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Join Date: Jan 09, 2001
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https://web.archive.org/web/20070225...ptheshark.com/
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When the nerd became cool.
Parker Lewis can't act...
The first season of "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" holds its own against the best individual seasons of any sitcom ever. It added a jolt of surrealism to the standard sitcom form and was never fully appreciated for this. But starting with the second season, it started to become more of a standard sitcom: not only did a lot of the clever camera tricks and surrealistic moments fade away, but in their place we got more "special" moments and hugs: family appreciation, dealing with a girlfriend, appropriate-for-Sunday-family-hour morals, and so on. Although it still had individual episodes that were worthy of its early promise, overall it had lost its spark; by the time it became just "Parker Lewis", it was hardly worth bothering with. And no, I'm not kidding.
Beat Ferris Bueller at his own game (How long did the Ferris Bueller show last anyway? About 3 weeks?) Great series. Corny at times, but worth its weight in laughter.
This show was fresh and original. I loved it!
The first 2 seasons of this show, especially the first, were some of the funniest, hippest, shows ever. This show was the real Successful small screen adaptation of The Ferris Movie, not the show of the same name. Unfortunately, by it's third season it became a typical high school "Message" show, and it lost it's edge and humor, probably due to network pressure to conform to the norm. Sad really.
Kubiak went from bully to nice guy
The brilliantly inventive first two seasons were about as good as you're going to get. Sadly, things went downhill quickly in the third season as "Can't Lose" was dropped from the title. All is forgiven, however, because the show's final episode (the coffee shop becomes a train) could reasonably be considered the greatest single sitcom episode *ever*.
This show was over-the-top and offbeat, but Parker's sappy girlfriend Annie was a dud. Their relationship ruined the show, it was just too cheezy, totally inconsistent with the wackiness that made it fun to watch. The sentimental relationship of teen contemporaries Doogie and Wanda was actually pretty cute and innocent, and in a moralistic show like that was a nice diversion. 3 cheers for Lisa Dean Ryan who played a smart pretty girl in Doogie, Class of 96, and Dead at 21 better than anyone...the underrated Neve Campbell prototype.
After the show was renewed for its second season and the surreal, living-cartoon-like quality of the first was discarded for a more 'conventional' tone, the show began to lose its lustre. It did try to jump back a few times (the summer mini-season between seasons two and three seemed to return to the earlier style, but not quite), but by its third season it was almost painful to watch.
They dropped the sublimely hilarious long-haired Frank Burns-esque kiss-ass to Ms. Musso, they brought in the fat guy and a girlfriend for Parker and the show lost all the clever camera angles and filming techniques that put it so far ahead of everything else on television.
the third series when all the really wacky stuff stopped happening and parker changer his hair and lost the shirts.
ARGH! The first season was so much fun! I wanted to be Parker so bad it hurt! I loved all the characters, Ms. Musso was the greatest high school arch rival ever!
the guy that directed this show truly understood the mentality of the stoned undergraduate.
Loved it. Loved Frank Lemmer! He's the best.
Changed the name to "Parker Lewis" and made it so he could lose.
When Parker cut his hair, after that the show just totally sucked! Otherwise, it was great! You can't go wrong with Tim Stack
What could possibly be better than the trench coat with infinite capacity and synchronizing Swatches?
believe it or not internet folks when i was going to hamilton high school in los angeles in 1991, that is the school where parker lewis was filmed. there was a lot of kids who didn't really like that, because whole sections of the campus would be blocked off for all the equipment & ****, making some people have to do a lot of extra walking. i remember bumping into the guy who played kubiak at the chevron across the street once , and one day parker lewis himself drove past some friends & i & he pulled over and tried to spit that 'hey i'm a star baby, dig me' game to my potnas sister, & she was like just keep drivin fool and we just cracked up laughing. as for the show it had a few good parts here & there. i gotta admit i laughed a few times, it had a few good moments but like most shows from back then, i just watched bits & pieces.
