10 'Very Special Episodes' That Traumatized 80s Kids
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- In the 80s, family sitcoms decided to pivot to more serious content once or twice a season -- usually during sweeps. And these became known as "very special" episodes.
These episodes became an opportunity to teach valuable life lessons to Gen X kids through relatable characters. But sometimes, they managed to traumatize us in the process. And they did it with a laugh track.
These are 10 of the most well-known very special episodes from our most favorite sitcoms that traumatized 80s kids.
The Facts of Life and Full House segments have been removed due to copyright claims.
Hey you guys! Super late copyright claims days after publishing the video are forcing me to cut the Full House and the Facts of Life segments from the video. It's a bummer, but this is how we learn. Short clips are fine, but no using music for the background of a voice over! I won't do that again!
The Fats of Life and Full House were the only ones worth watching. The Fats of Life seemed more like a group home than an expensive private boarding school.
Which episodes did you have to remove?
@@catherinefisher6188 facts of life and full house. It takes a couple of days for the edits to go through the system without taking the video down. So they will probably be gone by tomorrow.
what's more disturbing is these special episodes were probably due to a court-ordered public service because of what someone on the show did
That Punky episode has always stuck with me!
You knew sh*t was about to get real when it started with an actor giving a speech beforehand
🙌
Or when one of the cast broke the fourth wall for a serious message. Now with social media every so-called celebrity blasts their opinion about everything into the internet all the time. But back then it was really something when actors broke character to address something they felt strongly about. And contrary to most cases today it was believable.
Especially if it's Conrad Bain.
💯
I forgot about that intro. Man, that was dark.
These shows tried to parent us in case our own parents weren’t doing it. I wish I knew who to thank.
lol so true!
Truer words haven't been spoken.
Norman Lear?
The government wouldn’t allow tv channels to promote to children unless it was somewhat informative or educational. This is why G.I. Joe taught us knowing is half the battle!!!
@@jasonsimpkins9069😂😂😂😂
It wasn't a sitcom, but the episode of Little House on the Prairie where Albert is addicted to morphine and had to endure withdrawal scared the crap out of me. I seriously believe it kept me away from drugs.
same
Same. That and every one of my favorite performing artists died from it, and then so did some family members.
Morphine was a thing in the time period of LHonP? Hmmm, didn't know that.
Oh yes that one was truly scary. I loved the character and seeing him go through all that was nuts
What about the Little House episode where the young girl is raped by...well, I won't spoil it here since it's kept a mystery for most of the episode. (A two-parter as I recall.) I remember the town doctor explaining she is "with child" and I was too young to understand what that phrase meant. (Or what "rape" meant, for that matter.) And it was obviously something very bad, so I was afraid to ask what was happening. That was a very family-friendly, mostly innocent show - we watched it every week - and then it would go and drop something like that on you without warning. Come to think of it, a lot of 1970s shows were like that, which must be what led to the sorta-warning of the "very special episode." I have not seen that particular LHOP episode since it first ran in the 1970s and yet it is an unshakeable memory 4 decades later.
The content was traumatizing for us as children, but the lessons were absolutely necessary. Thanks from a grateful Gen-Xer born 1978.
I never did drugs, that was my flex!!!
Oh shoot we were born in same year
Nonsense
@@davidbermudez7704 Samesies! Are we Gen-Xers? I thought we were too young to be that. :)
1978 is an Xennial. GenX/Millennial... That's why it's traumatic. 😂
Remember when Mr. Hooper died on Sesame Street? I remember how upset Big Bird was, and thought they handled it very well. My nana died and was buried on my 5th birthday, and my mom was out of her mind with grief. I was forgotten, which was fine, but I had no one to talk to. I wasn't taken to the funeral, it was this loss no one helped me with. I was 10 when this episode of SS aired (1982), and it helped me process my loss from years before.
Yep then big bird was found eating his corpse 😅
@@MikeDavis-be8gf well someone is going to hell. . .🫣🤣
Wow, I'm so sorry that the adults in your life were attuned to your grief and confusion. Good job, Sesame Street, for helping you process.
Hey idiot, Big Bird wasn't real!
They should've taken you to the funeral. Even though it's hard. Funerals tend to be harder for adults than for kids in reality. Kids live too much in the present for it to affect them in the way it affects adults plus going to a funeral helps the child have closure.
We were also reading books like “Flowers in the Attic” 🥴
I just had a discussion about this today and was saying “I’m sure I should not have been reading that at my age.
And “My Sweet Audrina”! Definitely not middle school material, but there they were…until the school wised up and removed them from the library, too late of course
In the 6th grade!! Who let me read that?!
So messed up!!
All the VC Andrews series, basically a rehashing of the same generational incest. 🤔
I remember the episode where Alex loses his friend because it aired the day of my father's funeral when I was 24. I came home from the wake and the neighbour across the hall offered her condolences. I ended up going in for a visit and her son was watching the episode, which had just begun. As Alex was dealing with his emotions over his friend, I was able to face my emotions over my dad. It was a very healing experience for me.
Nothing in life is a coincidence. The Universe put you there because it knew you needed. Peace.
Thank you for sharing that! I’m so glad you were able to have that experience.
It's still one of my favorite episodes. My other favorite episode is when Tom Hanks played the uncle with a drinking problem.
Nice code in your name … one way, eph 2:8-9
That’s a young age to loose a father. I glad you found some comfort in this show. That’s what feel good shows are for
Being 56, I saw pretty much all of these when they first aired. You did a great job putting all these clips together.
To this day Gen-Xers are prepared for ANYTHING. A lot of us were the latchkey kids who had to let ourselves in, do our homework and get dinner started while our parents worked. All the while making sure we didn’t get caught up in a real life special episode. Man sitcoms really did help raise us. It’s crazy.
@@EagleFang74 You had to get dinner started?! How old were you when you had to do that?!
@@amandabeaty1492 The fact that people are shocked by this shows just how far we’ve regressed.
@@BlownMacTruck My mum was stay at home. As was my best friends mum. I knew kids in school that were latchkey kids but I always thought that meant they just watched TV until their parents got home. I didn't know there was any sort of work involved.
