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Remembering TV’s ‘Very Special Episode’ — and How It Paved the Way for Today’s Dramatic Comedies Like ‘The Bear’
In his Awards Circuit column, Michael Schneider looks back at the Emmy-winning 'very special episodes' of 'All in the Family,' 'Family Ties' and more.
If you consumed a lot of sitcoms in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s like I did, you of course remember the “very special episode.” It would usually come late in a TV season, when the producers decided to tackle a hot button subject or put their characters through the emotional wringer. Promos would signal that a “very special” installment was coming when the announcer would lower their voice, and sad music would play as we learned that this was the week that Gordon Jump was showing up on “Diff’rent Strokes” as a child molester. Eventually, as storytelling became more sophisticated thanks to the rise of cable TV, the spirit of Norman Lear brought back the idea that comedies can also tackle challenging subjects, feature complicated characters and sometimes go to darker places than most dramas will.
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