When "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" first aired, I enjoyed the shows so much the experience was excruciating. I taped each episode and watched them until I could repeat them verbatim. (Unfortunately my older sister taped over them). But when Annie was introduced and Parker lost his hairstyle and his shirts, and along with them the inability to lose, the show took a nosedive that I can never forgive.
Have to agree third season was the jump. First season really blew me away. Fantastic! Has anyone seen "Three O'clock High"? Same great cinematography and unique camera angles. I have a number of Parker episodes on tape from a marathon a few years back. Love to watch them at least once a year. Mr. Lewis...Mr. Randall...
What is Kubiak doing behind the desk on ER? Someone watch him to make sure he does not eat the lab samples! This show was sooooooo crazy, I remember wishing I had half the hook-ups that Parker Lewis had! He totally ran that school. Ms Musso and Lemmer and Parker's sister (Shelly?) were great antagonists! I miss it a lot!
when they started having more episodes in the coffee shop and the weird ass guy behind the counter and wasnt there an episode where it seemed like parker and ms musso where getting along? (it was the episode where the wrestling coach was dating someone and he admitted at a dinner, with parker and ms musso there, he admitted to kissing her, parker would never voluntary go to dinner with ms musso in the same room, correct me if im wrong)
I used to watch this show all the time back in 1991. I was in third grade and this show was really hot news. I just loved all the characters and the way parker just owned that school. How every time Ms. Musso jerked her thumb the window in her office would break, classic! Sadly during the third season Parker changed his hair and they changed the format of the show (sniff!).
A groundbreaker & a classic all in one!
When they secretly replaced the fine people responsible for the show with the cast and crew of "The Wonder Years". I remember a later episode when Harry Anderson guest-starred as an old classmate of Parker's dad who had been a high school baseball hero, and Parker realized that his dad was the true hero. Blech! Oh, and also when Parker got a girlfriend. But until then, it was truly inspired. The nerdy freshman, Kubiak, Ms. Musso and her Frank Burns-ish lickspittle. Really funny.
This used to be my favorite show. I was only nine or ten when this show hit it's peak. My brother and I ALWAYS parked ourselves right in front of the TV to watch it. I even bought a watch so my friends and I could "synchronize watches". I even tried to do my hair like Parker and I think I remember buying a few Hawaiian shirts too. If I remember correctly, the show had a great three season run but then Fox pulled the plug. Then they decided to bring it back for another season but they retooled it. Parker lost the shirts, changed his hair and even the title of the show. Then they decided to give Parker a girlfriend (lame) and they added a bunch of stupid characters. Not only that but the format of the show changed, Parker decides that he's growing up and he's too old to be playing pranks. Yum yum yum said the shark. Otherwise, first three seasons kicked ass. Mr. Lewis...Mr. Randall...hello?
(Actual dialogue from the last season) Jerry: (Pulling out ratings sheet from overcoat) Sirs!, it appears that our show isn't as good as it used to be. Our ratings have taken a major tumble. Mikey: C'mon Park, drop that stupid girlfriend of yours and get rid of that part in your hair. Let's get back to the all the pranks and hijinx we used to do. Parker: Sorry guys, the stiff suits at FOX have retooled this show and made our lives incredibly boring. The only thing left to do is go rent a motor boat and water skis.
Why! Why would they ever take this show off the air? Didn't they read the title of this show(Can't Lose)? Parker, you will never be forgotten.
A decent show before the suits ruined it. Ms. Musso (Melonie Chartoff of "Fridays" fame) was one not piece of ass, even if her character was a bitch. The show lost it's edge when Musso's henceman, Lemmer left the show. There was one time where Lemmer is working quietly at his desk, and suddenly puts his ear up to the air to hear something that no one else can hear. Off in the distance, some wolves howl and Lemmar rushes to Musso's office. Musso asks Lemmar what he doing here because she didn't call for him, and Lemmar answers, "But Ms. Musso, the wolves always howl when you summon me." Great Line!
Season three without a doubt. Everything that has already been said is correct. It was the greatest show ever, and then they made it sappy! It deserved to die after they changed it, and I hope FOX never forgets what they did to a good show.