@@amandabeaty1492 Sure. Little things here and there like defrosting things and cleaning vegetables. By the time I was 13 or 14 I’d occasionally make dinner. Simple things like spaghetti and meat sauce or if we were having taco night I could do that. Burgers were easy of course. My parents owned a grocery store that was open until 10pm so occasionally they’d both be busy and I’d be at home with my brothers.
@@EagleFang74 Ah. Yeah, there was no cooking for any of us until we were in our late teens and mum decided she wasn't cooking
What is really traumatizing for 80s kids was learning later in life how many of these young 80s sitcom child actors were being molested right there on those sets. Even while these episodes were being released.
Tragic really.
exactly
𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕝𝕪!! 💔💔
Who ?
Ah Hollywood. The biggest hypocrites in the world. Child molestation, rape etc... but as long as ppl bury their heads in the sand all is fine.
As a 49 y/o Genx'er I remember everyone of these episodes. TV was my babysitter and best friend back then
48 here...Saturday started with 90 minutes of Smurfs. Yup!
@@VoiceAndLight I was awake promptly at 6am so I could watch some Kissyfur or Shirt Tales. And keep watching until noon so I finished with BlackStar or Fat Albert. Then it was college basketball or golf or something lol.
Dude, totally. I would watch anything.
56 here and TV was my best friend for awhile too! TV got around
@@YukonBloamieOMG Shirttails ☺️! I totally forgot about them! Faithfully watched and collected the stuffed animals too. Thanks for the memory!
as a gen z kid (born in 2000) who hasn't seen any of these episodes, i really enjoyed this video!! this was fantastic and very well put together!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I think the moment that stayed with me was on ‘Good Times’, when Janet Jackson’s character, Penny, was burned by her mother with an iron. The live audience started screaming and it just added to the horror of the scene.
The episode where JJ's girlfriend(Debbie Allen) was a heroin addict got me..
Wow that would have been very traumatizing indeed!!! I remember good times when I was a child in the 70s. Perhaps I was doing other things that particular night that the episode was on - I am very sure I would have remembered this episode.
@@TTriggyes
OH, GOD YES! Poor Penny!!!
As I recall, the whole Penny situation was a 5-part episode, which was unheard of for a sitcom.
One of the most touching moments in TV history was a special episode of Sesame Street that aired on Thanksgiving November 24, 1983. Episode 1839 known as "Farewell, Mr. Hooper". The actor who played Mr. Hooper, Will Lee, died December 7, 1982. Rather than simply write the character out of the show, Sesame Workshop saw it as a good teaching opportunity for children and discussed it openly in the episode. Big Bird was struggling with the concept of death and the cast consoled him and explained why Mr Hooper was never coming back. Big Bird asks, "Why does it have to be this way? Give me one good reason!" and after a long silence Gordon answers, "Big Bird, it has to be this way... because. Just because" Looking at Mr. Hooper's picture, Big Bird says, mispronouncing his name as he had done many times in the past, "I'm going to miss you, Mr. Looper." Maria tearfully corrects Big Bird and everyone gathers around him, hugging him in support.
"Gimme a Break!" Took a similar approach when the actor who played the father Dolph Sweet died. The 5th season premiere episode in 1985 "Joey's Train" had the family struggling to move on trying to repress the trauma and keeping his old room locked up. The grandfather eventually puts the family in their place saying it was not right not to talk about him and the Chief would have been happy that the family is still together.
Let’s not also forget that Mr. Rogers came out of retirement to talk to kids about 9/11. PBS is something way so take for granted and is always hanging on the precipice of collapse and yet greedy politicians do not think that it is important for young children to learn outside of consumerism. We need neutral places that are purely for learning and growing and becoming emotionally, mature and handling obstacles. Support your local PBS station and tell your congressperson to continue support of the arts.❤
Mr Hooper was my first time learning about death and Big Bird was the perfect friend to go through it with. At 3 it’s hard to make sense of death but easy to feel and that episode has got to be one of the most genuine bits of media to ever exist. How to make a child feel validated emotionally 101.
I remember watching the Mr Hooper episode. I did the math and I was 5 when it aired. It still has an effect on me in my 40’s.
Omg I remember that Sesame Street episode 😢
The Muppet Tribute to Jim Henson is all humor until the Muppets figure out who Jim was and why they are honoring him. And then it's an absolute heartbreak.
That different strokes episode kept me safe as I remembered it well when someone acted a little funny around me. I learned to trust my instincts. I told my parents everything. Everything.
I agree. About 2 years ago, I was on my way to work. I was waiting at a bus stop. A guy came up to me telling me he was looking for his girlfriend. He pulled out her picture and came close to me to show it. I took a step back and had my phone in my hand in case I needed it. I told my boyfriend (now ex) and he gave me a blade to carry around. I now don't go out the door without it.
You know it's interesting, because I'm 52, my sis is 48. She would have been nine years old when this aired. She now has worked in a charity that counsels kids in court cases where this kind of stuff - sexual abuse - is what they have to testify to in court. I wonder if she rememebers it...wouldn't surprise me.
Also think of the fact that Willis didn't think that Mr Horton was - you know - gay. So - he's still a pedophile, but gays still bad, and that's what Willis thought. Took a long time to erase this, for Gen Z watching.
You know the most dangerous place for any child is the family home. And the pervert will usually be known to the family
Had messaged well into my late work 20's 4 real
It's lovely if you didn't have parents that Gaslight you and encouraged, supported believed you and remained fully present while communicating with you. That is a rare family indeed.❤
All of these episodes brought back so many childhood memories
You briefly mentioned the one that got me the most, the Growing Pains when Matthew Perry's character died in the car wreck. It was just so unexpected because they made it seem like he was going to be okay, just a typical every problem solved in 30 minutes, and then at the very end, bam! When Mike tells the family the hospital called and said he died, and Carol denying it at first, that was a master class in acting by her. Then it ended so you were just left in disbelief, because unlike most of these "special episodes" this one didn't end with everything being okay. No outgoing jokes or anything, and you were just left there to work it out in your kid brain. That was a lesson I'll never forget.
I made a whole separate video about that episode!
Finding this video
That one still makes me cry, esp since he is no longer with us.
Yep, this is one of the few episodes of all the shows I watched back then that I still vividly remember. Tracy Gold was amazing in that episode!
Sandy!!! That was a sad one !!
