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Ferris Bueller (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Ferris Bueller is an American sitcom based on the 1986 John Hughes's film Ferris Bueller's Day Off
. It debuted on August 23, 1990, on NBC
and was cancelled within its first season, a few months after its debut.
The show stars Charlie Schlatter
in the title role (which was played by Matthew Broderick
in the film). Outside of its fan base, the show is known for having starred a then relatively unknown Jennifer Aniston
in the role of the Ferris's sister, Jeannie Bueller (played by Jennifer Grey
in the film). The show was produced by Maysh Ltd Productions in association with Paramount Television
.
, the series was set in Los Angeles
. In the film, Ferris is shown as intelligent and extremely popular, in the show he is portrayed as obnoxious and is constantly referred to by his classmates as "nerd." In the film, Ferris and Jeannie's parents names are Katie and Tom but in the TV series, they were changed to Barbara and Bob. Also in the film, Ferris was a senior and Jeannie was a junior or sophomore, but in the TV series, Ferris was a junior and Jeannie was a senior.
, also in its first season, as a lead in. Ratings were strong at first but declined quickly in the following weeks. However, the show rated highly among viewers aged 12 to 17. The show was canceled in December 1990, having ranked 57th in the ratings, and was replaced midseason
with Blossom
, which lasted five seasons. A leftover episode aired in August 1991.
The show received mostly negative reviews from critics. John J. O'Connor of The New York Times
wrote that the version of Bueller portrayed by the "smirking" Schlatter "is likely to leave most viewers reaching instinctively for their wallets." Some critics considered Ferris Bueller one of the worst shows of the year.
The show also suffered from comparison to a show with a similar concept that debuted on Fox
the same month, Parker Lewis Can't Lose
. Parker Lewis proved to be more successful, lasting three seasons.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
. It debuted on August 23, 1990, on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and was cancelled within its first season, a few months after its debut.
The show stars Charlie Schlatter
Charlie Schlatter
Charles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter is an American actor. He has starred in numerous TV series and films, and is well-known for his role in the series Diagnosis: Murder as Dr. Jesse Travis with Dick Van Dyke, and for his role in the film 18 Again! with George Burns...
in the title role (which was played by Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
in the film). Outside of its fan base, the show is known for having starred a then relatively unknown Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
in the role of the Ferris's sister, Jeannie Bueller (played by Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Elise Grey is an American actress. Her first major roles came in the 1984 war film Red Dawn and the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1987 she starred as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the hit film Dirty Dancing for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In the early 1990s, Grey...
in the film). The show was produced by Maysh Ltd Productions in association with Paramount Television
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
.
Synopsis
Though based on the film, the series was not a continuation of the film, rather, the series was set up to portray itself as being the "real life" situations upon which the film was based. In the pilot episode, Ferris (Schlatter) refers to the film and expresses his displeasure at Matthew Broderick portraying him, even going as far as destroying a life-size cardboard cutout of Broderick with a chainsaw. As in the film, the series focused on Ferris Bueller and his high school experiences at Ocean Park High, including dealing with his best friend Cameron (Douglas), love interest Sloan (Dolenz), and sister Jeannie (Aniston).Differences from the film
Unlike the film, which was set in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, the series was set in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In the film, Ferris is shown as intelligent and extremely popular, in the show he is portrayed as obnoxious and is constantly referred to by his classmates as "nerd." In the film, Ferris and Jeannie's parents names are Katie and Tom but in the TV series, they were changed to Barbara and Bob. Also in the film, Ferris was a senior and Jeannie was a junior or sophomore, but in the TV series, Ferris was a junior and Jeannie was a senior.
Response and cancellation
Ferris Bueller was broadcast on Monday nights with The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
, also in its first season, as a lead in. Ratings were strong at first but declined quickly in the following weeks. However, the show rated highly among viewers aged 12 to 17. The show was canceled in December 1990, having ranked 57th in the ratings, and was replaced midseason
Midseason replacement
In American and Canadian television, a midseason replacement is a television series that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between January and May...
with Blossom
Blossom (TV series)
Blossom is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC from January 3, 1991 to May 22, 1995. The series stars Mayim Bialik as Blossom Russo, a teenage girl living with her father and two brothers. It was created by Don Reo.- Synopsis :...
