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ABC Afterschool Special
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Dramatically presented situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers. Several episodes were either in animated form or presented as documentaries. Topics included illiteracy, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy.
Highest-rated episodes all ranked
- 01Tough GirlAfter juvenile delinquent Renie Lake is caught dealing drugs in a stolen van, she is court ordered to live with her father and rigid step-family. Despite living with a family that seems to dislike her, she re-enrolls in High School and befriends a hearing-impaired girl.
- 02Summer Switch
- 03Seasonal Differences
Episodes by season
Season01
- S01E01Last of the CurlewsOctober 4, 1972—
- S01E02Follow the North StarNovember 1, 1972—
- S01E03Santiago's ArkDecember 6, 1972—
- S01E04WilliamJanuary 3, 1973—Introduces William Shakespeare to young people through sketches, readings and music.
- S01E05The Incredible, Indelible Magical, Physical Mystery TripFebruary 7, 1973—A partially-animated special about two youngsters who are miniaturized, then travel through their Uncle's body to understand more about his
- S01E06AlexanderApril 4, 1973—
Season02
- S02E01Rookie of the YearOctober 3, 1973—
- S02E02My Dad Lives in a Downtown HotelNovember 28, 1973—Divorce, as seen through the eyes of a young boy. The youngster - whose father has been ordered out of the house and is forced to take up pe
- S02E03Pssst! Hammerman's After YouJanuary 16, 1974—A small-for-his-age sixth-grade student and his wild attempts to flee a bully after word gets around he thinks of him as a Neanderthal.
- S02E04CyranoMarch 6, 1974—
- S02E05The RunawaysMarch 27, 1974—
- S02E06
The Magical Mystery Trip Through Little Red's HeadMay 15, 1974Two youngsters are shrunk so they can enter their teenage sister's head, and discover how the mind works. - S02E07The Crazy Comedy ConcertJune 5, 1974—
Season03
- S03E01Sara's Summer of the SwansOctober 2, 1974—
- S03E02The Bridge of Adam RushOctober 23, 1974—
- S03E03Winning and Losing: Diary of a CampaignNovember 6, 1974—
- S03E04The Toothpaste MillionaireNovember 27, 1974—
- S03E05The Skating RinkFebruary 5, 1975—
- S03E06Santiago's AmericaFebruary 19, 1975—
- S03E07The Secret Life of T.K. DearingApril 27, 1975—
Season04
- S04E01It Must Be Love ('Cause I Feel So Dumb)October 8, 1975—
- S04E02The Fawn StoryOctober 22, 1975—
- S04E03The Shaman's Last RaidNovember 19, 1975—
- S04E04The Amazing Cosmic Awareness of Duffy MoonFebruary 4, 1976—This cute story centers around an insecure 6th grader, Duffy Moon (played by Ike Eisenmann), whose discovery of ""Cosmic Awareness"" leads h
- S04E05Me and Dad's New WifeFebruary 18, 1976—
- S04E06Blind SundayApril 21, 1976—
- S04E07Dear Lovey Hart: I Am DesperateMay 19, 1976—
Season05
- S05E01Francesca, BabyOctober 6, 1976—Semi-standard ABC Afterschool Special about Francesca James, a teenage daughter dealing with her alcoholic mother through the support group
- S05E02P.J. and the President's SonNovember 10, 1976—Update of Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. Delivery boy and President's son discover they are exact doubles of one another, and decid
- S05E03Mighty Moose and the Quarterback KidDecember 1, 1976
- S05E04My Mom's Having a BabyFebruary 16, 1977—My Mom's Having a Baby is an American television teen comedy/documentary that aired as an ABC Afterschool Special on February 16, 1977. The
- S05E05The Horrible HonchosMarch 9, 1977—
- S05E06Very Good FriendsApril 6, 1977—
Season06
- S06E01Hewitt's Just DifferentOctober 12, 1977—
- S06E02The PinballsOctober 26, 1977—Three diverse kids with different outlooks on life are sent to a foster home until family problems can be worked out.