Traumatized? Quite the opposite, these episodes taught us kids about matters that often went unsaid. They undoubtedly saved lives, protected us from self-harm, warned us against who could harm us, and showed us how to be compassionate towards those most in need. They were indeed "very special" episodes, they changed our lives for the better💞
100% correct
You are taking things too literally yes they did teach about horrible things that do happen in real life but at the same time they inevitably took an emotional toll which is what the video is about
@@RoyCyberPunk Family Ties writers handled these topics the best (I don't remember feeling cringed or lectured to when watching their episodes), but the others? Ugh! Different Stokes, Gimmie A Break, (remember Happy Days dealing with racism?) even Fresh Prince were sooo heavy handed I wanted to leave the room if I was watching with my parents! Ha ha!
yeah I am confused about how we are supposed to be "traumatised" by kids tv. tv wasn't real, my unstable life was tough, tv was just dots on a screen
@@creatrixZBDIf we watched these shows AS KIDS, they could be traumatizing.
I'm in my late 50's. T.V in thé 70's and 80's were made to teach us valuable lessons. As latch key kids, they had our full attention. ABC after school specials were deep. Thank you to all of those writers back in the day. We are better people because of all of those shows😊😊
Those after-schoola specials were super cheesy, but I was always glued to everyone like I was studying for a test!
Absolutely on point
I remember an afterschool special that had Jim Carrey playing a serious role as a homosexual youth.
I have a whole video on my channel about ABC Afterschool Specials 😊
@@mysocalledgenxlife I will have to check that out. Thank you.
Grateful for these life lessons in shows I watched religiously growing up. Proud to be GenX.
To this day when I see a refrigerator outside by the curb with the doors off I think of that episode of Punky Brewster ❤
Same. If I ever saw one with the doors off I’d probably would have called the police!!!
I remember being told as a kid to not play in refrigerators like that. These days, doors have a weak magnet that keeps them shut, but when I was a kid the doors locked shut and could only be opened from the outside.
Same
Luckily they made those locking style of refrigerators illegal in 1956, which yes was well before Punky Brewster, but what you were seeing was end of life (no pun) of them back then. Presumably nearly 70 years later they should all be gone... although I know there's still those who want their "vintage" look regardless of the laws, hopefully those type of people don't just throw away things like this.
True, however it did probably keep you from wanting to play inside one probably saving your life. Also I know both in middle school and high school learning CPR was a requirement for every student. I don't know if I saved the person's life, but I did help out with CPR once at a park after an older lady had a heart attack at a picnic. Did chest compressions and one of their relatives did the rescue breaths till Paramedics came and took over. She did live and was great full for everyone's help. My grandpa always used to tell me a Lesson learned is a life saved.
Michael J. Fox (Alex) told the therapist he loved money so much he knows the sound each coin makes. The therapist dropped random change on the table and Alex immediately said the total. You’re right, he gave a master class of acting.
I've remember most of these and they all came off cheezy, just like a sitcom would. but this one really stuck to me, and Michael J really pulled it off. I think i was about 10-12ish when i saw. Now I want to go view it again.
I tweeked and added that anecdote to my own
Saw these two episodes today. I haven't seen them in like 40 years. Michael's performance really holds up.
If that was his character at that age, the coke episode makes a lot of sense.
@@ct6852 hey there's a coke episode? My kingdom for the link!!
I will never forgive you for getting these damned theme songs stuck in my head again. I am angrily subscribing.
LMAO 😂
@@catrenatownes490 I know right
Yes 😂 I am right there with you.
I was amazed at how many I remembered word for word or every little note!
I hear those theme tunes and it turns into "cut onions time"! What a weenie I can be!
I'm 56 years old.
Remember the 80s.
This was a very good video.
Thanks.
The "To be continued" was the vessel for much pre-pubescent anxiety for me in the 80's
so true!!
I remember the Punky Brewster one we had seen it during reruns season. The whole week my youngest brother had nightmares about the little girl dying in the refrigerator.
20 years later, I had bought a new refrigerator and had to leave the other one outside for a buyback with the electric company. My brother was referring to the episode and duct tape the doors to the refrigerator and then put a chain padlock around it.
I usually didn't get to see the conclusion.
omg yaaaaaas
Truth!!!
The Different Strokes "Bicycle Man" is 100% burned into my memory. I remember it vividly.
💯
Yes. I was TERRIFIED 😂 ...that and "I KNOW MY FIRST NAME IS STEVEN" On lifetime! Creepy blue van Kenneth Parnell 😢.
I remember asking my mom questions about that episode and I was only 5. I didn’t really understand it but it always stayed in the back of my mind.
Dudley's dad was amazingly calm about it. I guess they didn't want to make kids afraid to tell their parents, but it was ridiculous.
Family guy is the only reason I knew about that ep.
RIP Alex Karras, Alan Thicke, Carroll O'Connor, Sherman Hemsley, John Amos, Nell Carter, Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman, Dana Plato, Charlotte Rae, Bob Saget, Christopher Hewitt, George Gaynes, Susie Garrett, Matthew Perry.
I STILL remember Mrs Garrett's line from "Breaking Point, "If you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot. And HANG ON."
@@theresas740 Yes. I'm a lot older than an 80s kid but that episode of that show is so vivid, still.
Andrew Koenig #AK47GoneNotForgotten
Yes…amen
You have too much time on your hands🤦♂️
As soon as I saw this post the first thing I thought was Different Strokes. And of course it opens up with that. So pivotal!
Even I knew the episode of Different Strokes that she was going to be talking about and it I wasn't even born when the episode first aired. I caught the episode in a marathon a quite a while back which is why I remember it so vividly.
I had just lost my dad to a car accident when that episode of family ties aired. THIS helped me with my grief immensely at 15.
🤍🙏🏽🤍
Condolences to your family for your loss.
@SupremeJ10 thankyou, 40 years ago..sometimes it feels like yesterday x
I love that we got these special episodes. These types of shows, combined with Seseame Street and Mr. Rogers helped us develop empathy and to know right from wrong. Yes, my parents also taught those things but these shows helped.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PBS STATION AND TELL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SUPPORT PUBLIC ARTS FUNDING!! Needs still exist!
Season street sure has changed…It’s no longer about the ABC’s it’s all about the gay bc’s. That would not have flown in the 80’s.
