Someone Like Me

I only vaguely remember this series. As I can remember, it seemed to last only about 2 episodes, and I hope that was the case. This show sucked like a Hoover. I recall that it involved some young girl, played by Gaby Hoffman, and her dysfunctional family, including her fresh-out-of-prison older sister, played by Nikki Cox. The sister in this show is probably the least appealing character ever created for any form of media or entertainment in the entire history of the world. I absolutely abhorred this character when I saw this show, and it's pretty hard to make a fourth grader hate something so passionately. There was nothing redeeming about this show at all. The writing was lousy, the jokes were poorly timed (jokes were made about the late Telly Savalas just after he died), the acting was atrocious, and you consistently got the impression that the studio audience that accidently stumbled into the taping were being forced to laugh by threats of death. Let us all thank God that this barely lasted and most people will never remember it.

This show should have lasted longer and it would have been better. The casting was great, but should have lasted longer. This show was short-lived just like Working Girl, also made into a movie and this show would have gone past it. This show really bit the dust.

The main thing I remember about this show is all the references to popular 90's bands. In one scene, the younger sister blackmails the older sister into letting her wear her Nine Inch Nails t-shirt, and another scene has the step dad (trying to be cool) referring to REM as 'rim'. Another episode I remember had Gaby's character making a tape of herself singing for the boy she likes. Through some unfortunate circumstances, the tape gets played on the loudspeaker at the local skating rink when all her fellow students are present. This kind of unrealistic embarrassment comedy was indicative of 90's sitcoms (except Seinfeld and the Simpson's) Can't remember if I liked it or not, I was only 11 or 12.

I only saw four episodes, but this show was quite good. Gaby Hoffmann, is the first child actress I've ever seen. The other actors are good too, Patricia Heato (Raymond) and Anthony Tyler Quinn. You can see Nikki Cox, before being famous, and guest stars such us Leslie Nielsen.

Contrary to one of the other comments (which, actually, I'm happy to see, seems to have been in the minority). Interesting, different, off-beat, down-to-earth, refreshing, real. Interesting characters, well-portrayed, trying to make it real and make it work in a non-usual family situation. Patricia Heaton was very good and very attractive. You could see the potential, and I was glad to see her eventually make it big. Nikki Cox was interesting and a lot "realer" than in her later teen sexpot role in that "Married With Children" ripoff. Unusual, off-beat plots and execution made it really something special in my opinion, way beyond your average family-based sitcom (and without taking the more low-brow approach of MWC and its clones -- not that I have anything against MWC, but I think that THIS show accomplished something more significant). I would have liked to see it go farther. It certainly deserved more of a shot, as did Gaby Hofmann, as the central character.