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Very special episode is an advertising term originally used in American television commercials to refer to an episode of a situation comedy or television drama that dealt with a serious or controversial social issue. Although the concept has been in existence for some time, the usage of the term peaked in the 1980s and early 1990s. A television special is a television program, typically a short film or television movie, which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Advert redirects here. ... From the earliest days of the medium, television has been used as a vehicle for advertising in some countries. ... An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. ... This article is about a genre of comedy. ... For other uses, see Drama (disambiguation). ...

These episodes are usually a departure from the existing tone of the series. For example, many situation comedies have had a "very special episode" that covers a more serious topic in a dramatic, rather than comedic, fashion. Although the term is descriptive, it is sometimes used in a pejorative manner (particularly by television critics and pop culture journalists), partially because "Very special episodes" tend to feel incongruous in the context of the rest of the series; viewers expecting a light-hearted comedy may feel cheated if they are instead presented with a serious, depressing drama. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with pejoration. ...

The phrase has become particularly related to (and nearly synonymous with) the 1990s NBC show Blossom. Usually the episode occurs in the middle of the series. Blossom is a half-hour comedy television series broadcast from 1991 to 1995 on NBC, Mondays at 8:30pm. ...

General overview of content

Various very special episodes have addressed such topics as alcoholism, interracial marriage, dealing with an unexpected death, coming out, abortion, physical abuse, sexual abuse, cancer, morality of lying, racism, suicide, and dealing with absentee or deadbeat parents or unknown relatives. Recurring themes for American television programs with younger viewers often include adoption, drug addiction, eating disorders, guns and violence, pre-marital sex, environmentalism and teenage pregnancy. Alcoholism is the consumption of, or preoccupation with, alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the drinkers normal personal, family, social, or work life, and may lead to physical or mental harm. ... Othello and Desdemona from William Shakespeares Othello, a play often depicted as concerning a biracial couple. ... For other uses, see Death (disambiguation), Dead (disambiguation), Death (band) or Deceased (band). ... For other uses, see Coming out (disambiguation). ... Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause pain, injury, or other physical suffering or harm. ... Bad Touch redirects here. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... This article is about untruthfulness. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... Deadbeat Dad or Deadbeat Mom are pejorative terms (primarily U.S.) that are commonly used by the child support agency to refer to men and women who have fathered or mothered a child but fail to pay child support ordered by a family law court or statutory agency such as... A television program (US), television programme (UK) or simply television show is a segment of programming in television broadcasting. ... For other uses, see Adoption (disambiguation). ... Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ... This article is about firearms and similar devices. ... For other uses, see Violence (disambiguation). ... Sexual morality varies greatly over time and between cultures. ... For the psychology topic, see Environmental psychology. ...

Depending on the nature of the social issue, television producers and scriptwriters may choose either a protagonist, recurring character, or a supporting character written especially for the episode to embody the personal failing, social problem, or controversy at hand. Often these "very special episodes" feature characters suddenly developing problems with drugs (commonly painkillers) when none had existed previously, and after the episode no further consequences are usually shown. A Television producer oversees the making of television penis programs. ... Screenwriters, scenarists, or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ... A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who is not a main character, but appears from time to time during the series run. ... A character of a book, play, movie, TV show or other form of storytelling usually used only to give dimension to a main character, by adding a relationship with this character, although sometimes supporting characters may develop a complexity of their own. ...

A closely related concept is the after school special, which deals with issues in much the same way. The key difference is that an after school special is a stand-alone story, rather than an installment of a pre-existing series. DVD release for Martin Tahses After School Specials from 1979-1980 An after school special is a type of American television program intended to be viewed by adolescents when they returned home from school, usually at about 4:00 . ...

Usage

The "very special episode" is occasionally billed as "an episode your family can't afford to miss", again dramatizing the importance of the episode by insinuating the issues presented represent mandatory viewing for the responsible parent and child. Often the "very special episode" concerns a moral issue.

Television websites such as Television Without Pity and jumptheshark.com deride the phrase. In an episode of Friends, Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) mocked the ubiquitous NBC commercials that popularized the phrase ("A very special Blossom"); Perry himself appeared in "a very special episode" of Growing Pains earlier in his career. A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Television Without Pity (often abbreviated TWoP) is a website that provides detailed recaps of certain television dramas and reality TV shows, often by mocking them. ... The infamous moment when Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water skis. ... For friendship, see friendship. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Matthew Langford Perry (born August 19, 1969) is a Canadian-American Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the hugely popular television sitcom Friends, a part he played for 10 years. ... This article is about the television network. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... For other uses, see Growing Pains (disambiguation). ...

The concept of the very special episode was parodied in Clone High, as every episode of that series is referred to as a very special episode. Clone High (occasionally referred to in the U.S. as Clone High U.S.A.) is an American animated series that aired for one season (November 2002 — April 2003) on MTV and Teletoon. ...

