Tonight, On A Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious Volume 1: 1957-1985

Remember when Edith Bunker was sexually assaulted on All in the Family? Or when abortion was the hot topic on Maude? Did you know that Leave it to Beaver dealt with alcoholism and that “The Bicycle Man” double episode from Diff’rent Strokes is one of the most remembered sitcom entries in the annals of American television history? The role of the Very Special Episode was to take a departure from the regular comic stylings of the American TV sitcom and offer a standalone “serious in nature” gesture in addressing subject matter not normally found in such a medium. From racial equality on Bewitched and Happy Days to suicide on One Day At A Time and The Facts of Life and beyond, take an in depth look at a number of Very Special Episodes - from early examples to the heyday of the phenomena come the 70s and 80s, with insight from varied historians, critics and individuals who worked on some of the shows. Read more