The ABC Afternoon Playbreak

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Aw, these corny ass after school specials should make a comeback...

I wish we could see a real anthology series on daytime, or even in syndication...

[alphanguy74]

Like any genre... the "very special episode" thing was done well by some shows, not so much by others. "Mr. Belvedere" was pretty lame in it's attempts, but a show like Facts Of Life was really GREAT at it, because it was that show's stock in trade. Gimme A Break was also very good at such things, especially the first season episodes where the oldest daughter is taken to the hospital with complications from her IUD. And the episode where Carl killed an armed gunman in the line of duty.

[Cat]

The thing I liked about these after school specials is how normal the actors looked. And some of these guys went on to become big stars. The shows were cheesy but the settings relatable. It's a relief compared to the candyfloss that appear on today's demo-targeted shows. If they were to reinvent afterschool specials today, all the shows would be set in Malibu and feature Annalynne McCord and Blake Lively wearing the latest Balenciaga. Nothing against either actress but they look like models, not teenagers.

[lovely_m]

I remember that HBO had a series called Families in Crisis in the 90's. The one I remember the most is the one about a priest molesting his alter boy.

[JackPeyton]

Undressed was the last anthology series i can think of.

[lovely_m]

Not exactly an afterschool special, but I did watching it. There were a lot of soap actors on that show.

[All My Shadows]

I grew up in the mid-late 90s, but we watched a lot of the old Afterschool Specials on VHS (teachers had recorded them off of TV, so we always got a kick out of the old 70s/80s commercials and promos for primetime shows) throughout middle and high school. I think they can be very effective if done right and they're not too cheesy. "Degrassi: TNG" used to tackle a lot of Afterschool Special-esque issues, but they've moved away from that kinda sorta.

I want an anthology program back in daytime, damn it! In my view of a perfect daytime television, the afterschool timeslot (2:30ish-4:00ish) would have some kind of show that is set in a high school, and has recurring characters, but each week, it focuses on a different set of recurring characters. One week might focus on the football team, then one week on an AP class, then the band, then cheerleaders, then some regular kids, etc. I think for a scripted show for teens to work, it'll need not be completely serialized. There would have to be set points where a viewer could join the story without needing to know too much about past happenings.

And Undressed That show helped me affirm my sexuality, and for that, I will be forever grateful.

[SFK]

I think I spotted Teri Hatcher, and definitely Katharine Ross in that promo for Tattle.

The original Degrassi was essentially a string of 30 minute ASS, with varying degrees of issue-orientedness. The dialogue could be a little clunky and obvious at times, but, and if this makes any sense, the presence of the "issue" itself is what if anything felt heavy handed. Within the drama it was handled well, but if you look at a list of episodes you can go, Oh, the teen pregnancy one, the divorce one, the gay one, the drug one, the drunk driving one, the shoplifting one, et cetera.

[All My Shadows]

Totally. That's why, after watching a good bit of the original series (junior high and high), I still think TNG is a much better show. I guess the originals come off as heavy-handed because they were so giddy to be dealing with those issues with that age range for the first time, but for what I consider the glory days of TNG (S3-S5), what made it so great was that there was a healthy mixture of the ASS/PSA issues and the soapy goodness of relationships/family stuff/school stuff/etc. Those three seasons are more realistic than anything else I've ever seen a teen drama do.

[SFK]

I have to say, we really do enjoy the original and TNG around our house. We watched TNG first, so to go back and see Spike, Snake, Joey, my crush CAITLIN, and baby Emma and her burnt out dad all in the original series, wow, it was... just wow. If only U.S. daytime could come up with something as good as that. Canadians (Eric), what were the timeslots of the original series and TNG? The original aired here in the U.S. on PBS on weekends iirc, I didn't watch it back then but I remember the promos.