# Embarasssing attempts at drama in a comedy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarasssing-attempts-at-drama-in-a-comedy/943260>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 31, 2021, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarasssing-attempts-at-drama-in-a-comedy/943260 "2021-05-31T02:06:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarasssing-attempts-at-drama-in-a-comedy/943260/1 "2021-05-31T02:06:01Z")

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As a counterpart to the thread [Embarrassingly bad “comic relief” in old TV drama](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarrassingly-bad-comic-relief-in-old-tv-drama/943187) I was wondering aboutwhat people’s most memorable attempts at dramatic moments in a comedy are.

The first one that came to mind for me was Saved by The Bell’s attempt at an anti-drug episode where Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) gets addicted to caffeine pills.

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0oRipJAlW5M/maxresdefault.jpg "Saved by the Bell | "I'm So Excited": Jessie's Caffeine Pill Addiction") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oRipJAlW5M)

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**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarasssing-attempts-at-drama-in-a-comedy/943260/2 "2021-05-31T02:13:55Z")

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Lol. Caffeine pills?

I’ll go with Family Ties. When the alcoholic uncle comes home storming through the kitchen looking for something to drink and then downs a bottle of vanilla extract bc he couldn’t find anything else.

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**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarasssing-attempts-at-drama-in-a-comedy/943260/3 "2021-05-31T02:51:56Z")

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Played by Tom Hanks. Still, I did like his “It’s 'nilla time!” line before he drank the bottle.

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**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embarasssing-attempts-at-drama-in-a-comedy/943260/4 "2021-05-31T05:26:40Z")

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Should we just assume every Very Special Episode has been mentioned?