Missed that part about empathy, eh? @@JanetLeeTurner
Fun fact in the middle 80s someone stole Fred Rodgers car then immediately returned it because Mr Rodgers is such a great guy 👦
Omg have a word with yourself @@JanetLeeTurner
I had almost forgotten about these. We should be bringing these shows back around for today's children. Thank you so much for the reminder
they have attempted to reboot a lot of sitcoms from this era, and more often than not they just flop
They should bring these back. All the smut they show now, no wonder kids don't have boundaries
@@AngelaGary-lg3xqexactly...!!!!!!
I think these shows did more harm than good.
@@nomansland6376 I think with proper parental guidance, they could be a useful tool.
They would have to be revised, obviously. To suit the times.
What a trip down memory lane. Thanks for sharing. ❤
Survivor’s guilt is running strong right now for me. I got diagnosed with breast and lymphatic cancer at age 50. Stage four; I went through chemotherapy, complete mastectomy and radiation therapy. The last was done mid May. A week later my 48 year old sister fell down the stairs, which caused an aneurysm. Her boyfriend was working on an oil rig for 3 weeks. Tania called him and told him that she was ok. The next day she didn’t answer her phone. Concerned, he asked a friend to check on her; she was in a coma with no brain activity. She died a day later when the machines were turned off.
I feel like I should have died because I have cancer and I’m older. I’m having difficulty eating too because every time I do, I think that it’s something that she’ll never do again.
Thank you for listening (reading)
There are a lot of platitudes people will give at this sort of time. You'll have heard them, so I'll just say, I'm very sorry for your loss.
I lost my mum very unexpectedly 2 years ago on the 7th. She'd survived breast cancer and all of her tests came back negative. Then she had some mild, gall-bladder-like symptoms and it turned out she had undiagnosed bowel cancer that would have been found with a colonoscopy that she declined because it was "covid tymes" (the type not discovered with poop or blood testing). Today is the second anniversary of the day she had those grumblings and I suggested she get it checked out. Not a day goes by when I don't get so angry with her for declining the test that would have saved her life, 18 months before.
I imagine your sister was SO glad you were still alive. Survivor's guilt is awful. Please don't neglect yourself. xx
I'm so incredibly sorry. I'm an older sister too. Life can be horrible and completely random. You have nothing to feel guilty about. And you don't need guilt - you're dealing with enough already.
Your story touched me deeply. I am certain that your sister and the rest of your family were grateful for your survival and recovery. I am further certain that if your sister were here, she'd tell you that she wouldn't have it any other way. I don't know you or your family, but I wish you well. Take care.
Thank you all for reading and writing some affirmations for me to think about. My dad told me to look after myself, because he couldn’t stand the thought of losing both of us.
This brave man said this three days after he had to decide to unplug my sister and take care of all the things you do when someone passes on. I was in the middle of recovering from the radiation therapy, and I was too weak to attend anything. That may be part of my mental state…
@@redeastwood4850reading both of your stories touches me, breaks my heart and brings me to tears. I feel both of your pain. My best friend was homeless and when hurricane Sandy came in 2012 I begged her to let me come get her but she did not want to leave her stuff behind and that night a tree fell and crushed her body and she died. Because of the disaster of the hurricane and the fact that there was no gas I wasn’t able to find her body for five days. I eventually did but she was long gone. I miss her every day. I feel guilt for not driving there and forcing her to get in my car. I keep her ashes on me in a necklace. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. Survivors guilt is a very real thing, but the truth is that every single person that we lost would want nothing more than for us to go on and continue living our life and be successful without them. It doesn’t help much, but we need to find the strength to live the life they would’ve wanted for us. God bless you both. I wish the best for both of you. ❤
I'm a GenX grown-up, and this little video of yours gave me an overdose of nostalgia.
Gen-X here. I watched 21 Jump Street. Every episode was like a very special episode. But i learned a lot.
Good point, I never thought of Jumpstreet that way.
21 Jump Street is why I never bought drugs from my classmates at school. I would do it from strangers in the park.
Remember the episode where the gang leader holds the school hostage?
@daweller that show is when I became a Johnny depp fan
@dawngibbs691 Same here. I still watch it. Never saw the movies.
You're not kidding. One episode and six minutes in and I'm crying. But thank you. I don't know if these episodes really gave me hope or not. I think they must have. Because the story they were trying to tell, that bad things happen to kids and they shouldn't, I believe they helped me hang on for a better world. But when adults found out what was happening to me, nothing was ever done. Relations and the school officials all let it go on. The 80s in rural 'merica was still a world of hush-hush, don't air the dirty laundry, and if the purp was a scary enough man, everyone just backed off. Thank you for collecting these and sharing them.
Why am I crying watching this? Cherie in the fridge, the little boy with AIDS, and the Bicycle Man episode with Arnold and Dudley re-broke my heart. I could be perimenopausal and highly emotional or truly experiencing PTSD from watching these special episodes.
Oh, FFS. 🙄
I'm betting on perimenopause. The struggle is real!!
So sorry about yr menopause
Its Ok to Cry!! The Past Sometimes Makes Us Sad!! Hopefully afterwards you will Feel at Least a Little better! Happens to a lot of People! Take Care and be Well!! 😭😭🙏🤗🙋💜
You are crying because of a seratonin imbalance and a lack of emotional regulation.
Over quarantine, my mom and dad decided to show my brother and I Family Ties. We binged it, and it's been one of my favorite shows ever since. I stand by my opinion that the "My Name is Alex" saga is some of the best TV ever made
It may be cheesy now, but those episodes taught us a lot growing up. Wish kids today had something similar
Very Special TikToks?
Kids today don’t watch tv- they’re too busy playing video games and scrolling through social media…
Didn't teach me anything. Nobody in these shows acted like the parents or kids in reality. Life sucked way more than portrayed and none of the kids got beat when they got in trouble, but that was the reality then. 90% of the time, The parents, teachers, cops were always portrayed as good people too. Lies.
Parenting?
They just don't have the same kind of family shows anymore. Sure, there's still some sitcoms, but they just don't have the same feel. Like, how would a "very special episode" of The Office go over? That being said, the rise of streaming channels has allowed for shows that cover deep topics that didn't have to limit themselves to an occasional "serious" episode. Thirteen Reasons Why comes to mind, as an example (though it does have its own share of problems.)