I recall an episode in which the father of Parker Lewis and the parents of all his friends had a high school reunion or some inane reason was invented to bring them all to the school. Parker's dad, it turns out, was very much like his son once upon a time, and reverts back to that along with his old cronies. They even did a "synchronize watches" bit together. After that episode you could never cheer the antics of the younger Lewis again because his dad was there, and now we the audience saw the hellish future that awaits the bright Parker, Suburban Blandness!
I don't remember too much about the show except for two things. The funny noises that accented the show and one other incident. The show was up against a show (on NBC?) called "Eerie, Indiana". That show is so obscure it not even listed on this website. Anyway, it was cancelled pretty quick and "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" wasn't. There's a scene in "Parker . . ." of a political type rally with people holding signs. One of the signs was "Thanks for not watching Eerie, Indiana". He-he.
From beginning to end this was a great show. The last episode was a classic with the Ferris Bueller joke. Every episode was a cool fun trip in what I wish high school had been like. Let us not forget the never ending coat of stuff.
While it had served as the coolest, hippest teen show on the air during its first two seasons, the third and final season of "Parker Lewis Can't Lewis" (when it became simply "Parker Lewis") was a joke. It's very appropriate that they dropped the "Can't Lose" from the title, as the last season was a total loser. Everything changed all at once. Park's personal style shifted drastically, Lemmer vanished without a trace, Jerry stopped wearing "THE Jacket," and the phrases "Synchronize Swatches," "Not a problem," and "Coolness" also went the way of Lemmer. This show definitely jumped the shark when they took one of the best teen shows ever and gave it a 180 twist.
Everyone lost their POWERS! The jacket! Parker couldn't pull off these magic tricks! Kubiak's abilities didn't defy reality anymore (eating an entire freshman) I think I even still have the TV guide, but when this show came out, it was the same time as Hull High and 90210. It was criticized because it said the teen scenarios were unrealistic! WHAT?!?!? Those pseudo-real teen shows like hull high and 90210 were over glossed, pseudo-genuine, zitless, 30-year olds playing teeny boppers, pumped up overrated fantasy images of teenage life. The fact that Steiner being so afraid of girls and Parker being ths kid that "can't lose" actually showed the true elements of teen life, and therefore was more realistic even with things drawn out more. WHY oh WHY did they take away the powers?!?!?!?! This show HIJACKED and KIDNAPPED the shark!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree that the changes of the third season were all awful and the show was unwatchable thereafter, but the single worst loss was the departure of Frank Lemmer. The supernatural sycophant was one of the greatest characters ever to grace the small screen. That also rendered the in-joke reference to famous Hollywood eatery Musso & Frank's Grill meaningless.
The fact that the fans brought this show back from "hiatus" tells that it never jumped.
I can't believe no one's blaming Mikey. Parker's hair? Kubiak being nice? No no no. It's all that annoying moping from the Mikester
Parker Lewis is one of my favorite shows of all time. Mainly because during its run I was in my first couple of years in high school and it lent an interesting point of view on things but my high school seemed to have a non-existent principal while Parker's school had a principal who was a force to be reckoned with. But by the third season this show lost a lot, it was way less cartoony and it started to get "Gasp" serious in some episodes. Gone were the ultra-cool shirts and 'Gumby' hair that Parker sported (I remember one episode where Parker entered a dimly lit room and the shadow he cast was that of a human size Gumby before cameras cut to him!), Jerry became a normal kid instead of 'supergeek' and Mikey became like Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World aka a boring ass "rebel" who whined a lot. Also, the worst was when Parker and Grace started getting along!! At that point it started to be "Saved By The Bell" crossed with 90210 whose cast once made a special appearance on "Parker Lewis" I think before he lost the "Can't Lose". Even though near the end it bogged down I still love it till this day and hope it'll get released on DVD before I die.
