Season One Episode Guide
Episode One (Pilot) - aired September 2nd, 1990
Parker and Mikey both find the girl of their dreams. The problem is that it's the same girl. Tension brews when she kisses Parker. After Mikey damages Larry's lunch the buds must stick together to avoid certain death at the hands of Kube. Guest star: Milla Jovovich.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the interior of the Lewis family's refrigerator.
Episode Two (Operation Kubiak) - aired September 9th, 1990
When college football scouts come to court the Kube, Parker appoints himself Kubiak's press agent. Lemmer kills Kube's chances at a scholarship when he reveals that Larry can't add. An embarrased Musso demands that Parker must get Kube to pass a math test in 4 days.
Intro/Extro: Parker trying to get Shelly to climb into the attic to fetch his rollerblades.
Episode Three (Power Play) - aired September 16th, 1990
When new student Matt Stiles arrives at Santo Domingo High he takes over Parker's place in everything, becoming the most popular boy in school. When Jerry relinquishes his trenchcoat and becomes Stiles' second banana he finds that his new boss has a dark side.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the bottom of Lewis family's washing machine.
Episode Four (Parker Lewis Must Lose) - aired September 23rd, 1990
Parker Lewis is a shoo-in to win the election for Junior Class President but his heart tells him that Becky Grant deserves to win. The buds must find a way to sabotage Parker's campaign and give Park a chance to win Becky's affections.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the interior of the Lewis family's medicine cabinet.
Episode Five (Close, But No Guitar) - aired September 30th, 1990
Shelly broadcasts an embarrasing love ballad Mikey wrote to Mary Lou to the entire school. A humiliated Mikey decides to drop out of high school to become a musician. Celebrity guest stars: Ziggy Marley and Kool Moe Dee. Rodney Allen Rippy also makes a cameo in this episode.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the interior of Parker's locker.
Episode Six (G.A.G. Dance) - aired October 7th, 1990
Parker conducts a confidence seminar entitled "Dating: Not a Problem" in an attempt to get Tracy Lee to ask him to the "Girls Ask Guys" Dance.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the interior of the Lewis family's television set.
Episode Seven (Love's A Beast) - aired October 14th, 1990
Mikey's mad to find out the identity of his secret admirer. Parker wants to help but is stuck in detention after Musso finds out he's been cutting first period.
Intro/Extro: The Lewis family watching a slideshow of vacation photos.
Episode Eight (Saving Grace) - aired October 21st, 1990
Parker's antics during a surprise school inspection get Musso fired and demoted to home-ec teacher. Her replacement , Dr. Pankow (Gerrit Graham) runs the school like a high security prison and plans to raze the gym and cafeteria to create a "G. Gordon Liddy Detention Wing." The buds decide to get Musso her job back by playing on Pankow's weakness as a control freak. Celebrity guest star: Tom Petty.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the interior of the Lewis family's microwave.
Episode Nine (Musso & Frank) - aired October 28th, 1990
Musso wants to fix up Lemmer with her niece but Frank enlists Parker's help to find a fake girlfriend to twart her plan. Parker mistakingly fixes him up with a transfer student who turns out to be the niece. Frank wants out of the relationship and in return for Parker's helps Jerry study for a test on President Nixon (Frank's hero). David Faustino makes a cameo as a student in detention wearing a T-shirt saying "Polk High" (a reference to his character Bud Bundy on Married...With Children).
Intro/Extro: The Lewis family getting their pictures taken.
Episode Ten (Deja Dudes) - aired November 4th, 1990
Its time for the Santo Domingo Class of 1970's school reunion. Parker discovers that his dad and his best friends were a 70's version of the buds and that coolness runs in the family. Unfortunately, a time capsule contains evidence that Parker's father played a horrible prank on Musso that she still hasn't recovered from. If Parker can't retrieve the tape from the capsule he'll have to face a dreaded stint in summer school.
Intro/Extro: Shot from peephole in the front door of the Lewis' house.
Episode Eleven (Radio Free Flamingo) - aired November 11th, 1990
The buds find a hidden pirate radio station through a secret passage in a locker. Adopting the aliases Dr. Retro, The Iceman and The Freshman they start broadcasting as KFLM. Parker's DJ duties threaten his chances with Donna Sue Horton and Musso is determined to shut them down.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the interior of trunk of the Lewis family's car.
