Nothing gets the tears flowing faster than a child who doesn't understand faced with the death of a loved one. Lion King, Bridge to Terabithia, My Girl, Land Before Time.
The exchange that get me is this- "Give me one good reason why it has to be this way." "Big Bird, it has to be this way... because." "Just because?" "Yes."
As a Gen Xer many of us never got the talking to about the birds and the bees. And what boys can do. It was the Facts of Life that first alerted me to 'grape'. And when Jo went out on a date with the rich boy and he pushed her down trying to force himself on her. A lot of our parenting was due to these 'very special episodes'.
You should see if you can rewatch the episode. Most of what you describe was off screen. Jo left with the boy and came home with only one shoe. She revealed she didn't make it to the dance but had stopped at thew golf course where he attacked Jo in a sand bunker. The guy shows up later bringing back the other shoe and tries to explain how what he did wasn't SA. Even Blair didn't buy his explanation or attitude.
@@drmayeda1930 I know, the episode is designed for you to read between the lines. It was the 80’s they could only go so far with sensitive content back then. It was more of an eye opening episode. That boys who pay attention to you and are charming. Can do bad things too.
Just the image of Big Bird looking at the drawing of Mr. Hooper is enough to being me to tears. This was my introduction to death as a child, looking back it is so well done.
Oh me too.. its always a "too sick to go to school,, headache too.. mr Hooper episode aired 9am & 2^pm, so some schools had a special class after we saw it ,, but i still get a fever feeling that causes me to cry all week.. still to thsc day..
She was great in that scene. But it was even sadder to think she was so good because she lived in an abusive home. Her brothers were being physically, emotionally, financially and mentally abused by their father Joe Jackson. It is amazing to me that so much talent came from such a horrible environment.
The Little House on the Prairie episode traumatized me as a little girl, thank goodness my mom was there to help me through those feelings I had after we watched the episode. I’m glad I had my mom close, she turned this episode into a teachable moment, thank you mom.
Sometimes I think I died a long time ago, and memories of that time when people would gather around televisions to watch these shows in prime time was just part of some past life I remember. These shows are so surreal to watch today.
@@M_SCWTAF? I’m from this time and I completely agree with him. Look around you. Things have accelerated. In 1950 tv was black and white tubed and used rabbit ears. Fast forward 74 years and we carry are tvs around with us in our pocket and it’s also a phone and web searcher. It IS surreal to live 8n this day and age having touched the past only dreaming of what we hav3 today. Nothing disassociate about it. It’s reality.
It’s funny that we see it as “gathering around the tv together” when at the time it was the boob-tube it was hypnotizing people it was the people on the walls in Fahrenheit 451 that was the enemy of books. But sitting around with your family kids on the carpet, parents on the couch, all laughing together feels way more social now.
I think the live audiences applauded Edith’s terrified reaction to her attacker’s clothes not just out of confusion, but due to how good her acting was. That is not an easy scene to get right, without it looking fake or maudlin…and I would applaud that acting.
Probably not. When we used to go to live studio audience taping, we , the audience, are prompted to react. Applause, cheer etc.. There actually a person whose job it is to coach the audience on how and when to respond to certain scenes.
I was so mad they killed off Sylvia. The actress's chemistry with Albert's character was unmatched. So genuine, innocent, and raw at the same time. I was rooting for them. 😢❤
@Vanipollonia1 sadly, it's only been the past 20 years or so that women and girls weren't blamed for being the victim of SA. Court, if the case made it that far, was often a nightmare of her having to defend herself , her clothes, her activities. Anything to make her seem slutty and , therefore, an evil temptress who lead the poor monster who attacked her down the garden path. It finally started to change when courts and police woke up and realized they were trying to criminalize little tiny girls and elderly women.
@@StefferKatz But back in those days it was not that abnormal. Even Charles and Caroline expressed concern but gave Albert their blessing and willingness to help out.
@StefferKatz the show depicted life in the 1880s. People in small farming villages married as young as 13 back then and by the time a girl hit 20, she would have had 5 kids. In fact, in most rural areas, a girl was called an old maid if she didn't marry before she was 18!
I hated Sesame Street when I was little. Apparently Big Bird freaked me out big time. I don't remember this but apparently it was hilarious for my parents to torture me with it. 🤷
I remember watching the Roseanne episode with Jackie where she was abused. It was kind of crucial, because Jackie was "tough", she'd been a cop, like you know, the "type of woman that doesn't 'let' abuse happen". As a kid it was an important lesson that abuse can happen to you no matter who you are or what position you are in. That abuse isn't about you, it's about the abuser, and only the abuser.
That episode struck a chord more than most "specials" that sitcoms. Maybe it was my age when I saw it and others and not the show itself. Dan just grabs his keys and goes to take care of it his way, consequences be damned
The Punky Brewster episode really hit home for me. My grandmother on my dad’s side worked for Rockwell building the space shuttles. Grammy told us that they noticed ice on the shuttle before the launch on January 28th. They tried to contact Mission Control but were ignored because they didn’t want to scrub an expensive launch.
Yes my husband's professor at college, knew Robert Bollsjozzy(not sure if spelling) who got locked into a janitor closet during the launch bc he threatened to go live and tell about the o rings.
I wasn't aware of this episode since I didn't watch the show. A very nice way to deal with the tragedy. Like any morning, watched Good Morning America and then went to high school. Some students who had a longer commute weren't aware of what happened until the teacher explained what had happened. I finally got a lot of closure when I picked up a book by Richard Feynman and read his findings that were written in such a way that a non-science person could understand.
My problem with very special episodes was a character would go through something incredibly traumatic but next episode they would be fine and funny again with no residual issues.
That’s what bothered me the most for some of the darker ones. By the next episode, I hadn’t finished processing the episode.and in the show, it’s as if it never happened.
My problem is that so many of them soft-ball the issue, and bend the issue around network censorship restrictions, or just aren't prepared to put the serious dramatic weight necessary into it. Like the supposed camp counselor rubbing the kids shoulder was incredibly bad. Who thought that would work? There are so many problems with it. The actors are awkward and even the counselor's actor clearly doesn't want to do the scene, and a shoulder rub is so sanitized and pathetic that it just comes off as goofy and weird. Not weird in the way that was intended, just weird in that it was so badly acted, unrealistic, and not effective at all. What was anyone even supposed to get from that? It felt less like a "very special episode" and more like a weird actual fetish that a director was trying to get unwilling actors to do for 5 seconds.
@@the-NightStaras a genX kid who watched them when they were televised, they were not uncomfortable or dorky at the time. We were deeply moved by these episodes, and maybe as teenagers, we tried to look at things with a sarcastic tilt, to protect our own vulnerability, but as an adult, looking back on these, I never forget these episodes. They stay stuck in your mind because they were so traumatic to watch our favorite characters go through these things and We did not want them to have lasting injury or drama drama. On the show, we wanted them to heal and to move on as people must do to be happy. We do not want to get stuck in the drama, trauma, soap opera type kid shows that we have today where everybody's involved in inappropriate activities, and there's no help for anybody. Life is just horrible for everybody. As genex kids We made sure as adults that the stuff that we suffered, We try to stop it for others as adults. We don't just let it continue. There must be a happy ending where we are concerned. We will make sure of it in our lives for our families. We don't sit back and dwell on what happened to us. We process it, pray about it, give it to God, control our emotional damage and move on. We make our life productive and joyful and a blessing to others.
A Facts of Life episode that stuck out for me was when Natalie was almost SAed on her way home from a costume/Halloween party (she lucked out because a couple of folks happened upon the attempt, scaring the attacker away and saving Natalie from the assault). I really liked this one, as the episode ends with a self defense instructor coming to the school to teach the girls some lessons in self defense - but he doesn't sugar coat things. He shows them how easy it is for someone to overpower them if they let their guards down, shows them how every day items they carry in their purses/bags can double as weapons in a pinch but - most importantly - he gives them some basic advice on how not to make themselves victims in the first place (like avoiding dark areas or not traveling alone, especially at night, etc).
@madamefluffy4788 Yes this episode was originally written for Blair aka Lisa Whelchel's character and I think also the episode were Natalie loses her virginity but due to Lisa's christian faith didn't want to be in that episode! 🤔🙄🧐🙆
@@SuperMarioBrosIII You're thinking of an episode where the girls are much older (Blaire and Jo are in college by that point). And in that particular episode, it was with Natalie and her steady boyfriend, Snake - 100% consensual. Blaire's actress got so much unnecessary/unwarranted grief for not wanting to have her character in such a situation. Not everyone agrees with pre-marital sex and if the actress was uncomfortable seeing her character (one she had played for years at that point, so was very much part of her) making such a decision, how would it have looked if she was forced into performing it? I'm glad she stood her ground; and really, the whole thing worked much better with Natalie, anyway (her exchange with Tootie after she got home and confided in her felt very real. I don't think it would have worked as well with Jo and Blaire).
@@SuperMarioBrosIIIthere was an episode in the first season where Blair was SA’d and it was glossed over 70s style in a way that makes me feel nauseated and outraged. The 80s had progressed a lot by the time the Natalie episode happened
I was holding strong as I watched the beginning of your compilation; but when you got to Mr. Hooper, I broke down in tears. I was 10 when that happened, the same year that my Grandfather died of cancer, and it has been embedded into my soul. Deep Memories. Thank you?
I am a 49 yr old man who has watched every single episode on this list. I almost didn't click on this video. I get a lot of recs that seem to be what I want only to be disappointed watching as the creator either spends the whole time describing the situation and never shows it, or rushes thru with no context. I was thrilled to see how you actually gave a brief, concise set-up for each video, actually played the clips relevant to the topics, summed up the topic and moved on! Great video and I will certainly be checking out your channel for more content!
@@cmaden78 Yes, the release of Space Camp was delayed. Space Camp did not really get noticed until going to cable a good year or so after the Challenger explosion.
74 baby here, same. What a blast to the past! I remember a LOT of these.. And I always looked forward to those rare "after school specials" that my parents always made sure my sister and I knew about, so we could watch them. The 80s.. the best time in the history of the world, to have been alive! ❤
People give the IT mini-series for making clowns scary to a generation. But they don’t give Little House on the Prairie credit for making clowns scary in the episode Sylvia.
I wasn't aware the IT miniseries was ever scary. It was goofy, over the top, and had Tim Curry goofing around as a very silly pennywise, hilarious attempts to make balloons scary and sanitizing the original novels down to the point of being low-budget comedy shlock.
@mezzb seriously?!! 😂😂 yea, we had freedoms that kids these days didn't have, but if you were getting hit by cars, cut up by glass and getting beat up with bats then wtf?! That's the neighborhood you grew up in. My friends and I had the freedom to play outside all day but we were smart and didn't run into traffic ... we knew when the streetlights came on, it was time to get home for dinner. 😂😂😂you made me laugh 👍thank you
I can't tell you how much it annoys me that we can't speak correctly and like adults instead have to use other words to avoid being censored on this platform.
If you understand the reason for this is because many predators use specific phrases in their searches. We could be discussing child abuse while predators actually search this term for their perverted enjoyment. The algorithm only searches for specific words, without knowing the context or content. So those who are only sharing thoughts will also get banned. So although it sounds childish, it is done to protect children and ensure those monsters who are uploading graphic pictures and posts of abuse will be banned.
