# A very special episode

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-special-episode/352745>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 15, 2006, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-special-episode/352745 "2006-04-15T02:28:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-special-episode/352745/1 "2006-04-15T02:28:53Z")

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This might also go in _Cafe Society_ but on balance, it really is Mundane and Pointless.

TV doesn’t do Very Special Episodes very well anymore. Everyone knows having Tom Hanks play a psycopathic serial killer isn’t really Very Special – it’s just stunt casting.

No, a Very Special Episode has to have An Important Message in it. And a Heartwarming Moment.

So take your favorite TV show (any genre – sitcom, drama, reality show, infomercial, even a 30-second ad) and give us your very best Very Special Episode.

**24** - Jack has only 60 minutes to reunite a homeless woman with her long lost daughter.

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**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-special-episode/352745/2 "2006-04-15T02:33:50Z")

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> [@kunilou](#):
>
> . . .  
> **24** - Jack has only 60 minutes to reunite a homeless woman with her long lost daughter.

- or millions will die.\*

Sorry, couldn’t resist.

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**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-special-episode/352745/3 "2006-04-15T03:09:48Z")

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**M_A_S\*H** : (older, I know, but its my favorite) The Nurses - Where we learn that Margaret “Hotlips” Houlihan has a heart and just wants to be not just respected, but liked for who she is as a person.

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**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-special-episode/352745/4 "2006-04-15T03:15:26Z")

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> [@hawksgirl](#):
>
> **M_A_S\*H** : (older, I know, but its my favorite) The Nurses - Where we learn that Margaret “Hotlips” Houlihan has a heart and just wants to be not just respected, but liked for who she is as a person.

Didn’t they have an episode where that happened?

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**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-special-episode/352745/5 "2006-04-15T03:35:11Z")

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> [@RandMcnally](#):
>
> Didn’t they have an episode where that happened?

:smack: My bad, please ignore that one, I misread the OP.  
_hides under the desk_