“They don’t make ’em like that anymore” Part 2: How iconic, memorable and classic television episodes\scenes we still talk about seem like a thing of the past.

Welcome back, folks! This is part two of our long but beneficial journey into the greatest, most memorable and iconic moments and episodes in television history that we just haven’t seen the likes of in ten or twenty years. Sure, there are some great moments from the best of the current shows out there, but I defy anyone to suggest that any of those dare compete with these groundbreaking, hilarious, thought provoking and culture defining moments in television history that we still talk about, quote, pass down to the next generation etc. Shall we begin?

Saturday Night Live: An exchange of racial slurs at a job interview.

“Word Association sketch”. Season 1, episode 7. December 13th, 1975.

Penned by the late but still immortal Paul Mooney and performed to perfection by Richard Pryor and Chevy Chase, this bold sketch that aired back when SNL was actually funny and relevant shocked and awed SNL viewers with its blatant “I don’t give a F%$!!” attitude and became one of the funniest sketches of all time! The significance of this sketch besides being hilariously funny besides shock value, is how it cleverly comments on how absurd and ridiculous racism is and the best way to deflate bigotry is by making fun of it and our own flawed and stupid prejudices no matter what color we are.

SNL would score again a few years later with similar racial humor based sketch with Eddie Murphy’s famous “White Like Me” sketch that is of the same spirit of the Word Association sketch and is just as brilliant and hilarious.

Good Times: Florida mourns the loss of James.

“The Big Move part 2.” Season 4, episode 2. September 29th, 1976.

One of the most memorable and oft quoted line and moment from Good Times that everybody remembers is after the whole episode with Florida holding in her grief for her deceased husband James she starts to clean up after the wake at the Evanses apartment and suddenly drops the punch bowl and shouts three iconic little words: “Damn, Damn, DAMNNNNN!”

This moment is one of the most parodied, imitated and memorable scenes in television history and you can’t get a Good Times reference or parody without it creeping up in there.

Another notable and memorable scene from this show that has penetrated pop culture is the scene in The Evanses Get Involved Part 1. Where Janet Jackson made her debut as Penny who became Willona’s adopted daughter after her abusive birth mother abandoned her. The scene where Mrs. Gordon burns Penny with the hot iron haunted me when I first saw it as a kid as I’m sure it haunted everyone who first saw it back when it aired. It’s truly one of the most powerful and scariest moments in television history and Janet Jackson’s convincing performance really sold what horrible thing was about the happen.

It’s actually ironic how Good Times is a comedy show yet it’s most memorable and iconic scenes are deeply dark and dramatic.

Barney Miller: High Times at The 12th.

“Hash.” Season 3, episode 11. December 30th, 1976.

Barney Miller had many hilarious and wonderfully written and acted episodes over its 8 season run, but the one episode fans, critics and the television audience in general seem to revere most is the classic Hash episode where Wojo’s girlfriend gives him brownies to share with the other detectives with the secret recipe of hashish.

Truly a wonderful ensemble episode where every actor shined brightly with hilarious scenes of them being stoned while Hal Linden did a masterful job playing straight to everyone and being the anchor that kept the wackier tone of the episode from going too far. This episode was so memorable that other great sitcoms were inspired by it and made their own versions such as Taxi with “Latka’s Cookies” and Roseanne’s “Stash From The Past” each becoming classic episodes in their own right.

The only sad part is that people seem to mostly just remember this episode and consider it the best of the series, but there are some other hilarious and truly memorable episodes from the show in Werewolf and Jack Soo, A Tribute where a man who thinks he’s turning into a werewolf on the night of a full moon and in the original tribute episode for the late Jack Soo who had died of cancer that season and instead of profiting off his death by making an episode where they kill off his character, creator\executive producer Danny Arnold decided to just have the cast be themselves and introduce clips of the best of Jack Soo for two episodes. Years after that episode Bill Cosby’s second sitcom simply titled “Cosby” did the same for cast member Madeline Khan.

And who could ever forget The Harris Incident where Sgt. Harris is shot at during a mugging bust by two fellow officers, both of whom are white who assumed he was the one committing the crime. One of the best most shrewed and compassionate episodes of that specific type of topic. No one has matched its ability to balance humor, pathos and empathy for the subject of racism since.

Happy Days: Fonzie Jumps a shark and creates a term.