@@mysocalledgenxlife Sams Missing was a 2 part episode and the first for season 8 and the first to air on ABC📺after NBC🦚dropped the show the season before! Plus an updated version of the shows theme song which was sung by Alan Thicke who co-wrote the theme with exwife Gloria Loring who sang the Facts Of Life theme also co written by Thicke. 📼👦🙏👍
I'm an OG Sesame Street kid. Even though I was too old for Sesame Street when Mr. Hooper died, I was still devastated. It was like losing a family member.
@@nw1750 Same, I had siblings 10 years younger than me so I was older too, but I missed Mr. Hooper so much. It really sank in and hit home when Bob took over Hooper's store a couple weeks later and Big Bird asked him to make him a birdseed milkshake just like Mr. Hooper used to make. And throughout the episode, Bob would try and fail with each attempt, with Big Bird saying, "No, it's just not the same as Mr. Hooper used to make it." Bob tried like three times, and finally Big Bird said, "You know what, it's not the same like Mr. Hooper used to make, but it's still pretty good. Maybe I can call it a Bob's milkshake." And that's when I knew Mr. Hooper was really gone. 😢🥲 How did Sesame Street not win Emmy's for this kind of writing, I will never know.
I only remember the other guy who took over the store ( than the store collapsed and it took a whole season for them to rebuild it 😢 one muppet kept A waiting for his milkshake from 😢
One very special episode that stuck out for me was the Designing Women AIDS episode "Killing All The Right People" which tackled the prejudice tied to the disease head-on, complete with one of Julia's greatest rants in the whole series.
That was indeed a great episode, even though it wasn't presented as "very special." There was another episode that has - for me - a remarkable AIDS connection. Mary Jo had been mugged, and in response, the women learned self-defense techniques, a big part of which was to yell "NINE ONE ONE!!!" My coworkers partner (Terry) had AIDS, and this was before there was much to be done about it. In a holistic approach, Terry's doctor encouraged him to pick a goal number for his T-Cells, and use it as a mantra of sorts. In homage to Mary Jo, he decided his number would be 911, because he so loved "Designing Women." My co-worker wrote to Annie Potts, explained the situation, and asked her if she would send Terry an autographed picture, mentioning something about 911. She sent the requested picture, and she also sent a cassette tape of herself leading a guided meditation on the number 911 for Terry to focus on. Talk about class.
Thank goodness we had those small hat writers and producers telling us how we should feel about degenerates, we might not have 5 year olds transitioning today and the normalizing of PDF files just around the corner. Thanks small hats!
@@Orxbane Do you rely on sitcoms to tell you how to feel? Did this episode tell you to call people degenerates? Someone else expressing what they think in no way obligates you to agree with them. TV - all show business, actually - is profit-driven. They air what sells. That what sells doesn't align with your world view matters not to them, because pandering to your point of view isn't profitable, because your point of view is not popular. That doesn't mean you shouldn't hold your point of view, it only means your point of view doesn't sell. Because it's not popular. Yet you remain 100% free to try to convince others to hold your point of view. It's just that most people don't like your point of view.
Ricky Schroder's announcement that "no deer were harmed in the making of this episode" did nothing to assuage my tears.🥺 That hunting episode of Silver Spoons haunts me to this day, and I come from a family of hunters.
Grateful every day for having a childhood where I only experienced these things through television. Diff'rent Strokes really went out of its way to talk about stranger danger.
I would add that growing up during the initial damage brought about by Reagan's Trickle Down Economics made GenX grow up and mature fast, almost overnight. We went from being just regular kids, riding our bikes outside all day until the streetlights came on, to heavy responsibility; helping our younger sibs with their homework, cooking our supper, and getting ourselves to bed. Our parents counted on us. These programs taught and/or reinforced life lessons and topics we needed to survive. Tho in 2024, it looks like many either forgot or simply missed those lessons.
I was molested as a child by my aunts husband. Not just me. I cannot begin to tell you the many negative ways this has affected my life. I was very young, but I remember feeling like everything was my fault. It didn’t help that it never even occurred to my parents to get me counseling. It was just never spoken about.
He wasn’t wrong. That was completely tone deaf and just incredibly uncomfortably. I had no idea why the writers for Too Close for Comfort thought it would make for a good comedic episode. It’s not even cringe, it was well beyond it.
I remember a darn Garfield cartoon prime time special that made me get tears in my eyes. All I can recall now, some 40 years later, is that Odie was in a pound and was going to be put to sleep.
What made that scene even worse was the song that played as Odie was carried off. It didn't matter that I already knew there was no way Odie would die, I was in tears at the idea of it.
It was called something along the line of "Nine Lives", it basically showed Garfield's previous 8 lives...I remember crying like a baby with one of them, and getting scared shitless by another.
Man. The memory of EACH of these episodes is slamming back to the surface like a long-repressed ptsd trauma. Seriously, it’s like peeling the scab off of an old wound. I guess we had a weird childhood. 😅
To face the facts (of life)...Our parents didn't want to tell us about these issues, so it was up to our usual babysitters (TV shows) to inform us. Even though they could have been done in a better way, with less laugh tracks to "lighten the mood", we needed to know these things. They certainly made an impression, and left us remembering the lessons.
Yep, never had a drug talk or a sex talk with my parents growing up. I learned more watching these shows or shows like them tackling these issues, sadly.
They REALLY put my boy Albert through hell. He accidentally burns down the blind school. That same fire kills his sister's BABY and his best friend's MOM. He falls in love with a girl who is raped and accidentally dies trying to escape her rapist. He gets addicted to morphine and in the end gets diagnosed with a fatal disease. I mean, wow...
I had no idea what ra** was when I 1st saw this episode. I thought she was being robbed (she was holding flowers which the attacker forced out of her hand ) or beaten up. I didn't know he violated her body by force.
I remember watching the Challlenger explosion in school, 1st grade. The teacher slowly turned off the TV and said something about that ending early, and we needed to change things up a little. I raised my hand and asked, "Those people dead, right?" "Most likely." Was her response.
@the-NightStar when I said, change things up, she was referring to the lesson plan, which revolved around the shuttle. There wasn't much more talk about it.
What made this so watchable was not exactly the shows, nor the content, but the thoughtful and sensitive narration. I especially admire that you didn't edit out the occasional word slip or barest hint of stammer. Gives your presentation a sincerity and verisimilitude that can't be found in videos that rely on overly edited presenters, AI narrators and unrealistic special effects. You got to the heart of the scenes with well articulated and meaningful commentary. The scenes themselves were well chosen, carefully edited and the theme songs were an appropriate/emotional intro to the scenes. Well done!
I remember Kim Fields telling a story about how Chip kept her grounded in Hollywood. "One day I dropped my coat on the carpet after coming in from a party ... my mom told me to pick it up and put it in the closet. I off-handedly told my mom. 'That's what we have a maid for' .... I don't remember much after that. But do I know that, when I got up off the floor, I picked up that coat and put it in the closet!"
I love a good tidbit. I feel like I should have known that! I first saw Lisa Welchel in The New Mickey Mouse Club. I was immediately smitten in "Lisa". A few years later I'm watching Facts of Life because of a teenage Lisa Welchel. One of the other early Facts of Life cast members was Julie Piekarski who was also an ex "Mouseketeer". Molly Ringwald was part of the earlier (larger) Facts of Life cast, too, before it was pretty much trimmed down to the main Blair, Jo, Mindy, Tootie and Mrs Garrett cast. I almost can't believe how much I watched Facts of Life but the girls surrounded my age with Tootie being 2 years younger than I am. It turned out to be fun watching Tootie grow into a teenager.
I'm so glad I found your channel. I'm beginning to unlock memories of what I ate and what I was wearing at the time of some of these episodes OMG! Please don't leave out after school specials, Holidays presentations, cartoons, and even toys GenXr's use to play with.
I'm around Janet Jackson's age. When I first saw that episode of Good Times, I was terrified. This is a great video, but it makes me think of all the real-life abuse and neglect that doesn't get wrapped up in a tidy 30 minutes. At least our generation got a few clues how to handle situations like those. The kids growing up today are so much more on their own.
Yup even today that part really bothers me when she comes at Penny with a hot iron. The episode where she tried to get her back and Wilona stopped her also sticks in my mind cause she finally had a protector.
That's my takeaway, too. I grew up in hospitals & experienced a lot of death amongst my family & childhood friends. Some special episodes were comforting cause I knew I wasn't alone. I really hope they empowered & comforted kids & adults who whose lives were 'very special episodes'.
Those episodes were so rough. They made you believe that someone would SEE. Someone would say something and you would be rescued. But in real life it doesn't happen.
Then you've obviously never seen the movie The Boy King ('86) or the Television Mini Series called The Atlanta Child Murders from 1985.... 😄 all this was going on during the Reagan Era
Same during the LA riots the metro busses suddenly stopped running and we were dropped off 2 stops before my stop most of the others it was their regular stop ended up being another young woman and myself she ended up getting us a ride from these guys nobody knew i was in the backseat in this furry lined seat with one of the men i was frozen the whole time thinking of these hitchhiking stories. I had them drop me off where i knew could walk to someone i knew Bad things really happen to hitchhikers it these “very special” episodes and movies drive it home even if u didn’t mean to hitch a ride (pay phones were tied up or not working either)
Not my proudest moment but in college we hitched a ride up the hill from town with a case of beer. It was Feb. in NY & a van stopped. We got in & as I’m telling him what dorm to drop us by, I feel my roommate stiffen up. For some reason I looked down & saw he wasn’t wearing shoes, I see leg, shorts? In winter? Wrong again, No fricken pants! I screamed stop & let us out here! Now!
@@Rockhound6165 it was but people were relating their own hitchhiking experiences not being lured and almost SAed by creepy shop owners even tho im sure people have those real life stories as well, creepy pedo neighbor, relative, worker in business they went to
Okay, one thing that bugged me was the op saying she didn't understand hitchhiking...uh... being driven xx miles rather than walking xx miles. 🤪🤪 that's why people hitchhikers. Why is that difficult to understand?!
I always say "if i don't laugh i'll cry". Ive experienced alot of trauma in my life and it's way to big to feel and deal all at once.I have a sarcastic,self-deprecating (in a harmless superficial way not a mean way.) Dark sense of humor.Not to brag but i have a pretty fast comeback time with my impromptu zingers. This is how I handle my trauma so i don't jump off a bridge.Ive tried the common go-to's to avoid my pain but drugs are expensive.
I was 9 when Mr. Hooper died … me crying real tears right now watching your video. 😢 loved Sesame Street. Great video. Thanks the bringing back so much nostalgia for us 80’s kids.
Absolutely! I remember this episode well and how it affected me as a kid being the same age as Rick Schroeder. He played the part so authentically and was sooo difficult to watch.
Hunters do not lack compassion for animals. I am a hunter, and I take a backseat to no one in my live and appreciation for life across the spectrum. Absolutely nobody does more for the preservation of animals and their habitats than hunters. Every single animal alive benefits to some degree from the exploitation of other animal life. Speciation itself is a direct result of this fact. Meat harvested through hunting is far, far more humane at every level than mass managed meat harvesting.
Uber is a lil extreme. But nowhere near as weird as having an absolute stranger independent contractor w/ -0- accountability to restaurant deliver food.. My Kids friend got the soda with alot missing & wife & i winked at Daughter because we told her how SUS it is... ow shes terrified of it. And for good reason....