The Drew Carey Show, in its fifth season, also did a similar spoof titled "A Very Special Drew", where numerous examples of Very Special motifs were used. The premise of the show was that the cast, upset about never getting an Emmy, decided to throw together a show so schmaltzy they had to win the prize. In the course of a half-hour, every possible issue, from eating disorders to homelessness to illiteracy to kleptomania, is addressed, while one famous character passes into a coma and dies (but is alive again at the end of the episode). The Drew Carey Show was a long-running American sitcom (set in Cleveland, Ohio) that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004 and was known for its everyman characters and themes. ... A homeless person in Paris. ... World illiteracy rates by country Literacy is the ability to read and write. ... Kleptomania (Greek: κλέπτειν, kleptein, to steal, μανία, mania) is an inability or great difficulty in resisting impulses of stealing. ...

The popular sitcom Seinfeld, famously "about nothing", was also opposed to very special episodes. The on-set motto among writers and cast was reportedly "No hugging, no learning." Seinfeld is an Emmy Award-winning American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989 to May 14, 1998, running a total of 9 seasons. ...

On the Canadian dramedy series Degrassi: The Next Generation, the writers usually spread the very controversial plots over two-part episodes. Noted examples are "Accidents Will Happen," that dealt with teen pregnancy and abortion; "Time Stands Still", which dealt with a school shooting, an issue that was hardly shown on television shows before this; and "Turned Out," an episode that dealt with JT (typically a comic relief character) becoming a drug dealer and trying to overdose in an attempt to commit suicide. Typically, these kinds of episodes usually have a light-hearted subplot, although the show has dealt with a great deal of controversial topics: eating disorders, teen pregnancy, suicide, alcohol abuse, drunk driving, mental illness, rape, physical abuse, sexual abuse, racism, homophobia, drug abuse, drug dealing, disability, death of friends and parents, cutting yourself, bullying, etc. Dramedy, a portmanteau of drama and comedy, is a genre of movies and television in which the lines between these very different genres were blurred. ... Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian television series, which follows the lives of a group of high school students. ... Teenage pregnancy refers to the controversial social issue of teenage girls getting pregnant. ... School shooting is a term popularized in American and Canadian media to describe gun violence at educational institutions, especially the mass murder or spree killing of people connected with an institution. ... Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. ... These lollipops, above, were found to contain heroin when inspected by the US Drug Enforcement Administration In jurisdictions where legislation restricts or prohibits the sale of certain popular drugs, it is common for an illegal drugs trade to develop. ... A drug overdose occurs when a chemical substance (i. ... Teenage suicide is the self-killing of a teenager. ... Teenage pregnancy refers to the controversial social issue of teenage girls getting pregnant. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... This article needs cleanup. ... Drunk driving (drink driving in the UK) or drinking and driving is the act of operating a motor vehicle after having consumed alcohol (i. ... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ... Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause pain, injury, or other physical suffering or harm. ... Bad Touch redirects here. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... A protest by The Westboro Baptist Church, a group identified by the Anti-Defamation League as virulently homophobic. ... Comparison of the perceived harm for various psychoactive drugs from a poll among medical psychiatrists specialized in addiction treatment[1] This article is an overview of the nontherapeutic use of alcohol and drugs of abuse. ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events... Look up disability in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Death (disambiguation), Dead (disambiguation), Death (band) or Deceased (band). ... This article focuses on repetitive self-harm, not severe self-harm inflicted during psychosis, such as eye enucleation and amputation. ... Bullying is the tormenting of others through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation. ...

Early examples of special episodes

Bonanza would commonly use guest stars to illustrate a problem in any given week. In one episode, Hoss's friend Susan (who was never seen before or after) wanted to drive her father's buggy, so she begs Hoss to let her. They end up in an accident with Susan paralyzed from the waist down. A questionable faith healer (played by Ed Nelson from Peyton Place) comes to town and convinces Hoss to let him help her. At first, it was solely an attempt to rob her of her considerable fortune. However, the faith healer becomes brainwashed into believing that he really can heal her. In the end, Susan walked, but not because of the faith healer; her injury wasn't as bad as was previously believed. The problem solved, Susan and the faith healer were never heard from again. The Bonanza logo was superimposed upon a map of a wild west frontier area. ... Edwin Stafford Nelson (born December 21, 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American actor. ... Peyton Place was Americas first long-running nighttime soap opera. ...