Episode Twelve (Science Fair) - aired November 18th, 1990
Ms Musso has a bet with Pankow (now Principal of rival, El Corrado High) that Santo Domingo will win the science fair and all depends on Jerry Steiner and his amazing recycling machine. Meanwhile, Kube attempts to invent a potato powered flashlight.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the interior of a closet in the Lewis' house.
Episode Thirteen (Teacher, Teacher) - aired December 2nd, 1990
Miss Donnelly is the coolest teacher at Santo Domingo... even beloved by the Kube. When Parker plays one prank too many, she decides to leave, turning the students against him. An upset Kube plans to vent his anger in a fight with an equally monstrous student named Luke McDonald.
Intro/Extro: The buds and Kube taking their yearbook photos.
Episode Fourteen (Rent-a-Kube) - aired December 16th, 1990
When shoplifting becomes a problem at Mondo Video, Parker hires Kube as a security guard. Unfortunately, Kube's enthusiasm scares off all the customers and Parker needs to find a way to fire him without becoming roadkill. Jerry suffers an identity crisis and becomes a clone of Mikey. Celebrity guest cameo by Ozzy Osbourne.
Intro/Extro: Shot from interior of a malfunctioning drink machine
Episode Fifteen (Heather the Class) - aired January 13th, 1991
Shelly joins The Vogues (Santo Domingo's version of Heathers) and snubs her best friend, Annie. Kube is too heavy for a wrestling match so Musso blackmails the buds into helping him lose weight in the classic segment Operation Low Fat Larry.
Intro/Extro: Parker and the buds playing Pictionary.
Episode Sixteen (Jerry: Portrait of a Video Junkie) - aired February 3rd, 1991
The buds are depending on Jerry to help Kube with his geography test but Jerry's video game addicition makes him neglect his duties. When he hocks his Swatch to feed his obsession the buds must stage an intervention. Barbara Billingsley and Jerry Mathers (from Leave it to Beaver) guest star as Musso's mother and brother Theodore.
Intro/Extro: Photo booth where gorgeous babes lean in to kiss the buds and Kube right before the camera snaps. They have a different reaction to Lemmer.
Episode Seventeen (Splendor in the Class) - aired February 10th, 1991
Parker's new girlfriend causes tension amongst the buds when she won't let him think for himself. Her Yoko Ono-style domination of Park leads to a bud breakup. Without the buds causing trouble, Lemmer finds himself out of a job as demand for a "Special Obedience Helper" severely declines.
Intro/Extro: Shot from interior of an aquarium.
Episode Eighteen (The Human Grace) - aired February 17th, 1991
Parker writes a fake letter which leads to a romance between Musso and Norman Pankow. Parker discovers Pankow is using Musso to get ly her vote at a school board meeting. If Parker can't convince Musso that she's being had, he might take the heat for Pankow's scheming. "Weird Al" Yankovic appearance.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the bottom of the Lewis' garbage can.
Episode Nineteen (Citizen Kube) - aired February 24th, 1991
Kube becomes a millionaire and everyone but the buds take advantage of him. He soon runs out of money and is left with an unpaid bill for $9,978. Guest Taime Downe.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the interior of an arcade game.
Episode Twenty (Randall Without a Cause) - aired March 10th, 1991
Randall gets restless and joins a biker gang who wreck a garden to even a score. The garden belongs to Musso and Mikey ends up in jail, unwilling to give away the names of the others. Also a running gag with Kube ordering a mountain of food at a drive thru. Charles Rocket guest stars.
Intro/Extro: Clap on, clap off hide and seek in the bud's hideaway.
Episode Twenty One (Jerry's First Date) - aired March 24th, 1991
Jerry is beset by many insecurities on his first date, some of which come from his future self. Parker and Mikey try to help him but Musso and Frank are after them.
Intro/Extro: Shot from the interior of a photocopier.
Episode Twenty Two (Against the Norm) - aired April 7th, 1991
Dr Pankow returns and begs Musso for a job. She still has a soft spot for him but all he wants is revenge on her. Also, Kubiac helps Parker against a bully and for payback, asks him to help him cheat on an exam but it turns out to be a set up to catch Pankow in the act of him setting up Musso.
Intro/Extro: Shot from behind the take-out window at Sparky's.
Episode Twenty Three (King Kube) - aired April 28th, 1991
As a joke, Jerry gets Kube elected Prom King. When Shelly spills the beans that it's a joke and everyone is laughing at him, Kube decides to leave Santo Domingo. Kube gets a girlfriend (Eileen). Musso meets Donny Osmond.
