Cinefamily’s TV Tuesdays at the Silent Movie Theater presents “The Best of ‘A Very Special Episode'” on Sept. 18th at 8pm. Remember those bizarre episodes of your favorite, lighthearted TV shows where a character suddenly, and unconvincingly, dealt with serious issues like eating disorders or drug addiction? Schmaltz and over-the-top acting usually ensued. (As much as I love it, the homeless girl/ghost episode of ‘My So-Called Life’ teeters on the edge of this too. I just love Patty asking Juliana Hatfield, “How did you die?” At 10:25ish.)
“A Very Special Episode” is a selection of the most extreme examples of this, featuring “death scenes, abrupt stretches played uncomfortably straight, cast members getting backhanded across the room by drunken guest stars, prostitution and more!”
For example, here’s the ‘Saved By The Bell’ episode where Jessie takes pills:
And this one our editors tipped me off to – child abuse in ‘Good Times’! Yikes.
Image via Cinefamily