It was so sad.... a day I'll never forget, Parker and Mikey sitting in the barber chairs, Parker going through the styles too this, too that... then he gets to his cut... "Too Parker Lewis!" And that was it. The new cut sucked. His new girlfriend sucked. The new writing sucked. The coffee shop sucked. For one glorious season (or maybe one and a half) Park and the gang did it all. They beat the system. They beat Ferris Bueller at his own game (although the horrible FB show had Jennifer Aniston). Everything was wacky and cool. It was a golden age of TV when you had to choose between Eerie Indiana and Parker Lewis. It was the end of an 80's era of TV.
This was such a great show - what the Ferris Bueller series wished it could have been. Synchronize swatches!! And those crazy sound effects! And when La(r)ry Kubiak comes into the scene. Then, the bottom fell out. Frank left the series. That stupid ass John Pinette joined the cast (anybody remember him?). The show dropped the "Can't Lose" AND the sound effects AND all the tricks. That stupid girlfriend during the third season. Dilbert's garbage man - oh, I'm sorry, it was that guy who ran the diner, but he served the same purpose. They took out all the things that made the show special. The third season was just 90210 in Santo Domingo. Yech. By the way, when Frank left, they lost one of the show's greatest gags. The principal was Grace Musso and her assistant is Frank - MUSSO AND FRANK, great Hollywood hot spot. So it took me four years to get the joke - I'm stupid. (And, no, I'm not a FOX network programmer). This show was classic - and we still miss it. Somebody release this series on DVD but forget the third season. Please.
Loved this show as a teen. If I'd been Parker, though, I would've just banged Ms. Musso instead of trying to "outwit" her every episode. What a piece of a$$!!! Hottest TV principal I ever saw, that's for sure. The guy who played Mikey, (?) Parker's best bud is doing commercials now where he's got a wife and kid. Looks like he's pushing 40. Dang, that makes me feel old.
"Parker Lewis" was pretty watchable and usually amusing - mostly thanks to the lovely Melanie Chartoff and to her lapdog Lemmer (? - was that his name?). The three main characters were, of course, awful "actors" (and I've read that Nemec acted like a repulsive nouveau riche on the set... and off it), but one could learn to tolerate that. However, it all changed with season III... a season so painfully bad, so disgustingly unfaithful to the first two seasons and the characters, so horribly written, dull and absolutely unfunny that it makes the fourth season of "Smallville" look like a good continuation. I wouldn't say "Parker Lewis" jumped the shark with its season III, though - I *would* say that it jumped into a pool of raw sewage and drank five mouthfuls of it.
When they realized they had a hit they decided to do as all successful sitcoms do, get serious and preach a message; MASH did it, Night Court did it. For some reason TV producers seem to love to Make Hay when they have a winner. Kind of the same thing as Rock stars using their fame to push their beliefs. Yuck.
Somewhere in the middle of season 2. Most specifically when they brought in the Atlas Diner. That signaled the end because the writers now had one set they could easily write standard stories to. It became the main location for the show pushing Santo Domingo High out of use. The school was what made the show work; the locker gags, secret hideouts, Musso's breaking window, Bathroom 12, rooftop hangout, etc. The other things that screwed the show was Annie -She made Parker into a blubbering idiot, I still cringe every time I hear him say "Annie". Too many "Mikey has issues" shows. And of course the main reason the show jumped; the creators of the show intentionally threw away EVERYTHING that made the show work and retooled it. Why? What were they thinking? Lets look at the list of the best things on the show: Jerry's Jacket -Gone Parker in control and running things -Gone, loser Musso as the best nemesis on TV -Gone, softened Lemmer! -Gone Kubiak larger than life -retooled to a normal guy War between Parker and Shelly -Gone SD High -Gone What do you have left. Utter crap. I recently found my old tapes and watched them. The first season and a few parts of the second season were just amazing. But the Annie crap, and the horrible Diner 75 season finale completely turned me off.
