Parker Lewis Can't Lose (DVD)

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Of the many shows from my childhood that have yet to be released on DVD, "Parker Lewis Can´t Lose," was one I wasn´t exactly clamoring for. I only watched a handful of episodes during the series´ original run and have the vaguest recollections of it. The show debuted in 1990 on the Fox Network which was still trying to find footing against the trinity of ABC, NBC, and CBS. It only lasted three seasons, never coming close to the staying power of Fox´s flagship shows, "The Simpsons" and "Married with Children." I´m surprised to say how much I enjoyed "Parker Lewis" as I watched episode after episode. I was even more surprised to see how much the show still stands up nearly two decades later. "Parker Lewis" is a colorful bubble of frozen time that encapsulates the end of the 80´s and the beginning of the 90´s.

The series stars Corin Nemec as the titular Parker Lewis, a junior at Santo Domingo High School. He´s hip, cool, and has a plan for nearly every situation. Parker is joined by his best "buds," the leather jacket wearing, wannabe musician Mikey Randall (Billy Jayne) and the nerdy Jerry Steiner (Troy Slaten) who is somehow able to pull out almost any object from his velcro-laden trenchcoat. Our trio of protagonists has two arch-enemies they have to contend with. The first is the shrewish Principal Grace Musso (Melanie Chartoff) who always winds up as the victim of a wacky prank from Parker and company. The second is Parker´s very own kid sister, Shelly, played by Maia Brewton who some might remember as the Thor-obsessed girl in "Adventures in Babysitting." Shelly is the proverbial monkey wrench in the works, throwing many of Parker´s plans awry. Rounding out the cast of supporting characters are: Frank Lemmer (Taj Johnson), Musso´s sycophantic toady with a ponytail; Parker´s parents, Marty (Timothy Stack) and Judy (Mary Ellen Trainor in the pilot, Anne Bloom for the rest of season 1) who run a video store, and a star-making role for Abraham Benrubi as Francis "Larry" Kubiac, a monster man-child with a hidden gentle side.

If it sounds like Parker Lewis shares several attributes to a certain Matthew Broderick character, I´d be hard pressed to disagree with you. While "Parker Lewis" was likely inspired by "Ferris Bueller´s Day Off,´ there are some marked differences. Aside from the principal and his sister, Ferris was universally liked to the point where everybody in the school put together a ´Save Ferris´ fund. Parker, while cool in his own right, was hardly the big man on campus. Woe to Parker if he were to cross Kubiac and wind up with his meaty hands wrapped around his throat. Also, Parker didn´t have the insanely gorgeous Mia Sara (who I still have a crush on) on his arm. There are many times when Parker has a hard time speaking to a girl or trying to get a date. Ironically, a television version of "Ferris" was an all-new cast debuted on NBC at the same time as "Parker." NBC´s "Ferris" starred a then-unknown Jennifer Aniston and was cancelled by the end of the year, replaced with "Blossom."

"Parker Lewis" may have been a series that was ahead of its time. The show´s production design made liberal use of bright, pastel colors in the sets and wardrobe. The directors were young and included Andy Tennant ("Sweet Home Alabama," "Hitch") and Rob Bowman ("Elektra," "Reign of Fire"). They took to using canted angles and odd camera placement to give each episode a unique look compared to the standard 3-camera set-ups on most sitcoms. One episode featured the camera mounted on a guitar that was ziplined from the school´s roof. The opening credits usually featured the main characters peering into a fridge, garbage can or laundry machine. Placed throughout each episode were outlandish fantasy sequences and, along with Parker´s constant narration, definitely evokes "Scrubs." Was Bill Lawrence a closet "Parker Lewis" fan?

The producers and writers were wise enough to steer clear of references that would undoubtedly be dated within a short period of time. Sure, they name drop Milli Vanilli at one point, but most of the musical references involve Depeche Mode, Tom Petty, or Van Halen. Some bits that are dated add a nostalgic level of charm to the proceedings. One scene that got a big laugh featured Marty Lewis selling a customer a laserdisc of "Blade Runner" for $69.95. Parker and his buds use a lot of slang may cause you to roll your eyes. Catchphrases like, "Coolness achieved," and "Synchronize Swatches," are cheesy, but in a good way.

Shout! Factory has released the first season of "Parker Lewis Can´t Lose" on a four disc DVD boxset. The discs are packed in two slim cases and the episodes break down like this:

-Disc 1-
"Pilot" – Parker and Mikey´s friendship is put to the test when the Buds fall for the same girl, played by a young and yummy Milla Jovovich.

"Operation Kubiac" – Musso tasks Parker with assisting Kubiac in his math class in order for the big lug to win a prestigious scholarship.