I have been picked up at airports in cities I have never been to by people I have never met that I didn't pay any money to. They were just people I met on the internet. It was before Uber I think. The lady said her name was Sally and I was concerned and then she told me that her parents just like the old names and actually she was really close to my age. I honestly do not remember how I got to the airport on my way home. Maybe it was Janice. Another girl that I had never met before but she was one of the two people remaining who read my website. I hope she wasn't too upset when I stopped writing it. It was hard to do it on a tablet in an app and my favorite actor listen to TV show where people ran around with guns and I wasn't interested. I almost held on for 20 years though. But I guess I figure if you have a hit show on CBS then people know who you are and I don't have to explain anymore. There aren't any more people going around saying Scott who? And by then I was too busy with my ducks
I guess it's a really good thing that parents were all at work in the '80s and didn't watch their kids watching little girls get menaced with a hot iron. I wonder what my mother would have done if she had seen something like that. I remember when I was watch three's company and she would say You know, it really doesn't work like that. Implying that there would be sex if men and women lived together. Now I'm 65 and I have two male roommates. Okay one of them's my brother but the other one isn't. And we were roommates for a lot longer before my brother moved in. And I suppose if I had wanted to do anything my brother wasn't going to stop me no matter where he lived. But I wasn't interested. The point I meant to get to was that 20 or something years later when I moved in with my mother She was watching three's company. And she was also watching the Golden girls - weren't they always having sex with random people? It didn't seem like the kind of show that she would have been interested in. There was one other show she was watching. Leave it to Beaver. Oh well. I wasn't interested in any of that. And she was Not interested in Buffy or medical drama.
@@CT-nb5lmDo you really think McDonald's has been doing in-depth background checks on its employees for the last 70 years, or are you just a complete liar trying to get Internet points for shitting on delivery drivers because you think that makes you cool?
75'r here. I remember every one of these episodes surprisingly. Also made me think of how cartoons would also give life tips and lessons at the end of the show. GI Joe, Justice League etc. And reminded me of true story... I was watching JL after school, and at the end of the episode Batman showed how to do the heimlich maneuver on Robin. After watching I went to my buddies house to grab him for some BMX riding. He came outside finishing a taco and started choking on it. I literally saw his face turn purple. And I remembered what I just watched 30 minutes ago. Did the maneuver and saved my buddy in his front yard. I was like 11. He was crying and thanking me, and I told him Batman showed me how 😎.
I will never forget January 1986. both of our 3rd grade teachers brought in the TV. She was so proud of what was going to happen. And then it was devastating to see what happened, and then see her cry. We just didnt know what happened and it was so hard for us to see her so sad. I still keep in touch with one of the teachers and see her every year.
I was in 8th grade. I was in my third period language arts class when the announcement came over the PA. We were supposed to have watched some of the news coverage in my fourth period class which was earth science. I'll never forget how bad that felt.
I was home sick from school that day and watched it at home with my mom. We were both devastated but I can always be grateful I wasn’t at school that day.
Thank you for reminding me about The Hogan Family. I was actually trying to remember the name of the show last week and was too lazy to look it up! Overall, I remember these episodes scaring the crap out of me. I was terrified of doing drugs, getting attacked, hitchhiking, and getting kidnapped, but I don't think it was a bad thing. I learned a lot from these episodes, and sometimes I think we need to bring these strong, in-your-face VSEs back.
It wasn't just millions of American children who witnessed the tragedy of the space shuttle disaster, but millions globally. That is why, here in little New Zealand, I also remember that Punky Brewster episode too.
It was capitalizing on it though, there was really no reason for her to even be upset about that when she's a damn orphan. She should be more worried about her next meal.
@@homelesshannah50 She was that at the start, but by the stage of where she was in this episode she had a loving family with Henry, Sherri and her mother. Being an orphan was not an issue.
@@homelesshannah50- since it was glossed over in a lot of schools and homes, the show opened the floor for discussion. A lot of these special episodes were the only time heavy topics were brought up in households.
Just found your channel! I’m a baby x’er/xennial - born in 1980. We didn’t have cable bc we were in a remote area but I saw a bunch of these as reruns in the 90’s when cable came out way. Really enjoying your channel!
I remember seeing the Too Close for Comfort episode. Having been an abused kid, it rattled me. I was in shock that they were laughing and joking about it so much.
The irony of that is Monroe was clearly gay. The belief that their attractiveness mitigated the assault is gross, but he wasn't going to be attracted, anyway.
I absolutely remember being so confused by the laughter in that Too Close for Comfort episode. I'm really glad I saw it so young because no one else brought it up for decades.
You did an awesome job picking these episodes! Many of these episodes stand out as moments in my childhood, teens and early adult years that were shocking and groundbreaking. Especially the All in the family episode which I watched all by myself as a child with no parent or family member or trigger warnings or any explanation of what I had just watched.
I'm 47yrs old (1977) I've always believed that I grew up during the best of times! I remember almost every episode you've mentioned between both videos! I HAD to subscribe! Take care & I can't wait to see more of your material 😊❤👍🎈
Not to be insensitive *BUT* How many of you are freaked out to find out you're older than Edith Bunker? I'm five years away but finding out that this sweet older lady was only 50 was eye opening
Yup! I'm 51, older than Edith, scary stuff. They way the character was dressed made Jean Stapleton seem much older than she was, though. Fifty then is not the same as 50 now.
Nah people aged more in the past due to being outdoors, smoking and drinking more She seem more like a 60 yo today to me. I never thought about her age TBH.
Gen-X here. Watched each and every episode you featured. I remember each and every one of these episodes too. A few of these clips brought tears to my eyes.
I love this page! I never knew of that Punky Brewster episode. Ironically, I wanted to be an Astronaut until the Challenger tragedy. What's most memorable for me is I stayed home from school to watch it. Why? That day (January 28th) is my birthday. One of my gifts that day was a telescope. Every birthday is a reminder. The. There was the unfortunate Columbia tragedy 4 days after my birthday in 2003.
I remember watching Good Times in syndication as a kid and Penny getting abused by her mother always stuck with me, especially the iron and the cut away to Penny’s reaction.
Re-watching it now, makes me wonder just how real Janet Jackson's reactions to that iron were, given how abusive Joseph Jackson was with his kids. Even me watching it now gives me triggers like seeing my mom approach me with the switch.
I am from the east coast of Florida about an hour south of NASA,l.We all watched live from the basketball court at school, I was in 3rd grade, every launch I watched after made me think of the explosion. There was no therapy or counseling back then. I still remember the look on the teachers faces and how I knew something was very wrong, it looked so different. My fellow classmates looked a little confused. When we went back inside our principal began speaking and crying which triggered our teacher to cry and then we all cried, just now I realize we should have had counseling at least. I will never forget that day.😢
I was in second grade in Florida that day. I was home for some reason, and we were watching it from our front yard. Where we were at, we could see the launches when they made it way in the air. I can remember my dad saying something happened, and we went inside and started watching the news.
I watched the Challenger explosion from my 11th grade homeroom class. We were old enough to understand what we had witnessed. We all sat there in stunned silence. I don't really remember what the teacher said or did, but I'm pretty sure he just turned the TV off and we went about our day. RIP Christa McAuliffe 💔
@@Arsewell-Foundation Rockets are launched from Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. NASA's Johnson Space Center Mission Control is in Houston, Texas. Its radio callsign is "Houston." So, Rockets launch from Florida, but Houston manages the flight control. (They also manage the ISS and crew training.)
No-- You’re freakin sweet for taking the time to make this video ❤ I really thank you from the bottom Of my heart for the memories ❤ that was absolutely amazing -- no- it was Epic!💁♀️👏👏💯😘
That was my first thought too. Both Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton were 50 going on 75. I think part was the show trying to make them look much older to give a broader generation gap between them and Mike and Gloria.
At the same time though, it's based off of what's normal for that time period. You ever look at pictures of your parents and they look older than other people in a current time? It can be based off what clothing is popular or the hair styles, or even shitty cameras. I work in a grocery store and I see people in my generation (Elder Millenials) that are 40 going on 25, and some that are 50 going on 75. And it has to do with lifestyles and genetics and clothing styles and everything in between.
Having grown up in Brevard county, Florida, we didn’t watch the event on TV. We watched it from the commons in our schools. That’s the moment I will never forget. I had forgotten about this episode, thanks for the reminder. As a Gen Xer, naturally I Love your content Edit - as a parent and mental health professional, some part of me wonders if these episodes actually were important in forming who many of us became .. Gen X is resilient if nothing else, I’m pretty sure we could be called resilient.
I grew up in Florida also. I was in 3rd grade and we were out on the playground field watching. 1986 was also the year of Halley's comet so there were so many space lessons and excitement building up to that day.
The kidnapping episodes really got to me as a kid because I remember one of my good friend's little brother was kidnapped and unalived right around the same time a lot of these shows were doing episodes on the same topic. I used to have nightmares about it all the time. Thanks Gen-X TV for helping with my paranoia.
Hearing the audience laugh in regards to a man being graped by two women is so uncomfortable to hear. With female-on-male sėxual assault barely taken seriously today, I imagine it was taken even less seriously in the 80s. I doubt the audience would be laughing if it had been a young woman and two men. And what a stab in the chest to have the whole episode end with a "next time you're on your own pal" haha funny joke. Genuinely disturbing all around.
back in that time it was unheard of and many didn't beleive it was possible for a woman to grape a man. The laughter on sitcoms is fake, its pre recorded. I was watching different strokes with my 11 year old son and he heard the laughter and was confused why they were laughing at things that were not funny.
Three’s Company had a similar situation when Jack was harassed at work by his female boss. Only Janet took him seriously everyone else laughed and was like “aww poor thing” in a condescending way. At first the female judge laughed too but when it came down to Jack saying more Mr Furley was about to “out” Jack so Jack dropped the charges to avoid being “outed”. Later on he gets a job but is complaining about not being able to make passes at his female boss
The Facts of Life - Wow, amazing . If that episode were filmed today I’m afraid there would be references to trauma, therapy, depression, fear, anxiety , mental health, and meds .
Great video. This one taught me something that explained a lot. I knew the Challenger was carrying a teacher and that teachers were excited about that, but I didn't know that they were planning to have her teach from space and that there was a program set up to broadcast it in schools. I have so many friends who said they had memories of seeing the explosion live at school. Our school had a conference day, but even without, we never had live TV in classrooms. There wasn't, as far as I know, cables, satellites or antennas for TVs. We had film strips, movie projectors and tape players on carts that weren't necessarily VHS. So, I'd been thinking that all my friends who said they watched it live at school had just developed a false memory after watching Punky Brewster, but now I realize I might owe them apologies.
our teachers rolled in TVs on carts specifically to watch the launch. Most of us didn't realize what had just happened but my science teacher kept the TV on . we all went home and tuned into the news that night
Not every school was set up for TV then. Mine was but as an old Xer I was in college for the challenger explosion. People my age remember President Reagan getting shot during school hours and teachers turning on the TV so we could find out what happened and if he was OK. We weren't alive for Kennedy's assassination, but our teachers sure were and I can't imagine the stress of that plus keeping all the kids calm. Later Reagan was speaking somewhere in Germany to a large crowd when someone popped a balloon, which sounded slightly like a gunshot. Without missing a beat in his prepared remarks, he equipped, "you missed" and continued with his speech. The crowd roared... because it was the 80s and we could.
A hunting we will go=- this is such and important message to Parents- Parents- your kids have feelings. It doesn't matter if you agree with how they feel or not. They have every right to feel the way they do. Your job is to hug them tight. LISTEN to them (and give advice in a non preachy in a non judgmental manner) and teach them to work through these feelings in a healthily manner. Support them and don't force them to do something they don't feel is right.
