Very Special Episodes: Televising Industrial and Social Change

Very Special Episodes examines how the quintessential ‘very special episode’ format became a primary way in which the television industry responded to and shaped social change, cultural traumas, and industrial transformations. With essays covering shows ranging from the birth of Desi Arnaz, Jr. on I Love Lucy to contemporary examples such as a delayed episode of Black-ish and the streaming-era phenomenon of the ‘Very Special Seasons’ of UnReal and 13 Reasons Why, this collection seriously and critically uses the ‘very special episode’ to chart the history of American television and its self-identified status as an arbiter of culture. Through the study of this unique television format, this anthology traces the history of television’s engagement with many of the most important political, aesthetic, economic, and social movements that continue to challenge our society today. In doing so, the essays collectively argue that the ‘very special episode’ has always helped television conceive of itself and its relationship to the world around it.