Friday, August 21, 2009

Return of the Worst TV Show Ever!

With news that SMALL WONDER is finally coming to DVD, I've decided to rerun a post from last fall about the show.

SMALL WONDER was a syndicated sitcom that from 1985 to 1989. In New York, where I lived at the time, it aired Saturday nights on Channel 5, WNEW (or WNYW) - around the time the station became a FOX affiliate.The show felt like an awkward throwback to the 1960s, especially with it's cheesy theme song. The premise was this: some nerdy scientist guy secretly builds a robot that looks like a 10-year-old girl, but she really is designed to perform house work at superhuman speed. The Robot is named Vicki, and this guy and his wife pass her off as their adopted daughter–even though they make her sleep in the box she came in!!! Very creepy!Complicating things are the guy's bastard of a boss, who lived next door with a nosy, bratty daughter. It was like THE JETSONS meets BEWITCHED meets MY LIVING DOLL (which I've never seen - but am dying to!) I can recall watching several episodes of this show just out of disbelief that it actually got "greenlit". It must have had some loyal fans because it lasted FOUR seasons!Of course, now I wish it was airing somewhere. Hello, TV LAND? Here's an ambitious fan site dedicated to the show. I'm sure the show is even (unintentionally) funnier as seen through 2008 eyes. I say "give me SMALL WONDER over over-hyped crap like GOSSIP GIRL any day!"
Apparently, after four seasons, yes, wonders do indeed cease.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

ohmygod - I love this show too!!! and i gate gossip girl.

Elizabeth Brady Cabot Winslow? said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Doug said...

Great stuff - Mike! Thanks for posting. Hopefully a DVD box set will appear one day. Hell if PUNKY BREWSTER can be don dvd - why not SMALL WONDER?

Anonymous said...

altho from different era's, both are glimpses into what the masses desired as escapism.

and
it is possible to appreciate both gossip girl and small wonder... i do!

-amelie in san francisco

Anonymous said...

She's fantastic! Made of plastic!
She's a smaaaalll wonder!

Kevin said...

Never seen this but I was a big fan of "My Living Doll" when I was a kid. Hubba hubba Julie Newmar in a towel! I love these credits because they're a compendium of all bad sitcom cliches in one 90-second sequence. Especially the nosy girl who looks like Adam Rich in a witness protection program. Oh, and I love "Gossip Girl" so go easy on it even if it is overhyped.

Anonymous said...

I love Small Wonder 🙏🏻