’80s Couch Surfing: Small Wonder

[TMC]

https://mutantreviewersmovies.com/20...-small-wonder/

Welcome to ’80s Couch Surfing, a series in which I watch and review two random episodes of a sitcom from the 1980s. Today’s entry is Small Wonder (1985-1989), a bizarre show about a family that “adopts” a clearly fake robot girl and then tries to hide her from the world.

Season 1 Episode 1: Vicki’s Homecoming

Small Wonder was always one of those shows that I was never quite sure actually existed — or if I had dreamed it — even though I’m fairly confident that I watched it occasionally when I was a kid. The premise promised nominal science fiction fun, but the execution was… well, let’s see how it goes. I wanted to start with the pilot, since it’s key to be able to trace the logic in how this whole situation was contrived.

The episode starts with Jamie Lawson coming home from school to eat a carrot (?) and enjoy the very last few moments of being an only child. He does throw some shade at his mom for “not working on” getting a sibling going, so that’s a nice awkward moment right there. The supremely annoying neighbor kid Harriet pops by, and Small Wonder actually gets a laugh from me as Jamie opens the door, says “Hi Harriet!” and then SLAMS the door in her face. Harriet is followed up by Jamie’s dad, Ted, who is one of those absent-minded inventors in the great tradition of the time. He’s been working late on a “secret project” — and yet his wife is not as concerned as I honestly would be in her place.

Ted sneaks his project home, explaining that his robotics company wasn’t interested in hearing what he had to say. So I guess he just stole company property? In any case, the project is a lifelike robotic girl — V.I.C.I. — who Ted sees as having service applications in hospitals and the like. Back in the ’80s, everyone believed pretty much anything about the potential for robots and computers, but this sort of thing is just pure fantasy. Anyway, Ted activates “Vicki” and she begins her streak of literally doing whatever anyone tells her to do and talking in that fake monotone voice that little kids do when they’re trying to act like robots.

So the episode is pretty much the family getting used to the new addition (the official lie being that Vicki is a “cousin”) and trying to keep her from destroying everything. It’s such a weird show to get a handle on. In one respect, it’s got that dull, overly scripted sitcom patter that screams “fake” at every turn, and the writers clearly have never met actual children, as their dialogue is more suited for a 70-year-old. In another respect, the whole setup is just bonkers. Ted has created this lifelike girl and then acts all confused that everyone keeps treating her as such. I don’t know whether to laugh or scream when he just yanks off her “real human hair” and offers his wife to make her a redhead.

And, I have to admit, there’s a real creepy vibe that runs through the whole show. I don’t think any of it is intended, but viewing it from today, it’s uncomfortable how many sly references to sex that they make the kids say. Seeing Ted just manhandle Vicki is disturbing, witnessing Harriet continually spy through windows on Jamie is unnerving, and watching Jamie figure out that he can make Vicki his literal slave is something that I want to wash my hands of entirelly.

That all said, is it entertaining? Is it funny? Yyyyyyes. Sometimes. Between the piles of awkward, there are some great visual gags, such as when Vicki just dumps breakfast on the adults in bed or two (!) door slams in Harriet’s face. Once in a while the jokes are pretty funny, even though there’s so much pausing before and after them that you know some studio producer is glaring at you until you laugh. It’s like a normal sitcom with a very abnormal premise that everyone treats as pretty standard, and my brain can’t make sense of that.

Let’s see how it goes with an episode from a few seasons on…