Parker Lewis Can't Lose
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Parker Lewis Can't Lose is an early 1990s comedy television series that was strongly influenced by the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
It originally aired on the Fox network from September 1990 to June 1993 (three seasons, 73 episodes), the last season sporting the simpler title Parker Lewis. The show depicts the tribulations of the title character Parker Lewis, a Santo Domingo High School student, and his friends Jerry and Mikey.
The TV spinoff Ferris Bueller, which was directly based on Ferris Bueller's Day Off, debuted on NBC during the same month, but it only lasted 13 episodes. Parker Lewis Can't Lose actually had lower ratings, but the Fox Network was still in its early years and had lower expectations.
PLCL is notable for employing humor and visual and auditory reactions that can be very surreal and bizarre, almost like a live-action cartoon. (Episodes of the Clueless TV series are comparable, with sound effects and character reactions.) For instance, when the nerd character temporarily becomes a "cool" character, one of the other characters observing him notes "We have to do something; the way he's playing the harmonica, he's setting rock further back than Ozzy Osbourne!" At that statement, there is a sudden cut to a close up of the rock star objecting, "Hey, don't bite my head off!" (relating to his most famous shtick) followed by an equally sudden cut back to the story. The surrealism was toned down in the series' final season.
Contents |
[edit] Catch phrases
PLCL established several catch phrases:
- "Coolness."
- "...Gentlemen, we have achieved coolness!..."
- "Synchronize Swatches!" (In one episode, Parker's father reunites with his high school buddies at a class reunion, and they "synchronize Bulovas.")
- "Not a problem."
- "Eat now?"
- "huh?"
- "It's a power thing..."
- "Mental note ..."
- "But, in a bad way." (E.g., when Kube states "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse! But, in a bad way.")
[edit] Main characters
- Parker Lewis (Corin Nemec)
- Smart guy with a penchant for garish shirts. He usually has a plan up his sleeve, and they in turn usually involve outsmarting someone else. Parker is famous for his philosophy, "not a problem," which he often says when faced with trouble. In the final season, Parker finally settled down with one girl, Annie, and he seemed more mature and less reliant on his "not a problem" attitude.
- Jerry Steiner (Troy Slaten)
- Archetypal nerd. In the first two seasons, he always wears a trench coat from which he produces almost any object imaginable, apparently fixed inside with velcro. He addresses everyone by last name, i.e., "Mr. Lewis," "Mr. Randall," and even "Mr. Kubiac," or collectively as "sirs". At the end of the credits, Jerry is stuffed into his locker by the Kube, causing him to plaintively call for "Mr. Lewis? Mr. Randall? Mr. Phillips? (Clyde Phillips, a producer) Hello?"
- Mikey Randall (Billy Jayne)
- Rock'n'Roll rebel without a cause. By far the most emotionally driven of the trio.
- Grace Musso (Melanie Chartoff)
- Franklin Lemmer (Taj Johnson)
- Principal Musso's ultra-Republican sidekick and "lapdog" with vampiric tendencies. Likes to wear black and seems to have a telepathic connection to the principal. Obsessed with war, strategy and politics. He is able to teleport at will.
- Francis Lawrence 'Larry' Kubiac (Abraham Benrubi)
- a.k.a. "Kube", he is built like a dinosaur with a brain to match. Initially not a member of Parker's gang, he later develops some ties to them. But still, he is more of a force of nature than a real player.
- Shelly Lewis (Maia Brewton)
- Parker's other arch-nemesis, his little sister. She likes to manipulate their parents to her benefit, which usually annoys Parker to no end.
- Dr. Norman Pankow (Gerrit Graham)
- The principal of El Corrado High School and Musso's primary adult rival. His doctorate is in penology. As tough as Musso is, Pankow is regarded as far, far worse.
[edit] International
- In Belgium, the show aired on the official Flemish television channels (BRT1 and BRT2, now called Eén and Canvas) with multiple reruns.
- In Canada, the show aired on Global TV.
- In Germany, the show aired on Pro 7.
- In France, the show was shown on TF1.
- In the UK, the show first aired on BSB Channel Galaxy before moving to SKY One and later on Toonami. The series never made it to terrestrial television.
- In Peru, the show aired first on Red Global.
- In Poland, the show aired first on Canal+, then on TVP2.
- In Portugal, the show aired first on TVI and years later on SIC Radical.
- In New Zealand, the show aired on TV2.
- In the Philippines, the show aired on RPN 9.
- In Hungary, the show aired first on M1 and years later on TV2.
- In the Netherlands, the show aired on NCRV.
- In Israel, the show aired on Cable Channel 6 and later on Cable Channel 3.
- In Chile, the show aired on Canal Trece
- In Brazil, the show aired on Rede Record
- In Mexico, the show aired on XHGC-TV Canal 5
- In Catalonia, the show aired on TV3
- In Australia, the show aired on Channel 9
- In Uruguay it aired on Canal 4.
- In Argentina it aired on Canal 2, on the afternoons.
[edit] Cultural References
Alternative rock band Fall Out Boy released a song entitled "Parker Lewis Can't Lose (But I'm Gonna Give It My Best Shot)".
The Western name for a common pig character in early Sonic the Hedgehog video games is Porker Lewis.
In the final episode of PLCL, Charlie Schlatter,who portrayed the title character on NBC's rival program, can be seen in silhouette,saying "Oh so that's how,it's done" a reference to the longer and relatively more successful run of Parker Lewis Can't Lose, in contrast to the short run of Ferris Bueller on NBC