Intro/Extro: Baby versions of the buds, Shelly and Kube.
Episode Twenty Four (Teens from a Mall) - aired May 5th, 1991
Most of the episode takes place in the SD Mall. Mikey works at (Hot) Dog on a stick as a counterman. Jerry is looking for a part-time job there. Musso is a shopaholic. Parker has found the girl of his dreams. Also, Shelly is convinced Frank is a vampire (which would surprise no one).
Intro/Extro: Guidance counselor's office.
Episode Twenty Five (My Fair Shelly) - aired May 12th, 1991
Shelly wrangles an invitation to the biggest party of year, but she can't find a date. She decides to cash in an old IOU from Parker to force him to find her one. If Parker can't come through, he may end up spending a lot of quality time with Shelly's My Little Pony Collection ("Start Combing"). The guy turns out to be a jerk and she ends up hanging out with Jerry.
Intro/Extro: The buds and Kube arriving at different girls houses with flowers and candy.
Episode Twenty Six (Parker Lewis Can't Win) - aired May 19th, 1991
The last day of school for Parker is his worst day ever, mainly thanks to Shelly. All turns out well thanks to caretaker Augie (Ray Walston). Ends with camera pulling back and showing the set, director, etc.
Intro/Extro: Hospital elevator.
Trivia
In the pilot episode, a different actor (Sherman Howard, not Timothy Stack) played Parker's dad. You can see him in the refrigerator door intro.
Mary Ellen Trainor appears as Parker's mom in the pilot but was replaced by Anne Bloom for the remainder of the 1st season. Trainor then reprised the role for seasons 2 and 3.
In the pilot episode, it was "Synchronize watches"... "Synchronize Swatches" came later (they had to get permission from Swatch). The first episode with a "Synchronize Swatches" reference was Episode 10 - Deja Dudes. The best buds wore Swatch Model 150M watches in different colors (Parker's was red, Mikey had blue and Jerry's was yellow). The shot had to be filmed backwards. They would set up the shot so the watches lined up perfectly, then move their arms out of shot. The sequence was then reversed in post-production.
The pilot was shot at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills. The producers chose it because it was the only high school they could find in California with indoor lockers. The full length lockers were installed especially for the production (the school had half-lockers). Later on the series was filmed at Alexander Hamilton High School.
Originally the producers considered naming the high school "John Waters High."
The creators got the name Grace Musso from the name of the maître d' at a resturant they used to meet at when working on the pilot... Graciela Musso.
The producer's nickname for the buds hideout was "Parker Central."
The song playing at the end of the pilot is a cover version of Sam Cooke's What a Wonderful World sung by Terrence Trent D'arby.
At the end of the closing credits, Jerry's voice can be heard from inside a closed locker saying, "Mr. Lewis? Mr. Randall? Mr. Phillips? Hello!?" This is a reference to the show's creator, Clyde Phillips.
Clyde Phillips used to snag Billy Jayne's shirts from the wardrobe department and take them home.
The gummy fish that were fed to the Kube were especially made for the show.
The painting in Musso's office is Edvard Munch's "The Scream."
The producers wanted James Earl Jones for the part of Dr. Pankow, but he was too expensive.
The creators stated that the role of Shelly was the hardest to cast. After they saw Maia Brewton on an episode of the Wonder Years they knew they had found the perfect Shelly Lewis but had a hell of a time getting her out of her Wonder Years contract.
Abraham Benrubi and Taj Johnson were good friends off-set and used to go to a lot of concerts together. In The History of Coolness, Abe said they saw Fishbone, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Nirvana together. They also went on the road with No Doubt when that band was first starting out.
The producers had to make a "Bible" containing the lingo of the show for new writers. Some of the shows signature phrases were: "Not a problem," "I'm dubious maximus," coolness (and variations like coldness), tres-(insert adverb here), "Jerry, don't help!" and of course Gentlemen, synchronize Swatches!
"Close, But No Guitar" was the first episode Bryan Spicer directed. He ended up directing about a third of the episodes in the series and was the source a lot of cool camera shots that became a signature of the show. Some of the gadgets used to get interesting shots in Spicer episodes were the "Pogocam" and the "Spicer Spinner."
