • Degrassi: The Next Generation
  • "Time Stands Still" (Season 4, Episode 7/8, aired October 5, 2004 and October 12, 2004, in two parts) – After Rick Murray suffers a public humiliation at the hands of his classmates, he brings a gun to school and begins shooting those who were responsible, paralyzing one and ending up dead from his own weapon when attempting to kill another.
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)
  • "Mistaken Identity" (Season 1, Episode 6, aired October 15, 1990) – While driving to Palm Springs in a Mercedes-Benz that belongs to Phillip Banks's white colleague, Will and Carlton are picked up by two white police officers who accuse the two of being car thieves.
  • "Bullets Over Bel-Air" (Season 5, Episode 15, aired February 6, 1995) – Will and Carlton, while withdrawing money from an ATM, are robbed at gunpoint, and Will is shot and hospitalized, causing Carlton to suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder, and leading him to purchase a handgun for his own protection, of which Will disapproves.
  • "Shape Up" (Season 4, Episode 8, aired November 9, 1990) – D.J., in preparation for an upcoming pool party, stops eating and starts exercising vigorously, both common symptoms of anorexia nervosa.
  • "Silence Is Not Golden" (Season 6, Episode 17, aired February 16, 1993) – Stephanie learns that her classmate is a victim of child abuse by his father and feels conflicted as to whether she should tell an adult.
  • "Scared Straight" (Season 4, Episode 9, aired December 10, 1988) – When Blanche's newly divorced brother Clayton comes to town he confides to Rose that he is gay; scared to tell Blanche the truth, he pretends to have slept with Rose. With Blanche furious at her roommate, Clayton is eventually forced to reveal the truth, sending Blanche into angry and confused denial.
  • "72 Hours" (Season 5, Episode 19, aired February 17, 1990) – Rose finds she may have been exposed to HIV, after having undergone a blood transfusion following gallbladder surgery.
  • Mr. Belvedere (1985–1990)
  • "Wesley's Friend" (Season 2, Episode 16, aired January 31, 1986) – Wesley, due to misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, avoids his friend and classmate, Danny, who contracted the disease as the result of a blood transfusion.
  • Roseanne (1988–1997, 2018)
  • "Crime And Punishment" (Season 5, Episode 13, aired January 5, 1993) – Roseanne learns her sister, Jackie, is being physically abused by her boyfriend, Fisher, prompting her husband, Dan, to assault Fisher.
  • "White Men Can't Kiss" (Season 7, Episode 9, aired November 16, 1994) – D.J. refuses to kiss a girl in his school play because she's black, leading both Roseanne and Dan to question their own bigotry.
  • WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982)
  • "In Concert" (Season 2, Episode 19, aired February 11, 1980) – The staff at the fictional station reacts to the real-life fatal trampling incident at a concert by The Who at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum. The episode was used to advocate for bans on festival seating at concerts.

See also

  • After-school special
  • Jumping the shark
  • Oscar bait
  • Problem play
  • Social problem film
  • Social guidance film
  • Kitsch
  • Message picture

Notes

  • "When Episodes Could Still Be Very Special", from The New York Times
  • "blue glow: Salon's TV Picks for Monday, Oct. 6, 1997": "ETC."—Salon; discussion of very special episodes
  • "The Poop: A very special episode ..."