Ferris Bueller

Anyone else notice there's a character on this show named Arthur Petrelli? Don't you think it's more than a coincidence that Cristine Rose (who played Barbara Bueller) now plays a character on Heroes whose husband just so happens to be named... Arthur Petrelli?

Can't say I'm a fan of this TV adaptation of the awesome and culturally significant film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". This show just seemed too forced and awkward compared to the whip-smart dialog and perfect casting of the movie. The acting trio at the heart of the original film -- Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara and Alan Ruck -- are perfectly balanced and have great chemistry (like William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley were for the original Star Trek). The Ferris TV cast were sadly lacking in this regard.

Perhaps they would have "hit their stride" in a second or possibly third season, but we'll never know. At any rate, I prefer to remember Ferris Bueller as portrayed by the one and only Matthew Broderick. It would be a blast to see him reprise his role as an older (but not wiser) Ferris, married to Sloan with a few kids running around. But then again, maybe some things are better left alone.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off was a modern classic. A clever, lovable film. This, on the other hand, just doesn't work. It isn't trying to insult the original, but it can't help it. Don't watch it, and don't worry about it. It was a bad idea which luckily wasn't on the tube very long.

The TV series Ferris Bueller premiered in the Autumn of 1990 as the 1990-1991 TV season was starting. None of the actors who starred in the film reprised their roles in the TV series. The series premeired on the NBC TV network. It's loosely based on, and loosely adapted from, the film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", which was a popular movie during the Summer of 1986. This series premeired four years after the film.

The series is not a continuation of the film. It is actually a prequel series as when the first episode premeired, the main character states that he hated how Matthew Broderick, who portrayed the title character in the film, and even chainsawed a cardboard cutout of Matthew Broderick in the first episode. The rest of the series doesn't make any more references to the film.

In the film, Ferris was a senior and his sister Jeannie as a junior. In the TV series, it was the other way around.

This TV series is one of those that fall into the category where the film it's based on is much better than the TV series.

This series suffered from a lack of real creativity. With the exception of Jennifer Aniston, who portrayed Jeannie Bueller in this TV series, this series suffered from bad acting, bad writing and also, sloppy direction. The worst part is that Charlie Schlatter, who portrayed the title character here, does a lousy recreation of Matthew Broderick's performance. The series was dull and boring as it lacked real comedy. The actors who portrayed the respective characters in the film were much better. The film was a very charming, entertaining and hilarious experience, but this TV series goes downhill.

This series lasted only thirteen episodes. Twelve episodes aired from August to December of 1990 while the final episode didn't air until August 1991. NBC canceled the series overall. Thank goodness for small favors.

Overall, one of THE worst TV series based on a popular film. The film is much better than this pathetic excuse for a TV series.

The road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions.

And I'm sure there are a lot of producers, directors and so forth who are headed that way after seeing the prime-time terror they have wrought here.

"Ferris Bueller" is a TV version of the everyday high-school life of the lead character from John Hughes' brilliant movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". And while the basic idea is good, everything else is completely done wrong.

Schlatter is a lot of the problem. Though he looks appropriately young, he just seems too cocky, too arrogant and too smug as Ferris to appeal the same way as Matthew Broderick did. He manages to begin the ship sinking early.

Not much better are Aniston as his sister, Riehle as Ed Rooney and not even the actors that play his parents, girlfriend or best pal Cameron Frye make as much of an impression as their counterparts did on film.

And then there were the scripts; not half as inventive as the movie; not even cameos by whomever happened to be on the NBC studio back lot that day make much difference. No, even good direction (by Bixby, Lynn, etc) helps.

In the end, the "Ferris Bueller" series didn't even last 13 episodes. What do you know, looks like Ed Rooney got his revenge after all.

No stars. Hardly worth thinking about; unless you just want to get a headache.

You can't blame them really. With 'Ferris Bueller' being such a hug film (which it still is to this day) you can't blame TV networks for wanting to exploit that in some way.

This TV series version of the film isn't bad, it just pales heavily in comparison, and everyone playing the main roles sadly isn't as good as their film counterparts.

It was a nice idea, it just didn't work.