As a Gen X kid I remember some of these episodes, honestly I’m glad these shows covered these topics. In general, I miss these shows. Thanks for covering these, you gained a sub.
I remember every one of these episodes. I watched them with my mom. I remember rolling my eyes when she would want to talk about them after. Now, I feel very fortunate and incredibly loved.
We'd watch Family Ties followed by Cosby Show (my mom and me, and my stepdad would be present but not necessarily watching, lol). I would do almost anything to have one more night of those two shows and my mom.
Same here. I thought my mom was being overprotective and jumping on whatever was happening in the news, not in our town.
At 57, I realize those conversations couldn't have been easy for her, but she made damn sure to have them with my brother and myself. We were fortunate and loved.
Fellow gen x here. Man I remember these episodes had me in almost tears from nostalgia. I remember as a kid watching these and the times then. I would give anything to go back there again. How much we took for granted. Thank you for these.
Could have written that myself. Mum making dinner, Dad in his chair, dog asleep on the couch, the sound of one of these shows starting... feel sick to my stomach with nostalgia.
@foamyone101 we are all one walking into the darkness together fren. Chin up! We still gave memories and shows to take us back.
@@foamyone101❤
Great video. Born in 73 so i remember almost all of them. Michael J Fox was an amazing actor at such a young age.
Out of all of these he was the one who actually won emmys for his performances. Three in a row if I remember correctly.
That I still remember most of his movies is pretty good in my book. A great many actors are one hit wonders but man did MJF take a tv show gig into a movie career. To top that off, he is helping lead the fight against Parkinson's.
@DonLoco3 Agreed. He was a huge part of my childhood. He was dealt a tough hand and he's absolutely made the most of a difficult situation. There aren't a lot of role models in Hollywood, but Fox really elevates everything he touches.
Always loved Fox, and it's good to see him and Tracy are still together. And I still remember that episode with him and Tracy's character at that dance.
@@JimmyMon666My fave episode!
The Punky Brewster episode where Allan gets kidnapped is also one that I have never forgotten. Messed me up.
One that really affected me was an episode of ALF. It's a Christmas episode where ALF ends up in hospital with a bunch of toys for sick children. As he tries to make his escape, he's mistaken for Santa by a little girl we later find out has cancer. It was such a tonal shift and played so well and so emotionally dignified, it still gives me goosebumps thinking about it today.
Best episode of Alf was the cockroach one, imho.
And he talks the crooked Santa who took advantage of the children out of jumping off the bridge into the river.
I remember this episode! The little girl was named Tiffany and I named the teddy bear that my mom gave me at Christmas, Tiffany, in honour of her.
@davej.meister5421 He wasn't crooked. Memory does play tricks! He was an incredibly kind and dignified man who always played Santa at the children's hospital. His wife had died that year, and he had lent Alf's family their vacation cabin for Christmas. He was suicidal after the loss of his wife. Alf talked him down It's a Wonderful Life style, in the most funny-yet-touching homage to that movie I've ever seen. And yes... that episode made me love the name "Tiffany."
Growing up and viewing these shows I didnt feel traumatised at all. This is actually where I learnt a lot of the basic lessons in life. Neither of my parents were approachable (not that they didnt love me, but that was their style of parenting) and when I was caught innocently in some of these types of scenarios it was because of these shows that I learnt to reach out to others and ask for help. I am so thankful these types of programs were aired. Tx for sharing, as I never realised how much Im greatful for 80s TV
Totally agree!
I remember that Punky Bruster episode like it was yesterday. Absolutely traumatized me. Very important lesson to learn that I wouldn't have had it not been for that show. Great episode.
I’m an ‘80s-born Millennial and while I didn’t see many of these, I remember the Full House and Punk Brewster episodes well, along with the Saved By The Bell episode where Jessie takes the caffeine pills.
Yes the Punky Brewster episode is a life lesson I will never ever forget!
@@joeyotten2091Same, I’ve never forgotten it.
The Punky Brewster episode traumatized me. I think it was made worse that they just LEFT Cherie in the fridge for a week in between episodes. Then the CPR thing was scary because I knew you did that if someone was dead…and I was too young to know they wouldn’t kill off a child character on a show like that… I remember being really afraid that they were going to kill her character off during the CPR scene! 😢
@@TheGreatLarryPotter Yep. It's actually kinda weird that I used to watch the show a lot when I was a kid, but this is the only episode I actually remember.
It's crazy how, after so many years, this segment of Punky Brewster still makes me hold my breath and tears come to my eyes. That was hard and kinda traumatic.. actually, all their 'very special episode' makes me nervous. Thank you for this video!
I remember seeing teaser commercials for it and making sure to watch when it aired. I still think about it!
That bit with the milk carton is *surprisingly* accurate. Like, really super accurate, that the father takes the girl on the run again. There is only one known case of a missing child actually being found and returned home as a result of a milk carton. Literally. Of the thousands of children whose pictures were on milk cartons, many returned home - but only on one occasion was it actually as a result of being on a milk carton.
So it's stunningly accurate that this girl wasn't returned home either. Also that they showed the girl was missing not because of being kidnapped by a stranger (and "stranger danger" was a big thing in the 1980s) but because of being taken away by her father - very accurate for the 80s.
Great video, by the way.
Still incredibly accurate. Most Amber Alerts these days are of parental abductions.
To this day, that performance by Michael J Fox as possibly one of the greatest ever put to screen
He's always been such a great actor. It's a real shame Parkinson's held him back to some extent, although impressive he still tries to get around here and there.
His guest spot on Night Court was equally moving. ❤
@audiegrider155 yes I loved that episode..it made me cry...great actor
@@CaptainSouthbird I also give him credit for not being afraid to poke harmless fun at his condition (without being insensitive) in that ep. of Curb Your Enthusiasm!
Truth!! Fantastic!
the Michael J Fox episode tear me up then and it stirred those emotions again now. His acting in that episode should have been award winning
It was award winning & very well deserved. He won his second Emmy Award for , “A,My name is Alex.”
I thought he won an Emmy for it, whatever that's worth. Either way, Fox nailed every poignant note in that episode, which managed to be as funny as it was touching and insightful.
