# Any old TV shows where you are conversant with the show but literally can only remember one ep **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790 "2020-08-23T01:57:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/41 "2020-08-24T22:31:43Z")
The only episode of _Diff’rent Strokes_ I can clearly remember is the infamous one where Gordon Jump plays a child molester. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/42 "2020-08-24T22:52:07Z")
> [@Acerbic](#): > > I have never seen a single episode of The Brady Bunch but it’s such a big part of the cultural zeitgeist that I can recount several famous scenes such as Greg attempting to smoke, Marsha getting hit in the face by the football, the singing one, and I’m even familiar with cousin Oliver Speaking of: Day By Day and its Very Brady Episode. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/43 "2020-08-24T23:30:51Z")
I think you’re mistaken on the second. That was a very early B&W episode, and it put the kibosh on their plans to sail off the island. Once the _Minnow_ was gone, it was gone! **FUN FACT:** The boat was named after FCC Chairman Newton Minnow, who had declared television “a vast wasteland.” ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/44 "2020-08-24T23:35:43Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > **FUN FACT:** The boat was named after FCC Chairman Newton Minnow, who had declared television “a vast wasteland.” Except his name was Newton **Minow**. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/45 "2020-08-24T23:43:16Z")
I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/46 "2020-08-24T23:50:38Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > On a side note, this thread brings to mind the television viewing law that states, “If you watch a TV series only twice, the second time will be a rerun of the episode you saw the first time you watched the show.” I think I’ve seen all of the episodes of _Keeping Up Appearances_ but the first one I saw on PBS, the _only_ one I kept seeing until it was streaming on Netflix was “Please Mind your Head” where Hyacinth tries to prove she can ride. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/47 "2020-08-25T00:33:43Z")
> [@Pavelb1](#): > > Magnum PI: Twice i sat down to watch an ep, and it not only was the same ep, but a famous one that still shows up in references from time to time. The one where magnum shoots an unarmed guy at the end. I was thinking the same thing- I remember that there was a Naval Intelligence/Vietnam story arc that culminated in Magnum shooting that KGB agent at the end of the episode, but despite having watched the show religiously for its entire run, I don’t actually remember the episode. The only one I do remember is the one where Magnum’s buddy was a pro football player and was getting injections that didn’t actually have any therapeutic effect and were destroying his shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/48 "2020-08-25T01:02:43Z")
I also watched a lot of Wings back in the day. I can’t recall any particular storyline but I remember enjoying it. One thing I do remember is that the episodes with Farrah Forke were my favorite ones. ---
**Author:** ![Acerbic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acerbic/32/3695_2.png) [@Acerbic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acerbic)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/49 "2020-08-25T01:19:00Z")
Here’s a quote about Farrah I found on Wikipedia. " Forke also was the voice woman of several high end companies such as Cadillac and Arby’s." I’m just tickled pink that Arby’s is a high end company. I actually remember several plots from Wings but overall it’s a fairly forgettable sitcom. Family Guy made a joke out of it when Quagmire tells the gang it’s his favorite show, none of the other guys have heard of it, and Quaqmire angrily walks away ranting that he can’t believe they’ve never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/50 "2020-08-25T01:34:39Z")
Only saw one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and only one episode of Angel. Didn’t care for either, but people have told me I was really unlucky and caught two less-than-sterling episodes. (The first Agatha Christie novel I ever read turned out to be one of the relatively few stinkers. Just my luck!) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/51 "2020-08-25T08:21:25Z")
I watched every single episode of _The Golden Girls,_ more than once, but can remember only generalities of each character: Blanche the slut, Dorothy the unattractive one, Rose and her St. Olaf stories and Sophia’s aging body and brain. But I don’t remember any of the plots at all. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/52 "2020-08-25T12:26:25Z")
