Parker Lewis Can't Lose

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Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Genre	Sitcom, Comedy
Creator(s)	Clyde Phillips
Starring	Corin Nemec, Troy Slaten, Billy Jayne, Melanie Chartoff, Taj Johnson, Abraham Benrubi, Maia Brewton, Gerrit Graham
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	73
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Fox
Original run	2 September 1990 – 13 June 1993
Links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Parker Lewis Can't Lose is an early 1990s comedy television series that was strongly influenced by the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The series originally aired on the Fox network from September 1990 to June 1993 (three seasons, 73 episodes), the last season sporting the simpler title Parker Lewis.

The series depicts the tribulations of the title character Parker Lewis, a Santo Domingo High School student, for whom nothing is impossible. Just like his best buds Jerry Steiner and Mikey Randall and his girlfriend Annie Sloane, his prime concern is achieving and maintaining coolness during the turbulent years of puberty. However, their efforts keep being thwarted by Parker's little sister, Shelly, and principal Grace Musso. Apart from various aspects of teenage life, embedded in a surreal, living-cartoon-like quality and the clever camera angles and filming techniques, an episode regularly contains more or less subtle references to movies, politics, and celebrities. The surrealism was toned down in the series' final season.

The TV spinoff Ferris Bueller, which was directly based on Ferris Bueller's Day Off, debuted on NBC during the same month, but it only lasted 13 episodes. Parker Lewis Can't Lose actually had lower ratings, but the Fox Network was still in its early years and thus had lower expectations.

Contents 1 Main characters 2 International 3 Cultural References 4 External links

[edit] Main characters

• Parker Lewis (played by Corin Nemec) - Smart guy with a penchant for garish shirts. He usually has a plan up his sleeve, and they in turn usually involve outsmarting someone else. Parker is famous for his philosophy, "not a problem," which he often says when faced with trouble. In the final season, Parker finally settled down with one girl, Annie, and he seemed more mature and less reliant on his "not a problem" attitude.

• Jerry Steiner (played by Troy Slaten) - Archetypal nerd. In the first two seasons, he always wears a trench coat from which he produces almost any object imaginable, apparently fixed inside with velcro. He addresses everyone by last name, i.e., "Mr. Lewis," "Mr. Randall," and even "Mr. Kubiac," or collectively as "sirs". At the end of the credits, Jerry is stuffed into his locker by the Kube, causing him to plaintively call for "Mr. Lewis? Mr. Randall? Mr. Phillips? (Clyde Phillips, the series' creator and executive producer) Hello?"

• Mikey Randall (played by Billy Jayne) - Rock'n'Roll rebel without a cause. By far the most emotionally driven of the trio.

• Grace Musso (played by Melanie Chartoff) - Principal of Flamingo High; Parker's arch-nemesis. Often breaks the glass on her office door, and with that trademark 'swoosh' when she swings her arm with thumbs up.

• Franklin Lemmer (played by Taj Johnson) - Principal Musso's ultra-Republican sidekick and "lapdog" with vampiric tendencies. Likes to wear black and seems to have a telepathic connection to the principal. Obsessed with war, strategy and politics. He is able to teleport at will.

• Francis Lawrence 'Larry' Kubiac (played by Abraham Benrubi) - a.k.a. "Kube", he is built like a dinosaur with a brain to match, yet with a surprisingly sweet disposition. Initially not a member of Parker's gang, he later develops some ties to them. But still, he is more of a force of nature than a real player.

• Shelly Lewis (played by Maia Brewton) - Parker's other arch-nemesis, his little sister. She likes to manipulate their parents to her benefit, which usually annoys Parker to no end.

• Dr. Norman Pankow (played by Gerrit Graham) - The principal of El Corrado High School and Musso's primary adult rival. His doctorate is in penology. As tough as Musso is, Pankow is regarded as far, far worse.

[edit] International

• In Belgium, the show aired on the official Flemish television channels (BRT1 and BRT2, now called Eén and Canvas) with multiple reruns.
• In Canada, the show aired on Global TV.
• In Germany, the show aired on Pro 7.
• In France, the show was shown on TF1.
• In the UK, the show first aired on BSB Channel Galaxy before moving to SKY One and later on Toonami. The series never made it to terrestrial television.
• In Peru, the show aired first on Red Global.
• In Poland, the show aired first on Canal+, then on TVP2.
• In Portugal, the show aired first on TVI and years later on SIC Radical.
• In New Zealand, the show aired on TV2.
• In the Philippines, the show aired on RPN 9.
• In Hungary, the show aired first on M1 and years later on TV2.
• In the Netherlands, the show aired on NCRV.
• In Israel, the show aired on Cable Channel 6 and later on Cable Channel 3.
• In Chile, the show aired on Canal Trece
• In Brazil, the show aired on Rede Record
• In Mexico, the show aired on XHGC-TV Canal 5
• In Spain, the show aired on TV3, Canal 9 and years later on Cuatro TV
• In Australia, the show aired on Channel 9
• In Uruguay it aired on Canal 4.
• In Argentina it aired on Canal 2, on the afternoons.
• In Greece and Cyprus, it aired on ANT1
• In Italy it aired on Telemontecarlo

[edit] Cultural References

Alternative rock band Fall Out Boy released a song entitled "Parker Lewis Can't Lose (But I'm Gonna Give It My Best Shot)."

The Western name for a common pig character in early Sonic the Hedgehog video games is Porker Lewis.

At the end of the first season finale episode, "Parker Lewis Can't Win," two figures observing the 'PLCL' set say: "So that's how they do it!" "C'mon, Ferris, let's get out of here." (A reference to the short run of the rival Ferris Bueller on NBC).

[edit] External links

• Parker Lewis Can't Lose at the Internet Movie Database
• Episode Guide - TV.com
• Ferris Vs Parker?
• A Parker Lewis Can't Lose website (fansite)