In the 70s, 80s, and 90’s if a sitcom advertised a “Very Special Episode,” kids knew they were in for a lecture. At first, they fell for the con. How could they miss an episode that is being advertised as “very special?” They did their homework, ate everything on their plates, and even helped to clean up after dinner. Nothing would get in the way of viewing something advertised as a Very Special Episode.

This is especially true in the days before VCRs, DVDs, and DVRs became mainstream. If kids missed an episode, they missed it. They had to watch that puppy live or hope to be lucky enough to catch it during summer reruns. No one wanted to show up at school the next day after missing a Very Special Episode.

What is a “Very Special Episode?”

Very special episodes of the 1980s and 1990s were episodes of our favorite sitcoms that dealt with serious social issues. The sitcom became a vessel to present unfunny material in a funny way, usually falling short on the latter. I mean, how could drug abuse, sexual assault, or domestic violence ever be funny?

In many but not all cases, the Very Special Episode followed a formula. Rather than lose faith in an existing, beloved character, a new, never-before-seen (and never seen again) character is introduced. New Character has a serious problem that only the Heroic Sitcom Family can solve. Child abuse, drug abuse, and teen pregnancy are just some of the topics raised in a Very Special Episode.

Despite the laugh track, Very Special Episodes were a downer. Whether it’s Milke Seaver attending a college party where people are doing cocaine in the bathroom, DJ Tanner starving herself to fit into a bathing suit, or Steve Urkel getting his punch spiked at a party, these episodes certainly gave us something to talk about.

After the Heroic Sitcom Family saves the day, a PSA flashed on the screen, and the show was over. There was never any follow-up up and the incident was never spoken of again. It was swept under the rug like Richie Cunningham’s brother, Chuck.

Top 3 Very Special Episodes of My Youth

The reason I chose these three episodes is the impact they made on me and the superb acting by all involved. Something else I noticed in my top three Very Special Episodes – these had the main characters of the shows involved in a jam, and not some one-off character that needed rescuing.

1. Different Strokes: The Bicycle Man

Originally airing as a two-parter in February 1981, this Very Special Episode of the popular sitcom “Different Strokes” produced a double whammy. Not only did the trauma center around a main character and his recurring friend – and not a one-off never to be seen again victim – but the villain was none other than Mr. Carlson himself, Gordon Jump. Someone I would never look at the same way again.

Gordon Jump portrayed Mr. Horton, a bicycle shop owner, who wanted to do more than sell bikes to Arnold and Dudley. Mind you, this was before elementary schools started going full-on stranger danger.

Long story short, Mr. Horton begins grooming Arnold and Dudley, plying them with pizza, ice cream sundaes, wine, and porn. Arnold comes home late and lies to his family, something that brings on much guilt.

The next time Arnold and Dudley visit Mr. Horton – on the promise of pie – Arnold freaks after watching some very adult cartoons and gets the hell out of there, leaving Dudley alone with Mr. Horton and gets the hell out of dodge. Dudley isn’t as intuitive and stays behind to play shirtless Tarzan and get drugged by Mr. Horton.

I remember watching this while babysitting, and my 16-year-old self and my charges didn’t think Arnold was a very good friend, leaving his ride or die behind with a pervert. And before you come at me for letting kids watch this show, “Different Strokes” was a kid-friendly family show, and this Very Special Epside was presented in a kid-friendly manner. Not that I would have known the difference at 16.

After arriving home, Arnold can’t hide his guilt. Coming clean to his family, the police show up, saving a drugged Dudley from a bad situation. Cut to a heart-to-heart talk and the obligatory PSA. They never speak of this incident again.

2. Family Ties “A My Name is Alex”

I was 23 in 1987 when the Very Special Family Ties Episode “A My Name is Alex” aired. I had my first apartment and my first real job, and I was broke as a joke, with television being one of the few luxuries I could afford. So imagine my disappointment after I heated up my bowl of .35 cent Ramen and took to the couch to escape with a sitcom. Instead, I got sucked into this depressing hour-long Very Special Episode.