The Punky Brewster episode about the explosion was a very rough one for me. I grew up in NH where Christa McAuliffe was a teacher. Watching the Challenger explode on the TV in our classroom will be a day I'll never forget. Seeing the TV show hit me hard.
This is my new favorite channel! Born in ‘83, so I don’t remember all these things, but I enjoy a nostalgia trip 💜 Edit to add - in college, I would go to my dorm after lunch (1:30) to hit record on the vcr bc I wouldn’t be home until after 4, but General Hospital was on at 3! I don’t miss that
A couple years back, I binged a bunch of those "very special episodes." I was so surprised how much audience laughter was in that "All in the Family" episode.
Some of that is nervousness. Also, people were expecting that their "job" there is to laugh, so the story probably came as a bit of a shock. And some of the lines were funny, so it made for a mix of emotions for the audience.
Its not the audience! It’s called “canned laughter” or a “laugh track” - even if sitcom was filmed in front of an audience, the studio would insert the laugh track anyway during script “beats” to create the feeling of engagement in the viewer. This was extremely common and we all just got used to it But after many of these specific episodes, viewers started complaining about inappropriate laughter, and the TV Guide published a bunch of these complaints and called for a reassessment of when to use canned laughter
Yeah that was so inappropriate they just start laughing as he's trying to assault her and I'm thinking why are you laughing about this? It's not funny. Why are you laughing? So if these people who actually witnessed it and it was actually real would they sit there and laugh about it? Gosh I really hope not. Those laugh tracks were just so inappropriate I'm sorry just no.
The episode where his oldest daughter ends up in the hospital from complications of an IUD was another good one as was the episode when Joey was playing with his father's gun and accidentally shot Nell.
@mikeweber3685 Sam was jealous of bot being the baby of the family anymore, so to get back at Nell for always having to help Joey she told Joey to perform in black face.
@@mikeweber3685 Samantha (no longer the youngest child in the house) was jealous of the attention nell was paying to Joey (the new youngest child in the house). So when the time came for Joey to perforfm ast Nell's predominantly African-American church, spiteful Samantha convinced him that he could improve his act by doing it in blackface... the kid had no idea that it was wrong and/or offensive. He was out in front of the congregation singing, "TOO-TOO-TOOTSIE GOOOOD BYEEEEEE.....!" in full Al Jolson make-up!
You did a great job pulling this video together! Editing was on point. You knew exactly when to narrate while having the captions run in the background as well as when to play the show. I enjoyed snippets of the theme songs. Your summaries of the plots were perfect! Great job!
I watched the first part a couple weeks ago, I'm so glad to see you do a part 2! Super serious episodes that should still be made today, especially in todays times
23:36. Fairwell to Mr hooper. I remember watching this episode and it helped me a lot as a couple weeks after it aired before Christmas I lost my grandmother. A couple months after that a close cousin I looked up too like an older brother died on a motorcycle. Both were really hard on me, but I think it would have been worse without seeing that episode as my family were not great with talking about things like that.
I remember that movie! After that, I couldn’t forgive Ted Danson and never wanted to see him in anything. It stuck with me. Just wait till the Diddy and Epstein lists are public knowledge, people will be shocked how so many of their favorite stars were pedos 🤢
I remember watching this with my sister and her family. She looked at my brother in law and said, " I will k*ll you." My niece and I were like, what is going on?😮😮😮
52 and I just found your channel! Love this stuff and thank you! Happy 47th Birthday! Maybe a suggestion is to do a segment with the best male and female detective shows of the 80's lol so many! I loved "Moonlighting" (still my favorite TV show) but "Hart to Hart" and "Remington Steele" were great too....
You finally showed the Silver Spoons episode! That episode tore my little heart apart, I was devastated. My dad had to convince me the deer was alright. Omg it still brings a tear to my eye. Thanks for the sad nostalgia 😢 Sad or happy it's nostalgia either way and I'll take it.
I live in a wooded area and saw an injured deer. I called non emergency and someone was like “call a hunter! Free meat” I should hunt in Michigan but refuse as I see this episode every time so nope
The fact that Sesame Street still calls it Mr. Hooper's Store is, I think, a fitting tribute to the man.
I never understood why Big Bird always said Mr. Looper, yet he was still able to say Hooper’s Store.
@@COMPFUNK2millennial here, who is looper bc I'm confused. Idk how I ended up on this old timey (no offense) rabbit hole but I did
When Mr.Hooper passed away that really messed me up.
I remember being destroyed when the Challenger exploded. I never watched the episode it hurt too much.
@@angelamack5300 me too. I remember that very well as a child.
"Big Bird, when people die, they dont come back".
"Ever?"
That still gets me. 😔
@MonicaGibson-r3g ❤️
Nothing gets the tears flowing faster than a child who doesn't understand faced with the death of a loved one. Lion King, Bridge to Terabithia, My Girl, Land Before Time.
It was my first memory of not knowing how to describe my feelings and telling my mom “I feel like big bird” to say I was sad
The exchange that get me is this-
"Give me one good reason why it has to be this way."
"Big Bird, it has to be this way... because."
"Just because?"
"Yes."
@alyzu4755, me too.😢
As a Gen Xer many of us never got the talking to about the birds and the bees. And what boys can do. It was the Facts of Life that first alerted me to 'grape'. And when Jo went out on a date with the rich boy and he pushed her down trying to force himself on her. A lot of our parenting was due to these 'very special episodes'.
Yep, that and after school specials.
You should see if you can rewatch the episode. Most of what you describe was off screen. Jo left with the boy and came home with only one shoe. She revealed she didn't make it to the dance but had stopped at thew golf course where he attacked Jo in a sand bunker. The guy shows up later bringing back the other shoe and tries to explain how what he did wasn't SA. Even Blair didn't buy his explanation or attitude.
@@drmayeda1930 I know, the episode is designed for you to read between the lines. It was the 80’s they could only go so far with sensitive content back then. It was more of an eye opening episode. That boys who pay attention to you and are charming. Can do bad things too.
Just the image of Big Bird looking at the drawing of Mr. Hooper is enough to being me to tears. This was my introduction to death as a child, looking back it is so well done.
Oh me too.. its always a "too sick to go to school,, headache too.. mr Hooper episode aired 9am & 2^pm, so some schools had a special class after we saw it ,, but i still get a fever feeling that causes me to cry all week.. still to thsc day..
I remember this now.. I must have blocked it out. How incredibly sad.
This is a core memory for me. It was a really hard one being a little kid but so important.
That Good Times episode with the iron haunted me. The image of Penny against the door begging was burned into my brain.
SAME
Yes. Janet Jackson was an excellent actress as a little girl.
Janet Jackson..Yes, That Janet Jackson played Penny
Yes
She was great in that scene. But it was even sadder to think she was so good because she lived in an abusive home. Her brothers were being physically, emotionally, financially and mentally abused by their father Joe Jackson. It is amazing to me that so much talent came from such a horrible environment.
The Little House on the Prairie episode traumatized me as a little girl, thank goodness my mom was there to help me through those feelings I had after we watched the episode. I’m glad I had my mom close, she turned this episode into a teachable moment, thank you mom.
Fun fact: Chip Fields, who plays Penny's abusive mother on good Times, is the real life mother of Kim Fields (aka Tootie on Facts of Life).
I was here to post this!!
It's cool Kim Fields and Janet are friends to this day! ❤
fun
I never made that connection but damn they look very similar lol
Also the woman Gloria who sings the facts of life theme is Robin Thicke's mother and the late great Alan Thicke's wife
Sometimes I think I died a long time ago, and memories of that time when people would gather around televisions to watch these shows in prime time was just part of some past life I remember. These shows are so surreal to watch today.
Dear person, please take care. This is on the edge of disassociation, an emotional /mental situation that can be bad for you. Knowledge is helpful
I feel the same! To quote another Gen X staple, The Breakfast Club: "It's inevitable. When you grow old, your heart dies."
@@M_SCWTAF? I’m from this time and I completely agree with him. Look around you. Things have accelerated. In 1950 tv was black and white tubed and used rabbit ears. Fast forward 74 years and we carry are tvs around with us in our pocket and it’s also a phone and web searcher. It IS surreal to live 8n this day and age having touched the past only dreaming of what we hav3 today. Nothing disassociate about it. It’s reality.
It’s funny that we see it as “gathering around the tv together” when at the time it was the boob-tube it was hypnotizing people it was the people on the walls in Fahrenheit 451 that was the enemy of books.
But sitting around with your family kids on the carpet, parents on the couch, all laughing together feels way more social now.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever read
Malloy's reaction was powerful. How she registered disgust spoke volumes & highlighted that sometimes saying nothing, says everything.
Yeah, her acting was perfect
The way the audience immediately started to laugh disgusted me but I'm so glad it died away fast. Nothing about that kiss was funny.
The Rosanne episode: I like the part after when Dan says "No, I bought the chicken first."
@@madisonrocca7100
Roseanne: "Well what did Fischer say?
Dan: "Um ouch, ouch, my head!"
@@bamatireman33 I loved that scene. Dan got to be a badass and spout off some good quips.
That is a great episode of TV. When Dan goes out the door you can feel exactly what's about to happen. He was such a great TV dad.
@@Are_You_Sure_Bro Loved the audience reaction when Dan grabbed his coat
When he grabs his jacket.. that always got me.. 💯
Born in 78, I saw about half of these first time in reruns. The other ones the first time they aired. Another great episode, keep it up!
‘78 club! 😊
Yep! July '78!!
January 79 here and same same.
Our 1980's was fire, our 90's was evolved & 2000's was the end of a great run.
78/8/25
I think the live audiences applauded Edith’s terrified reaction to her attacker’s clothes not just out of confusion, but due to how good her acting was. That is not an easy scene to get right, without it looking fake or maudlin…and I would applaud that acting.
Probably not. When we used to go to live studio audience taping, we , the audience, are prompted to react. Applause, cheer etc..
There actually a person whose job it is to coach the audience on how and when to respond to certain scenes.
I think that they were confused because they didn't know how to react to the attempted r@pe scene.
@@EmperorTokugawadid you go back in the 70s?
@@skywarp0828do you think it worked differently back then? They had applause prompts back then like they have in more recent years.
It was common for them to light the "applause" sign at the end of any scene that led directly into a commercial break.
I was so mad they killed off Sylvia. The actress's chemistry with Albert's character was unmatched. So genuine, innocent, and raw at the same time. I was rooting for them. 😢❤
Ikr. And Sylvia's dad was a (insert worst insult here). He gaslit that girl damn near the entire time.
@Vanipollonia1 sadly, it's only been the past 20 years or so that women and girls weren't blamed for being the victim of SA. Court, if the case made it that far, was often a nightmare of her having to defend herself , her clothes, her activities. Anything to make her seem slutty and , therefore, an evil temptress who lead the poor monster who attacked her down the garden path. It finally started to change when courts and police woke up and realized they were trying to criminalize little tiny girls and elderly women.
No one is creeped out by the fact that it would have been two 14-year-olds getting married?
@@StefferKatz But back in those days it was not that abnormal. Even Charles and Caroline expressed concern but gave Albert their blessing and willingness to help out.
@StefferKatz the show depicted life in the 1880s. People in small farming villages married as young as 13 back then and by the time a girl hit 20, she would have had 5 kids. In fact, in most rural areas, a girl was called an old maid if she didn't marry before she was 18!
