...I think Different Strokes started the Very Special Episode thing back than. Everyone did it after that...
shareThere were ones that did it before Diff'rent Strokes but I think Diff'rent Strokes may have been the ones to actually use the term, from my memory anyway.
shareActually, I Love Lucy was one of the first episodes to do episodes like that.
shareWhich episode?
shareThey showed what should have been another one today
A Special Friend had Arnold and Sam learn about epilepsy. Because there is no Americans with Disabilities Act at all back then (early 1980's) a public school teacher lost her job and presumably lives on the streets even with her college degree. She is a mime.
Oh but this is not even the actual "bad part" of the episode!!
After meeting her and hearing her situation. Drumond could have decided to hire her for his company--he IS after all the CEO! Gee then she would have a job and not live on the streets anymore. Oh and Sam and Arnold could hang w her too.
But he just stands there and talks to her in the park....like she's supposed to go on begging for handouts. He wants another org to instead deal with her and her epilepsy. Washes his hands of the whole thing. And we never hear of her and her epilepsy again.
The one good part was when Pearl REALLY chewed Sam and Arnold out. She works as a maid bc of her epilepsy. She has job....it is cleaning up other people 's messes. This is 'okay' though lol. We never see Pearl have a seizure of any kind so we should assume that her seizures are fairly well controlled. Why can't she get another job beyond cleaning up their garbage? A job which yes would pay more?