On more melodramatic series such as Family, the stories were more controversial. Arguably, the most notable very special episode of the series is when Buddy (played by Kristy McNichol) is pressured for sex by her boyfriend (played by teen idol Leif Garrett). Although she is tempted, she ultimately decides that she is not ready for the responsibility just yet, teaching viewers that they, too, can say no to sex if they are not prepared. Family was one of the first television shows to deal with very topical subjects in this manner. The cast of Family. ... Kristy McNichol (born Christina Ann McNichol on September 11, 1962, in Los Angeles, California) is an American former actress, known for her roles as Letitia Buddy Lawrence on the TV drama Family, and as Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest. ... Leif Per Nervik (born November 8, 1961) better known by his stage name of Leif Garrett is an American singer and actor. ...

Both All in the Family and its spinoff Maude were examples of situation comedies with topical special episodes. All in the Family featured a number of serious situations, including Edith being attacked by a rapist, as well as her experiences with menopause and a breast cancer scare; Maude featured topical stories on alcoholism and abortion. All in the Family is an acclaimed American situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971 to April 8, 1979. ... Maude is a half-hour American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 29, 1978. ...

Parodies of Very Special Episodes

The "Very Special Episode" motif has been featured widely in comedy of the last 20 years or so, and a number of notable shows have devoted an entire episode to parodies of them:

• Animaniacs - In one episode that parodies Very Special Episodes, the Warners discuss the problem of Wakko not wearing any pants.
• Beavis and Butt-head - In the appropriately-titled "A Very Special Episode", the duo find a wounded bird and inadvertently help Mr. Stevenson take it to a vet. Although Stevenson hopes to cure the bird, the boys are waiting for it to die. However, when Beavis regurgitates worms into its mouth, it grows strong, to their great annoyance. An emotional Stevenson drives them to a park where they release the bird back into the wild by throwing it (or as Beavis puts it, "flipping the bird"), at which point it falls to the ground again, wounded.
• Drawn Together - "A Very Special Drawn Together Afterschool Special" parodies very special episodes in general. To help Xandir prepare to tell his parents he's gay, the other housemates agree to role-play, but they let the exercise get way out of hand and end up enacting an outlandish scenario involving prostitution, murder, adultery, and even disposing of a dead body in a swamp.
• Clone High - every episode of the show starts with the phrase "Tonight, on a very special Clone High..."
• Everybody Hates Chris - Rochelle's father (Jimmie Walker) comes to visit and dies at the dinner table. Besides the casting of Walker, this episode contains direct references to the "very special" Good Times episode "The Big Move". Rochelle is curiously upbeat while the rest of the family mourns. Florida Evans behaved in the manner in said episode in which James died. In one of Chris's fantasy sequences, Rochelle is shown screaming "Damn! Damn! Damn!" exactly as Florida did in said episode.
• Mr. Show - An episode described as a Very Special Episode opens with David Cross, in a parody of coming out, revealing that although he plays David Cross, a bald character, he, David Cross (the actor), is in truth bald, pulling a bald wig off of his head to reveal his bald head. The cast then cynically checks their ratings and the remainder of the show follows regular format.
• Strangers with Candy - Inspired by public-service film The Trip Back, each episode parodies after-school-special style stories, including peer pressure, tattling, racism, and drug use.
• Tiny Toon Adventures - One short, called "One Beer" involved Buster, Plucky, and Hamton finding (and drinking) a bottle of beer.

This article is about the television series. ... Animaniacs logo, featuring Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, plus Pinky and the Brain. ... Pants are a type of clothing for the lower body. ... Beavis and Butt-head was an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. ... The following is a list of characters appearing occasionally on the MTV cartoon series Beavis and Butt-head, each with a description. ... Drawn Together is an American animated television series that uses a sitcom format with a TV reality show setting. ... A Very Special Drawn Together Afterschool Special is the twentieth episode of the animated series Drawn Together. ... Clone High (occasionally referred to in the U.S. as Clone High U.S.A.) is an American animated series that aired for one season (November 2002 — April 2003) on MTV and Teletoon. ... Everybody Hates Chris is an African-American sitcom broadcast on the CW Network, featuring fictional characters and situations broadly based on real people and situations. ... For other persons named James Walker, see James Walker (disambiguation). ... This article is about the television series. ... Florida Evans was a fictional character on the sitcoms Maude and its spinoff Good Times. ... James Evans, Sr. ... Mr. ... David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer and actor. ... Strangers with Candy is a television series produced by Comedy Central. ... Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures (also known as Tiny Toon Adventures or Tiny Toons) is an American animated television series created and produced as a collaborative effort between Steven Spielberg and Warner Bros. ...

See also

• After school special
• Jumping the shark

DVD release for Martin Tahses After School Specials from 1979-1980 An after school special is a type of American television program intended to be viewed by adolescents when they returned home from school, usually at about 4:00 . ... The infamous moment when Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water skis. ...

External links

• Jump the Shark's Very Special Episode section
• Television Without Pity
• MSNBC story, 5Top: Unnecessary TV children A media discussion about how certain child characters are related to Jumping the shark and Very special episode.