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

Remember when Edith Bunker was sexually assaulted on All in the Family? Or when abortion was the hot topic on Maude? Did you know that Leave it to Beaver dealt with alcoholism and that "The Bicycle Man" double episode from Diff'rent Strokes is one of the most remembered sitcom entries in the annals of American television history?The role of the Very Special Episode was to take a departure from the regular comic stylings of the American TV sitcom and offer a standalone "serious in nature" gesture in addressing subject matter not normally found in such a medium.
From racial equality on Bewitched and Happy Days to suicide on One Day At A Time and The Facts of Life and beyond, take an in depth look at a number of Very Special Episodes - from early examples to the heyday of the phenomena come the 70s and 80s, with insight from varied historians, critics and individuals who worked on some of the shows. VOLUME 1DateThe Ricardos Visit Cuba from I LOVE LUCY 03/12/1957Pine Lake Lodge from MISTER ED 25/06/1961That's My Boy from THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW 25/09/1963Little Bamm-Bamm from THE FLINTSTONES 03/10/1963The Addams Family Meet A Beatnik from THE ADDAMS FAMILY 01/01/1965The Indians are Coming from THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES 01/02/1967DIDN'T NEED NO WELFARE STATE, EVERYBODY PULLED HIS WEIGHTSisters At Heart from BEWITCHED 24/12/1970Where There's Smoke from THE BRADY BUNCH 08/01/1971Judging Books By Covers from ALL IN THE FAMILY 09/02/1971Road Song from THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY 26/02/1971Lionel Moves into the Neighbourhood from ALL IN THE FAMILY 02/03/1971Gloria Discovers Women's Lib from ALL IN THE FAMILY 23/03/1971First and Last Supper, The from ALL IN THE FAMILY 06/04/1971Edith's Problem from ALL IN THE FAMILY 08/01/1972Maude Meets Florida from MAUDE 26/09/1972Gloria and the Riddle from ALL IN THE FAMILY 07/10/1972Puerto Ricans Are Coming, The from SANFORD AND SON 10/11/1972Maude's Dilemma from MAUDE 14/11/1972Bobby's Hero from THE BRADY BUNCH 02/02/1973Rated X from SANFORD AND SON 16/03/1973Gloria the Victim from ALL IN THE FAMILY 17/03/1973Walter's Problem from MAUDE 11/09/1973Maude's Musical from MAUDE 13/11/1973Edith's Christmas Story from ALL IN THE FAMILY 22/12/1973