“The Bicycle Man: Part 2” February 12, 1983 We’re joined by friend of the show Mike Limata to finish out the Tragedy of The Bicycle Man: Part 2. We last left Arnold (Gary Coleman) and Dudley (Shavar Ross) in the clutches of the vile Bicycle Store owner Mr. Horton (Gordon Jump). Little does Horton know that Mr. Drummond (Conrad Bain) has secretly gone to the bike shop to settle up for Arnold's bike. The boys make their daring escape only to be caught by Kimberly (Dana Plato) and Willis (Todd Bridges) reeking of Horton’s cheap wine. Arnold lies that Dudley’s father gave the boys a sip with dinner. Arnold and Dudley make their way back to the dreaded bicycle shop for one last confrontation. Horton gives the boys more wine and this time shows them some adult themed entertainment featuring everyone’s favorite cartoon mascot Murphy Mouse! This is finally too much for Arnold who takes his generous slice of Boston cream pie and high tails it out of there. Back at the Drummond residenc...
Diff'rent Strokes The Bicycle Man: Part 1 - February 5, 1983 We hemmed and hawed and dragged our feet until we could drag no longer. We watched The Bicycle Man: Part 1 and I think I need a drink. This "classic" episode of Diff'rent Strokes is one that we here at VSTV get asked about regularly so we reviewed it just for you. For the unfamiliar, Diff'rent Strokes follows Arnold (Gary Coleman) and Willis Jackson (Todd Bridges) - two brothers from Harlem taken in by wealthy Manhattan businessman Philip Drummond (Conrad Bain) and his daughter Kimberly (Dana Plato). This episode begins with Arnold and his school chum Dudley (Shavar Ross) handing out flyers for the bicycle shop owner Mr. Horton (Gordon Jump) - unaware that he is a sexual predator. Horton invites the boys to his apartment behind the bike shop filled with video games, comic books and frozen pizza and serves the boys some wine since "we're all adults here." Gross. Things get weird really fast as Horton starts an impromptu pho...
The Drew Carey Show A Very Special Drew - May 17, 2000 Remember The Drew Carey Show? It was like a less attractive, less glamorous Friends. Some would argue less funny. We here at VSTV would like to take this time to prove that hypothesis. In the year 2000 the folks over at The Drew Carey Show took it upon themselves to skewer this little theme of "very special" episodes with their own entry titled "A Very Special Drew." See the show had never won any Emmy's so they decided to throw in every trick in the book to pull the wool over the eyes of the good voters over at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Those titans of comedy at ABC threw in all the very special tropes we've come to know and love. The eating dis-orders, untimely and unexplained maladies, and the stock characters are all on display for full comedic effect. You can take our word on the efficacy of this experiment - the show never won a single Emmy. Thanks for listening and don't forget to subscribe, rate and re...
Walker Texas Ranger Lucas Part 2 - October 18, 1997 We’re finally back with part two of this wack-job of an episode. We’re joined by our favorite Texan Jennifer Mrazek to review the second half of Walker Texas Ranger episode Lucas - otherwise known as the one where the kid from Sixth Sense has AIDS. In case you were wondering, this episode is just as full of child endangerment as the last - more so! Lucas is still having night terrors about the people that tortured him his entire life and Walker’s cure is a good old fashioned sweat lodge. That’s right - nothing better for a sickly child than extreme temperatures without professional medical supervision. Lucas learns his fate and together with Walker goes on a speaking tour of elementary schools talking to kids about living with AIDS. Walker finally takes out Rafer in a final showdown consisting of no less than 8 roundhouse kicks to the face. But there’s one last thing Walker can’t roundhouse kick - AIDS. Lucas dies and I’m ne...
Lucas: Part 1 October 11, 1997 We've watched some doozies over the past two seasons but this episode, by far, ranks among the most hilariously over the top spectacles we've had the pleasure of reviewing. We watched Walker Texas Ranger with VSTV AllStar Jordan Vena and we are all better people for it. This episode opens the way some of the best 80's action movies closed - with a huge shootout on the grounds of a lavish mansion/drug den. Walker (Chuck Norris) and his band of Texas Rangers clean house with a mixture of short range handgun blasting and roundhouse kicks to the face! Drug King-Pin Rafer Cobb (Brion James) gets away with his moll but they leave behind little Lucas (Haley Joel Osment) in a rat infested closet. Traumatized Lucas won't connect with anyone but Walker as they ride horses, skip stones and ride more horses. Meanwhile it turns out Lucas has full blown AIDS on account of his drug addled hepped up mom Ellen (Mackenzie Phillips). Will Walker track down Rafer and Elle...