Don’t get me wrong. Though I can’t watch “Family Ties” now without cringing at some of the bad acting and goofy writing, this award-winning episode featured an outstanding effort from Michael J. Fox. I remember not liking this episode because it was so dark, and I never watched it again. Still, in the annals of the Very Special Episode, this is considered one of the top of all time.

In “A My Name is Alex,” Alex has survivor’s guilt after a good friend dies while running an errand that Alex didn’t want to help him with. After the funeral, in a move channeling the play “Our Town,” the show centers around Alex dealing with his grief and guilt by talking to a therapist who doesn’t appear on screen. In the end, Alex decides he’s going to honor his friend’s memory by trying to be more like him. Cue PSA.

If this synopsis is shorter than the others, it’s because I only watched this episode once, and because my one takeaway was the superb acting. Despite its impact on me, I didn’t enjoy the episode and don’t remember much about it beyond the acting. I didn’t want to watch it again to recap here.

3. All in the Family: Edith’s 50th Birthday

In 1977, I was 13 years old and the “Edith’s 50th Birthday” episodes of “All in the Family” hit me hard. Edith Bunker may have come off as a ditz, but she was a smart lady and an unsung voice of reason. There were very few people who watched “All in the Family” and didn’t love Edith. She was everyone’s mother and grandmother. And she was a saint for putting up with Archie.

In “Edith’s 50th birthday,” Edith’s husband Archie is next door at his daughter’s house, decorating for a surprise party for his wife’s birthday. Home alone, Edith opens the door to someone claiming to be a detective. It’s soon apparent that this man is not only law enforcement personnel, but he plans on raping Edith.

Watching this show as a young teen, two things hit me. The first, and I’m not disparaging Edith Bunker here — I’m thinking like my 13-year-old self — the first is that women didn’t have to be young or pretty to be raped. It could happen to anyone. That blew me away. Edith was 50. 50!

The second is that Edith was badass. She wasn’t having it. Anyone who ever thought Edith was a pushover received their comeuppance on October 16, 1977. That was the night Edith fought back.

Oh, and a bonus thought – I remember talking about the use of a laugh track with my friends. Tacky. If you’re going to have a Very Special Episode that is to have a serious impact on people, don’t sully it with a laugh track. Moving on…

Edith does everything she can to prevent this rape from happening, from babbling like only Edith Bunker can do, to talking on the phone. At one point, Archie comes home for a missing punchbowl, and Edith’s abuser hides in the closet. Archie, in true Archie fashion, is unable to read the room and recognize that Edith is very upset. After he leaves, Edith worries that her cake will burn, and her abuser allows her to handle it. She takes it out of the oven and bashes her assaulter in the head with it and throws him out of the house. See? Badass!

Edith runs next door and ruins the shouts of “surprise!” Archie realizes something isn’t right when Edith sobs in his arms. Part One ends.

In part two, Edith tells her family what happens and deals with the aftermath. Edith doesn’t want to go to the police, and Archie agrees. Archie and his son-in-law Mike, return to the house to make sure the attacker has left the building. They find some of his clothes, but no person. Gloria and Edith arrive, followed by the police, who want Edith to make a statement, but Edith isn’t feeling it.

Over the next couple of week’s Edith struggles with the fear of being attacked again. After another woman is assaulted, Gloria convinces her mother to tell her story to the police, and she and Archie leave for the police station.

Wait? What About the Very Special Episodes of the ’90s?

So, after writing about the Very Special Episodes that impacted me the most, I realize that I didn’t include any episodes from the 90s. As a child of the 70s and a teen and 20-something of the 80s, I didn’t watch very special episodes in the 90s. So give me some time to watch some of the episodes that impacted young people in the ’90s. Trust me, I think we’ll be visiting Very Special Episodes more than once!