, which lasted five seasons. A leftover episode aired in August 1991.
The show received mostly negative reviews from critics. John J. O'Connor of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote that the version of Bueller portrayed by the "smirking" Schlatter "is likely to leave most viewers reaching instinctively for their wallets." Some critics considered Ferris Bueller one of the worst shows of the year.
The show also suffered from comparison to a show with a similar concept that debuted on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
the same month, Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Parker Lewis Can't Lose is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on FOX from September 1990 to June 1993. During the last season, the series sported the simpler title Parker Lewis. The series was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and was strongly influenced by the feature film Ferris...
. Parker Lewis proved to be more successful, lasting three seasons.
Cast
- Charlie SchlatterCharlie SchlatterCharles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter is an American actor. He has starred in numerous TV series and films, and is well-known for his role in the series Diagnosis: Murder as Dr. Jesse Travis with Dick Van Dyke, and for his role in the film 18 Again! with George Burns...
as Ferris Bueller - Brandon DouglasBrandon DouglasBrandon Douglas is an American actor. He first came to prominence in the television series Falcon Crest, in which he played Ben Agretti during the 1988-1989 season. He is well known for playing Dr. Andrew Cook in the popular CBS series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...
as Cameron Frye - Ami DolenzAmi DolenzAmi Dolenz is an American television and film actress and producer.- Early life and career :Born in Burbank, California into a show business family, Dolenz is the daughter of Micky Dolenz of the 1960s group the Monkees, and British television presenter Samantha Juste...
as Sloan Peterson - Jennifer AnistonJennifer AnistonJennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
as Jeannie Bueller - Jeffrey JonesJeffrey JonesJeffrey Duncan Jones is an American actor. He has appeared in many films and television series, but may be best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Miloš Forman’s Amadeus, Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice, and Dean of Students Edward R...
as Principal Ed Rooney - Cristine RoseCristine RoseCristine Sue Rose is an American actress. She has also been credited as Christine Rose. She's best known for her role as Angela Petrelli on the hit NBC science fiction drama Heroes.-Early life:...
as Barbara Bueller - Sam FreedSam FreedSam Freed is an American actor who has performed on Broadway, television and in movies. His first major regular role on television was as Bob Barsky in the last three seasons of Kate & Allie. In the short-lived series Ferris Bueller, he played Bill Bueller, the father of the title character. He...
as Bob Bueller - Judith KahanJudith KahanJudith Kahan , is a longtime American actress and television writer. Although she has been mostly seen on film and television, she has done a number of theatre shows, including a co-starring role as Fredrika Armfeldt on the original Broadway show of A Little Night Music from 1973-1974.-Actress:*...
as Grace - Jeff Maynard as Arthur Petrelli
- Jerry Tullos as Mr. Rickets
- David Glasser as Dork
- Brandon Rane as Wimp
- Roy BrocksmithRoy Brocksmith-Biography:Brocksmith was born in Quincy, Illinois, the son of Vera Marguerite and Otis E. Brocksmith, who was a mechanic. He graduated from Quincy University in 1970. He then moved to New York City where he began a career on Broadway...
as Mr. Carter
Episodes
| Ep # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot | August 23, 1990 |
| 2 | "Behind Every Dirtbag" | September 17, 1990 |
| 3 | "Custodian Of the People" | September 24, 1990 |
| 4 | "Without You I'm Nothing" | October 1, 1990 |
| 5 | "Between a Rock and Rooney's Place" | October 8, 1990 |
| 6 | "A Dog and His Boy" | October 15, 1990 |
| 7 | "Ferris Bueller Can't Win" | October 22, 1990 |
| 8 | "Sloan Again, Naturally" | November 5, 1990 |
| 9 | "Scenes From a Grandma" | November 12, 1990 |
| 10 | "Stand-In Deliver" | November 26, 1990 |
| 11 | "Baby You Can't Drive My Car" | December 2, 1990 |
| 12 | "Grace Under Pressure" | December 16, 1990 |
| 13 | "A Night In the Life" | August 11, 1991 |