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

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.

"Power Play" – A new student steals the spotlight (and Jerry) from Parker, becoming a cooler, more popular version of him.

"Parker Lewis Must Lose" – In a no-brainer, Parker runs for student body president, but decides to throw the race when he falls for his opponent. It's easier said than done.

"Close, But No Guitar" – After a particularly embarrassing prank by Shelly, Mikey drops out of high school to pursue his musical aspirations.

"G.A.G. Dance" – Girls ask guys at this dance, but Parker has a tough time getting the girl to ask him until he holds a motivational seminar.

"Love's a Beast" – Parker is thrown into detention just when Mikey needs his help in uncovering a secret admirer.

-Disc 2-
"Saving Grace" – Musso gets the boot, but Parker discovers her replacement, Dr. Pankow, is even worse.

"Musso & Frank" – Parker forges an uneasy alliance with Frank when the latter is scheduled for a blind date with Musso's niece.

"Deja Dudes" – Musso looks for revenge at her high school reunion as she investigates who pulled a terrible prank on her years ago. The search leads to Parker's very own dad.

"Radio Free Flamingo" – Parker discovers an old pirate radio station from the 60's that had been shut down with help from a young Musso.

"Science Fair" – Despite his vast technical know-how, Jerry has yet to win a science fair due to his stage fright. The stakes are upped when Musso and Pankow make a wager on the results.

"Teacher, Teacher" – Parker wins the scorn of his schoolmates when he inadvertently causes a popular poetry teacher to quite.

-Disc 3-
"Rent-A-Kube" – Plagued by rampant shoplifting, Parker convinces his parents to hire Kubiac as security guard, a job he takes far too seriously.

"Heather the Glass" – Shelly falls in with a "Heathers"-like clique of girls known as the Vogues and Parker must pull her out before it's too late.

"Jerry: Portrait of a Video Junkie" – Parker holds a drastic intervention when he learns that Jerry is addicted to video games.

"Splendor in the Class" – The Buds' friendship is strained when Parker spends more time with his new girlfriend.

"The Human Grace" – Parker must come to Musso's rescue when she falls in love with Pankow.

"Citizen Kube" – Kubiac wins two million dollars and learns the meaning of fair-weather friends.

"Randall Without a Cause" – Mikey joins up with a biker gang and gets thrown in jail after they trash Musso's garden.

-Disc 4-
"Jerry's First Date" – Parker and Mikey drop everything to help Jerry on his first date. Guest-starring A.J. Langer and Josh Lucas.

"Against the Norm" – Pankow worms his way back to Santo Domingo, forcing Parker to reluctantly come to Musso's rescue.

"King Kube" – As a prank, Jerry gets Kubiac elected as prom king, but the big guy doesn't find it funny at all.

"Teens From a Mall" – We take a rare break from school as the cast hit the mall. Mikey struggles with his promotion at the hot dog stand, Jerry tries to get a job, and Parker is on the hunt for his dream girl (played by Josie Bissett of "Melrose Place").

"My Fair Shelly" – Parker helps Shelly find a date for a big party.

"Parker Lewis Can't Win" – In the season finale, everything goes wrong for Parker and he contemplates simply throwing in the towel.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in fullscreen. The image is relatively clean though the picture is soft at times. There's not a lot of noticeable damage, but the transfer could have been better.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. The show is mostly dialogue with a few effects thrown in, but nothing to give your system a work out.

EXTRAS:
There are commentary tracks spread throughout the set on select episodes. Each track features various combinations of the cast and creators. The participants readily admit they haven't seen the show in years and there are gaps of silence as they get caught in watching the episode.

Disc 4 features a half-hour retrospective called, The History of Coolness: A Look Back at Parker Lewis. Nearly everybody involved in the show makes their presence felt as they recall how the series came together, the production, and fan response since it went off the air. The only notable absence is Melanie Chartoff. No mention is made why and everybody is complimentary about her.

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.