“Hollywood: Part 3”. Season 5, episode 3. September 20th, 1977.

Most iconic tv episodes and moments ingrain themselves into pop culture, but how many of them literally create a phrase that becomes apart of the American lexicon used by generation after generation? It has also been used for any brand, design, franchise or any creative effort that declines in quality. The term of course refers to the classic Happy Days episode when The Fonz literally jumps over a shark with water skis.

While Happy Days was the number 1 show that season, the quality did begin to wane right after this happened. Throw in the exits of Ron Howard and Donny Most and you got a sinking ship that sunk faster than the Titanic.

On the brighter side, the classic episode My Favorite Orkan, Robin Williams’ indelible character Mork from Ork makes her first appearance and not only was a star born but a memorable episode of television is as well. To think this whole episode, the character and the very successful spin off never would’ve happened had Garry Marshall not did all this to make his young son, who wanted him do something with aliens, happy. “Na-Nu Na-Nu”.

The Incredible Hulk: “Mr. McGee… Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

“Pilot movie”. Season 1, episode 1. November 4th, 1977.

The Incredible Hulk took the world by storm when the two hour pilot premiered on CBS. The show would go on to become a Friday night staple for the network along with The Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas. It became Bill Bixby’s biggest and most enduring television series and made a huge star out of Lou Ferrigno. But without a doubt the most iconic moment and line from the series is when Dr. Banner warns nosy reporter Jack McGee not to make him angry.

The line became so iconic that it’s been repeated by countless tv shows and movies, including the two Incredible Hulk movies in 2003 and 2008.

The other classic and most memorable scene from The Incredible Hulk is David’s first transformation during a stormy night and The Hulk kicking the car down into the woods.

And everybody knows and the love lonely man theme playing as David leaves the town he was in at the end of every episode.

WKRP In Cincinnati: “As God as My Witness, I thought Turkeys could fly.”

“Turkey Drop.” Season 1, episode 7. October 30th, 1978.

For most this is the definitive Thanksgiving episode of any tv series and considered one of the funniest episodes in sitcom history. The scenes where Les Nessman is doing live reporting on the disaster parodying the Hindenburg disaster and the ending when Mr. Carlson utters the iconic line have gone down as all time classics.

Other iconic and notable episodes from this amazing series are In Concert, which dealt with the horrible tragedy that happened at The Who concert in 1979, A Fish Story, the show’s wackiest episode, Who is Gordon Simms? Where Venus’ backstory is revealed and Venus and The Man aka “Venus teaches the atom” that real science teachers started showing to students.

Taxi: “Wwwwhhhaaaat dooeesss aaaa yyyeeeellllowwww lllliiiight mmmmeeeannn?”

“Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey.” September 25th, 1979.

Taxi is one of tv’s most influential and oft overlooked workplace sitcoms and that’s a shame because it’s truly one of the smartest and funniest ones out there. In this episode the gang tries to help the lovable, stuck in the sixties drug culture Reverend Jim become a Taxi driver by getting his driver’s license and of course to do that he has to pass both the written and driving tests. During the writing portion we get one of the most air gasping hilarious moments as Jim repeatedly asks Bobby what the yellow light means.

One cannot watch this scene and not almost die from a laughing fit. Just genius comedy.

Another episode with such a funny, powerful, amazing and memorable scene is Louie Goes Too Far where after the repugnant Louie gets fired for peeking at Elaine through a peephole in the ladie’s restroom, the only way he can get his job back is to apologize to Elaine but she refuses to accept because of his insincerity, so the best way he can prove to her that he has empathy is by telling her the story of when he felt violated. It’s a truly amazing acted to perfection by Danny DeVito, who actually had the experience in real life, and it earned him an well deserved Emmy.

Archie Bunker’s Place: “Archie mourns Edith”.

“Archie Alone” Season 2, episode 1. November 2, 1980.

There wasn’t a dry eye watching their television that night when America discovered that the beloved Matriarch of the Bunker clan, Edith Bunker had died. This was a character so beloved, as well as the relationship between she and Archie being considered one of the all time great television couples, that it hit America to its core as much as it did poor Archie. The scene where Archie is in their bedroom and speaking to his deceased wife is one of the most tragic and most moving scenes in sitcom history. Carroll O’Connor was perhaps at his very best as Archie Bunker here.

To Be Continued. Come back for part 3, folks!