The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
There were plenty of sad sitcom moments on Fresh Prince, but when Will's dad left him (again) and Will breaks down crying to Uncle Phil... we lose it every time.
Family Ties
Tom Hanks plays the "unpredictable" Uncle Ned on Family Ties, which turns out to mean he's an alcoholic who lashes out at Alex while drunk.
The Brady Bunch
Cindy helps Bobby fake a serious illness so he can meet his hero Joe Namath. Pretending like you're dying isn't a cute prank, Bobby.
The Cosby Show
Sitcoms love a good teachable moment. For The Cosby Show one of those moments was when Theo found out that he had dyslexia. When his doctor listed out symptoms, how to adjust his studies, etc. It's like a medical appointment in a 23-minute episode.
Roseanne
That awkward moment when you accuse a kid of hiding pot in your house, then you remember it's your old stash. That's what happened when David got in trouble on Roseanne, and it was later revealed that Dan had some old weed lying around the house. Well, pot can make you forget things.
Punky Brewster
Remember when Cherie got stuck in a fridge and required CPR on Punky Brewster?! That was a bummer of an episode.
Full House
Full House was full of life lessons, but it was DJ Tanner's short-lived eating disorder that we'll never forget.
Family Matters
Steve Urkel got drunk and literally fell off a roof on Family Matters. Lesson: Excessive drinking is bad and also hanging out on roofs? Also, bad.
Boy Meets World
Much of Shawn's storyline on Boy Meets World was one, giant teachable moment. But what about that time he joined a cult? (Yes, that happened.)
Blossom
Six hooked Blossom up with pads and tampons when she needed some lady help after getting her first period. Real friends are there to answer your menstruation questions.
Saved by the Bell
Three words: Caffeine pill episode. This may be the most iconic Saved by the Bell moment of all time.
Home Improvement
There was a Home Improvement episode when Randy's (a.k.a. JTT's) parents don't tell him that he might have cancer (it turns out he doesn't.) Obviously he found out before the test results, though, and obviously you should let your kid know when they may or may not have cancer.
Dinosaurs
May we remind you there's an episode of Dinosaurs entitled "Steroids to Heaven" when Robbie tries to get swole? Yes, even Dinosaurs got real sometimes.