11 of the Most Awkward “Very Special Episodes” in TV History

5. Sabrina the Teenage Witch – Pancake Madness

Things got weird, even for Sabrina the Teenage Witch, in season 3’s “Pancake Madness.” Turns out, pancakes are like hard drugs to witches, and Sabrina falls off the wagon. Hard. It’s one of the most bizarre and random Very Special Episodes ever, save for that episode of Family Ties where Jennifer became addicted to non-sequiturs.

6. Diff’rent Strokes – The Reporter

The 80’s were a weird time, as evidenced by that Diff’rent Strokes episode when Arnold reported on the school’s drug problem in the newspaper. The principal accused him of lying, but at the last minute the day was saved by…. Nancy Reagan. Nancy, of course, is down with the drug scene in New York City and was able to vouch for poor Arnold. The lesson learned: Nancy Reagan’s a snitch.

7. Dinosaurs – Steroids to Heaven

Who can forget the very special episode of Dinosaurs when teenage son Robbie starts using “Thornoids” to bulk up? In a bit of a muddled message from the writers, the drugs work like a charm, but Robbie’s friends soon become concerned about his new, aggressive attitude. I suppose kids at home were supposed to think, “Wow, if steroids could make a vicious prehistoric carnivore act a little aggressively, imagine what they could do to me!”

8. Ghost Writer – What’s Up With Alex

On PBS’s Ghost Writer, while not-so-subtly investigating a local nogoodnik (see picture above), the gang gets their marijuana-addicted friend into drug counseling. The best part of this episode has got to be its realistic inner-city dialogue. For example, the kids actually say to each other: “That’s pot!” “Also known as marijuana, reefer.” The awkwardness escalates from there, eventually culminating in me shutting off my TV in sympathetic embarrassment for the actors.