Why don't they make "very special episodes" anymore?

[TMC]

Like I said, why don't they make "very special episodes" anymore? You know episodes like Diff'rent Strokes' "The Bicycle Man", Punky Brewster's "Cherie Lifesaver", etc.

[JamesG]

They still do, but it's not as frequent. I know of these which are more recent:

- Austin & Ally dealt with cyberbullying
- Raven's Home dealt with vaping
- black-ish had a few w/ gun violence and Black Lives Matter.. among others
- The Neighborhood dealt with miscarriage
- Superstore dealt with racism
- though not "special episodes", The Conners deals with alcoholism, drug addiction, teen pregnancy.. among other serious topics.

[Edward216]

Probably because they're just too depressing.

Ed.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Edward216

Probably because they're just too depressing.

Ed.

It probably has more to do with the argument that "very special episodes" are pretty "hit or miss" to begin with. I suppose that the fundamental problem with the VSE concept is that sitcoms are by nature, usually very light hearted where nothing too bad happens. So it would be completely jarring and out of place for characters in a normally light-hearted sitcom world suddenly being tortured by something horrible for one episode.

That isn't to say that there aren't more modern sitcoms that tackle otherwise serious or heavy-duty issues. Take for example, The Conners and Black-ish. But the likely difference between those shows that I mentioned than the ones from the past is that it was "normal" for those types of shows to address stereotypical VSE subjects. In other words, they can better lend themselves to these types of plotlines more often than most shows might since it's not really outside of their wheelhouses.

More importantly, is the very concept of having a very special episode to specifically address one really necessary now? Contemporary issues are more organically weaved into the natural storylines of dramas/comedies/dramadies (this again goes back to the prior point about shows like The Conners and Black-ish) than they may have been in the '80s or '90s.

Viewers have since that time, become more skeptical, sophisticated, and perhaps cynical and they likely view VSEs as excessively earnest, heavy-handed, and preachy. They also likely see it as a gimmick where the drama comes from ripping from the headlines (which the Law & Order franchise also does all of the time) and perceived present societal ills.

[tenter]

Around 3 years ago, Nick show Young Dylan - Teachable Moments deals about cyberbullying, although Nick never promoted as special episode, but near end episode, there's a banner text on bottom about how to deal with cyberbullying.

[TMC]

Here's some insight of why "very special episodes" in the '80s came to be:

Certainly. I think the end of Norman Lear’s sitcom dominance in the late 1970s ushered in an era of lighter-hearted domestic fare — in accordance with a new baby boom (the Millennial Generation) — and this was a counter-reaction to the harsher, more political stuff that came prior. However, the genre never completely shook Lear’s professed belief that the sitcom was at its best when able to offer some kind of social value, if not through overt moralizing, than from gripping drama (intending to emphasize our shared humanity, but, in practice, often failing to truly be believable because of no clear, motivated link between character and story). And with these bland, generic family structures of the ’80s, with equally bland, generic characters, this Lear-like perspective became especially jarring, revealing itself though recurring forays that we now colloquially call “Very Special Episodes” — periodic attempts to inject uber-serious subject matter into a typically unserious format, and with little help from the premise or the characters involved, thereby rendering most of these endeavors false, in addition to pretentious and uncomedic.

[24/7 reruns]

When "Very Special " episodes were done there were limited viewing opportunities. Just the major network and perhaps during the start of cable channels like HBO. So there was a greater audience to attempt to present an issue on.

When I was a kid the ABC After School specials were popular. Also I remember on Saturday morning there was an episode of the Flintstone Kids titled "Just Say No" jumping on the Nancy Reagan initiative against drug use. Also the special - "All Star Cartoons to the Rescue" also focused on drug use.

With so many viewing options the effectiveness of a "Very Special" episode of any show would probably be watered down since there is a limited chance of capturing a large audience. Perhaps the Super Bowl half time Show can fill the void. That's one of the few presentations that can guarantee a huge captive audience. Yet I can't imagine that ever happening

[merlinjones]

Sadly ALL the episodes are "very special" now -- preachy, teachy, screechy.

[James28]

An episode is not a "Very Special Episode" if it is not a multi-parter (whether a one-hour airing or spread out over several weeks). Any alternative terms?

[TMC]

Originally Posted by merlinjones

Sadly ALL the episodes are "very special" now -- preachy, teachy, screechy.

Based on this one discussion that I recently came across, we can pretty much "thank" the success of MASH and All in the Family for the rise in "very special" or emotional sitcom episodes.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

It probably has more to do with the argument that "very special episodes" are pretty "hit or miss" to begin with. I suppose that the fundamental problem with the VSE concept is that sitcoms are by nature, usually very light hearted where nothing too bad happens. So it would be completely jarring and out of place for characters in a normally light-hearted sitcom world suddenly being tortured by something horrible for one episode.

That isn't to say that there aren't more modern sitcoms that tackle otherwise serious or heavy-duty issues. Take for example, The Conners and Black-ish. But the likely difference between those shows that I mentioned than the ones from the past is that it was "normal" for those types of shows to address stereotypical VSE subjects. In other words, they can better lend themselves to these types of plotlines more often than most shows might since it's not really outside of their wheelhouses.

More importantly, is the very concept of having a very special episode to specifically address one really necessary now? Contemporary issues are more organically weaved into the natural storylines of dramas/comedies/dramadies (this again goes back to the prior point about shows like The Conners and Black-ish) than they may have been in the '80s or '90s.

Viewers have since that time, become more skeptical, sophisticated, and perhaps cynical and they likely view VSEs as excessively earnest, heavy-handed, and preachy. They also likely see it as a gimmick where the drama comes from ripping from the headlines (which the Law & Order franchise also does all of the time) and perceived present societal ills.

The rise of postmodern irony in media may have also had a hand in "ending" the "very special episode" trend. The decade of the 1990s saw the rise of the cool, detached style which was perhaps most emphasized by TV shows like Seinfeld, The Simpsons, and South Park.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by merlinjones

Sadly ALL the episodes are "very special" now -- preachy, teachy, screechy.

I suspect that people look (especially now) at "very special episodes" or "lesson of the week" shows with disdain and/or cynicism because they just felt very condescending to its viewers. It's like the makers of these shows had to shoved its own self-importance down the viewers' throats.

For example, remember how there would be a PSA type of announcement, where the cast would step out of character to address the moral of that week's episode? Like this one with Kirk Cameron on Growing Pains about the dangers of cocaine use:


Well, that could be interpreted as the shows not having confidence in the viewers to make our own individual calls.

[TMC]

Just a few episodes from your childhood you may have forgotten about.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

Here's some insight of why "very special episodes" in the '80s came to be:

One way to look at the "very special episode" trend is that they were (since I mentioned his name) practically Norman Lear-lite for a younger generation, without any apparent cynicism.

[Alan Brady's Hair]

Originally Posted by merlinjones

Sadly ALL the episodes are "very special" now -- preachy, teachy, screechy.

This is it. All genres have incorporated soap opera now.