Very Special Episodes That Defined My Childhood

What I learned from 80s and 90s family television

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A very special episode is an episode from a TV series that deals with a serious social issue. Pretty much every TV show I watched as a kid in the 80s and 90s featured at least one very special episode. I found some of them jarring when they disrupted my favourite comedies. I found some of them embarrassing when they explored mature themes, albeit in a family-friendly way. But very special episodes sure were memorable. They sunk deep into my young psyche and, 30 years later, I remember more about the very special episodes than the rest of the episodes put together.

Let’s explore some of the most memorable very special episodes. Viewer discretion advised…

Diff’rent Strokes — “The Bicycle Man” (1983)

Diff’rent Strokes is the tale of wealthy widower Phillip Drummond who adopts two African American brothers from Harlem. Although as a kid I thought Arnold and Willis came from Holland…

I thought Arnold was the coolest kid around and I watched Diff’rent Strokes religiously until it jumped the shark with the introduction of Sam. Arnold’s catchphrase “What’chu talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” is still part of the lexicon.