Welcome to the first of what I hope will be a monthly column here in In Magazine. “Old School” is dedicated to those pop culture artefacts that hold a special place in the hearts of myself and the In team. For the inaugural Old School, I’ve selected Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. A little known series, but with a huge cult following, that aired on the FOX Network (and Global in Canada) from 1990 to 1993.
On paper, Parker Lewis should have floundered right out of the gate. It was a high school comedy about a teenage slacker with a natural gift for serendipity and the chutzpah of a seasoned confidence man that often put him in conflict with school officials. The basic concept came dangerously close to ripping-off of John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and as fate would have it, NBC launched a TV series based on the Hughes film the same season that Parker Lewis debuted. But Ferris Bueller the series was cancelled after 13 episodes and replaced by Blossom. 
By comparison Parker Lewis lived on for three seasons thanks to the unique tone and style that was brought to the show by co-creators Clyde Phillips (Dexter) and Lou Diamond (The Tick). Decidedly zanier and more over the top than Bueller, Parker Lewis had more in common with The Simpson then Saved By the Bell. Santo Domingo High School was a veritable Pythonian stage where anything could, and usually did, happen.
At centre of it all was Parker Lewis, played with amiable guile and charm by Corin Nemec, whose dual philosophies summed up in the words “coolness” and “not a problem” helped him navigate the sorted world of high school. Parker does his best to avoid trouble be it at the hand of the grumpy giant Larry Kubiac (Abraham Benrubi), the prying nose of his little sister Shelly (Maia Brewton), or the swift, decisive thumb of Principal Grace Musso (Melanie Chartoff). But a man is only as good as his friends, and Parker’s got the best buds, laidback rocker wannabe Mickey (Billy Jayne) and the versatile though exaggeratedly nerdy Jerry (Troy Slaten).
One of the key elements that set Parker Lewis apart was its dedication to surrealism. Kubiac (played by the six foot seven inch Benrubi) would always be heralded by the impact tremors of his monstrous footsteps, Jerry would pull random objects from his oversized lab coat, and Musso’s assistant Frank Lemmer (played by Taj Johnson) seemed to be able to teleport at will. From cartoon-style sound effects to occasionally snide references to movies, politics, and pop culture, Parker Lewis was one of a kind.
Parker Lewis was effective counterprogramming for another Fox Network, teen based show that also started in 1990, you might have heard about it, Beverly Hills, 90210. And though they may not be as well known as the kids from that famous zip code, Parker Lewis has something they never will: a Fall Out Boy song named after them. “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose (But I’m Gonna Give It My Best Shot)” was the ninth and final track from FOB’s 2005 album Fall Out Boy’s Evening Out With Your Girlfriend.
The Complete First and Second Seasons of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose are available now on DVD.
Written By Adam A. Donaldson
CARE BEARS! in the pic. love it.