- S06E03Michel's Mixed-Up Musical BirdFebruary 15, 1978—
- S06E04It Isn't Easy Being a Teenage MillionaireMarch 8, 1978—
- S06E05The Rag-Tag ChampsMarch 22, 1978—
- S06E06Mom and Dad Can't Hear MeApril 5, 1978—
- S06E07It's a Mile from Here to GloryMay 3, 1978—
Season07
- S07E01One of a KindSeptember 27, 1978—
- S07E02A Home Run for LoveOctober 11, 1978—
- S07E03GauchoOctober 25, 1978—
- S07E04Make-Believe MarriageFebruary 14, 1979—
- S07E05The Terrible SecretMarch 7, 1979—
- S07E06The Seven Wishes of a Rich KidMay 9, 1979—
Season08
- S08E01Which Mother is Mine?September 26, 1979—
- S08E02A Movie Star's DaughterOctober 10, 1979—
- S08E03A Special GiftOctober 4, 1979—
- S08E04The Late Great MeNovember 14, 1979—
- S08E05Dinky HockerDecember 12, 1979—Dinky Hocker is an American television teen comedy/drama that aired as an ABC Afterschool Special on December 12, 1979. It was based on the
- S08E06The Heartbreak WinnerFebruary 13, 1980—
- S08E07Where Do Teenagers Come From?March 5, 1980—Where Do Teenagers Come From? was an American television teen comedy/documentary that aired as an ABC Afterschool Special on March 5, 1980.
- S08E08What Are Best Friends For?March 19, 1980—
Season09
- S09E01A Family of StrangersSeptember 24, 1980—A widower's two teen-aged daughters resent their father's remarriage to a single mother, especially since the woman's 12-year-old daughter (
- S09E02Schoolboy FatherOctober 15, 1980—High school senior discovers his summer girlfriend has given birth to his child, and decides to fight for custody.
- S09E03The GymnastOctober 29, 1980—
- S09E04StonedNovember 12, 1980—
- S09E05A Matter of TimeFebruary 11, 1981—
- S09E06Run, Don't WalkMarch 4, 1981—
- S09E07My Mother Was Never a KidMarch 16, 1981My Mother Was Never a Kid is an American television teen fantasy/comedy/drama that aired as an ABC Afterschool Special on March 16, 1981. It
Season10
- S10E01She Drinks a LittleSeptember 23, 1981""She Drinks a Little"" ... or does she a lot, lot more? That's what Cindy's friends try to convince her as she denies that her mother may b
- S10E02StarstruckOctober 14, 1981—Aspiring teen folk singer is torn whether to continue her singing or to accept an educational scholarship.
- S10E03Tough GirlOctober 28, 1981After juvenile delinquent Renie Lake is caught dealing drugs in a stolen van, she is court ordered to live with her father and rigid step-fa
- S10E04The Color of FriendshipNovember 11, 1981—The Color of Friendship is a 1981 film shown as part of the ABC Afterschool Special series. It's about the friendship between two 13-year-ol
- S10E05The Unforgivable SecretFebruary 10, 1982—
- S10E06Daddy, I'm Their Mama NowMarch 3, 1982—
- S10E07Sometimes I Don't Love My MotherApril 7, 1982—
Season11
- S11E01Amy and the AngelSeptember 22, 1982—
- S11E02Two Loves for JennyOctober 27, 1982—A teen violinist is torn between her musical career and her boyfriend. (Also knowns as "Between Two Loves")
- S11E03A Very Delicate MatterNovember 10, 1982—
- S11E04Please Don't Hit Me, MomJanuary 19, 1983—Please Don't Hit Me, Mom is a TV episode that was nominated for Outstanding Children's Program in the 34th Primetime Emmy Awards.
- S11E06Have You Ever Been Ashamed of Your Parents?March 16, 1983—
- S11E07But It's Not My FaultMarch 23, 1983—
- S11E08The WaveMarch 30, 1983—The Wave, is a short made-for-TV movie directed by Alex Grasshoff, based on Ron Jones' The Third Wave experiment. Though more prominently fe
Season12
- S12E01It's No Crush, I'm in LoveSeptember 28, 1983
- S12E02The Hand Me Down KidOctober 19, 1983—
- S12E03The Dog Days of Arthur CaneFebruary 18, 1984—
- S12E04Andrea's Story: A Hitchhiking TragedyDecember 7, 1983—
- S12E05The Great Love Experiment—
- S12E06Backwards: The Riddle of DyslexiaMarch 7, 1984—
- S12E07The Hero Who Couldn't ReadApril 18, 1984—Teacher discovers that the star basketball player is illiterate, and makes it his mission to teach him how to read.
- S12E08The Celebrity and the Arcade KidNovember 19, 1983—Video-arcade whiz and teen movie star discover they are exact doubles and decide to switch identities.