Kubiak's full name is Frances Lawrence Kubiak (revealed in Episode 2 - Operation Kubiak).
The song playing while the best buds are coaching Kube for media interviews in their secret hideaway (Episode 2 - Operation Kubiak) is "You Are What You Is" by Frank Zappa.
Musso Excuse #327 - indisputable evidence of an evil twin (Episode 3 - Power Play)
Musso can call Lemmer with an dog whistle (Episode - 6 G.A.G. Dance)
Parker's parents met at Wings concert (Episode - 6 G.A.G. Dance).
Musso makes $38,000 per year but lives in a $600,000 "palatial Gardenwood Estates home." (Episode - 6 G.A.G. Dance).
Mikey likes Patrick Swayze movies. (Episode 7 - Love's A Beast).
Parker's nickname for Shelly (in a rare moment where they aren't fighting) is "Shelly Belly." (Episode 7 - Love's A Beast).
Musso drives a Saab 900 turbo convertible (Episode 9 - Musso & Frank).
When Musso was in high school she was a "Special Obedience Helper" like Frank Lemmer. (Episode 10 - Deja Dudes).
The song playing at the beginning of the reunion dance is "Respect" by Otis Redding. (Episode 10 - Deja Dudes).
Parker's dad and his buds use the term "Synchronize Bulovas, " popular watches in the 70's. (Episode 10 - Deja Dudes).
Musso has an all-black Rolodex filled with potential punishments for Parker (Episode 13 - Teacher, Teacher).
Frank Lemmer can teleport himself.(Episode 13 - Teacher, Teacher).
The Kube has his own hideaway in "Bathroom 12" complete with a pizza oven. (Episode 13 - Teacher, Teacher).
Corin averaged about 5 different shirts per episode in Season One.
Pankow has a doctorate in penalogy, the study of prison management . Episode 18 (The Human Grace)
The synchroize swatches clip was taken from another episode. If you watch closely the buds shirtsleeves don't match the clothes they are wearing in the scene. Episode 18 (The Human Grace)
The song playing at the party in Larry's Office is "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis Episode 19 (Citizen Kube)
Mikey's cellmate was Dennis Stewart, the actor who played the leader of the Scorpions motorcycle gang in Grease. Episode 20 (Randall Without A Cause). Dennis would make another appearance in Season Two - Episode 15 (Obscene and Not Heard).
As Musso is busting Jerry for absentmindedly writing on a desk a huge piece of graffitti with the name "Clyde" can be seen on the wall. This is a reference to one of the show's creators Clyde Phillips. Episode 21 (Jerry's First Date)
The song playing while Jerry and Melissa are on their date is "This Magic Moment" by The Drifters. Episode 21 (Jerry's First Date)
Melissa was played by A.J. Langer who many will recognize from her role as Rayanne Graff on another iconic teen series of the 90's - My So Called Life. Episode 21 (Jerry's First Date)
Evan was played by Josh Lucas who went on to a sucessful film career, starring in movies like A Beautiful Mind, Wonderland and Sweet Home Alabama. Episode 21 (Jerry's First Date)
In addition to her Donny Osmond photo, Musso has a bunch of other photos of 70's icons on her desk - including Erik Estrada and James Garner Episode 23 (King Kube)
When Parker was 12 he wanted to be Alex Trebeck (the host of Jeopardy). Episode 24 (Teens From A Mall)
Shelly (Parker's sister) has the largest My Little Pony collection "on the continent." Episode 25 (My Fair Shelly)
The Season One finale opens with Parker waking up to his clock radio playing a promo for an episode of "Married... with Children," another Fox show that starred Corin's real life friend David Faustino.
In Season One finale ends with a cameo apperance from Charlie Schlatter (who played Ferris Bueller) and Brandon Douglas (who played Cameron Frye) on NBC's competing series Ferris Bueller. Few remember that it was Jennifer Aniston who played the evil sister (Jeannie Bueller) on that show.
Now on DVD
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
With smart writing, a unique style, an amazing supporting cast including Abraham Benrubi (ER) and Timothy Stack (Son Of The Beach)the first season of Parker Lewis Cant Lose ushered in the coolness of the 90s: brightly colored shirts and all!
