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Teen TV’s Best & Worst ‘Very Special Episodes,’ Ranked
Very special episodes on teen TV addressed social issues with public-service aims but often aimed to boost ratings during sweeps weeks, shaping cultural awareness for decades.
- Years ago, the 'very special episode' became a small-screen staple across teen television shows, and the article presents a roundup and ranking of VSE picks and categories by the editors.
- Shows used VSEs to tackle social problems in PSA-like plots, and Arthur Smith said they were scheduled for sweeps as 'cynical marketing opportunities' reflecting ratings expectations.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer's The Body filmed mostly as one long take to show Joyce's death, Punky Brewster's CPR episode recently saved lives, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air dramatized racial profiling more than 35 years ago.
- Disney Channel pulled the original Hannah Montana episode after parent protests and later aired a re-shot version developed with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
- Some flawed episodes remain infamous even while influencing viewers; Degrassi: The Next Generation confronted a school shooting directly, while Glee's sensationalized plot left no lasting consequences.
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49 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources49
Leaning Left6Leaning Right9Center26Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Center
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources are Center
63% Center
15%
C 63%
R 22%
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