Parker Lewis Can't Lose: 90s tv show

The character Parker Lewis (played by actor Corin Nemec) goes to the fictitious Santo Domingo High School and to him no task appears to be impossible (as he always likes to say: "Not a problem"). Like Ferris Bueller, Parker is the one narrating in the episodes. Unlike Ferris and company, Parker, along with best buds, the geeky Jerry Steiner (Troy Slaten) and rocker-dude Mikey Randall (Billy Jayne) are not the coolest kids in school and often get into (and out of) trouble with the principal Ms. Grace Musso (Melanie Chartoff).

The appeal of the show lies in the excellent rapport between the cast members and in the surreal, almost animated quality of the series. Again, like in Ferris Bueller, the characters would sometimes break into the fourth dimension, addressing the audience directly. Clever camera angling and dynamic transitional techniques were often employed by the director as well. You have to remember that this show was filmed in the early 90s so back then, this kind of filming was very much considered innovative.

The Santo Domingo High football are called "The Flamingos" but the term is also used to refer to the students who go to the school. Here's a list of the actors who make up the television show.

Main characters:
Parker Lloyd Lewis - Corin Nemec
Michael Patrick 'Mikey' Randall - Billy Jayne
Jerry Steiner - Troy Slaten
Grace Musso - Melanie Chartoff
Shelly Ann Lewis - Maia Brewton
Francis Lawrence 'Larry' Kubiac III - Abraham Benrubi
Franklin 'Frank' Lemmer - Taj Johnson
Martin Lloyd 'Marty' Lewis - Timothy Stack
Judy Lewis - Anne Bloom (season 1) / Mary Ellen Trainor (seasons 2-3)
Annie Faith Sloan - Jennifer Guthrie

Recurring characters:
Dr. Norman Pankow - Gerrit Graham
Nick Comstock - Paul Johansson
Bradley 'Brad' Penny - Harold Pruett
Coach Hank Kohler - John Pinette

Here's a collection of fun facts about the show that I've compiled from various sources on the internet. If you have other tidbits you'd like to share, please let me know via the comments section below. Like every fan I would love to know more about my favorite TV show.

- Parker Lewis was one of the first shows with fan support on the Internet. It was done through a mailing list called The Flamingo Digest. Several people from the list were invited to the set.

- In the episode "Musso and Frank", David Faustino makes a cameo appearance claiming that Frank had given him detention even though he went to a different school, Polk High. This is the high school his character Bud attends in "Married... with Children" (1987). There is a debate of whether this is actually supposed to actually be Bud or Faustino playing himself.

- When the students showed up with signs at a rally to greet a visiting alumnus, one sign read, "Thank you for not watching Hull Hugh." "Hull High" (1990) was NBC's high school show, on opposite this show.

- During a rally in one of the episodes, someone had a sign that read "Thank you for not watching "Eerie, Indiana" (1991)" a show that ran in the same time slot on another channel.

- Pop-punk band Fall Out Boy released a song titled "Parker Lewis Can't Lose (But I'm Gonna Give It My Best Shot)" on their 2002 debut album "Fall Out Boy's Evening Out With Your Girlfriend."

- In the episode "Home Alone with Annie" the mobster/interior decorator Joey Pants steals all of Parker's furniture and belongings while Parker is away. This is a reference to the movie Risky Business, and it's the same thing that Guido did to Joel in that movie. Guido was played by 'Joe Pantolino' , whose nickname is "Joey Pants".

- In the episode "Saving Grace," Shelly must quickly think of a false last name and comes up with Nemec. The show's star is Corin Nemec

- When the students showed up with signs at a rally to greet a visiting alumnus, one sign read, "Thank you for not watching Hull Hugh." "Hull High" (1990) was NBC's high school show, on opposite this show

- In episode 26 (Parker Lewis Can't Win), Ferris Bueller and Cameron Frye make a cameo apperance. Probably after their tv series was cancelled (after 13 episodes). Parker Lewis was actually inspired by the Ferris Bueller movie.

Pop Culture References


-The Western name for a common pig character in early Sonic the Hedgehog video games is Porker Lewis.

- At the end of the first season finale episode, "Parker Lewis Can't Win," two figures observing the PLCL set say: "So that's how they do it!" "C'mon, Ferris, let's get out of here." (A reference to the short run of the rival Ferris Bueller on NBC).

- Early in episode 44 during the crowd scene, a banner can be seen as a sign to the viewing audience that reads, "Thank you for not watching Eerie, Indiana." Eerie, Indiana was an NBC program on opposite PLCL during 1991-1992.

- In the Sci-Fi TV movie S.S. Doomtrooper which starred Corin Nemec as Captain Malloy, one of the soldiers on his team is named Parker Lewis.

- On the mixtape Fear and Loathing in New Orleans, rapper Curren$y makes reference to the show with the line "Spitta can't lose, cause the boy is Parker Lewis!"

- In the song "Hip Hop Hooray" by Naughty By Nature, the main character is referenced in the line "Fools get foolish neither them or Parker Lewis knew us."

- On NBC's sitcom My Name Is Earl episode "Inside Probe, Part 2" (Season 4, airdate May 7, 2009), actor Tim Stack's character remarks on his unreliable memory, "...people tell me I was on a show called Parker Lewis Can't Lose for three years, but I don't remember that". Stack played the father of "Parker Lewis" from 1990 to 1993.

- In the Family Guy episode Family Goy, Peter imitates a cliche Parker Lewis Can't Lose scene with Chris.

Sources: Parker Lewis fansite, IMDB, Wikipedia

Relive Parker Lewis' glory days by listening to these sound files so generously shared by the webmaster at this Parker Lewis fansite.

The full theme [GO]

(You can also listen to and download the theme from Television Tunes)

End theme [GO]

Mikey Randall's music: "I've Known You All My Life" [GO]