I was 13 in 1983 but the goodbye Mr. Hooper still hit hard because I had loved Sesame Street when I was little
I hated Sesame Street when I was little. Apparently Big Bird freaked me out big time. I don't remember this but apparently it was hilarious for my parents to torture me with it. 🤷
I was 11, and yet it hit hard. I rememeber ot and other media outlets talking about it.
I was 8, and I definitely cried during that episode.
I remember in 1983 when Mr. Hooper died, because it was the same year my grandfather died.
I remember watching the Roseanne episode with Jackie where she was abused. It was kind of crucial, because Jackie was "tough", she'd been a cop, like you know, the "type of woman that doesn't 'let' abuse happen". As a kid it was an important lesson that abuse can happen to you no matter who you are or what position you are in. That abuse isn't about you, it's about the abuser, and only the abuser.
like you know
That episode struck a chord more than most "specials" that sitcoms. Maybe it was my age when I saw it and others and not the show itself. Dan just grabs his keys and goes to take care of it his way, consequences be damned
I cried when Dan grabbed his keys....i was a victim of abuse and wished i had a Dan...
🫂@@shannonfavors2627
The Punky Brewster episode really hit home for me. My grandmother on my dad’s side worked for Rockwell building the space shuttles. Grammy told us that they noticed ice on the shuttle before the launch on January 28th. They tried to contact Mission Control but were ignored because they didn’t want to scrub an expensive launch.
Omg, that's awful!!
Yes my husband's professor at college, knew Robert Bollsjozzy(not sure if spelling) who got locked into a janitor closet during the launch bc he threatened to go live and tell about the o rings.
My uncle worked at Kennedy Space Center and saw the Challenger from his office window
I remember my class watched the challenger explosion too. The teachers were all in the hall crying
I wasn't aware of this episode since I didn't watch the show. A very nice way to deal with the tragedy. Like any morning, watched Good Morning America and then went to high school. Some students who had a longer commute weren't aware of what happened until the teacher explained what had happened. I finally got a lot of closure when I picked up a book by Richard Feynman and read his findings that were written in such a way that a non-science person could understand.
My problem with very special episodes was a character would go through something incredibly traumatic but next episode they would be fine and funny again with no residual issues.
That’s what bothered me the most for some of the darker ones. By the next episode, I hadn’t finished processing the episode.and in the show, it’s as if it never happened.
My problem is that so many of them soft-ball the issue, and bend the issue around network censorship restrictions, or just aren't prepared to put the serious dramatic weight necessary into it. Like the supposed camp counselor rubbing the kids shoulder was incredibly bad. Who thought that would work? There are so many problems with it. The actors are awkward and even the counselor's actor clearly doesn't want to do the scene, and a shoulder rub is so sanitized and pathetic that it just comes off as goofy and weird. Not weird in the way that was intended, just weird in that it was so badly acted, unrealistic, and not effective at all. What was anyone even supposed to get from that? It felt less like a "very special episode" and more like a weird actual fetish that a director was trying to get unwilling actors to do for 5 seconds.
That’s why I appreciated Degrassi. It shows the after effects, like real life.
People were more resilient then. They dealt with trauma by not focusing on it and making it their entire identity.
@@the-NightStaras a genX kid who watched them when they were televised, they were not uncomfortable or dorky at the time. We were deeply moved by these episodes, and maybe as teenagers, we tried to look at things with a sarcastic tilt, to protect our own vulnerability, but as an adult, looking back on these, I never forget these episodes. They stay stuck in your mind because they were so traumatic to watch our favorite characters go through these things and We did not want them to have lasting injury or drama drama. On the show, we wanted them to heal and to move on as people must do to be happy.
We do not want to get stuck in the drama, trauma, soap opera type kid shows that we have today where everybody's involved in inappropriate activities, and there's no help for anybody.
Life is just horrible for everybody.
As genex kids We made sure as adults that the stuff that we suffered, We try to stop it for others as adults. We don't just let it continue. There must be a happy ending where we are concerned. We will make sure of it in our lives for our families. We don't sit back and dwell on what happened to us. We process it, pray about it, give it to God, control our emotional damage and move on. We make our life productive and joyful and a blessing to others.
More than 40 years later, i still get choked up when watching clips of the Farewell Mr Hooper episode of Sesame Street. 😢
😢
That was the first death of a "friend" I experienced as a child 😢 I remember that episode so well
Yeah, I got emotional watching this and I'm 50.. 😢
A Facts of Life episode that stuck out for me was when Natalie was almost SAed on her way home from a costume/Halloween party (she lucked out because a couple of folks happened upon the attempt, scaring the attacker away and saving Natalie from the assault).
I really liked this one, as the episode ends with a self defense instructor coming to the school to teach the girls some lessons in self defense - but he doesn't sugar coat things. He shows them how easy it is for someone to overpower them if they let their guards down, shows them how every day items they carry in their purses/bags can double as weapons in a pinch but - most importantly - he gives them some basic advice on how not to make themselves victims in the first place (like avoiding dark areas or not traveling alone, especially at night, etc).
@madamefluffy4788 Yes this episode was originally written for Blair aka Lisa Whelchel's character and I think also the episode were Natalie loses her virginity but due to Lisa's christian faith didn't want to be in that episode! 🤔🙄🧐🙆
@@SuperMarioBrosIII You're thinking of an episode where the girls are much older (Blaire and Jo are in college by that point). And in that particular episode, it was with Natalie and her steady boyfriend, Snake - 100% consensual.
Blaire's actress got so much unnecessary/unwarranted grief for not wanting to have her character in such a situation. Not everyone agrees with pre-marital sex and if the actress was uncomfortable seeing her character (one she had played for years at that point, so was very much part of her) making such a decision, how would it have looked if she was forced into performing it?
I'm glad she stood her ground; and really, the whole thing worked much better with Natalie, anyway (her exchange with Tootie after she got home and confided in her felt very real. I don't think it would have worked as well with Jo and Blaire).
@@madamefluffy4788 Yes Snake🐍aka Mike Domane aka Robert Romanus from Fast Times At Ridgemont High. 🏫📚📺👍
@@SuperMarioBrosIIIthere was an episode in the first season where Blair was SA’d and it was glossed over 70s style in a way that makes me feel nauseated and outraged. The 80s had progressed a lot by the time the Natalie episode happened
I think by that time, Lisa identified very much with Blair. I think it was her right to have a say in what her character did! @@SuperMarioBrosIII
I was holding strong as I watched the beginning of your compilation; but when you got to Mr. Hooper, I broke down in tears. I was 10 when that happened, the same year that my Grandfather died of cancer, and it has been embedded into my soul. Deep Memories. Thank you?
I am a 49 yr old man who has watched every single episode on this list. I almost didn't click on this video. I get a lot of recs that seem to be what I want only to be disappointed watching as the creator either spends the whole time describing the situation and never shows it, or rushes thru with no context. I was thrilled to see how you actually gave a brief, concise set-up for each video, actually played the clips relevant to the topics, summed up the topic and moved on! Great video and I will certainly be checking out your channel for more content!
Thank you!
Born in 72. Thank you very much for both your very special episodes videos, they were excellent. They really took me back, bravo to you 😊
There was also a very popular movie out at the same time as punky Brewster and the Challenger explosion called Space Camp
Born in 71. Also, Bravo!
@@cmaden78 Yes, the release of Space Camp was delayed. Space Camp did not really get noticed until going to cable a good year or so after the Challenger explosion.
74 baby here, same. What a blast to the past! I remember a LOT of these..
And I always looked forward to those rare "after school specials" that my parents always made sure my sister and I knew about, so we could watch them.
The 80s.. the best time in the history of the world, to have been alive! ❤
@@cmaden78Space Camp was a great movie!! ❤
People give the IT mini-series for making clowns scary to a generation. But they don’t give Little House on the Prairie credit for making clowns scary in the episode Sylvia.
I wasn't aware the IT miniseries was ever scary. It was goofy, over the top, and had Tim Curry goofing around as a very silly pennywise, hilarious attempts to make balloons scary and sanitizing the original novels down to the point of being low-budget comedy shlock.
That Little House episode scared the mess outta me! So did Tim Curry as it.
Clowns have always been scary!
but did they even have clowns in the 19th century?
@lilliedoubleyou3865 Probably. The Egyptians had clowns in 2400 BC, google says
The laugh track behind these is surreal
The laugh tracks always bothered me. It’s like the “soothing rainforest” sounds with the same annoying bird cawing in the background every 45 seconds.
especially the one during Edith's SA. That one was atrocious.
@@stephaniecasey9100 100%
@mezzb seriously?!! 😂😂 yea, we had freedoms that kids these days didn't have, but if you were getting hit by cars, cut up by glass and getting beat up with bats then wtf?! That's the neighborhood you grew up in. My friends and I had the freedom to play outside all day but we were smart and didn't run into traffic ... we knew when the streetlights came on, it was time to get home for dinner. 😂😂😂you made me laugh 👍thank you
I can't tell you how much it annoys me that we can't speak correctly and like adults instead have to use other words to avoid being censored on this platform.
Agreed. It’s frustrating.
If you understand the reason for this is because many predators use specific phrases in their searches.
We could be discussing child abuse while predators actually search this term for their perverted enjoyment. The algorithm only searches for specific words, without knowing the context or content. So those who are only sharing thoughts will also get banned.
So although it sounds childish, it is done to protect children and ensure those monsters who are uploading graphic pictures and posts of abuse will be banned.
@@beatsventura7it's still censorship and I hate it
@@beatsventura7no. It still censorship and it's way more about AdSense.
@@mysocalledgenxlife Sams Missing was a 2 part episode and the first for season 8 and the first to air on ABC📺after NBC🦚dropped the show the season before! Plus an updated version of the shows theme song which was sung by Alan Thicke who co-wrote the theme with exwife Gloria Loring who sang the Facts Of Life theme also co written by Thicke. 📼👦🙏👍
Those episodes of Roseanne are 2 of my favorites. Especially the scene where Darlene goes to bail out Dan and the humor in it that lightens the mood
Momma says we gotta new daddy now! 😂
The Little House on the Prairie episodes unlocked a suppressed core memory! That mask is no joke. 😢
I'm an OG Sesame Street kid. Even though I was too old for Sesame Street when Mr. Hooper died, I was still devastated. It was like losing a family member.
Same. I had JUST turned 13 when that aired, so I didn't see it happen. But it still hits damn hard.
@@nw1750 Same, I had siblings 10 years younger than me so I was older too, but I missed Mr. Hooper so much.
It really sank in and hit home when Bob took over Hooper's store a couple weeks later and Big Bird asked him to make him a birdseed milkshake just like Mr. Hooper used to make.
And throughout the episode, Bob would try and fail with each attempt, with Big Bird saying, "No, it's just not the same as Mr. Hooper used to make it."
Bob tried like three times, and finally Big Bird said, "You know what, it's not the same like Mr. Hooper used to make, but it's still pretty good. Maybe I can call it a Bob's milkshake."
And that's when I knew Mr. Hooper was really gone. 😢🥲
How did Sesame Street not win Emmy's for this kind of writing, I will never know.
I only remember the other guy who took over the store ( than the store collapsed and it took a whole season for them to rebuild it 😢 one muppet kept
A waiting for his milkshake from 😢
@@nw1750same
Nobody is ever 'too old' for Sesame Street. Or Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.
That is a just plain fact.
One very special episode that stuck out for me was the Designing Women AIDS episode "Killing All The Right People" which tackled the prejudice tied to the disease head-on, complete with one of Julia's greatest rants in the whole series.
