User reviews

back in the early nineties, me and my best buddies back then loved this show. parker, mikey and jerry where kinda role models to us.

the show's comic-like presentation is pretty cool, so are the gags. it has its own style. unique.

nowadays, im watching it again. its even better now, because i get more jokes than i did when i was 9 or 10. :) sadly, i have to admit that season 2 isnt at the level of season 1, and season 3 is almost a disaster. way too much love stories. in one episode parker says "i remember when this was my show", what made me think "yeah, me too"...

however, its a must-see. at least season 1 and 2 are. coolness.

I still can't believe that I haven't seen this show since it's cancellation. Corin Nemec was known for his role as Steven Stayner in a made for television film about the Stayner abduction and life. Corin displays his acting ability here to show his range can be comedy. The show only lasted a couple of seasons on Fox when it was innovative, new, and fresh. Now, I crave for shows like Parker Lewis Can't Lose to return again to television. His supporting cast wasn't forgettable neither but it was lightened side of adolescent life. Too bad, it hasn't come out on DVD. I bet it would be a hit all over again. I remember that it didn't have a studio audience which I thought was different from a sitcom standard.

The first thing I have to say is: Parker Lewis is the son of Ferris Bueller.

An incredible series like "Parker Lewis" having only three seasons is a crime. Smart series, with great camera angles, good acting, charismatic characters (I hate you, Shelly Ann Lewis!), a very intelligent script that drank a lot (and well) from the classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", so much so that I can say that Parker is Ferris' legitimate son.

I recommend this excellent show to everyone.

I love it. I do. This, IMHO, is what a teenage/youth comedy should be. A perfect example of how a series can be intriguing, funny and yet explore the very real situations high school students come face to face with every day. And it does this without being crude, without offensive language etc. Having seen the series, some of the other similar series like Sweet valley high, Saved by the bell and, yes, Ferris Bueller (TV series) look like pale imitations and wannabes. Granted, Parker isn't for everyone. The surreal situations may alienate or simply bother some viewers. But it depends on the person.

Give it a try.

Well, since you're reading this you probably are already quite familiar with "Parker Lewis Can't Lose," and like me, you're probably wondering when the heck this show is coming out on DVD. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment owns the rights to this show, and have shown how completely out-of-touch they are but not releasing it.

I have fond memories of watching this show with my family on Sunday evenings on Fox. It first aired in September of 1990, and where I lived in San Francisco it was on at 7:30 right before The Simpsons. Not only was it one of the Fox Network's early hits, but even now it holds up as a high-quality show of uncommon intelligence and humor. It also was a trailblazer in a sense, being one of the few high school-based programs airing during prime time in 1990 (pre-dating Beverly Hills 90210 by a month). The story lines were inventive, the casting pitch-perfect, and the editing and camera movements creative, enhancing the whimsical and quirky nature of the show.

It sure would be great to watch some of these episodes in pristine DVD quality with commentary from the creators of the show. I'd wager that tens of thousands of fans that would gladly fork over $40+ for a season one DVD set (the best season in my opinion). In the meantime, all we can do is google "parker lewis can't lose DVD for sale," to buy poor-quality bootlegs to satisfy our joneses. It's a shame that in an era when studios are constantly grousing about DVD piracy, they add to it by not realizing the substantial markets that exist for programs they own.

Had a hard time picking this one up from a brick and mortar (Best Buy, Fry's, Wal-Turd) but was able to find that I could order it on-line and have it within a week. Well, that just wouldn't do seeing as I was weeks in the planning of a Season 2 Marathon on my day off with several friends. After much wasted gas, I decided to contact the Shout! Factory web page and found an independent store that had a copy in for sale. Needless to say, I came home happy and Lewis Fat. Thank God for Waterloo in Austin. Ten bucks beneath MSRP. Got Season 2 on DVD and the Marathon with friends is not compromised.

Now for a slight review: Its kind of strange. Watching it on my 25 year old analog TV on the patio, I find that I enjoy the video quality much more than on my Sony Bravia 56 inch 1080p TV. Yeah, I know why but it makes me wonder when (if ever) we will see Blu Ray versions of these. It should look better on this TV. Blu Ray would, well, you know. The audio in the Bose Speaker / Denon Receiver is great as it is set up for 2.0 just fine. As far as the typical hijinx of the buds and the rest of the crew, its business as usual. I dig it and am glad to see the second season of this in an official release. Kudos.

I hope that the Final Season of the series has a future on DVD. There are a lot of younger friends (mid 20s) that I have shown this series to in the past couple of years that absolutely dig on it like it it something new. Had a few even say that its better than anything out there now. They need to have closure as do the rest of us. I hope that Shout! sees fit to release the Final Season officially soon. Please check out their site and ask them for Season 3.

Trace in Austin

Taj Johnson for Freddie Mercury BioPic!!