I agree, it was when they added the Atlas Diner in season 2. Yes the show was still pretty good most of the time through season 2, but that is what started the decline. They even rewrote the backing story. One show I remember Parker narrating "Ah the Atlas Diner, the center of all things in Santo Domingo for generations". I mean really, why didn't they just spin off a new series called Atlas Diner and leave PLCL alone! The other thing I noticed was that the Primary story of each episode became dull, preachy and boring, while the secondary story was the only thing good left that was good. Case in point; The episode "Love Handles" in season 2 had a primary story about Parker learning that Fat people are OK, and not to judge them -Not very interesting at all. However, the secondary story about Jerry tutoring Musso was CLASSIC -tons of camera tricks, black and white film noir effects, and the best, the school hallway turns into a train station complete with a steam train taking off and them all dressing in Casablanca outfits. Just amazing!
Never did. The fact that it was a slightly more out there take on Ferris Bueller notwithstanding it had a certain subversive charm. It worked because it was so much better than the attempt to turn Ferris Bueller into a sit-com. Most movies are best left to their one day (or week or whatever) in the otherwise ordinary lives of the characters format. Parker Lewis worked on many strengths. The actors, the writing, and the characters were all first rate, and so much better than 90210 and it's type.
When Jerry's obsessive handheld videogame fetish needs to be squelched, Parker steamrolls his games. Way too serious and thought-provoking.
Once again, season 3. I went with New Kid b/c wasn't that about the time Annie showed up? Cute enough girl, but her character softened Parker like so much kryptonite. I remember her stinking up another show I used to like, she might be the female Ted McGinley. Up until the end of that summer season, that show ruled all. Like a couple other posters, I wanted to BE Parker! I must have been in 9th or 10th grade when this was on. The whoosh-bang sound effects, the zany camera angles, too-close close-ups when two people were talking (usually involving Musso.) I liked how the main characters wore the same outfits every day and nobody noticed. I started buying shirts like Parker's and still wear them into my 30's. I don't care what that big guy appears on, he will always be Kubiak to me. I kept waiting on ER for Clooney to feed him a minnow...eat now? Once they needed a favor and fed him a full 12-inch trout--Ha! "We've achieved coolness." "Not a problem." Shelly gets a crush on Mikey and becomes "Breathless." Then Jerry gets a crush on Shelly. Musso's window shattering a different way each time--once the DOOR shattered and the window just hung there! It suffered after Lemmer left. One episode took place entirely at the mall and Shelly was out to prove Lemmer was a vampire. I remember she looked down on him from the escalator and he bared fangs back at her--then she looked in a mirror and he had no reflection--or am I thinking of the episode of Buffy with the Gorch Brothers? One time Jerry had to sell his jacket and we got to see the schematics and instructions for it. One time we saw Parker's shadow and it was clearly Gumby. Oh well, I could go on. I did take away one of my most profound life lessons from this show. Parker had the worst day of his life, nothing worked and he was indeed 'losing'. He finally went up to the roof to hide, and ran into the janitor who told him "Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down. But you're never either one for very long." I still think of that when I feel down. (Didn't Mr. T do that in Not Another Teen Movie?) Mr. Lewis? Mr. Randall? Mr. Philips? HELLO?!
It was different, surreal, and creative. Until the third season. The title was shortened to just "Parker Lewis," and all the eccentric things that made it good were toned down or outright removed. One of many great shows ruined by the Fox Network.
Season three was perhaps the worst season three of any tv program ever. I don't even know where to start...the crummy girlfriend, the toned down clothes, the Atlas diner, a meeker Musso, the bully Brad Penny (yawn), no Lemmer, the worthless fatass Hank, the absence of "Can't Lose" in the title...This show lost its nutsack in the third season. In fact, impotent is a perfect way to describe its fall from grace. how can a show that started out to funny, so different, so...risky...become so safe and sappy? The show resembled Saved by the Bell and Leave it to Beaver more than Parker Lewis Can't Lose. What happened to the funny schemes, the debauchery, the synchronized swatches? The less said about Season 3, the better.
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10-03-2013, 03:56 PM
Parker Lewis Can't Lose Boned the Fish When...