I can remember exactly one Golden Girls episode, where they enter a contest to write a promotional song for the city of Miami. Rose defends her use of the word “thrice” (“Miami is nice, so I’ll say it thrice”) but Dorothy says it’s as awkward as the word “intrauterine”. Miami, you’re cuter than An intrauterine… ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/53 "2020-08-25T18:15:53Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I’ve only seen The Cosby Show twice, ever. But I’ve only seen one episode. I saw a lot of The Cosby Show – it being both very popular in prime time and then in syndication – but the only episode I remember is Theo saving up money for some sweater, his sister offering to make the sweater for a fraction of the price and her produced sweater being comically bad. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/54 "2020-08-25T18:36:55Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I saw a lot of The Cosby Show So did I, but I’d forgotten that one until you jogged my memory. The only one I really remembered was the one where Theo was diagnosed with dyslexia. Oh, and there was the one where Cliff had a weird dream where all the men were pregnant and he gave birth to a sub sandwich and a two liter soda. So I guess I remember two episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/55 "2020-08-25T18:42:58Z")
I watched plenty of “Simon & Simon” when it was first run but only remember an episode I caught in syndication, the one involving roid rage. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/56 "2020-08-26T17:53:30Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Dennis the Menace: Dennis swivels a street sign around, and somebody digs a swimming pool in the wrong backyard. What a terrible show. I can dial this down further; I don’t even remember an entire episode of Dennis The Menace, but one single scene from one single episode, that occasionally pops into my mind for some reason. A relative was visiting the family, maybe Dennis’ grandfather or uncle. The scene I remember is, he and Dennis were at a local store, where there was a sign for a food product, something along the lines of “Satisfaction guaranteed, or double your money back!”. The relative bought one, and right there, took a bite and said he didn’t like it, pointed to the sign and demanded double his money back. The reluctant shopkeeper was forced to do so. With the returned money, the relative immediately purchased another one of the product, opened it, took a bite, said he still didn’t like it, and wanted double his money back. He may or may not have done this another time or two before he was kicked out. That’s all I remember. I do recall, even watching this as a child, thinking that the shopkeeper deserved to be taken advantage of for having such a stupid offer. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/57 "2020-08-26T18:35:56Z")
Fame. I watched almost every episode, but aside from a scene or two of the cast performing (by far the best part), I can only remember the plot of the episode where Coco won’t let Julie be in the student production she’s putting on because Julie is the wrong astrological sign. ---
**Author:** ![Acerbic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acerbic/32/3695_2.png) [@Acerbic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acerbic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/58 "2020-08-26T19:08:43Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I saw a lot of The Cosby Show – it being both very popular in prime time and then in syndication – but the only episode I remember is Theo saving up money for some sweater, his sister offering to make the sweater for a fraction of the price and her produced sweater being comically bad. The Cosby Show is a good call. I watched the heck out of it in the 80s but I can scarcely recall any particular episode and I can’t even name all the kids. I’m unlikely to ever revisit the series though. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/59 "2020-08-26T20:23:03Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Dennis the Menace: Dennis swivels a street sign around, and somebody digs a swimming pool in the wrong backyard. What a terrible show. I remember that one now that you reminded me, but the one that stuck with me was the one where Dennis’s father was trying to decide whether he should get his wife a car. She, apparently, had no say in the matter; it was entirely up to him. Dennis thinks he mom should have a car, and somehow convinces a little old lady to sell him her antique electric car, I guess for the money in his piggy bank or something. Meanwhile, Dennis’s father comes to the conclusion that yes, he should get a car for his wife, and buys a conventional late model used car for her. So at the end of the episode, Dennis’s mom ends up with _two_ cars. How amusing. Actually, that episode stuck with me because even as a kid watching reruns on Nickelodeon, I could see how sexist it was that it was the man’s decision whether or not his wife could have a car, while she had no say in the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790/60 "2020-08-26T20:26:27Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > antique electric car That little car sure got around! > **[Baker Electric in "Dennis the Menace"](http://imcdb.org/vehicle_425684-Baker-Electric-1916.html)** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-old-tv-shows-where-you-are-conversant-with-the-show-but-literally-can-only-remember-one-ep/918790.md?page=4)