Occasionally, we'll get an episode that dramatically shifts in style from the rest of the show. What are some notable examples?

The Halloween episode of Roseanne "Satan Darling". That episode was just so messed up! Hated it.

The episode of Happy Days that had Robin Williams as Mork from Ork. He's an alien visiting Earth and Richie Cunningham actually volunteers to go back to Ork with Mork. Mork tells him it'll be for a "bleem" which we then find out translates to actually a thousand years. I'm not sure how that was supposed to work when humans don't live anywhere near that long LOL. And then at the end of the episode Richie wakes up and realizes it was all just a dream! I think that definitely qualifies as the weirdest Happy Days episode.

Of course we then almost immediately got the "spinoff" of Mork and Mindy. Which strangely took place in the present day even though on Happy Days it was the 1950s. Oh well I guess TV doesn't have to make sense haha.

Ed.

The "Walnut" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show which was a cross between The Twilight Zone and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

The episode of Home Improvement where the family is concerned Randy might have cancer. A very dark and serious episode in what was usually a fun and laid back show. I still don't know why they made that episode but it's scary and depressing so I won't watch it again.

Ed.

Newhart-Either The Last Newhart or What is This Thing Called Lust?

The Seinfeld episode where they begin with the end of the story and work their way back to the start of it. It might have been a cover for a story that didn't work otherwise, but, even if that was the reason, it was still a clever idea.

"Mary's Three Husbands" from The Mary Tyler Moore Show

The Seinfeld episode where they begin with the end of the story and work their way back to the start of it. It might have been a cover for a story that didn't work otherwise, but, even if that was the reason, it was still a clever idea.


I hated it. I remember back in the 80s the family drama Life Goes On did an episode that went backwards just like that. I hated that too, things like that are just too confusing to follow.

Ed.