# Episodes of TV shows which departed from the standard formula and were good **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972 "2011-10-08T04:22:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![A\_qui\_profite\_le\_crime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@A\_qui\_profite\_le\_crime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_qui_profite_le_crime)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/21 "2011-10-08T16:27:15Z")
Last Year’s “far west” episode of Supernatural was a lot of fun during a very average season. The episode where everyone in Buffy is mute for almost the entire time was excellent. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/22 "2011-10-08T16:43:40Z")
> [@The\_Vorlon](#): > > Then there was the ER show that was done live, twice, once for the east coast, once for the west coast. Quite difficult. I think there was an episode of Drew Carey like that. It might not have been live but there were no do overs. Even worse I think they had to adlib as the went along as details of the plot were variable or they didn’t know what they were ahead of time. Or something like that. It wasnt great but then again it wasn’t terrible. Just being able to do that (and the whole cast could) says something. Does anybody else recall this or something like it? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/23 "2011-10-08T16:45:15Z")
> [@Little\_Cloud](#): > > One episode of House was a day from Dr. Cuddy’s perspective. In that episode, House would appear occasionally with some stupid request and seemed like an annoying pest interrupting her important work. It was great fun to watch. House’s flight over the cuckoo’s nest was also pretty different and fairly good, if a bit cliché and thoroughly unrealistic (but then, _House_. Reality takes a seat so far back I think it’s somewhere in Swaziland) ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/24 "2011-10-08T17:28:52Z")
I liked the Northern Exposure episode where Shelly had to sing the whole episode. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrVGpy-UlEQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrVGpy-UlEQ) ---
**Author:** ![LaurenIpsum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@LaurenIpsum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaurenIpsum)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/25 "2011-10-08T19:31:49Z")
There was a Torchwood episode where the “Monster of the Week” turned out to be completely non-supernatural. I forget the exact plot, but people were being kidnapped and slaughtered, and the team goes out to investigate, assuming there’s an alien or other sci-fi creature. Turns out to be just two crazy old people with no special powers. Not that I’d want the whole series like that, but it was interesting to be surprised in that way. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/26 "2011-10-08T20:56:59Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > _ **X-Files** _ had several lighthearted–even comedic–episodes. “Jose Chung’s from Outer Space” is probably the most notable, featuring a cameo by Alex Trebek as a Man in Black. Another really funny episode that used the same kind of storytelling (multiple unreliable narrators giving different versions of the same events) was “Bad Blood” (which, BTW, I see via Wiki was written by one Vince Gilligan, creator of _Breaking Bad_). Mulder and Scully give accounts of the same events, but with very different details. And we learn that vampires have OCD, so one can escape them by throwing a handful of sunflower seeds on the floor. I came in here to list those. I also enjoyed **Triangle** in season 6, but don’t know if that counts as “standard” or not. Good call **Tangent**. **Jose Chung’s From Outer Space** was also about different accounts of one story… GREAT episode. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/27 "2011-10-08T21:52:25Z")
> [@](#): > > And we learn that vampires have OCD, so one can escape them by throwing a handful of sunflower seeds on the floor. That’s actualy a legitimate piece of authentic vampire lore – one that you never hear about in movies when they recount the lore of vampires. I’m not an X-Files fan, so i didn’t realize they’d mentioned it in the show. AFAIK it’s the first time it appeared in a pop culture vampire appearance. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/28 "2011-10-08T22:09:28Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Well, for a dud, ST:TNG did a clip episode. Shades of Gray. No other ep of any ST series was a clip show. Well, to be fair, it WAS the one ep that was affected by the writer’s strike of that year. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/29 "2011-10-09T01:44:02Z")
There were a couple of episodes of Bonanza that were comedies. The best one was when Ben, Hoss and Little Joe were each taken by a con man. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/30 "2011-10-09T02:00:10Z")
> [@LaurenIpsum](#): > > There was a Torchwood episode where the “Monster of the Week” turned out to be completely non-supernatural. I forget the exact plot, but people were being kidnapped and slaughtered, and the team goes out to investigate, assuming there’s an alien or other sci-fi creature. Turns out to be just two crazy old people with no special powers. Not just two crazy old people. The whole town. The episode was called [Countrycide](http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Countrycide). It was also apparently the first Whoniverse story to feature no supernatural/scifi elements in 25 years. (If you ignore the Doctor arriving and leaving in the TARDIS…if not, it may well be the first ever. Obviously, the Doctor being an alien and Jack being immortal have to be ignored for this to work, but when those aspects don’t play into the plot, that’s acceptable, really.) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/31 "2011-10-09T02:14:44Z")
