| Fast Times | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Fast Times at Ridgemont High |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Developed by | Moon Unit Zappa |
| Directed by | Amy Heckerling |
| Creative director(s) | Cameron Crowe |
| Starring | Claudia Wells Courtney Thorne-Smith James Nardini Dean Cameron Patrick Dempsey Kit McDonough Vincent Schiavelli Ray Walston Twink Caplan Wallace Langham |
| Theme music composer | Oingo Boingo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Amy Heckerling Jonathan Roberts |
| Editor(s) | Debra Chiate |
| Location(s) | Glendale, California |
| Running time | 30 min. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Picture format | 35 mm |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original run | 5 March 1986 – 23 April 1986 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Fast Times at Ridgemont High |
Fast Times is a seven-episode 1986 television sequel to the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High that was produced by Amy Heckerling, who directed the original film. Cameron Crowe, who penned the original Fast Times novel and film screenplay, served as creative consultant. Moon Unit Zappa participated as a technical consultant. She was hired in order to research slang terms and mannerisms of teenagers, as she had just graduated from high school at the time and had a much better grasp of then-current high school behavior than the writers. Oingo Boingo provided the theme song.
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The show, originally broadcast on CBS, stars Claudia Wells (Back to the Future) as Linda Barrett (portrayed by Phoebe Cates in the film). Courtney Thorne-Smith (Melrose Place) played Stacy Hamilton (portrayed by Jennifer Jason Leigh in the film), James Nardini played her brother Brad (portrayed by Judge Reinhold in the film). Wally Ward played Mark Ratner (portrayed by Brian Backer in the film) and Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) played his older buddy, Mike Damone (portrayed by Robert Romanus in the film). Dean Cameron took up the role as surfer Jeff Spicoli (played by Sean Penn in the film). Ray Walston (history teacher Mr. Hand) and Vincent Schiavelli (biology teacher Mr. Vargas) reprise their roles from the classic film.
Jeff Spicoli is the center of certain plots throughout the show's short run. In the pilot episode, Mr. Hand bets that Spicoli will screw up his class presentation. In the episode "The Last Laugh", Spicoli accepts a challenge to make Mr. Hand laugh. In "The Engagement", he starts a rumour that Mr. Hand lost an eye during World War II. Since the TV spinoff is toned down for younger viewers, there is no reference to Jeff Spicoli's drug usage. The show however makes references to his truancy when he shows up to Mr. Hand's class one period late. One day, he surprises Mr. Hand when he shows up early to class due to a "gnarly shark attack". His lack of money is also referenced when he tries to pay for a pizza where Linda and Stacy work (he takes some change and his brother's tooth out of his pocket).
Jeff Borden of the Charlotte Observer observed the series' biggest downfall: "The challenge 'Fast Times' faces is emphasizing the comedic elements from the R-rated film while soft-pedaling the teen lust aspects that were a major part of the movie. Comic characters like spaced-out surfer Jeff Spicoli fare well, while subtle characters like fast-food king and would-be ladies man Brad Hamilton are sanitized into blandness." [1]
Christopher Cornell, writing in The Philadelphia Inquirer, echoed the sentiment: "People who liked the movie (read: teenagers) will tune in expecting something like what they saw in the theater. But the network is going to have to completely eliminate the movie's cheerfully rampant drug use and tone down the lusty sexual content, so that parents won't be uncomfortable."
However, Borden calls Fast Times "the hippest look at high school life since the late, lamented Square Pegs few seasons back, yet it treats the teachers with compassion and respect. An "us vs. them" mentality is avoided." Mike Duffy of the Detroit Press disagreed entirely, saying "With 'Fast Times,' we have 'Dull Pegs'."
Mark Dawidziak of the Akron Beacon Journal was far less than kind to the sitcom: "Just when you thought the CBS Wednesday schedule couldn't get any worse, along comes these two lethal stinkers. It would be better if the network programmers turned the hour over to repeated tests by the Emergency Broadcast System. It would be better, and considerably more entertaining, if they devoted the hour to a reading of the Newark yellow pages. It would be better, and far more merciful, if they just went dark. Just about anything would be kinder than subjecting even a few stray viewers to this video swill. Indeed, Tough Cookies and Fast Times make Stir Crazy look like television's answer to Ulysses.