Samantha’s Growing Up - January 8, 1985 We’ve attempted to answer the age old question once, but we’re back to dig a little deeper to try and find out... Who’s the Boss? It looks like Samanther (Alyssa Milano) is growing up and Tony (Tony Danza) has to man up and buy her a training brassiere. Angeler (Judith Light) buys Sam a fancy dress for Sam’s 12th birthday party and Tony flips - he cant bare to see Sam growing up! Tony needs to decide on his birthday gift for Sam - a new baseball glove or some jewelry to go with her new wardrobe. All the while, Mona (Katherine Helmond) gets in some jabs at Angela’s figure, style of dress and general spinster-ness. Classic Mona. Will Tony allow Sam to grow up? Will Sam forsake sports for sugar and spice and everything nice? Has Jonathan (Danny Pintauro) secretly been the Boss the whole time? As always, the answers to all these questions and more, lie within tonight’s episode of Very Special Television! Thanks for listening and don't forge...
You Say Potatoe, I Say Potato (Parts 1 & 2), September 21, 1992 It’s the summer of re-boot-mania and Very Special Television is getting in on the action. We spent some time with the very funny Kelly Hardy to watch 90’s workplace political satire, Murphy Brown. If you’re not familiar, Murphy Brown followed the news team at FYI, a fictional news program led by Murphy Brown (Candace Bergen) a tough-talking recovering alcoholic, take-no-prisoners investigative reporter. Now follow along with me here - Murphy (the character) becomes pregnant and decides to have the baby out of wedlock. This fictional story line caught the attention of then-Vice President Dan Quayle - who used it as a platform for conservative republicans to bash liberal television personalities who are ruining traditional family values. The show treated this as if Quayle was speaking directly to Brown the character, as she was a public figure in the world of the show. Listen with us as we try to navigate this Möbius ...
“High Anxiety” March 25, 1989 We’re spending a little more time on the lanai and revisiting the Golden Girls, this time with friends of the show Rob Heintz and Kelly Hardy. In this weeks installment we see ever-cheerful Rose, played by America's Nan Betty White, finally lose her cool. Sophia (Estelle Getty) drops some pills down the sink and Rose isn’t worried about her glaucoma - she’s coming down man - and she needs a fix! Turns out sweet, naive, dumb as a box of rocks Rose has been hooked on pain pills since the silent film era. An old back problem got her hepped up on goofballs and she’s been chasing the dragon ever since. The ladies of the lanai decide to help Rose kick her habit by staying up all night to make sure she doesn’t use for at least 24 hours - cause that’s how rehab works apparently. When Rose slips back into her old habits (called it), she finally checks herself into rehab. Meanwhile, Dorothy (Bea Arthur) and Sophia get wrangled into starring in a local piz...
Dawson's Creek “Reunited” May 12, 1999 We’re joined by very special guest, and friend of the podcast, the very funny Jessica Boyle to watch quintessential 90’s teen-angst drama Dawson’s Creek. This weeks episode finds Andie (Meredith Monroe) seeing ghostly images of her dead brother Tim (Scott Denny) around Capeside. Pacey (Joshua Jackson) is struggling with a girlfriend in the throes of mental health crisis but we the audience get saddled with some Parent Trap-esque farce by way of Dawson (James Van Der Beek) trying (and failing) to get his separated parents to have dinner with each other. Andie has a pretty harsh breakdown in her mansion and rather than call 911, Pacey and Jack (Kerr Smith) attempt to use their teen-wisdom to almost literally talk Andie off the ledge. She’s pretty far gone though - I mean what sane teenage girl would willingly dye her hair from blonde to brown? The Leery family drama requires graphs and visual aids to maintain the sheer amount of characters ...
“Beer Bad” November 2, 1999 We’re joined by most excellent friend of the podcast Autumn Brannon to watch the infamous Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode Beer Bad. In case during the early 2000’s you were living under a rock, in a drunken haze or a... millennial - Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her fast-talking teen pals were tasked with saving their hometown of Sunnydale (and the world) from various mythical creatures of lore. Vampires being the sexiest monsters got to be in the title but Buffy and friends got to face off against a menagerie of cryptozoology every week for our viewing pleasure. With all that going on - this episode still left us thinking “I don’t buy it.” Buffy is reeling from being rebuffed by teen lothario Parker (Adam Kaufman). Xander (Nicholas Brendon) has gotten himself a job at the local pub but is constantly getting dressed down by the snobby college kids. Buffy drowns her sorrows with beer (bad) and said super-date-rapey college snobs, and they all m...