"PARKER LEWIS CAN'T LOSE," in my opinion, is an absolute FOX classic! I don't think I've seen every episode, but I still enjoyed it. It's hard to say which episode was my favorite. However, I think it was always funny when a mishap occurred. I always laughed at that. When I think about it, I remember the openings sequence and theme song vaguely. Despite the fact that it was a short-lived series, it would have been nice if all the main characters had stayed with the show throughout its entire run. It seems that no one stays with a show throughout its entire run. Everyone always gave a good performance, the production design was spectacular, the costumes were well-designed, and the writing was always very strong. In conclusion, I hope some network brings it back on the air for fans of the show to see.

Innovative, overly stylized series with impactful sound effects and camera shots. A consistently talented and likeable cast, this is a teen sitcom that wish there could have been more. Which brings me straight to the point, my rating is based on the assumption that Season 3 does not exist for me. With Season 3, the series is heading in a completely different direction. Almost everything that made up this series has disappeared with this season.

Best show ever

At least the first 2 seasons... 3rd switched to character development episodes, as most good shows sadly do. I am not exaggerating, although one could make an argument that it takes 2nd place to the Simpsons. The show was just as funny as the Simpsons, rewarding the viewer with both silly gags and intelligent jokes that require a deeper knowledge of their satire. It also requires suspension of reality. For example, Jerry (the geek) has a trenchcoat that seems to be akin to Mary Poppins's carpet bag... full of everything he needs for the situation. It is definitely worth a look.

This show was clever and funny -- and so the network really didn't get it. Some of the satire of middle-class "morality," school bureaucracy, and human egotism was too sharp for the tastes of those folks who prefer every sitcom to be a carbon copy of every other sitcom, all of which are Punch & Judy shows.

Parker was a bright student with a couple of loyal buds who constantly fought their way out of the snares created by the unimaginative world around them. The show was creative, imaginative, funny, and touching. I'm glad to see that it has a new life on cable reruns.

Mental note: Watch the show!

The last season was awful. You know a show has tanked when they bring in a lame comedian to "save" the show, and they can't afford proper hair for the big-haired principal.

Seasons One and Two are so fantastically imaginative, with brilliant colors, music, great character chemistry, and sound effects worthy of the stooges. The show could get meaningfully serious, for example, what happens when "friends" want you to do something wrong, or when your "joke" really humiliates someone deeply? Parker, Mikey, and Jerry would charge into danger to right the wrongs and assure all was right in Santo Domingo.

And you all know that the creators of this show went on to make Dexter, right? That just shows how wickedly creative these guys are.

Anyhow, Ms Musso, OMG, (sound of a whip crack) what an awesome character. With a flick of her thumb (sound of a winchester chambering a round and firing) a student was in detention. Her scream would break her window. One particular scream of hers broke a window in Germany.

When the show was navigating between serious issues the jokes came so fast that I had to often slo-mo my VCR (hahaha) to inspect background elements. The show would have homages to events (how John and Yoko met) and movies (I think a Kiss Me Kate scene with Annie), many of which went past the audience. The show was rich with allusions to contemporary TV shows, movies, and singers. Many of these will be lost on modern audiences.

The chemistry of the cast was well designed, the characters were well defined and interesting, often with unexpected surprise elements to their person, as Parker got to know them more.

The show excelled at escapism, especially when needed to set up the problem of the week. You have got to hand it to a show in which the protagonists have a secret hideout (Batman, Hogans Heroes, Get Smart) but in one episode the computer with a big red lense seizes control of the hideout, forcing Parker to enter the red computer core, floating in zero gravity, to power down the computer. (homage: 2001)

This show ruled.

To me, "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" is what "Saved by the Bell" tried to be. Honestly, I don't know why PLCL doesn't get nearly the publicity and nostalgic praise that SBTB gets. I can only surmise that PLCL didn't have attractive female stars.

PLCL was an early Fox production starring Corin Nemec as the titular Parker Lewis. Along with being the main character, he often narrated events ala Kevin Arnold in "The Wonder Years." Parker is the popular guy who gets a way with a lot, hence the fact he can't lose. He has a little sister Shelly (Maia Brewton) that pesters him, but she's just one more small impediment to his rise to legendary status.

I have only fond memories of this show and for me it set the standard for teen comedies when it was running. The later competing Ferris Beuller show didn't hold a candle to it. The site-gags were well done, the cheeziness of the show was an asset, not a liability, and it was consistently witty and clever; the likes of which hadn't really been equalled until the Buffy series arrived on the scene many years later.

Still, I have yet to find this in any video or DVD form. I'd really like to watch the series again (as would my then-college roommate when the series came out). It was a sleeper and still has a semi-cult following. It's a shame that it is yet another common example of good series' that keep falling victim to TV execs who only care about dumbed down franchise material and instant gratification.