Julia's rants were iconic, and that's one of the best!
That was indeed a great episode, even though it wasn't presented as "very special."
There was another episode that has - for me - a remarkable AIDS connection.
Mary Jo had been mugged, and in response, the women learned self-defense techniques, a big part of which was to yell "NINE ONE ONE!!!"
My coworkers partner (Terry) had AIDS, and this was before there was much to be done about it. In a holistic approach, Terry's doctor encouraged him to pick a goal number for his T-Cells, and use it as a mantra of sorts. In homage to Mary Jo, he decided his number would be 911, because he so loved "Designing Women."
My co-worker wrote to Annie Potts, explained the situation, and asked her if she would send Terry an autographed picture, mentioning something about 911. She sent the requested picture, and she also sent a cassette tape of herself leading a guided meditation on the number 911 for Terry to focus on.
Talk about class.
@ddmaul awwww bless, that was lovely of her.
Thank goodness we had those small hat writers and producers telling us how we should feel about degenerates, we might not have 5 year olds transitioning today and the normalizing of PDF files just around the corner. Thanks small hats!
@@Orxbane Do you rely on sitcoms to tell you how to feel? Did this episode tell you to call people degenerates? Someone else expressing what they think in no way obligates you to agree with them. TV - all show business, actually - is profit-driven. They air what sells. That what sells doesn't align with your world view matters not to them, because pandering to your point of view isn't profitable, because your point of view is not popular. That doesn't mean you shouldn't hold your point of view, it only means your point of view doesn't sell. Because it's not popular. Yet you remain 100% free to try to convince others to hold your point of view.
It's just that most people don't like your point of view.
Ricky Schroder's announcement that "no deer were harmed in the making of this episode" did nothing to assuage my tears.🥺
That hunting episode of Silver Spoons haunts me to this day, and I come from a family of hunters.
I'm 49 and tbe show was the reason why I don't hunt. Bizarre how tv show programming can sometimes mold who you are as a person.
Grateful every day for having a childhood where I only experienced these things through television. Diff'rent Strokes really went out of its way to talk about stranger danger.
We really were a blessed generation even with all our ups and down.
Kids today have access to hard-core pornography. No wonder why 12 year olds act like 18 years olds. Very disturbing.
Talk about and/or exploit...
I would add that growing up during the initial damage brought about by Reagan's Trickle Down Economics made GenX grow up and mature fast, almost overnight. We went from being just regular kids, riding our bikes outside all day until the streetlights came on, to heavy responsibility; helping our younger sibs with their homework, cooking our supper, and getting ourselves to bed. Our parents counted on us. These programs taught and/or reinforced life lessons and topics we needed to survive.
Tho in 2024, it looks like many either forgot or simply missed those lessons.
I was molested as a child by my aunts husband. Not just me. I cannot begin to tell you the many negative ways this has affected my life. I was very young, but I remember feeling like everything was my fault. It didn’t help that it never even occurred to my parents to get me counseling. It was just never spoken about.
Will getting shot at the ATM while his cousin cartlon helplessly watched on Fresh Prince is the one I remember the most
Wrong generation
@@pippahgetchell7757 I was born in 1979. RIght at the cutoff
And when Carlton accidentally took the pills from Will’s locker
@pippahgetchell7757 you know we didn't...cease to be alive after the 80s, right? 😆
I remembered almost every episode from this video. These were so impactful. Thank you for sharing
@17:10 ted knight has said he hated that episode as he felt sexual assault wasnt funny.
I think a lot of the laughter is just from weird homophobia
The laughter was disturbing. I kept yelling it wasn't funny.😢
He wasn’t wrong. That was completely tone deaf and just incredibly uncomfortably. I had no idea why the writers for Too Close for Comfort thought it would make for a good comedic episode. It’s not even cringe, it was well beyond it.
This is exactly where I am now and the laughter track is exceptionally disturbing. Not sure if I want to keep watching.
@@thembi125 Or the ridiculous mindset that men can't be SAed.
I remember a darn Garfield cartoon prime time special that made me get tears in my eyes. All I can recall now, some 40 years later, is that Odie was in a pound and was going to be put to sleep.
@@thevoxofreason8468 garfield broke him out at the end though 😊 ua-cam.com/video/P9cVmPClMwE/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared
Same! It's called Here Comes Garfield. There was another Garfield special called "His Nine Lives", and one of the lives STILL makes me bawl!
@sallyskellington3383 Thank you for the info. Now I know I wasn't alone.
What made that scene even worse was the song that played as Odie was carried off. It didn't matter that I already knew there was no way Odie would die, I was in tears at the idea of it.
It was called something along the line of "Nine Lives", it basically showed Garfield's previous 8 lives...I remember crying like a baby with one of them, and getting scared shitless by another.
Man. The memory of EACH of these episodes is slamming back to the surface like a long-repressed ptsd trauma. Seriously, it’s like peeling the scab off of an old wound.
I guess we had a weird childhood. 😅
Omigod!
The Sylvia episodes!!!!
I can't tell you how obsessed my 12 year old self and my friends were with these episodes.
Those were replayed on Cozi recently. Still heartbreaking. Great performances from everyone.
To face the facts (of life)...Our parents didn't want to tell us about these issues, so it was up to our usual babysitters (TV shows) to inform us. Even though they could have been done in a better way, with less laugh tracks to "lighten the mood", we needed to know these things. They certainly made an impression, and left us remembering the lessons.
Our parents needed to be reminded they had kids. “It’s 10 O’Clock, do you know where your children are?”
😂@@kellidinit3725
Yep, never had a drug talk or a sex talk with my parents growing up. I learned more watching these shows or shows like them tackling these issues, sadly.
I'm an older Millennial and love your videos. I love watching them while baking and cleaning in the morning. Thanks for posting!
They Sylvia episode of Little House still makes me cry to this day when I watch reruns
They REALLY put my boy Albert through hell. He accidentally burns down the blind school. That same fire kills his sister's BABY and his best friend's MOM. He falls in love with a girl who is raped and accidentally dies trying to escape her rapist. He gets addicted to morphine and in the end gets diagnosed with a fatal disease. I mean, wow...
@@chasemumford9811that show frightened me as a child! Especially the Halloween episode!
I had no idea what ra** was when I 1st saw this episode. I thought she was being robbed (she was holding flowers which the attacker forced out of her hand ) or beaten up. I didn't know he violated her body by force.
I remember watching the Challlenger explosion in school, 1st grade.
The teacher slowly turned off the TV and said something about that ending early, and we needed to change things up a little.
I raised my hand and asked, "Those people dead, right?"
"Most likely." Was her response.
Wow. Who hurt your teacher? That's someone not qualified to be around kids.
@the-NightStar when I said, change things up, she was referring to the lesson plan, which revolved around the shuttle. There wasn't much more talk about it.
Wow! Absolutely same 😢
@@the-NightStar that was just the 80's
Yeah I remember that too I was in 5th grade. We cried in school the next day.
What made this so watchable was not exactly the shows, nor the content, but the thoughtful and sensitive narration. I especially admire that you didn't edit out the occasional word slip or barest hint of stammer. Gives your presentation a sincerity and verisimilitude that can't be found in videos that rely on overly edited presenters, AI narrators and unrealistic special effects. You got to the heart of the scenes with well articulated and meaningful commentary.
The scenes themselves were well chosen, carefully edited and the theme songs were an appropriate/emotional intro to the scenes.
Well done!
A bit of trivia: The actress who played Janet Jackson's abusive mother on Good Times is actually Kim Fields' real life mother Chip Fields!
I remember Kim Fields telling a story about how Chip kept her grounded in Hollywood. "One day I dropped my coat on the carpet after coming in from a party ... my mom told me to pick it up and put it in the closet. I off-handedly told my mom. 'That's what we have a maid for' .... I don't remember much after that. But do I know that, when I got up off the floor, I picked up that coat and put it in the closet!"
I love a good tidbit. I feel like I should have known that!
I first saw Lisa Welchel in The New Mickey Mouse Club. I was immediately smitten in "Lisa". A few years later I'm watching Facts of Life because of a teenage Lisa Welchel. One of the other early Facts of Life cast members was Julie Piekarski who was also an ex "Mouseketeer". Molly Ringwald was part of the earlier (larger) Facts of Life cast, too, before it was pretty much trimmed down to the main Blair, Jo, Mindy, Tootie and Mrs Garrett cast.
I almost can't believe how much I watched Facts of Life but the girls surrounded my age with Tootie being 2 years younger than I am. It turned out to be fun watching Tootie grow into a teenager.
@@BruceWalther-s2l it was fun watching Tootie grow
On Saved by the Bell Jesse gets addicted to drugs then runs off to Vegas to become a showgirl
@@phakeAccount Saved By The Bell: The Paying For College Years
Ha Ha. "Showgirls" indeed.
She got high on folger pills.
LOL
And was in the greatest movie of the 90s. Lol
I'm so glad I found your channel. I'm beginning to unlock memories of what I ate and what I was wearing at the time of some of these episodes OMG! Please don't leave out after school specials, Holidays presentations, cartoons, and even toys GenXr's use to play with.
I'm around Janet Jackson's age. When I first saw that episode of Good Times, I was terrified.
This is a great video, but it makes me think of all the real-life abuse and neglect that doesn't get wrapped up in a tidy 30 minutes. At least our generation got a few clues how to handle situations like those. The kids growing up today are so much more on their own.
Yup even today that part really bothers me when she comes at Penny with a hot iron. The episode where she tried to get her back and Wilona stopped her also sticks in my mind cause she finally had a protector.
That's my takeaway, too. I grew up in hospitals & experienced a lot of death amongst my family & childhood friends.
Some special episodes were comforting cause I knew I wasn't alone. I really hope they empowered & comforted kids & adults who whose lives were 'very special episodes'.
It was so triggering then and still so triggering now.
That happened in real life to her
Those episodes were so rough. They made you believe that someone would SEE. Someone would say something and you would be rescued. But in real life it doesn't happen.
Not gonna lie, that Good Times episode scarred me.
I know! It was before my time (more of an 80s kid). Wow! Also I keep forgetting Janet JAckson had been an actress
Then you've obviously never seen the movie The Boy King ('86) or the Television Mini Series called The Atlanta Child Murders from 1985.... 😄 all this was going on during the Reagan Era
Born in '77 myself so I feel like I'm right there on the couch with you. I can still feel the green shag carpet between my toes watching these clips.
I had to hitchhike once when my car broke down on my way home from college. I remember thinking about the “Different Strokes” episode at the time.
Same during the LA riots the metro busses suddenly stopped running and we were dropped off 2 stops before my stop most of the others it was their regular stop ended up being another young woman and myself she ended up getting us a ride from these guys nobody knew i was in the backseat in this furry lined seat with one of the men i was frozen the whole time thinking of these hitchhiking stories. I had them drop me off where i knew could walk to someone i knew Bad things really happen to hitchhikers it these “very special” episodes and movies drive it home even if u didn’t mean to hitch a ride (pay phones were tied up or not working either)
Not my proudest moment but in college we hitched a ride up the hill from town with a case of beer. It was Feb. in NY & a van stopped. We got in & as I’m telling him what dorm to drop us by, I feel my roommate stiffen up. For some reason I looked down & saw he wasn’t wearing shoes, I see leg, shorts? In winter? Wrong again, No fricken pants! I screamed stop & let us out here! Now!
I think the episode when Arnold was being molested by the bike shop owner was worse.
