Parker Lewis Can’t Lose is an early 1990s sitcom that is one of the first shows to attract an internet fandom. Parker Lewis Can’t Lose is a FOX series that debuted in 1990, which revolves around the misadventures of the teenage title character. Parker (Corin Nemec, Stargate) narrates the show, which featured a very cartoonish, surreal tone. The show was heavily inspired by the works of John Hughes, with the style of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose being similar to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Ironically, a teen sitcom adapted from that film also arrived in 1990 titled Ferris Bueller. Charlie Schlatter inherited the title role, which featured a meta scene in the first episode where Ferris explains the movie was actually based on his life, and that he wasn’t happy with Matthew Broderick’s performance. The show also featured an early role for Jennifer Aniston (Friends) as Ferris’ sister Jeannie. Despite their similarities, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose easily came out on top in both ratings and reviews, while Ferris Bueller was cancelled after only one season.
Parker Lewis Can’t Lose would ultimately run for three seasons, although the final season toned down the wackiness a tad. While the show isn’t as fondly remembered as 90s sitcoms like Saved By The Bell, it’s still has a cult fanbase and it can’t be denied it was a good deal more inventive than the average teen comedy. While the internet was still in its relative infancy when the series debuted, it became one of the first shows to receive a loyal online following, in the form of an email list called The Flamingo Digest.
To prove the makers of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose were pretty cool, some of the fans from The Flamingo Digest were also invited to the set of the show. The series even attracted some big-name fans, including Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis (Back To The Future), who actually made a guest appearance. While it may not get much acknowledgment these days, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose’s meta-humor and dedication to pushing the boundaries of conventical sitcoms would later influence shows like Malcolm In The Middle and Scrubs.
The fact Parker Lewis Can’t Lose is also one of the earliest examples of a show with an internet fanbase - at a time when that was barely a thing - shows how cutting edge it was. It certainly aged a lot better than the Ferris Bueller TV spinoff did.
Next: Two Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place Let The Internet Decide It’s Ending
