Square Pegs

I loved this show and remember it fondly. "Square Pegs" introduced Sarah Jessica Parker(FOOTLOOSE, SEX IN THE CITY), Jamie Gertz(QUICKSILVER, LOST BOYS, LESS THAN ZERO), and Tracie Nelson(DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS, FATHER DOWLING MYSTERIES) to the world and make stars of them. Unfortunately the show got cancelled after only a year. TV Guide had a cover story a few years later about how drugs and money had killed the show. Well that's Hollywood for you.

This is probably the first show about High School that featured teenagers as the leads. Played by actual teenager actors, not twentysomethings. The show was conceived by Anne Beatts, a writer from "Saturday Night Live". The writing was top notch and the actors were funny and real. It's a classic show! Luckily I have 6 episodes saved on Video but it won't last forever. I want it on DVD please!!!!

PS: Another great show of High School life in the 80's was "Fast Times". Does anybody remember that one or was I the only one watching it. That show died after 7 episodes.

Since Hollywood has ravenously consumed nearly every "classic" television series and regurgitated them into "big screen" treatments, time has come for "lost" series and failed pilots to become adapted for film.

I became a fan of "Square Pegs" when it was playing in re-run in 1986-87. I was particularly fond of Sarah Jessica Parker as the "ugly duckling" -- you just knew she was a thinly veiled babe waiting to bust out. And speaking of babes, Jamie Gertz ("Still Standing") is hotter than 20 years ago!! Yikes!

In a better, more original, "alternative" universe, "Square Pegs",not "Saved by the Bell", would have ran for 4 or 5 years and be available on DVD. The good die young.

I remember being in 7th grade when this show came out and I felt like I've got a glimpse of high school for me with these characters. I loved it and I was so mad when CBS cancelled it after 1 season. I felt like I could relate to these characters and said that I will probably run into these kind of students when I would get into high school. But this show did it for me with the scripts they had and I did pick out my favorite episode was when Muffy (Jami Gertz, who was amazingly beautiful and one of the funniest) had a party and did not want to invite Patty and her gang and the plot in the script worked out very well. I also like the one when Marshall bought a love detector and try to enter it in the science fair and try to prove to Lauren that she was in love with him and it turned out to cause a chaos in school. It was a wonderful show for me to watch and my favorite was Vinnie Pasetta (Jon Caliri) who was the Italian stallion going out with the empty head stuck up popular Valley Girl, Jennifer, which I was hoping he dumped her for Patty when they were casted in the high school play, which I thought that would of been the kiss of death for the character, Jennifer and the show itself. But this is one show I really enjoyed as a teenager and as of this day I was so sorry it lasted for only one season. I have the episode on video for the last 12 years when USA network showed them so that is a collectors item for me.

For those of us who remember the golden decade that was the 1980's,then you may remember the short-lived series from the early 1980's starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Jami Gertz. During its run,SQUARE PEGS,was the hippest teen show of its day. Created by former Saturday Night Live writer Anne Beatts(who based the show on her own experiences as a high school student)this show had some great writing,funny and outrageous characters,tubular new wave music and fashions that came out during the height of the MTV generation. So,what is there not to like? This was however an early vehicle for both Sarah Jessica Parker and Jami Gertz who would go on to bigger and better things in their careers,but since the show slipped into oblivion,was never to be heard from again....until 2004 when TV Land resurrected this show from the television graveyard of lost shows and aired it as a marathon. And it hasn't been seen since. Historically,and in perspective,TV shows about teen and high school life have short-life spans. For example shows like "James at 15","The White Shadow","Welcome Back,Kotter","Lucas Tanner", not to mention other great teen shows like "The Bronx Zoo","The Marshall Chronicles","Saved By The Bell","Freaks and Geeks","Boston Public",and "Beverly Hills,90210" were brilliant depictions along with classic shows like "Dobie Gillis","The Patty Duke Show","Room 222", "Mister Novak","The Headmaster","Karen",and "Gidget" along the lines of shows dealing with the subject matter involving teens.

"Square Pegs",premiered on CBS-TV on September 27,1982 and ended its run on March 7,1983 producing 20 episodes. The show during the start of the 1982-1983 season premiered on Monday nights on the network's powerhouse Monday night line-up which included "Newhart","M*A*S*H", "One Day At A Time",and the groundbreaking police drama "Cagney and Lacey"(which replaced "Lou Grant" after six seasons). When it premiered it went opposite the competition alongside the variety-reality series "That's Incredible!"(ABC),and the powerhouse drama "Little House On The Prairie"(NBC). When "Square Pegs" left in 1983,CBS replaced with the action-packed adventure series "Scarecrow and Mrs.King".

Getting back to SQUARE PEGS,the show not only introduced Sarah Jessica Parker and Jami Gertz,but also Tracie Nelson(the daughter of fame actor and rocker Rick Nelson)and Merritt Butrick. The show also broke ground as well that featured high school students playing themselves and also featured teenagers in the leads,and not some twenty or thirtysomething with a Shakespearan accent from the British theater playing a some kid. This was also a series that both some great musical guests like Devo and The Waitresses(who sang the show's theme song). And speaking of guest stars that appeared on this show which included the talent Bill Murray,and the not so talented Steve Sax,Father Guido Sarducci,and some TV legends like Tony Dow(aka Wally from Leave It To Beaver),and Don Grady(aka Robbie from My Three Sons). As you watch the series from the 1982-83 season,this was a show that came out in the midst of the MTV generation along with some of the music,clothing,catch phrases,video games and much more.

This show's one season coincided with my freshman year of high school, so I could relate to it big-time. It's a good candidate for resurrection on DVD, in my humble opinion(please, oh please!). I don't remember too much about the actual episodes, just bits and pieces(it's been 21 years since I last saw it). Again, let us all hope that Square Pegs gets released on DVD.