@@Rockhound6165 it was but people were relating their own hitchhiking experiences not being lured and almost SAed by creepy shop owners even tho im sure people have those real life stories as well, creepy pedo neighbor, relative, worker in business they went to
Okay, one thing that bugged me was the op saying she didn't understand hitchhiking...uh... being driven xx miles rather than walking xx miles. 🤪🤪 that's why people hitchhikers. Why is that difficult to understand?!
Laugh tracks over trauma. And people wonder why GenX is so jaded. 😂
I always say "if i don't laugh i'll cry". Ive experienced alot of trauma in my life and it's way to big to feel and deal all at once.I have a sarcastic,self-deprecating (in a harmless superficial way not a mean way.) Dark sense of humor.Not to brag but i have a pretty fast comeback time with my impromptu zingers. This is how I handle my trauma so i don't jump off a bridge.Ive tried the common go-to's to avoid my pain but drugs are expensive.
We needed to know when to laugh!
Did you know the laugh tracks and the applause tracks are from people back in the 50s. They recorded them and still use them today.
@@BushcraftingBogan and we like it that way!
I was 9 when Mr. Hooper died … me crying real tears right now watching your video. 😢 loved Sesame Street.
Great video. Thanks the bringing back so much nostalgia for us 80’s kids.
I was only 5, but it still makes me cry too!
I definitely remember myself at 8 crying during the show.
Thank you. For highlighting compassion for animals, Silver Spoons
Absolutely! I remember this episode well and how it affected me as a kid being the same age as Rick Schroeder. He played the part so authentically and was sooo difficult to watch.
Hunters do not lack compassion for animals. I am a hunter, and I take a backseat to no one in my live and appreciation for life across the spectrum.
Absolutely nobody does more for the preservation of animals and their habitats than hunters.
Every single animal alive benefits to some degree from the exploitation of other animal life. Speciation itself is a direct result of this fact. Meat harvested through hunting is far, far more humane at every level than mass managed meat harvesting.
We just pay to hitchhike now....*coughs in Uber*
Dang, that perspective just hit me like a ton of bricks!
Uber is a lil extreme.
But nowhere near as weird as having an absolute stranger independent contractor w/ -0- accountability to restaurant deliver food..
My Kids friend got the soda with alot missing & wife & i winked at Daughter because we told her how SUS it is...
ow shes terrified of it. And for good reason....
I have been picked up at airports in cities I have never been to by people I have never met that I didn't pay any money to. They were just people I met on the internet. It was before Uber I think. The lady said her name was Sally and I was concerned and then she told me that her parents just like the old names and actually she was really close to my age. I honestly do not remember how I got to the airport on my way home. Maybe it was Janice. Another girl that I had never met before but she was one of the two people remaining who read my website. I hope she wasn't too upset when I stopped writing it. It was hard to do it on a tablet in an app and my favorite actor listen to TV show where people ran around with guns and I wasn't interested. I almost held on for 20 years though. But I guess I figure if you have a hit show on CBS then people know who you are and I don't have to explain anymore. There aren't any more people going around saying Scott who? And by then I was too busy with my ducks
I guess it's a really good thing that parents were all at work in the '80s and didn't watch their kids watching little girls get menaced with a hot iron. I wonder what my mother would have done if she had seen something like that. I remember when I was watch three's company and she would say You know, it really doesn't work like that. Implying that there would be sex if men and women lived together. Now I'm 65 and I have two male roommates. Okay one of them's my brother but the other one isn't. And we were roommates for a lot longer before my brother moved in. And I suppose if I had wanted to do anything my brother wasn't going to stop me no matter where he lived. But I wasn't interested. The point I meant to get to was that 20 or something years later when I moved in with my mother She was watching three's company. And she was also watching the Golden girls - weren't they always having sex with random people? It didn't seem like the kind of show that she would have been interested in. There was one other show she was watching. Leave it to Beaver. Oh well. I wasn't interested in any of that. And she was Not interested in Buffy or medical drama.
@@CT-nb5lmDo you really think McDonald's has been doing in-depth background checks on its employees for the last 70 years, or are you just a complete liar trying to get Internet points for shitting on delivery drivers because you think that makes you cool?
75'r here. I remember every one of these episodes surprisingly. Also made me think of how cartoons would also give life tips and lessons at the end of the show. GI Joe, Justice League etc. And reminded me of true story... I was watching JL after school, and at the end of the episode Batman showed how to do the heimlich maneuver on Robin. After watching I went to my buddies house to grab him for some BMX riding. He came outside finishing a taco and started choking on it. I literally saw his face turn purple. And I remembered what I just watched 30 minutes ago. Did the maneuver and saved my buddy in his front yard. I was like 11. He was crying and thanking me, and I told him Batman showed me how 😎.
That was the episode of Rosanne that really proved Laurie Metcalf's acting capabilities.
I will never forget January 1986. both of our 3rd grade teachers brought in the TV. She was so proud of what was going to happen. And then it was devastating to see what happened, and then see her cry. We just didnt know what happened and it was so hard for us to see her so sad. I still keep in touch with one of the teachers and see her every year.
I was in 8th grade. I was in my third period language arts class when the announcement came over the PA. We were supposed to have watched some of the news coverage in my fourth period class which was earth science. I'll never forget how bad that felt.
I was home sick from school that day and watched it at home with my mom. We were both devastated but I can always be grateful I wasn’t at school that day.
Yep. I was in 10th grade. Earth Science. Remember watching it in our science lab room. What a rough and solumn day.
This put me in the mood to watch these! I’m watching Family Ties now! Poor Mallory! She was immediately aware that he was a pervert.
Thank you for reminding me about The Hogan Family. I was actually trying to remember the name of the show last week and was too lazy to look it up! Overall, I remember these episodes scaring the crap out of me. I was terrified of doing drugs, getting attacked, hitchhiking, and getting kidnapped, but I don't think it was a bad thing. I learned a lot from these episodes, and sometimes I think we need to bring these strong, in-your-face VSEs back.
It wasn't just millions of American children who witnessed the tragedy of the space shuttle disaster, but millions globally. That is why, here in little New Zealand, I also remember that Punky Brewster episode too.
It was capitalizing on it though, there was really no reason for her to even be upset about that when she's a damn orphan. She should be more worried about her next meal.
@@homelesshannah50 She was that at the start, but by the stage of where she was in this episode she had a loving family with Henry, Sherri and her mother. Being an orphan was not an issue.
@@darrenbent7601 Oh ok but id did seem like they were trying to make themselves a part of the tragedy
@@homelesshannah50- since it was glossed over in a lot of schools and homes, the show opened the floor for discussion.
A lot of these special episodes were the only time heavy topics were brought up in households.
Just found your channel! I’m a baby x’er/xennial - born in 1980. We didn’t have cable bc we were in a remote area but I saw a bunch of these as reruns in the 90’s when cable came out way. Really enjoying your channel!
I remember seeing the Too Close for Comfort episode. Having been an abused kid, it rattled me. I was in shock that they were laughing and joking about it so much.
Thing that gets me is what the women didn't do was that bad until they discover the women are not very attractive.
The irony of that is Monroe was clearly gay. The belief that their attractiveness mitigated the assault is gross, but he wasn't going to be attracted, anyway.
That must have made you feel so hopeless and alone, like you couldn't talk to anyone 😢
@@somethingclever8916 A bit of fatphobia going on there.
I adored Monroe before I understood what being gay was, so the idea of anyone doing anything to him was pretty horrific.
I absolutely remember being so confused by the laughter in that Too Close for Comfort episode. I'm really glad I saw it so young because no one else brought it up for decades.
You did an awesome job picking these episodes! Many of these episodes stand out as moments in my childhood, teens and early adult years that were shocking and groundbreaking. Especially the All in the family episode which I watched all by myself as a child with no parent or family member or trigger warnings or any explanation of what I had just watched.
I’m turning 51 next month and I remember all these episodes!!! I never realized how groundbreaking they really were!!
I guess I am not the only one who would love to see a part 3?
A whole video could be made from little house. The one where Albert was hooked on morphine was a crazy one
Still haven’t scene the Tom Hanks Alcoholic Family Ties episode
Believe me, OP, you are _not_ the only one. 🍿
Nope!!!
@PutXi_Whipped I want to say the show is streaming somewhere. Maybe tubi. I also have prime and Netflix so could be there too
I'm 47yrs old (1977) I've always believed that I grew up during the best of times! I remember almost every episode you've mentioned between both videos! I HAD to subscribe! Take care & I can't wait to see more of your material 😊❤👍🎈
Not to be insensitive *BUT*
How many of you are freaked out to find out you're older than Edith Bunker?
I'm five years away but finding out that this sweet older lady was only 50 was eye opening
I was upset when I turned older than Alice from Brady Bunch. Now I'm older than Edith. Yeah, it does freak me out.
Yup! I'm 51, older than Edith, scary stuff. They way the character was dressed made Jean Stapleton seem much older than she was, though. Fifty then is not the same as 50 now.
Similarly its wild how young the Golden Girls were. Rue McClanahan was 51 when the series started!
Yes, I still can't believe I'm 52!!
Nah people aged more in the past due to being outdoors, smoking and drinking more
She seem more like a 60 yo today to me.
I never thought about her age TBH.
Oh my gosh!!! You included the episode about Mr. Hooper!! I'm 50 and haven't seen this in ages🥹Thank you!!!
Gen-X here. Watched each and every episode you featured. I remember each and every one of these episodes too. A few of these clips brought tears to my eyes.
There are more videos about this topic on my channel! Glad you enjoyed this one 😊
I love this page! I never knew of that Punky Brewster episode. Ironically, I wanted to be an Astronaut until the Challenger tragedy. What's most memorable for me is I stayed home from school to watch it. Why? That day (January 28th) is my birthday. One of my gifts that day was a telescope. Every birthday is a reminder. The. There was the unfortunate Columbia tragedy 4 days after my birthday in 2003.
I remember watching Good Times in syndication as a kid and Penny getting abused by her mother always stuck with me, especially the iron and the cut away to Penny’s reaction.
Re-watching it now, makes me wonder just how real Janet Jackson's reactions to that iron were, given how abusive Joseph Jackson was with his kids. Even me watching it now gives me triggers like seeing my mom approach me with the switch.
I cried the first time I saw it as a kid and I cried now.
I kept expecting JJ to charge in at the last minute and save her..
31:18 YOU farted 😂 😂
Also great video. Really enjoyed it. Keep up the great work
twice!
This is a fantastic series and I realized I saw most of these episodes when they first aired. Kudos to you for doing this.
I am from the east coast of Florida about an hour south of NASA,l.We all watched live from the basketball court at school, I was in 3rd grade, every launch I watched after made me think of the explosion. There was no therapy or counseling back then. I still remember the look on the teachers faces and how I knew something was very wrong, it looked so different. My fellow classmates looked a little confused. When we went back inside our principal began speaking and crying
which triggered our teacher to cry and then we all cried, just now I realize we should have had counseling at least.
I will never forget that day.😢
I was in second grade in Florida that day. I was home for some reason, and we were watching it from our front yard. Where we were at, we could see the launches when they made it way in the air. I can remember my dad saying something happened, and we went inside and started watching the news.
I watched the Challenger explosion from my 11th grade homeroom class. We were old enough to understand what we had witnessed. We all sat there in stunned silence. I don't really remember what the teacher said or did, but I'm pretty sure he just turned the TV off and we went about our day. RIP Christa McAuliffe 💔
NASA is in Houston Texas though?