**M_A_S\*H** also did an episode where Hawkeye’s Jeep crashed; he had a concussion, and most of the episode was him trying to keep himself awake by pacing and talking at the Korean family that found him. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/32 "2011-10-09T03:34:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > That’s actualy a legitimate piece of authentic vampire lore – one that you never hear about in movies when they recount the lore of vampires. I’m not an X-Files fan, so i didn’t realize they’d mentioned it in the show. AFAIK it’s the first time it appeared in a pop culture vampire appearance. I can think of at least one other [pop-culture vampire that loves to count..ha..ha..ha.hah.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQC82okzTXI&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/33 "2011-10-09T04:49:48Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > I came in here to list those. I also enjoyed **Triangle** in season 6, but don’t know if that counts as “standard” or not. **Triangle** is one of my favorites. I loved the “split-screen” filming techniques they used in that one. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/34 "2011-10-09T05:08:23Z")
Another _Star Trek: TNG_ one is “The Inner Light”, which was possibly the best episode of the show, despite Patrick Stewart being the only one of the regular cast who was in most of it, and him not even exactly playing Picard. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/35 "2011-10-09T05:57:13Z")
_Family Guy_ had [“Brian & Stewie”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_%26_Stewie), which was a complete departure from the norm for them. It featured absolutely no cutaway gags and featured only Brian and Stewie as characters. Watching for the first time, not knowing what it was, was surreal. I kept waiting for it to turn into a normal _Family Guy_ episode, but it just insisted on being this weird little character piece, exploring the relationship of these two characters. It was funny seeing how, despite how out-there the show usually is and how the characters are often treated as nothing more than props to set up gags, there really are well-defined characters there that can be explored in a serious way. Even if they are a talking dog and a super-intelligent infant. It’s not something I’d want to see from them all that often, but they tried something different and it was successful. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/36 "2011-10-09T11:42:29Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > LAW & ORDER had one classic episode open with a criminal dying in the electric chair; we then follow the cops and prosecutors who put him there, as they spend the rest of the day finding new and different ways to put off dealing with it: two of 'em wind up at the same bar and get increasingly hammered, another sleeps with someone he just met – played by a then-unknown Jennifer Garner! – and the whole thing wraps up with the out-of-nowhere season-finale ending that got Jill Hennessy off the show by putting her character on a slab. This is what I came in here to post. This episode was unique for the original series in that it showed in detail the private lives of the characters. Until this episode the camera had almost never followed them home or shown them doing anything not directly related to their jobs. Quite possibly the success of this formula is what led to its adoption for SVU. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/37 "2011-10-09T12:10:11Z")
I remember an episode of _Riptide_ (way back in the 80s) where they basically ripped off _Moonlighting_. It was quite amusing, especially for such a formulaic show. Though undoubtedly _Moonlighting_’s influence was what inspired it to twist off into a surreal direction in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/38 "2011-10-09T12:18:50Z")
Oh, there were also a couple of cool episodes of _Married With Children_, one where Buck the dog can talk and was played by a man in a suit (that in turn inspired the recent Aussie/US show _Wilfred_) and they also had one where the cast played Pirates. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/39 "2011-10-09T14:12:42Z")
The Dollhouse episodes Epitaph One and Epitaph Two, at the end of each season, were like a completely different show - a far, far better one. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972/40 "2011-10-09T15:33:45Z")
> [@Loopus](#): > > _Family Guy_ had [“Brian & Stewie”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_%26_Stewie), which was a complete departure from the norm for them. It featured absolutely no cutaway gags and featured only Brian and Stewie as characters. Watching for the first time, not knowing what it was, was surreal. I kept waiting for it to turn into a normal _Family Guy_ episode, but it just insisted on being this weird little character piece, exploring the relationship of these two characters. It was funny seeing how, despite how out-there the show usually is and how the characters are often treated as nothing more than props to set up gags, there really are well-defined characters there that can be explored in a serious way. Even if they are a talking dog and a super-intelligent infant. > > It’s not something I’d want to see from them all that often, but they tried something different and it was successful. Of course it is probably the only Character Study that had one character eat the other character’s poop. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/episodes-of-tv-shows-which-departed-from-the-standard-formula-and-were-good/598972.md?page=3)