PARKER LEWIS CAN'T LOSE (TV SERIES) - DVD review

I only watched a handful of episodes during the series' original run and have the vaguest recollections of "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." 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, dated references aside. "Parker Lewis" is a colorful bubble of frozen time that encapsulates the end of the 80's and the beginning of the 90's.

"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 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. There are definitely shades of Ferris Beuller in him. 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) 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.

Two changes were made to the cast during its sophomore run. Mary Ellen Trainor, who played Judy Lewis in the pilot, was replaced during the rest of the first season by Anne Bloom. Trainor returns to the role and would portray Parker's mom for the remainder of the show. A new recurring character thrown into the mix is Nick Comstock (Paul Johansson), the owner of local hang-out, the Atlas Diner. Nick has an almost mystical ability to say the right thing and offer advice.

Shout! Factory has released the second 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-
"Father Knows Less" – A contest for students and their parents stirs melancholy feelings in Mikey for his absentee father.

"A Walk on the Dark Side" – Fed up with living in the shadow of Parker Lewis, Shelley joins a ruthless clique of delinquents called the Dark Siders.

"Full Mental Jacket" – Parker and Mikey try to boost Jerry's self-confidence by weaning him off his trusty coat.

"Future Shock" – Parker is forced to think seriously about his future after Musso chides him for his selection of easy classes.

"Under Graduate" – Rumors fly around Santo Domingo High when Parker gets some one-on-one time with the school's beautiful English teacher.

"Stormy Mikey" – Mikey lets his scholastic responsibilities slide when he attempts to gain a record deal. Sonny Bono guest-stars.

"Fat Boy and Little Man" – Jerry is recruited to the football team when the coach learns he has a talent for strategy and plays. However, his newfound popularity goes to his head, much to the dismay of Kubiak, the team's former star player.

-Disc 2-
"Aging Gracefully" – Dr. Pankow returns to worm his way into Musso's life just as she faces the crisis of turning 40.

"The Parker Chronicles" – Parker's deepest secrets may come to light when Frank steals his audio diaries.

"Rock ‘N' Roles" – Shelley will do anything to get concert tickets to a hot act while Kubiak temporarily takes over Frank's role as Musso's lackey.

"Love Handles" – Parker chats with a girl online (yes, they had the interwebs back then) and really likes her, until he finds out she's overweight.

"Boy Meets Girl" – Parker attempts to take his relationship with Annie to the next level by asking her to go steady.

"Raging Kube" – Kubiak's new girlfriend makes him promise to never fight again, but he may have to break that promise when a new bully initiates a reign of terror at the school.

-Disc 3-
"Tower of Power" – Dave Thomas guest-stars as a tyrannical history teacher with a no mercy style of teaching that forces Parker and Frank to join forces.

"Obscene and Not Heard" – Parker's dad is forced to fight back against a watchdog censorship group led by Dr. Pankow.

"Goodbye, Mr. Rips" – Parker rallies the student body when the school's most popular teacher decides to leave for a better paying job.

"Civil Wars" – For the first time ever, Parker's parents are at odds when Judy decides to go back to school and study philosophy.

"Glory Daze" – Santo Domingo legend Ronnie Rasmussen ("Night Court's" Harry Anderson) returns to class to complete his diploma, but the reality doesn't add up to the myths.

"Boy Meets Girl II" – Parker breaks the fourth wall and confides to the audience about his relationship troubles with Annie.

-Disc 4-
"Dance of Romance" – Love is in the air, especially for Frank who seeks guidance from Nick when he falls for a dark beauty named Lucinda. "Buffy" fans should take note as the episode features Juliet Landau in a precursor to her role as Drusilla.

"When Jerry Met Shelly" – Parker is rendered speechless when he discovers Jerry and Shelley are an item.

"Geek Tragedy" – Jerry tries to mentor a geeky freshman before she fades away into a netherworld of obscurity. The case of "Beverly Hills 90210" guest-star in the opening credits.

"Money Talks" – Mikey learns a hard lesson in responsibility when Nick fires him from his new job at the diner.

"Home Alone With Annie" – Parker finally has some quiet time with Annie until everyone arrives and turns things into a massive party.

"Diner ‘75" – Everyone is trapped at the Atlas Diner when a train crashes causing a toxic waste spill.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in its original fullscreen aspect ratio. The transfer is pretty clean overall, but the colors are a bit faded and there are a couple of little glitches in the episode "Glory Daze."

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0. The sound is surprisingly strong for a stereo track.

EXTRAS:
The DVD set includes cast and crew commentaries on select episode. There's Rob Bowman and Lon Diamond on "Father Knows Less;" Diamond, Robert Lloyd Lewis and Clyde Phillips on "Aging Gracefully;" Maia Brewton, Taj Johnson, Corin Nemec and Mary Ellen Trainor on "Civil Wars;" and Diamond, Lewis, Billy Jayne and Troy Slaten on "Diner '75."

FILM VALUE:
It's easy to see why a guy like Parker Lewis could become such a popular fellow in high school. He's instantly likeable and so is the show. "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" is a fun show though it doesn't deal with deeper issues of adolescence as a show like "My So-Called Life" or "Freaks & Geeks" did. It might be a little dated, but it's infinitely better than some of the also-rans that aired on Fox at the time. "Herman's Head," I'm looking at you.