I have such a soft spot for 1980s-era Michael J. Fox 🥰
@StefferKatz I recently picked up the complete series of Family Ties. Great show.
A lot of bonus features/extras. Very cool.
I could have sworn that originally the segment was broadcast live and not just commercial-free.
I still remember the Punky Brewster episode to this day. Like on a regular basis. Not every time I open the fridge, but almost every time. It had that much of an impact on me. I was so scared of ppl getting in fridges, I would tell everyone never to play in a fridge after I saw that. The 80s shows may be a little cheesy (now as we look back), but us gen Xers really did learn a lot of “big” issues that way and in a way that kids could understand. Love me some 80s!! Thanks for the great video and the trip down Memory Lane!
We need shows like this again! They were traumatizing but they informed us about morals
I will not disagree with that but when discussing any subject matter that falls in this area nowadays you ALWAYS give a warning about said subject matter and about how much you know about it and don't know about it. E.G. The B&W Popeye cartoons from the Fliester(Mispelled) Studios.
don't worry, we have the Kardashians and hiphop to install values in the youth
Well I would argue it would be better if parents would do this. But since there is not a lot of good parents these days, maybe you're right.
@@bryanx0317 I wouldn't argue against that at all LOL I think parents should. But children do not always receive instruction from their parents. Especially after a certain age but if they are a fan of a celebrity then they're more likely to respect that. It's just a sad Truth for many
@@nickdebenedetto2267 😄 oh my GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was only 8 years old and addicted to the show Family Ties. Michael J. Fox is still one of my favorites. Bless him.
Your username tells me you are a complete scumbag. How dare you pretend to sit here and have morals with a username that literally MOCKS the concept of good mortality and ethics.
Omg, this hits me in the feels. The survivors guilt one gets me. And the fridge one, I remember reading that a child saved someone after learning cpr from that episode.
OMG I had forgotten about so many of these!!! Watching this, I absolutely recall most of them, these were some of my favourite shows!!!
I’m 54, and I still think about the two-parter of Family Ties the most. Back in 2014; coming off of divorce and taking online college courses to obtain my degree, I had a friendship with someone whom I liked, maybe could’ve loved. Wanted the chance to tell her this; but tragically she was killed by a drunk driver in 2015. I remember from the episode how Alex said the best way to Keep his friend’s memory alive was being more like him. For me, it was not being afraid to tell someone how you feel about them.
And then the friend was never mentioned again
Degrassi had so many good life lessons in their episodes as well. Loved that show!!
I loved that show. And while watching it from FL, I could not figure out why they pronounced "SORE-EY" like that. LOL. Had to grow up to understand what a Canadian accent is.
I loved when Ashley took ecstasy at her end of the year slumber party and it ruined her life and turned her into the goth girl
I watched Degrassi when it was on PBS and Joey and Caitlyn were in high school
Yep. It was so good back then. They also have a series when they are in junior high. @magayakimade
@@bellapayne I thought that was a California surfer accent
The Little House on the Prairie episode “ Sylvia” was one that traumatized me. That mask the predator wire freaked me out and the brutality of what happened along with the cruelty of her own father, was just awful. It still makes me cry. The ending was so tragic and unfair, as life can be.
Yes, this episode definitely stands out. Thank you.
@@rhon715 that was a heartbreaking episode for sure!
I didn't understand what had actually happened at the time, and it scared the crap out of me.
I remember this one. It was too,sad.
I remember that episode the masked predator really scared me, but the episode was very well done, the girl who played sylvia was the the same girl who played Inez dumaine in child of glass.
The Family Ties episode was the most heartbreaking emotional television program I've ever seen. As a child, I couldn't get through it without crying. Seeing this clip immediately took me right back to that time and the tears immediately started streaming down my face. I ended up losing my best friend in a car accident when I was 23 and I did not take it well so I can now relate so much to almost everything Alex was going through.
My fellow Gen X'er. This is a great video!! We grew up in the a great era. Glad this was recommended to me
Idk if this video covers it, I'm pretty sure that it does not but i wonder how many people remember the Cosby show episode where Bill drugs everyone at the party by putting drugs in the BBQ sauce! At one point a child is about to have a taste and Cosby freaked out and pulled him away from it. After indulging in his magical BBQ sauce all the females on the show start getting freaky and Cosby says "that's the great thing about my BBQ sauce. Everyone starts feeling lovey dovey" In hindsight this movie makes it extremely crystal clear that Cosby liked drugging women so much that he even tried to normalize it
This is great! I’m 49 so this is a great walk to the happy past. Thank you for this 😊
Reagan was a great era? Wow.
@bigsistahtips better than it is today when talking about movies TV etc. I'd say better because we had fun and survived without social media and the internet. The 90's and 00's were great too. I'm glad i grew up then and not in the 2020's
The biggest stock market crash in history took place in 1987. Oh yeah. Good times
Nothing will ever replace that crisp, harsh look of videotaped sitcoms. I think that's why they hit so hard; they looked real.
That’s very true.
The Office, Modern Family, Parks and Rec, I like them, but the "mockumentary" reminds me too much of The Real World or Survivor.
@@NJGuy1973 For the longest time, I just assumed the cameramen on those shows were having seizures. 🤣
@@MICHAEL-vy3ch I had a theory on "The Office" that the workers were going insane from their boring jobs and they hallucinated that they were on a reality show.
Don’t forget about the other Different Strokes episode where Kimberly and Arnold get a ride from the stranger and end up getting tied up and gagged, and Arnold gets free, runs off, and gets confused which way back to Kimberly. That was one of the most memorable episodes I can remember.
They stole that plot from "I Love Lucy."
Oh yeah! I remember that one too!
Unlike the I love lucy show - I was young enough to relate to the young characters and that episode stuck with me.
That one scared the crap out of me when I was young.
The hitchhiking episode and the epilepsy episode are ones I vividly remember watching as a child. I think the latter scared me more; seeing Arnold and Sam's street performer friend fall to the ground and start convulsing was a bit unsettling.
1977 Gen X here!! I remember all of these Special Episodes. They don't make TV Shows the way they used to. You just got yourself a New Subscriber❤🎉
I'm 55 and I remember everyone of these episodes when they first aired and it was a life lesson.
