More Great Moments in Children's Programming

From the Afterschool Special archive.

This is the Al-a-Teen episode, where the heroine learns to confront her own co-dependency through the help of her group, half of whom are also her Drama Club.

I love this shot, and took great care to freeze frame it for you. Moments before this, mom had actually knocked it back, but you couldn't see the flask as well as you can here.

The plot borrows a few important scenes from Effect-of-Gamma-Rays, including mom's arrival on stage at the opening night of the big play. This scene pictured occurs on Parent Day when mom has to pop into the Ladies for a little shot of courage and a touch-up of the Gena Rowlands coiff.

The episode was originally aired in 1981 as... wait for it... "She Drinks a Little."
awesome.

Try to complain about slapstick violence on That's so Raven now, why don't ya. The film is now packaged as "First Step," which is why you can't find it on the IMDB.

Most Afterschool Moms work too much to care for their children, like the mom in "A Matter of Time," the other movie packaged with "First Step." She gets cancer and dies -- onscreen -- to the fury of her older daughter who screams, "she never had TIME for me." (PS - Rob Lowe is in that one too). Cindy Scott, drunk mom, can not hold down a job (because she drinks...you know... a little) This condition still leaves our teen-lead to care for her younger brother, who like most Afterschool brothers is a pill, but oddly, not played by Moosie Drier.

This special actually won a daytime emmy in 1982. programming for kids! at last!
Other winners that year: Guiding Light (yay), Anthony Geary (ew.)

Primetime? why not? I'm just sitting here.
Barney Miller. Hill Street Blues. Night of 100 Stars ~~ which was essentially an awards show without any awards.





You can feel that 70s grit lifting, can't you? It's like it's Morning in America.