...Where's Rodney?

Rodney Dangerfield's signature line of "I tell ya, I get no respect" is never more evident than in this bomb of a TV Pilot. Dangerfield finally hit the big time with BACK TO SCHOOL (1986), which was the sixth highest grossing film in the U. S. that year. How did Hollywood capitalize? By creating quite possibly the worst TV show pilot in history (which says a lot) in ...WHERE'S RODNEY. Dangerfield plays himself and is at the mental whims of a 14 year old obsessed with Dangerfield also named Rodney (Jared Rushton from HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS) who can zap Dangerfield to his side when he needs advice. We also get lots of "comedy" involving the kid's home life (with Jay Thomas as his dad). It is like the creators sat down and said "Let's make something that appeals to NONE of Dangerfield's fans." Insanity.

I glanced at Rodney Dangerfield's filmography/list of TV appearances, but didn't notice any mention of this curio. Why? "Where's Rodney" is one of the worst television sitcoms ever produced, right up there with "The Thorns," a short-lived series starring Tony Roberts, and the Krofft-produced "Pink Lady" (better not to ask). I seem to recall that it lasted for about one episode; I also (though I could be wrong) remember it airing slightly earlier than 1991 -- in about 1988 or 1989. In it, a strange teenage boy with a Dangerfield obsession (we're talking Mark David Chapman here, folks: Rodney posters all over his walls, a Rodney cutout in his room, the works) somehow develops a psychic/telekinetic ability to "summon" Rodney to his room, for assistance, whenever a Leave it to Beaver-like problem arises. In sum, this is a piece of pure trash, not even intelligent enough for beer guzzlers or the mentally-impaired; I'm sure Rodney would like to destroy all existing copies and erase it from the records. I'm embarrassed enough to admit that I watched the first episode, way back when. Rodney did 1000x better with his four or five feature vehicles -- particularly "Easy Money" and "Back to School." Thank God this never made it into a regular air slot.

When you review this failed pilot in my opinion, you cannot base it on premise, actors, or jokes. You base it on potential and if it has enough potential for a series. The pilot is about a boy named Rodney Barnes who gains the ability to contact his idol comic Rodney Dangerfield to ask him for advice. An odd premise, when you realize that Rodney Barnes is asking Rodney Dangerfield about woman. However the titular advice spoken by Rodney isn't help but more so a way to shoe horn his comedy act. This pilot is also plagued by constant inconsistences in how they want to portray Rodney Dangerfield's teleportation power. I actually wished this made it to a series, even for a season. The supporting cast, especially the parents actually aren't half decent. At least we got Punky Brewster. I like to leave my reviews to fix a titular show, in this case however go back to the writing board. Make Rodney actually give advice, make his teleportation powers more refined. Some episode ideas could have included "Where'd Rodney Barnes" where Rodney Barnes gets called over to solve one of Rodney's problems, "Why Rodney?" Where Rodney has angered Rodney after giving him bad advice, and refuses to call him only to learn he needs him after all. Ultimately for a possible series finale "Goodbye, Rodney" Rodney Barnes has started calling Dangerfield less and less, leaving for them to share one final goodbye seen before ultimately parting ways. If we wanted a complete series shift then call it "The Rodney Dangerfield Show" starring Rodney as a bumbling motivational speaker who has to learn he himself has a long way to go, if you really wanted the fantastical element keep giving him the ability to constantly try to help people with the call of a name or write him off as an angel of sorts. It's not the worst sitcom ever to be produced, its merely a pilot that tried to answer a simple question...Where's Rodney? However for better or for worse Rodney wasn't able to go "Back To School" for this sitcom. I guess just like the titular comedian, this show didn't get no respect.