Season13
- S13E01Summer SwitchSeptember 19, 1984
- S13E03The Almost Royal FamilyOctober 24, 1984—The Almost Royal Family is an American television teen comedy that aired as an ABC Afterschool Special on October 23, 1984. The program was
- S13E04Mom's On StrikeNovember 14, 1984—
- S13E05I Want to Go HomeFebruary 13, 1985—
- S13E06First the EggMarch 6, 1985—
- S13E07
One Too ManyMay 1, 1985—Four high school friends find their lives changed forever when one of the friends drives drunk with devastating results.
Season14
- S14E01No Greater GiftSeptember 11, 1985—
- S14E02Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy TaleOctober 9, 1985—
- S14E03Don't TouchNovember 6, 1985—A teen-aged girl named Karen Anderson suspects that Molly Stewart, the 6-year-old girl she is baby-sitting, is behaving quite strangely arou
- S14E04Can a Guy Say No?February 12, 1986—
- S14E05Are You My Mother?March 5, 1986—
- S14E06Getting Even: A Wimp's RevengeMarch 19, 1986—
Season15
- S15E01A Desperate ExitSeptember 17, 1986—
- S15E02Wanted: The Perfect GuyOctober 1, 1986—A teen-aged boy and his girlfriend secretly place personal ads for his divorced mother, Ellie, in an effort to find Mr. Right. The two scree
- S15E03Teen FatherOctober 22, 1986—
- S15E04The Gift of Amazing GraceNovember 19, 1986—
- S15E05Supermom's DaughterFebruary 18, 1987—
- S15E06Divorced Kids' BluesMarch 4, 1987—
- S15E07Class Act: A Teacher's StoryMarch 18, 1987—
- S15E08Read Between the LinesJune 3, 1987—When an illiterate toy maker has the right to his invention stolen, his grandson and the Harlem Globetrotters team up to get them back.
Season16
- S16E01Just a Regular Kid: An AIDS StorySeptember 9, 1987—
- S16E02The Kid Who Wouldn't Quit: The Brad Silverman StorySeptember 23, 1987—
- S16E03The Day My Kid Went PunkOctober 23, 1987—
- S16E04Seasonal DifferencesDecember 2, 1987
- S16E05The Terrible Things My Mother Told MeJanuary 20, 1988Terrible Things My Mother Told Me is a 1988 TV film starring Nicole Andrews, Ita DeMarco, Carol Goodheart, Beth Howland and Stephen James. T
- S16E06Daddy Can't ReadMarch 16, 1988—
Season17
- S17E01Date RapeSeptember 15, 1988—
- S17E02A Family AgainOctober 13, 1988—
- S17E03Tattle: When to Tell on a FriendOctober 26, 1988—
- S17E04Taking a StandJanuary 19, 1989—
- S17E05Just Tipsy, HoneyMarch 16, 1989—A teenage girl is in total denial about her mother's drinking problem.
- S17E06The CheatsMarch 30, 1989—Three girls steal the answers to their final exam. When the headmistress finds out, she gives those responsible one-day to confess. After th
- S17E07Torn Between Two FathersApril 20, 1989—
Season18
- S18E01My Dad Can't Be Crazy, Can He?September 14, 1989—A 16-year-old high school student tries to cope with his schizophrenic father's behavior, which takes its toll on his schoolwork, activities
- S18E05Over the LimitMarch 23, 1990—High school student Matt Thompson (Keith Coogan) must decide whether or not to come forward with the truth about a tragic drunk-driving acci
- S18E06The Perfect DateApril 19, 1990—A 16-year-old student is convinced his upcoming date with the school prom queen will be the perfect date. However it turns out to be anythin
Season19
- S19E01A Question About SexSeptember 13, 1990A Question About Sex is a TV episode of ABC Afterschool Special.
- S19E02Testing DirtyOctober 18, 1990—
- S19E03Stood UpDecember 6, 1990—A teen-aged girl attempts to get even with her boyfriend who stood her up on prom night by suing him for the cost of the dress. When the sma
- S19E04The Less Than Perfect DaughterJanuary 24, 1991—
Season20
- S20E01Summer Stories: The Mall (1)March 19, 1992—
- S20E02Summer Stories: The Mall (2)April 2, 1992—
- S20E03Summer Stories: The Mall (3)April 16, 1992—
- S20E04Shades of a Single ProteinJanuary 28, 1993—
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