@@Arsewell-Foundation Rockets are launched from Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. NASA's Johnson Space Center Mission Control is in Houston, Texas. Its radio callsign is "Houston." So, Rockets launch from Florida, but Houston manages the flight control. (They also manage the ISS and crew training.)
These episodes are just like the Challenger story. They're trauma rituals. I don't buy the Challenger story for one second.
No-- You’re freakin sweet for taking the time to make this video ❤ I really thank you from the bottom
Of my heart for the memories ❤ that was absolutely amazing -- no- it was Epic!💁♀️👏👏💯😘
Damn, watching all these 'special' monents, back-to-back, is emotionally draining 😰
I'm having visceral feelings watching this! The iron scene from that Good Times episode ---that will never leave me!
@BeSimplySusan Ditto for me. 👼♥🙏🕊
Thanks for this compilation. We are discovering these classic shows thanks to you. ❤❤❤❤
Omg I'm 50, and I don't look ANYWHERE near as old as Edith! It's funny it never occurred to me that these laugh tracks were so inappropriate!
That was my first thought too. Both Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton were 50 going on 75. I think part was the show trying to make them look much older to give a broader generation gap between them and Mike and Gloria.
Wilferd Brimley was 48 in Cocoon. Mind blown.
@@eddiebranden1come again! 👀👀
At the same time though, it's based off of what's normal for that time period. You ever look at pictures of your parents and they look older than other people in a current time? It can be based off what clothing is popular or the hair styles, or even shitty cameras.
I work in a grocery store and I see people in my generation (Elder Millenials) that are 40 going on 25, and some that are 50 going on 75. And it has to do with lifestyles and genetics and clothing styles and everything in between.
Jean Stapleton was 54 when she made that episode, but even still, she did look a lot older than most modern day 50-year-olds.
Having grown up in Brevard county, Florida, we didn’t watch the event on TV. We watched it from the commons in our schools. That’s the moment I will never forget. I had forgotten about this episode, thanks for the reminder. As a Gen Xer, naturally I Love your content
Edit - as a parent and mental health professional, some part of me wonders if these episodes actually were important in forming who many of us became .. Gen X is resilient if nothing else, I’m pretty sure we could be called resilient.
Latch key kids got most of our lessons from these sitcoms.
I grew up in Florida also. I was in 3rd grade and we were out on the playground field watching. 1986 was also the year of Halley's comet so there were so many space lessons and excitement building up to that day.
Definitely resilient
Yes we are
Yup.... watched from the playground. Okeechobee, FL 😢
Wow!! I am 46 years old now and seeing the part about Mr Hooper literally just put tears in my eyes
The kidnapping episodes really got to me as a kid because I remember one of my good friend's little brother was kidnapped and unalived right around the same time a lot of these shows were doing episodes on the same topic. I used to have nightmares about it all the time. Thanks Gen-X TV for helping with my paranoia.
It's not paranoia if it's a real thing that occurs everyday
Wow! I am so sorry
Kelly I'm speechless. There are times when mere words are not enough.
**HUGS** ❤️
The little boy was killed after he was kidnapped?
Killed. The boy was KILLED unalived is NOT a fucking word! Grow up
Hearing the audience laugh in regards to a man being graped by two women is so uncomfortable to hear. With female-on-male sėxual assault barely taken seriously today, I imagine it was taken even less seriously in the 80s. I doubt the audience would be laughing if it had been a young woman and two men. And what a stab in the chest to have the whole episode end with a "next time you're on your own pal" haha funny joke. Genuinely disturbing all around.
ted knight has said he hated the episode because rape isnt funny.
There was a very good tv movie made in the 70's about a man who was raped by a woman and struggled to get taken seriously.
@@2degucitas do you remember what it was called?
back in that time it was unheard of and many didn't beleive it was possible for a woman to grape a man. The laughter on sitcoms is fake, its pre recorded. I was watching different strokes with my 11 year old son and he heard the laughter and was confused why they were laughing at things that were not funny.
Three’s Company had a similar situation when Jack was harassed at work by his female boss. Only Janet took him seriously everyone else laughed and was like “aww poor thing” in a condescending way. At first the female judge laughed too but when it came down to Jack saying more Mr Furley was about to “out” Jack so Jack dropped the charges to avoid being “outed”. Later on he gets a job but is complaining about not being able to make passes at his female boss
The Facts of Life - Wow, amazing . If that episode were filmed today I’m afraid there would be references to trauma, therapy, depression, fear, anxiety , mental health, and meds .
Great video.
This one taught me something that explained a lot. I knew the Challenger was carrying a teacher and that teachers were excited about that, but I didn't know that they were planning to have her teach from space and that there was a program set up to broadcast it in schools. I have so many friends who said they had memories of seeing the explosion live at school. Our school had a conference day, but even without, we never had live TV in classrooms. There wasn't, as far as I know, cables, satellites or antennas for TVs. We had film strips, movie projectors and tape players on carts that weren't necessarily VHS. So, I'd been thinking that all my friends who said they watched it live at school had just developed a false memory after watching Punky Brewster, but now I realize I might owe them apologies.
our teachers rolled in TVs on carts specifically to watch the launch. Most of us didn't realize what had just happened but my science teacher kept the TV on . we all went home and tuned into the news that night
Not every school was set up for TV then. Mine was but as an old Xer I was in college for the challenger explosion. People my age remember President Reagan getting shot during school hours and teachers turning on the TV so we could find out what happened and if he was OK. We weren't alive for Kennedy's assassination, but our teachers sure were and I can't imagine the stress of that plus keeping all the kids calm.
Later Reagan was speaking somewhere in Germany to a large crowd when someone popped a balloon, which sounded slightly like a gunshot. Without missing a beat in his prepared remarks, he equipped, "you missed" and continued with his speech. The crowd roared... because it was the 80s and we could.
My school sent us home early to watch it. So I was home alone, my mom was at work. I was 13. I can still see the 2 trails of smoke falling...
@@BklynBabeI could never get that image out of my head. To this day I still can't watch footage of it without wanting to cry. 😢
A hunting we will go=- this is such and important message to Parents- Parents- your kids have feelings. It doesn't matter if you agree with how they feel or not. They have every right to feel the way they do. Your job is to hug them tight. LISTEN to them (and give advice in a non preachy in a non judgmental manner) and teach them to work through these feelings in a healthily manner. Support them and don't force them to do something they don't feel is right.
The Punky Brewster episode about the explosion was a very rough one for me. I grew up in NH where Christa McAuliffe was a teacher. Watching the Challenger explode on the TV in our classroom will be a day I'll never forget. Seeing the TV show hit me hard.
I play the “I’m so excited” meme every time I watch my team build a 20 point lead before eventually blowing it.
This is my new favorite channel! Born in ‘83, so I don’t remember all these things, but I enjoy a nostalgia trip 💜
Edit to add - in college, I would go to my dorm after lunch (1:30) to hit record on the vcr bc I wouldn’t be home until after 4, but General Hospital was on at 3! I don’t miss that
I just watched this episode today! FT was my joooiiinnntttt! "There was a kangaroo inmy living room "😂😂😂😂
A couple years back, I binged a bunch of those "very special episodes." I was so surprised how much audience laughter was in that "All in the Family" episode.
Some of that is nervousness. Also, people were expecting that their "job" there is to laugh, so the story probably came as a bit of a shock. And some of the lines were funny, so it made for a mix of emotions for the audience.
That’s how we dealt with uncomfortableness back in the day. Inappropriate laughter 😢
Its not the audience! It’s called “canned laughter” or a “laugh track” - even if sitcom was filmed in front of an audience, the studio would insert the laugh track anyway during script “beats” to create the feeling of engagement in the viewer. This was extremely common and we all just got used to it
But after many of these specific episodes, viewers started complaining about inappropriate laughter, and the TV Guide published a bunch of these complaints and called for a reassessment of when to use canned laughter
Audience went crazy when Edith fought back
Yeah that was so inappropriate they just start laughing as he's trying to assault her and I'm thinking why are you laughing about this? It's not funny. Why are you laughing? So if these people who actually witnessed it and it was actually real would they sit there and laugh about it? Gosh I really hope not. Those laugh tracks were just so inappropriate I'm sorry just no.
_Gimme a Break_ had a good episode in which the Chief wrestles with guilt after having shot and killed a criminal in action.
The episode where his oldest daughter ends up in the hospital from complications of an IUD was another good one as was the episode when Joey was playing with his father's gun and accidentally shot Nell.
I remember that. The young robber, scared to death after he'd been shot, died in his arms.
I remember an ep in which the little boy performed blackface (the real kind) in front of the black maid and her (black?) friends, for some reason.
@mikeweber3685 Sam was jealous of bot being the baby of the family anymore, so to get back at Nell for always having to help Joey she told Joey to perform in black face.
@@mikeweber3685 Samantha (no longer the youngest child in the house) was jealous of the attention nell was paying to Joey (the new youngest child in the house). So when the time came for Joey to perforfm ast Nell's predominantly African-American church, spiteful Samantha convinced him that he could improve his act by doing it in blackface... the kid had no idea that it was wrong and/or offensive. He was out in front of the congregation singing, "TOO-TOO-TOOTSIE GOOOOD BYEEEEEE.....!" in full Al Jolson make-up!
You did a great job pulling this video together! Editing was on point. You knew exactly when to narrate while having the captions run in the background as well as when to play the show. I enjoyed snippets of the theme songs. Your summaries of the plots were perfect! Great job!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I watched the first part a couple weeks ago, I'm so glad to see you do a part 2! Super serious episodes that should still be made today, especially in todays times
Still are. You just have to know where to look.
23:36. Fairwell to Mr hooper. I remember watching this episode and it helped me a lot as a couple weeks after it aired before Christmas I lost my grandmother. A couple months after that a close cousin I looked up too like an older brother died on a motorcycle. Both were really hard on me, but I think it would have been worse without seeing that episode as my family were not great with talking about things like that.
Saw this randomly on my page, now you have me as a subscriber! I remember all of these! 80's TV could be wild!
Ted Knight did NOT dig that "Too Close for Comfort" episode. He said that when he watched it, the laugh track made him nauseous.
I'm still traumatized by the tv movies"Something about Amelia" with Ted Danson and Glenn Close.
That one was NUTS! Why did that movie have to happen?
Remember I Know My Name Is Steven?
@@mscoop8361 Such a sad story, that family has been through so much.
I remember that movie! After that, I couldn’t forgive Ted Danson and never wanted to see him in anything. It stuck with me. Just wait till the Diddy and Epstein lists are public knowledge, people will be shocked how so many of their favorite stars were pedos 🤢
I remember watching this with my sister and her family. She looked at my brother in law and said, " I will k*ll you." My niece and I were like, what is going on?😮😮😮
52 and I just found your channel! Love this stuff and thank you! Happy 47th Birthday! Maybe a suggestion is to do a segment with the best male and female detective shows of the 80's lol so many! I loved "Moonlighting" (still my favorite TV show) but "Hart to Hart" and "Remington Steele" were great too....
You finally showed the Silver Spoons episode! That episode tore my little heart apart, I was devastated. My dad had to convince me the deer was alright. Omg it still brings a tear to my eye. Thanks for the sad nostalgia 😢 Sad or happy it's nostalgia either way and I'll take it.
Ironically, the actor is a BIG hunter
I live in a wooded area and saw an injured deer. I called non emergency and someone was like “call a hunter! Free meat” I should hunt in Michigan but refuse as I see this episode every time so nope