Jessica Fletcher, mystery novelist (Murder, She Wrote)
Oscar Madison, sports writer (The Odd Couple)
Peggy Olson, advertising copywriter (Mad Men)
Jake Sisko, journalist and aspiring novelist (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Billie Newman, journalist (Lou Grant)
Toby Ziegler, speechwriter for the President of the United States (The West Wing)
Dave Barry, columnist (Dave’s World)
Rob Petrie, Head Writer, The Alan Brady Show (The Dick Van Dyke Show)
NEXT: Actors who wore fur on screen, or otherwise conspicuously consumed animal products in prior eras, and later became animal activists.
Mary Tyler Moore (Wore furs on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and consumed veal on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but later a dedicated animal rights activist in the 1990s, and 21st century.
I can think of them, yeah, but I guess it is pretty obscure if you haven’t been reading about animal right in the 21st century. There are lots of things by wealthy people, many celebrities who talk about how they wore kid glove, furs, and ate veal, and didn’t think twice about it.
But I’ll come up with something else. Those periodicals I guess aren’t so mainstream.
Very special episodes that actually took a stand what I mean is, most of them weren’t that special. The ultimate message was “Child molestation is bad,” or “drugs are bad for you.” But some actually took a side, or said something controversial.
Roseanne: “White Men Can’t Kiss.” DJ doesn’t want to kiss a girl in a play because she is black. Dan and Roseanne review their parenting and question whether DJ somehow learned this from them.
Very special episodes that actually took a stand what I mean is, most of them weren’t that special. The ultimate message was “Child molestation is bad,” or “drugs are bad for you.” But some actually took a side, or said something controversial.
Roseanne: “White Men Can’t Kiss.” DJ doesn’t want to kiss a girl in a play because she is black. Dan and Roseanne review their parenting and question whether DJ somehow learned this from them.
Longmire: “The Dog Soldier.” The plot addressed a well-documented social and political problem involving the placement of Native American foster children in non-native homes and/or privately run (but, in effect, government-funded) group homes.
Very special episodes that actually took a stand what I mean is, most of them weren’t that special. The ultimate message was “Child molestation is bad,” or “drugs are bad for you.” But some actually took a side, or said something controversial.
Roseanne: “White Men Can’t Kiss.” DJ doesn’t want to kiss a girl in a play because she is black. Dan and Roseanne review their parenting and question whether DJ somehow learned this from them.
Longmire: “The Dog Soldier.” The plot addressed a well-documented social and political problem involving the placement of Native American foster children in non-native homes and/or privately run (but, in effect, government-funded) group homes.
WRKP in Cincinnati: “Who is Gordon Sims?” Station DJ Venus Flytrap reveals that his real name is Gordon Sims, that he served in Vietnam, and that he went AWOL after returning stateside, unable to cope with what he’d experienced. Mr. Carlson (the station manager) is initially judgemental about Venus’s desertion, but once he learns about the horrors that Venus had seen, Carlson winds up defending him for his actions. The episode aired in 1979, with Vietnam still fresh in viewers’ consciousness.
Very special episodes that actually took a stand what I mean is, most of them weren’t that special. The ultimate message was “Child molestation is bad,” or “drugs are bad for you.” But some actually took a side, or said something controversial.
Roseanne: “White Men Can’t Kiss.” DJ doesn’t want to kiss a girl in a play because she is black. Dan and Roseanne review their parenting and question whether DJ somehow learned this from them.
Longmire: “The Dog Soldier.” The plot addressed a well-documented social and political problem involving the placement of Native American foster children in non-native homes and/or privately run (but, in effect, government-funded) group homes.
WRKP in Cincinnati: “Who is Gordon Sims?” Station DJ Venus Flytrap reveals that his real name is Gordon Sims, that he served in Vietnam, and that he went AWOL after returning stateside, unable to cope with what he’d experienced. Mr. Carlson (the station manager) is initially judgemental about Venus’s desertion, but once he learns about the horrors that Venus had seen, Carlson winds up defending him for his actions. The episode aired in 1979, with Vietnam still fresh in viewers’ consciousness.
Maude: “Maude’s Dilemma” A two-part episode in Season One, Maude discovers she’s pregnant. She and her husband Walter decide against raising a child at their advanced age, and Maude gets an abortion.
Very special episodes that actually took a stand what I mean is, most of them weren’t that special. The ultimate message was “Child molestation is bad,” or “drugs are bad for you.” But some actually took a side, or said something controversial.
Roseanne: “White Men Can’t Kiss.” DJ doesn’t want to kiss a girl in a play because she is black. Dan and Roseanne review their parenting and question whether DJ somehow learned this from them.
Longmire: “The Dog Soldier.” The plot addressed a well-documented social and political problem involving the placement of Native American foster children in non-native homes and/or privately run (but, in effect, government-funded) group homes.
