Zero in condotta

I was an extra on this show...for one episode. The one with the quiz show. It was filmed at a closed high school in the LA area. You were supposed to be 18 to be an extra, but they didn't check...just asked "are you over 18?" Of course I said yes. We sat around on the set for hours, then were herded into the auditorium where we sat for hours. The cast finally came in and were seated in the front row. I just remember the one actress saying her line "It's OTIS" over and over again. We sat there for hours. It was extremely boring. But I was in love with the blond guy on the show, so it was all good.

So, this isn't a helpful post at all! But a fun memory of the 80s.

I got interested in this show when I happened to catch the TV Land marathon one weekend night, and I've been a fan ever since.

Square Pegs is about two friends, Lauren (Amy Linker) and Patty (Sarah Jessica Parker) who are high school freshman with the ambition of popularity. Except, things never seem to go as planned.

Square Pegs was great because it never got caught up in the oversexed life of horny teenagers (though there are some subtle remarks), so it wasn't soap opera-esque. That's quite a refreshing break from the incessant self-indulgent dramas and sitcoms targeted for today's teenager. But, nor was it commentary on the critical issues facing american teens at the time. It was just a simple, light-hearted show about a bunch of goofy high school kids. And, tough the situations were sometimes dull (such as the episode where Lauren falls in love with the school handyman), Square Pegs was a pretty funny show about an odd assortment of characters.

Plus, how can you go wrong with a show in which both The Waitresses (who performed the theme song) play the Freshman Dance and Devo appear at super-peppy Muffy Tepperman's Barmitzvah?

Given some of the old short-lived crappy television shows that have made it to DVD, I am wondering when the show's makers are going to get smart and put the entire Square Pegs season (it was only on for one season) on DVD and/or VHS?

This quirky high school comedy was very popular with the handful who saw it.

Oddly, I always found Jami Gertz to be strangely attractive here as Muffy Tepperman, the quintessential self-centred, bitchy, asinine, somewhat vacuous prima donna of a Jewish princess.

Merritt Butrick played Johnny Slash, the non-conformist anti-hero. We were all very much surprised to see him pop up as Captain Kirk's clean-cut son in "The Wrath of Khan". An incredible transformation that was.

This one always had a good ensemble feel. All of the characters had an appealing screwiness to them which, subjectively, made this show the most realistic high school programme of its day, in its own peculiar way.

Sort of a "Northern Exposure" for the misfit adolescent crowd.

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.

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.