Bonus Features:
* The History Of Coolness: A Look Back At Parker Lewis Cant Lose With The Cast And Creators
* Audio Commentaries
Cast
Main characters:
Parker Lloyd Lewis - Corin Nemec
Michael Patrick 'Mikey' Randall - Billy Jayne
Jerry Steiner - Troy Slaten
Grace Musso - Melanie Chartoff
Shelly Ann Lewis - Maia Brewton
Francis Lawrence 'Larry' Kubiac III - Abraham Benrubi
Franklin 'Frank' Lemmer - Taj Johnson
Martin Lloyd 'Marty' Lewis - Timothy Stack
Judy Lewis - Anne Bloom (season 1) / Mary Ellen Trainor (seasons 2-3)
Annie Faith Sloan - Jennifer Guthrie
Recurring characters:
Dr. Norman Pankow - Gerrit Graham
Nick Comstock - Paul Johansson
Bradley 'Brad' Penny - Harold Pruett
Coach Hank Kohler - John Pinette
Articles
DVD Review: Parker Lewis Can't Lose - Season 1 - I'd Rather Be Watching Movies Blog Ah, ‘90s nostalgia. As a guy who came of age in the decade that brought us grunge, round sunglasses and....'60s nostalgia, getting a chance to immerse myself once again in ... |
DVD Review: Parker Lewis Can’t Lose - The Flickcast On September 2 1990, just in time for the beginning of my junior year of high school, Fox debuted a new show called Parker Lewis Can't Lose. With cautious optimism ... |
Find Me Someone to Expel… - In One Ear It is not uncommon to find with television shows that you cannot go home again. Sure, some shows, like Seinfeld, withstand the test of time. Shows like Growing ... |
Justin does Parker Lewis Can’t Lose Season 1 - Mutant Reviewers from Hell It was a quiet Thursday morning, a lone bird chirping in the backyard as the sun came up. I stumbled downstairs, poured myself a cup of day-old coffee, and ... |
Parker Lewis Can't Lose DVD Review - DVD Movie Central September, 1990. I was now in middle school and because the homework increased by quite a lot, my limited TV allowance only granted me a couple of shows to watch ... |
TV on DVD: Parker Lewis Can’t Lose: The Complete First Season - Popdose.com In 1990, the same year NBC attempted to turn Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) into a weekly series, the Fox network aired an innovative, irreverent, hip little sitcom called Parker ... |
DVD Friday–Corin Nemec talks Parker Lewis - ProgressivePulse.com With the first season DVD just released of the classic sitcom, I had the pleasure of talking to Nemec about his time on the show and what he's been up ... |
Parker Lewis Can't Lose: The Complete First Season Review - DVD Verdict The Evidence Looking back nearly twenty years (!) later, there's almost no way Parker Lewis Can't Lose could have succeeded in the long run. It was too far ahead of its ... |
A chat with ... former 'Parker Lewis' star Corin Nemec - USAToday Synchronized Swatches. Jerry's magic trench coat.Mondo Video. Larry's Lunch. In the early '90s, I adored Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Fox's offbeat, fast-paced high-school comedy. Corin Nemec played Parker, a well-intentioned troublemaker ... |
DVD Review: Parker Lewis Can't Lose - The Complete First Season - BlogCritics Parker Lewis Can't Lose was a series that aired from 1990 through 1993 on the FOX network. The series followed Parker Lewis (Corin Nemec) and his "buds," fellow classmate Mikey ... |
DVD Review: Parker Lewis Can't Lose - Season 1 - Chud.com The Nutshell The early 90s on FOX was youth culture central. The kids from West Beverly High held court, as all other shows were designed to buff the primetime darlings and ... |
Parker Lewis Can’t Lose! No, Really! - EclipseMagazine The late summer of 1990 found two high school sitcoms premiering: the TV adaptation of Ferris Bueller's Day Off [simply entitled Ferris Bueller] for NBC; and - ten days later ... |
Interview with Corin Nemec, Star of TV's Parker Lewis Can't Lose - Associated Content Thanks to Tom Chen, Mitzye Ramos, and the other great people at Shout! Factory, I was able to conduct a phone interview with Corin Nemec, the star of Parker Lewis ... |
A Chat with Corin Nemec of Parker Lewis Can't Lose - Bullz-Eye.com Although "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" may have suffered its share of slings and arrows for having a title character who resembled a TV-ized version of Ferris Bueller, it was a ... |
The Caste System Of TV - Macleans As I said, I'll have more comments on the show later, but one thing that I found refreshing on revisiting it was that it's almost free from the main cliché ... |
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LOVE YOU CORIN