WRKP in Cincinnati: “Who is Gordon Sims?” Station DJ Venus Flytrap reveals that his real name is Gordon Sims, that he served in Vietnam, and that he went AWOL after returning stateside, unable to cope with what he’d experienced. Mr. Carlson (the station manager) is initially judgemental about Venus’s desertion, but once he learns about the horrors that Venus had seen, Carlson winds up defending him for his actions. The episode aired in 1979, with Vietnam still fresh in viewers’ consciousness.
Maude: “Maude’s Dilemma” A two-part episode in Season One, Maude discovers she’s pregnant. She and her husband Walter decide against raising a child at their advanced age, and Maude gets an abortion.
Murphy Brown: “Uh-Oh” A three-part episode in which Murphy gets pregnant by her ex-husband and decides to keep the baby and raise it as a single mother. This got national attention in real life, to the point that Vice President Dan Quayle denigrated single motherhood in a speech, mentioning Murphy Brown specifically. They later used footage from that speech on the show, and dumped a whole bunch of potatoes on his front lawn (again, on the show).
Very special episodes that actually took a stand what I mean is, most of them weren’t that special. The ultimate message was “Child molestation is bad,” or “drugs are bad for you.” But some actually took a side, or said something controversial.
Roseanne: “White Men Can’t Kiss.” DJ doesn’t want to kiss a girl in a play because she is black. Dan and Roseanne review their parenting and question whether DJ somehow learned this from them.
Longmire: “The Dog Soldier.” The plot addressed a well-documented social and political problem involving the placement of Native American foster children in non-native homes and/or privately run (but, in effect, government-funded) group homes.
WRKP in Cincinnati: “Who is Gordon Sims?” Station DJ Venus Flytrap reveals that his real name is Gordon Sims, that he served in Vietnam, and that he went AWOL after returning stateside, unable to cope with what he’d experienced. Mr. Carlson (the station manager) is initially judgemental about Venus’s desertion, but once he learns about the horrors that Venus had seen, Carlson winds up defending him for his actions. The episode aired in 1979, with Vietnam still fresh in viewers’ consciousness.
Maude: “Maude’s Dilemma” A two-part episode in Season One, Maude discovers she’s pregnant. She and her husband Walter decide against raising a child at their advanced age, and Maude gets an abortion.
Murphy Brown: “Uh-Oh” A three-part episode in which Murphy gets pregnant by her ex-husband and decides to keep the baby and raise it as a single mother. This got national attention in real life, to the point that Vice President Dan Quayle denigrated single motherhood in a speech, mentioning Murphy Brown specifically. They later used footage from that speech on the show, and dumped a whole bunch of potatoes on his front lawn (again, on the show).
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse” Will’s father abandons him - again. The episode illustrates the profound impact of parental abandonment but also showcases the human capacity for growth, resilience, and finding strength in alternative forms of support and love.
I recently saw this episode again and it tore me up - again. I don’t care if it doesn’t fit the category well, it’s the best “very special episode” there is, IMHO.
Very special episodes that actually took a stand what I mean is, most of them weren’t that special. The ultimate message was “Child molestation is bad,” or “drugs are bad for you.” But some actually took a side, or said something controversial.
Roseanne: “White Men Can’t Kiss.” DJ doesn’t want to kiss a girl in a play because she is black. Dan and Roseanne review their parenting and question whether DJ somehow learned this from them.
Longmire: “The Dog Soldier.” The plot addressed a well-documented social and political problem involving the placement of Native American foster children in non-native homes and/or privately run (but, in effect, government-funded) group homes.
WRKP in Cincinnati: “Who is Gordon Sims?” Station DJ Venus Flytrap reveals that his real name is Gordon Sims, that he served in Vietnam, and that he went AWOL after returning stateside, unable to cope with what he’d experienced. Mr. Carlson (the station manager) is initially judgemental about Venus’s desertion, but once he learns about the horrors that Venus had seen, Carlson winds up defending him for his actions. The episode aired in 1979, with Vietnam still fresh in viewers’ consciousness.
Maude: “Maude’s Dilemma” A two-part episode in Season One, Maude discovers she’s pregnant. She and her husband Walter decide against raising a child at their advanced age, and Maude gets an abortion.
Murphy Brown: “Uh-Oh” A three-part episode in which Murphy gets pregnant by her ex-husband and decides to keep the baby and raise it as a single mother. This got national attention in real life, to the point that Vice President Dan Quayle denigrated single motherhood in a speech, mentioning Murphy Brown specifically. They later used footage from that speech on the show, and dumped a whole bunch of potatoes on his front lawn (again, on the show).
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse” Will’s father abandons him - again. The episode illustrates the profound impact of parental abandonment but also showcases the human capacity for growth, resilience, and finding strength in alternative forms of support and love.
Brooklyn Nne-Nine: “Moo-Moo.” Sgt. Terry Jeffords (who is Black) is stopped by a fellow officer in a clear act of racial profiling. Jeffords later confronts the officer, who refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing. After discussing it with his (also Black) commander, Cpt. Holt, Jeffords files a report on the incident. In retaliation, Holt is denied a promotion for which he was being considered. The disappointed officers decide they are glad they stood up for what is right, even if the system ends up protecting the racist cop.