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Parker Lewis Can't Lose was an early '90s sitcom on the Fox network. It centered around a good-hearted (but low-scrupled) High School wheeler-dealer and his two associates, and the scams, cons and manipulations that they got away with (mostly) day to day. It starred Corin Nemec, now known for playing the former Trope Namer for Suspiciously Similar Substitute on Stargate SG-1.
It was clearly influenced by the classic teen movie Ferris Buellers Day Off — much more so than the movie's TV adaptation; many consider Parker Lewis Can't Lose to be the Spiritual Successor to the Ferris Bueller film. (Parker Lewis Can't Lose actually had lower ratings than Ferris Bueller, but the Fox network was still in its early years and thus had lower expectations.)
In later seasons, the show's title was truncated to simply Parker Lewis. In one episode the title character has such unusual bad luck that the main title credit was changed to Parker Lewis Can't Win.
- Achilles in His Tent
- Actor Allusion: Shelley goes undercover using the name "Shelley Nemec".
- Actually Not a Vampire: In one episode, Frank Lemmer is shown avoiding sunlight and other things, prompting Shelly to think he's a vampire. This culminates with her splashing him with a bucket full of holy water.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Shelly Lewis
- Bag of Holding: Jerry's trenchcoat.
- Berserk Button: Kubiak and his lunch, don't ever touch it. Urban Legend states he once punched out (and possibly killed) a nun for sitting on his lunch bag.
- The "B" Grade: Jerry Steiner
- Catch Phrase: "Coolness!", "Not a problem," "Synchronise Swatches!"
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Lemmer, after season 2.
- Conspiracy Theory:
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Come on, Frank! Everyone knows you have the missing eleven minutes of the Watergate tapes! |
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- Dean Bitterman: Miss Musso.
- The Dragon: Frank Lemmer.
- Embarrassing Middle Name: "...Lloyd?!"
- Hammerspace: Jerry's velcro-lined coat.
- High School
- High School Hustler: Parker Lewis is an iconic example.
- Hulk Speak: Kubiak
- Lamarck Was Right: The Reunion episode.
- Love Floats: One episode shows this happening to Jerry every time Shelly says something nice to him.
- Mrs. Robinson: Miss Musso tends to stare at virile young men... just long enough to make it awkward
- Nerd: Jerry is one of these in the biggest way... and a doormat.
- Operation Blank
- Power Trio: Ego = Parker, Id = Mikey, Superego = Jerry.
- Sometimes drifts into a Five-Man Band dynamic: The Hero = Parker, The Lancer = Mikey, The Smart Guy = Jerry, The Big Guy = Kube, and with an empty The Chick spot.
- Rebus Bubble
- Sitting Sexy on a Piano: once, during an Imagine Spot
- Spiritual Successor: To Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
- Subordinate Excuse: Frank Lemmer and Miss Musso.
- Tyrant Takes the Helm: Dr Pankow.
- Unusual Euphemism: In the episode "Home Alone with Annie", Parker and his girlfriend keep dancing around the prospect of a... Relationship Upgrade by referring to it as "watching cable (TV)."