Same age. I didn't care for Punky Brewster or Mr Belvedere. The rest were decent.
52 year old Gen Xer here. I remember all those episodes and how much of an impact they had on me. Some of those subjects were personal to me due to things happening to me or a friend. This video hits hard. It was a nostalgic ride; a scary one, but nostalgic nonetheless. 👍🏻😎
I remember all of hem. And when I saw the first still from the video, It just came back. Thank you.
Gosh. 80s TV was just the best! I miss it!
I'm 54 and totally remember pretty much all of these episodes. But the Different Strokes I seriously remember. I was about 13 and had no clue there were monsters like that out in the world. And I grew up in the same city as Ted Bundy. He was on the 5:00 news every night in the late 70's. Great video.
I moved to Seattle when I was 23 (1988). I'd read Ann Rule's book about Bundy, and at every TB landmark I tensed up and looked over my shoulder.
I'd never thought about SKs before (I came from a tiny desert town with very little crime), but man, my antennae *shot* the *hell* straight up!
I remember the Different Strokes episode.😣
Ya and I remember the challenger episode more than the fridge one.
You didn't know Reagan existed😂 Monsters were running the country.
@@henrywallacesghost5883 Yeah we knew he was a puke. Most parents bought his bullshit but as a teen, why worry about a smack ass political puke when someone you thought you knew might either kill you or molest you? It wasn't until our 20 many of us started to worry about things other than self preservation. Some just didn't have the luxury.
We learned a lot from these shows and they have their place in our societal history. Thanks for making this compilation.
"A, My Name is Alex" is my favorite episode of all time. Thank you for including it!
You probably need to a second part for this one. Because those special episodes were something else.
I agree wholeheartedly. Hope you can post a part 2.
I agree wholeheartedly. Hope you can post a part 2.
I agree, I would love to see a 2nd part, an episode that I would love to see covered is with Diff'rent Strokes when Arnold and Kimberly were kidnapped after hitchhiking for a ride. Another one was on Family Ties in one of the first few episodes of the series when Mallory's uncle tried to make sexual advances towards her. On The Facts of Life when Natalie almost got kidnapped and graped.
Although it wasn’t a PSA episode, that three Parter with the Brady Bunch and that tiki statue, definitely kind of traumatized me
For me it was Penny (Janet Jackson) on Good Times when her mom is walking towards her with a hot iron and Penny keeps saying “no mommy no.”
WOW!!! Gen X here, born in 73, and you just activated so many memories. Great video, and now I need to find a source for all the Gen X sitcoms theam songs!
Check out my two videos “you don’t know these shows unless you’re Gen x” there’s a lot there! And I will have a best theme songs tier list video soon. 😊
@@mysocalledgenxlife Radical
@@mysocalledgenxlife I was thinking how about those rare 2 hour episodes of tv shows. You know like Family Ties Vacation, Facts Of Life: Downunder? These tv movies would be broken up into 4 parts for syndication. No other channel has done videos about this? Sadly it's not something we'll ever see done these days!🎥📺📼🤗
Omg, hearing these theme songs again took me *BACK...!* 🥹
Ugh, damn... I am so old now lol 😭
Anyways... really great video, my friend! These kinds of episodes (+ reading the book "Flowers in the Attic" ...omg, I can't with that right now lol) always intrigued and upset me as a kid; especially the ones regarding drug use and death (growing up in a house, and in a family, full of rampant drug abuse... it just really fucked me up). But, I *always* learned a lot from them, especially since my parents weren't really around too much, and they ended up being some of my very favorite episodes from these shows. Definitely, definitely.
Thank you for making this!
Thank you for this. What traumatizes me to this day is how hard we worked to learn to embrace our differences and get rid of judging each other on race vs. how broken the narrative seems to be now.
There aren't any votes to be influenced if everyone is getting along
This bugs me all the time… It eats at me! 😢
I don't know where you grew up in the 80's but I never experienced this attempt at racial harmony you speak of.
@@amybaker3551 that's so sad!
You are correct we were brainwashed to not see skin color, then in the last 10 years that has gone out the window, now somehow white people are villains. Fortunately we also have had 2020 and i have learned not to believe anything the governments says and that the government is the enemy and not to trust any naratives regardless of the medium they come at me from.
These episodes were important information all children need to learn about. The networks need to do this every generation.
That would require today's networks to hire competent writers, instead of untalented, woke crap. Also, these days you can't write serious episodes that threaten the pedos, because they're signing your checks. Welcome to Hollywood.
truer words have never been spoken. @@Dosbomber
I was wondering if the Small Wonder milk carton episode would make this list. Nice. Just the fact that such a show existed is a testament to how the '80s were.
This was awesome. Thank you for walking me back down this memory lane you did an EXCELLENT job with this video!
Used to watch these later in life because of my dad not wanting me to get ideas about reporting his physical abuse. The problem was, everyone in town knew it but didn’t do anything. It is great to give kids the understanding of what isn’t right, but it takes a community to admit they need to intervene and help, especially when kids are visually hurt.
Nowadays parents are castrating their kids and getting rewarded with national tv shows
I’m really sorry that happened to you and I hope that you were able to heal and do better for your children and we heal yourself by parenting them. You should have been parented.❤ if you didn’t have kids then I hope you’re also better❤
@@erinmalone2669 never have had kids, spent too much time looking for someone that I could have a balanced relationship with that wasn’t either 1) wanting to be their (child’s) best friend and favorite or, 2) helicopter parent personality. Everyday is a new day to learn and love myself, try to establish more depth to everything I do. It’s lonely but it ends the generational toxicity. Thank you.
So sorry you suffered from abuse! I hope you are doing well now😊
I’m so sorry you went through this and that you lived in a community of cowardice and ignorance
The Mr Belvedere episode about the friend having AIDS did answer questions I did have as a teen (not in the relationship kind of way but how is was passed along) if you ever saw someone bleeding, if you were to shake hands, etc. I also think it helped with having the late Princess Diana, whose list of organizations was long of people she went to visit including people with the disease. Even being an American it was something to see when you would watch the news and see, as they called her in the UK "The People's Princess" hugging a man with the disease and sent the message that it's ok to hug someone or touch someone with the disease.