What's the hold up folks? Put out the DVD boxed set now!!!!

A superb series which only lasted for three seasons. Each episode was meaningful and whilst there were sight gags, the series developed into monologues about relationships, which was handled in a humorous and witty manner. The characters evolved and in particular, Kubiac went from being a brute to someone with a three dimensional character who actually had feelings and emotions.

Somebody happened to say "coolness" to me yesterday who was wearing this obnoxious shirt, and it made me instantly remember this show. I religiously watched this show in college. The first season is nothing short of pure genius. Absolutely helarious with irreverant characters, whacky plots, and some camera work that rivals the Cohen brothers in Raising Arizona.

Every now and then you can catch somebody on Ebay selling off the entire show on VHS. If you get a chance to see an episode, don't miss it. Its genuinely funny stuff.

However, beware the 3rd season. The show's popularity seemed to cause it troubles with the Studio Execs so they retooled the show in the 3rd season and killed off a lot of its charm. Most of the 3rd season episodes are booooooring standard sit-com fair.

Me and my sister used to watch this damn show all the time back in the day. We LOVED it. And we wept when it was cancelled. We WEPT. Most GroundBreaking shows do end up getting cancelled though. But like my old man said, "Crying won't do anything. You have to take action!" So me and my sister started a letter writing campaign to get this show brought back. Of course, we started said campaign last week, but you never know! you never, NEVER know!!!

This show illustrated early 1990s teen life with a new at the time method of cramming humor on many levels into a short thirty minute timeslot. Parker became an icon for the changing sense of cool in the early 90s and saw the nation through a time of transition from 80s materialism and glam-rockers into grunge and "alternative"ism. A rare ratings bringer for the at the time newly formed Fox Network, viewers welcomed change from the mentally devoid traditional family night viewing of the era. This show held its own and managed to build up a decent if not cult following for the wisecracking characters and sight gags/slapstick. The first season was a comic success followed by 2 more seasons of half-hearted "doogie howser" type plotlines, however there were "funny" and "cheezy" shows in all three.

"Parker Lewis" was a very unusual show, and that's probably also the reason why it only lasted 3 seasons. The show revolves around the life of the main character Parker (the trendy guy), and his pals, Mikey (the cool guy), Jerry (the nerdy guy) and later on also Kubiac (the bully guy, who turned out to be all right).

It's all about being a teenager, and all what comes with it, love, trouble with the parents, making choices etc. What makes the show unique is the stories, and more importantly how they are told. It's hard to explain really, but it's something out of the ordinary, and it definately worth checking out.

Even though the show didn't last very long, it did help make the way for other brilliant children/young adult shows such as "Eerie Indiana" and "The Adventures of Pete and Pete".

Although "Parker Lewis" was not a very long-running series, it shortly became very popular in my home country Hungary when it was bought by channel TV2. It took stock characters and stereotypes to the very limit of reality, while the creators successfully avoided clichés and kept focusing on the consistent high quality of the jokes, whether textual or visual. After multiple reruns, this show still leaves a nostalgic feeling in just about everyone who had spent their tens and twenties in the time the show was aired around Europe. The unique style and exceptionally good sitcom humour of Parker Lewis makes it one of the most outstanding comic series of the nineties. You can still hear people quoting the series and synchronizing their watches every now and then. Should it be released on DVD (as it is rumoured by an online petition), the producing Columbia Tri-Star can make sure that there will be many orders from Hungary and from Europe as a whole. Hope we get a release soon.

This show is so hilarious. It's a really fun show, the characters are cool, and I long for the day that it returns to syndicated television. If you love early 90s pop culture references, wacky situational comedies, light-hearted humor with an optimistic and fresh feel, then this is the show for you.

Like its contemporary on Nickelodean, "Clarissa Explains It All", Fox's early hit "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" was a show featuring a teenage protagonist sporting an attitude of mastery of one's environment. However, hidden in within the plot lines was a hint of the insecurity that all teens face.

The stories follow Parker Lewis(Corin Nemec) and his two friends, the suave Mikey and the nerdy Jerry. They do battle with a cold-hearted principal and Parker's spiteful younger sister, while somehow navigating the strange worlds of high school.

This amusing show was one of Fox's staples during its earlier years, and went into brief syndication. Look for fan favorite Abraham Benrubi(Jerry on "ER") as the recurring character of Kubiac, a hulking, basically non-speaking giant of a high school student.

They casted her in the first season as a high school freshman when she had only turned 13. She would have been a good candidate to be casted for junior high. I guess that was the folly of the producers

This show premiered the same year as Ferris Beauler on NBC. It is a total injustice that this show ran for three years and Ferris Beauler only ran for one. Despite low ratings Fox would not cancel this show. One time it went off the air for a few months and Fox really promoted its return. A lot of good it did the show continued for where it left off at the bottom of the ratings