Launched by Fox in 1990, Parker Lewis Can't Lose exploded onto the scene like a 1980s flashback. Witness the Ducky-style pompadours, retina-searing shirts, and reggae-goes-new wave theme song. As with Ferris Bueller before him, Parker (Corin Nemec) is the kind of quick-thinking teenager who can charm his peers with ease. He even has a bratty kid sister, Shelly (Maia Brewton), and two “best buds,” guitar-slinging Mikey (William Jayne) and calculator-sporting Jerry (Troy Slaten). Principal Grace Musso (Melanie Chartoff), however, doesn't find Parker's antics--most revolving around his expertise with electronics--quite so endearing. With the aid of her black-clad henchman, er, special obedience helper Frank Lemmer (Taj Johnson), Parker's pranks rarely go undetected, but due to his ingenuity and friendship with six-foot-seven-inch football player Larry Kubiac (ER's Abraham Benrubi), Lewis rarely does more than detention (and as for that ever-present camcorder: his parents run a video store). During the first season, Parker and buds battle a slick rival, a Heathers-like girl gang, and devious substitute principal-turned-teacher Dr. Norman Pankow (Gerrit Graham). Cartoon sound effects, extreme close-ups, fast-cutting, and film parodies, from Casablanca to The Karate Kid, add considerable zap and pow to their Santo Domingo High misadventures. Some of the guests to contribute to the first year include Milla Jovovich, Josh Lucas, and Ziggy Marley. Cast, crew, and creators Lon Diamond and Dexter’s Clyde Phillips comment on seven episodes. The other extra, "The History of Coolness," features interviews with most of the main players, including X-Files director Rob Bowman. Though Diamond and Phillips acknowledge the influence of ‘80s icon John Hughes and though Parker debuted the same year as his Ferris Bueller spin-off, the duo beat the odds when their competitor quickly bit the dust, while their show ran for two more seasons. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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