What was your favorite Very Special Episode?

[Capt. Obvious]

For me, I'd have to say when Mr. Carlson from WKRP was a pedophile on Different Strokes, The Bicycle Man.

That was a two part episode.

[Aristus]

1. That episode creeped me out...

[CBGLuthier]

2. The one on All in the Family where Beverly LaSalle was killed

which caused Edith to lose faith in god. It was really special because Beverly was a transvestite entertainer and Edith's grief was so deep.

[Skittles]

8. the lovely Lori Shannon

I loved her look and her voice; sadly she passed away at age 45

[TeamPooka]

3. The one where James At 15 lost his virginity. nt

[csziggy]

4. When Maude got an abortion

Maude would also earn a place for Arthur in the history of the women's liberation movement.[9] The groundbreaking series addressed serious sociopolitical topics of the era that were considered taboo for a sitcom, including the Vietnam War, the Nixon Administration, Maude's bid for a Congressional seat, divorce, menopause, drug use, alcoholism, nervous breakdown, mental illness, abortion, to spousal abuse. A prime example is "Maude's Dilemma", a two-part episode airing near Thanksgiving of 1972 in which Maude's character grapples with a late-life pregnancy, ultimately deciding to have an abortion.

Even though abortion was legal in New York State, it was illegal in many other regions of the country, and as such sparked controversy. As a result, dozens of affiliates refused to broadcast the episode when it was originally scheduled, substituting either a repeat from earlier in the season or a Thanksgiving TV special in its place. However, by the time of the summer rerun season six months later all the flak had died down, and the stations that refused to air the episode upon its first run reinstated it for the reruns the following summer. As a result, a reported 65 million viewers watched the two episode arc either in their first run that November or during the following summer as a re-run.[10]

The episode aired two months before the U.S. Supreme Court legalized the procedure nationwide in the Roe v. Wade outcome in early 1973.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bea_Arthur#Television

It was pretty historic - as historic as the Kirk Uhura kiss.

[Liberal Veteran]

5. Designing Women: Killing All the Right People

[Brother Buzz]

6. Beverly Hillbillies episode:The Clampetts & The Dodgers

Featuring Leo (the lip) Doroucher.

[shenmue]

7. Cagney and Lacey, "The City is Burning"

I had to watch it for school. Would have watched it anyway. It was a highly controversial episode with very graphic language, including racist terms, as everybody fought over a crime that provoked racial tensions in the city. It was based on the real-life Howard Beach incident.

[elleng]

9. West Wing - Bashing Bible Bashers

[Rowdyboy]

10. "Opie's Charity"...Andy is embarrassed because Opie has only given pennies to a charity drive

Opie says he's saving his money to "buy a present for his girlfriend" and Andy gives him hell until he discovers Opie plans to buy her a coat because hers is ragged. I remember the last line-Opie asks what's for dinner and Andy replies "You and Aunt Bea are having fried chicken. I'll be eatin' crow".

Also the episode where Opie kills a mother bird.....

[mackerel]

11. Wow I don't remember The Bicycle Man

[eShirl]

12. WKRP episode about the The Who concert tragedy

http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2008/05/wkrp-episode-in-concert.html