Though social issues have been incorporated into TV shows more organically lately, the \u201cvery special episode\u201d was a small-screen staple for decades. These episodes deal with societal woes like drug\/alcohol abuse, crime, and violence \u2014 or, alternatively, death and other facts of life \u2014 in PSA-like storylines that were often resolved by the end of the hour or half-hour.<\/p>\n
And very special episodes were often \u201ccynical marketing opportunities as much as a desire to serve the public,\u201d Arthur Smith, a former assistant curator at the Paley Center for Media, explained to The Atlantic<\/a><\/em> in 2015. \u201cVery special episodes were always scheduled for sweeps weeks, and so clearly had ratings expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n But New Yorker<\/em> critic Emily Nussbaum said these ratings grabs might have made a different in viewers\u2019 hearts and minds nevertheless. \u201cI do wonder if some VSEs had social impact,\u201d she told the magazine. \u201cJust because something is bad art doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not effective.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, the best-received very special episodes have remained in viewers\u2019 memories for ages. The worst, meanwhile, live on in infamy. Here are our picks for both categories.<\/p>\n 4. Hannah Montana<\/a><\/em>: \u201cNo Sugar, Sugar\u201d<\/strong> \u2014Hannah Montana<\/em> missed the mark as it depicted Oliver (Mitchel Musso<\/a>) getting a diabetes diagnosis in a canceled episode called \u201cNo Sugar, Sugar.\u201d The original storyline had Oliver getting the nickname \u201cSugar Boy\u201d as his friends tried to prevent him from eating any type of sugar, which is a misconception about diabetes, according to Parade<\/a><\/em>. Amid protests from parents who saw the episode early, Disney Channel<\/a> pulled the episode, per UPI<\/a>. And a re-shot episode, written in collaboration with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, aired nearly a year later as \u201cUptight (Oliver\u2019s Alright).\u201d<\/p>\n 3. Full House<\/a><\/em>: \u201cShape Up\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 When DJ (Cameron Candace Bure<\/a>) starts developing an eating disorder in this episode, she gets cringe-worthy advice from the adults in her life. \u201cDeej, if you wanna lose a couple of pounds, all you have to do is eat sensibly,\u201d Aunt Becky (Lori Loughlin<\/a>) tells her, before launching into a diet-culture babble. \u201cYou could have boiled fish, lean chicken without the skin, fresh fruits, delicious steamed vegetables, a nice whole grain pasta with a light tomato sauce and just a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Worst<\/h2>\n