Three shows covered someone living with the disease and broke it down pretty well. Besides Mr. Belvedere, there was the episode on a different world and the episode on girlfriends.
And that’s why there was a big spread of the disease And the reason Hollywood showed it cause most of everyone in Hollywood has that disease or not seeing most of the actors brought the producers and bigwigs in the studio Executives got it
@@mgtowpropertiesnot true. There were a lot of lies and misinformation, along with inaction from the government. You might not have been alive during that time.
Thank you for this video. I remember all of them. These episodes saved many kid’s lives. Parents back then just didn’t know how to talk about these issues. My parents couldn’t. So I know many couldn’t. You are correct, Different Strokes was the G.O.A.T. Of very special episodes. They saved lives. The 80’s seem like the 50’s compared to today. We lived through stranger danger, milk cartons, and scared straight. TV was our medium for serious issues.
I’m a 90s kid so I never even knew Webster was a show. But it wasn’t cheesy to me with these clips and your explanation. I think they did an amazing job with it.
Lord this brings back memories. I'm in tears. Man, they need to bring these back. These kinds of episodes along with after school specials taught us a lot
These days the kids will learn all about the multitude of genders, how men can get pregnant, and the evils of straight white men.
I have a channel on my Samsung tv that plays all 80s music videos 24-7 and also a channel that plays who’s the boss 24-7 and saved by the bell 24-7. And family ties ,Not sure if it’s an app we on or if it’s my xfinity cable providing these channels . Either way it seems someone’s on the case . I remember nic at night playing all the 50s and 60s television shows when I was a boy, I’m amazed no one is playing all these 80s shows …maybe the people in control don’t want to show them to today’s generation? Might clean up society somehow and they don’t seem to want that. Might also have this generation asking a lot of questions about the way they behave today
They did. As I stated before, though, I think part of the reason they went away had to do with "Blossom" over-doing them (it seemed like just about every episode of "Blossom" was a Very Special Episode). When done too much, they lost their punch. Also, the Very Special Episodes of the '90s were nowhere near as good as the ones from the '80s, becoming a bit too preachy.
The Very Special Episodes from the 80s worked by telling a good story about real problems without being preachy. Unfortunately, in today's environment, there's no way the Very Special Episodes would work well because the writers would use them to push worldviews (instead of tackling serious everyday issues), and tick off half their viewership regardless of what they presented.
That would never happen in a million years .... There would be protests, people would be losing their minds on Facebook, X formally Twitter, tic tok , and every social media known to man kind
Man, I used to watch all of these. I know they were cheesy by today's standards but they had good messages and were really wholesome.
I am in your era , please everything is considered cheesy by kids standards today 🙄 I can tell you this , I have no doubt if these were shown today people would be losing their minds , because we should all live in the land of butterflies and unicorns...
74 Gen x'er here. Love you channel and all the memories! I sure miss those times.
Your channel is amazing. Thank you for bringing back reminders of the best times of my life. ❤
Family Ties also had a creepy one where a friend of the family made unwanted advances toward Mallory.
Also Tom Hanks as the alcoholic uncle
Yes the name of that episode is called give your Uncle Arthur a kiss
@@mikeymartin80Yes, I remember thinking as a kid, why would that girl let a old man kiss her. Not realizing, he was forcing himself on Mallory.
@MarvinMonroe Tom Hanks got a raw deal. First he fights Fonzie and then Alex Keaton. I wished that he won both tines
I liked it when Alex was using speed to get better grades :)
You resurrected so many memories, so many significant life lessons, through this compilation. I wept as I watched.
I have been a high school teacher since 2001. You and I are about the same age, as I was born in June 1976.
Not a day passes when I don't think about the awareness, the vigilance, the heightened sensitivity these episodes provoked.
I conduct my life as a teacher with these lessons and this vigilance in mind.
Thank you.
I grew up on all these shows and remember every one of these episodes. Thanks for this compilation!
Excellent commentary maam, Alex on speed, Cherie being trapped in the refrigerator, and the episode with arnold and dudley definitely had me shook as a kid. GREAT VIDEO, AND EXCELLENT MESSAGES THAT ARE STILL RELEVANT TODAY.
This video reminds us not only that the special episodes were fantastic,but also that the theme songs SLAPPED. Family Ties, Growing Pains, Punky Brewster...all so good.
LOL, and Alan Thicke from Growing Pains probably wrote 'em!
@@mantislake4141He did write the Diff'rent Strokes theme. It almost sounds like him as one of the singers as well.
Aaaaaamen! Which was also a TV show called. Amen and had a really good theme song. If you remember it, you remember it and you’re welcome. It’s stuck in your head. RIP Sherman Helmsley.
@@redfalcon9 it was Alan Thicke on the vocals of the "Diff'rent Strokes" theme song.
They ‘slapped’? Gtfo Gen Z!
Since most of GenX were latchkey kids, these tv shows, along with PBS shows, taught us things we would likely have never learned.
I learned critical thinking from The Bloodhound Gang!
Exactly! I learned more life lessons from these shows than I did from my parents. I'm so glad we had them while growing up.
This is most likely why the producers put out these special shows, because they knew us Gen Xers mostly didn’t have the parents home at the time to guide us through situations like this, kudos to the producers of the 1980’s
Thanks for this. I remember weeping uncontrollably after the Punky Brewster episode. My mom (single parent), always warned me to not play in our old fridge. It was an old one from the 40s (GE) and you couldn't open it from the inside. I almost got trapped in it several times and used to laugh and say it was no big deal. Lesson learned.
This was a great video. Great job girl!!!!
You hit the nail on the head with "The bicycle Man" episode. I was in 4th grade and still remember that episode. But it did make my parents address the issue....and that was whole point.
That Punky Brewster episode with the refrigerator has been on my mind for decades!
Same! It had stuck with me ever since I watched it.
The Full House episode that hit me was the one when Stephanie finds out that her friend was abused by his father. Jesse called the authorities. Jesse is told her what can happen to her friend if they didn't call them. The friend is taken from his home while his father goes to get help
I remember alot of the shows and messages they talked about. My favorite will always be Mr Rogers when he talked about all kinds of issues at a young child's level. From a dead fish to assassination, from things like being different like being handycap to skin color. I was born in 1973. Back then people didn't talk about that stuff to children.