Appreciation post for 'Perfect Strangers'

Posted by Kain347@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 54 comments

I've been watching this show on Pluto TV for the first time since childhood. Never realized what an amazing comedy duo Bronson Pinchot and Mark Linn-Baker were! Their timing, chemistry and physical comedy are seriously underrated. I misremembered this show as being family friendly bc it was on TGIF, which eventually became the kid-friendly block. There were def some adult jokes that went over my head back then. This show was also on way longer than I remembered, I thought it ran for like 5 seasons, tops. The intro is so stereotypically '80s and I love it! The synth and harmonica drop followed by those lyrics that have no business being so beautifully inspirational, accompanied by Chicago's cityscape are just perfect. This is my new comfort/ background show.

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xblacklodge@reddit

In 2012, someone made a Flash game at nothingsgonnastopmenow.com, which is now dead. It's on the Internet Archive, but I can't get it to load. Fortunately, there's a video of the game on YouTube. If you got a passing score, it showed a clip of the Dance of Joy.

Also, on a semi-related note, at my old job, when I would answer the phone and someone would ask to speak to my boss, I would say, "And what is it pertaining?" specifically because of Bronson Pinchot in Beverly Hills Cop.

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rjt1980@reddit

Hell yeah. I loved this show. Was it canceled and then brought back? I think I remember being pumped when I learned the news of the show’s return, but I could be making that up in my head.

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Unique_Spellz@reddit

I recently rewatched the pilot and was shocked how much I related to cousin Larry 😂 He seemed so stressed out and uncool when I was a kid, but he was just a normal guy dealing with crazy situations.

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Jasion128@reddit

Named our cat Balki , had him 21 yrs

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chrisschieman@reddit

I've been rewatching it too and it holds up better than most 80s shows. It doesn't have that cheesy Regan-era feel like a lot of sitcoms had.

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Holofernes_Head@reddit

Still an all-time great theme song.

I still say "don't be ridikkulus" like Balki to this day.

The show makes me so happy, I do the dance of joy.

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PancakeProfessor@reddit

That theme song and opening sequence are the perfect example of 80s sitcom themes. It literally has everything you could want in an 80s sitcom opening. Of anyone ever asks what TV sitcoms were like in the 80s, you need only show them the opening theme from Perfect Strangers and they will know everything they need to know.

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mutantbabysnort@reddit

That theme song is epic.

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drfinale@reddit

I still regularly say, "ohhhhh myyyy lorrrd!"

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Holofernes_Head@reddit

Y'know, I do that all the time too, and I didn't realize until right now where it came from!

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Significant-Ring5503@reddit

Standing taaalll

On the wings of my dream

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rootsquasher@reddit

If you hadn’t written this. I would have.

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joazito@reddit

Sometimes the world looks perfect. Nothing to rearrange.

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ErnieBochII@reddit

Sometimes you just...get a feeling like you need some kinda change!

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shadowlarx@reddit

No matter what the odds are this time, nothing’s gonna stand in my way

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Acceptable-Size3383@reddit

My family has been playing "Boochie" for years because of this show

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espo619@reddit

Miller-Boyett Productions at the peak of its powers

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closethebarn@reddit

I fell in love again with balki listening to him narrate audiobooks. I think one was flowers for algernon

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PudaRex@reddit

My fav! Are all seasons on Pluto TV? I may have to sign up

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PhoneJazz@reddit

As a kid I legitimate thought that Bronson Pinchot was an actor fresh off the boat from a Mediterranean island (I had no concept of “feigning an accent”). Yes, I also thought Dick Van Dyke was British from Mary Poppins 😂

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Funkopedia@reddit

It doesn't help that he has ridiculous accents in every role he does (Beverly Hills Cop, one appearance in Hey Arnold, First Wives Club)

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Smudge_Cell@reddit

His flat lack of accent in The Langoliers makes his creepy character even creepier.

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Funkopedia@reddit

OMG I bought a book from audible recently and Bronson Pinchot was the narrator and i couldn't even pay attention to the words because of his clear speaking voice!! (apparently he's read 417 books on there!)

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MyNameCannotBeSpoken@reddit

“Achmed, Akwell...Mr. Foley is here to see you"

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Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit

im all about the mary poppins accent

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Kain347@reddit (OP)

I thought the same about Bronson, plus his nam sounds kinda foreign. The innocence of pre-internet life lol

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scizzix@reddit

I haven't watched it since it aired, but that show embedded itself in my brain. I can still remember some of the very silly scenes (such as the guys having to sing when making a Myposian pastry), and the wild experiments in later seasons like the black and white Laurel & Hardy episode.

Such an underrated show.

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SalukiKnightX@reddit

I know the feeling. They were showing this both on air and in syndication by the time I was 3rd grade then I think by the time I was in junior high in ‘96 it was gone completely. It’s in my memory but like a fuzzy detail until someone mentions it.

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spookydookie@reddit

When you’re rolling out the dough, just make sure you roll it slow.

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BethKnowsBetter@reddit

Here for it ♥️♥️

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GalaxyRedRanger@reddit

The later episodes where they start doing dance numbers is impressive comedy, especially when it’s Hammer Time!

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mcfetrja@reddit

Bonus round- this show gave us Carl Winslow who eventually got his own show.

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SalukiKnightX@reddit

Technically, it gave us Harriet and the Chicago Chronicle where she worked as an elevator operator, Larry worked as a reporter and Balki in the mailroom.

I think in the first or second season of Family Matters it mentions how Harriet was laid off from the paper and later works with her sister Rachel at her restaurant.

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justpaisley@reddit

Fun fact, Bronson Pinchot hates anything shiny. He is not a fan. Weird but true!

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ErnieBochII@reddit

Excellent post.

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joazito@reddit

The "It's red" line from Balki when he falls in love with a car lives rent free in my mind.

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jujumber@reddit

When I was like 4 years old I thought they were bad people, Like criminals because the name of the show and everyone warned me to not trust strangers. I was always waiting for them to do bad things.

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kathatter75@reddit

I loved this show! I’ll need to go back and revisit it :)

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Just_Another_AI@reddit

The bibbi in the babka goes boom!

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GutsAndBlackStufff@reddit

gif

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Roklam@reddit

I have so many happy feelings hearing or thinking about the show

That harmonic hits at just the right spot on my brain.

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Antron_RS@reddit

This is definitely a separator of Xennials/Standard Millennials. Loved this show so much.

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anOvenofWitches@reddit

There is one episode I remember standing out, because I tried to replicate the style in elementary school creative writing lol — there’s a crime or something and the duo plus their GFs all recount a slightly different story. I’m thinking it’s a later season

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Kain347@reddit (OP)

That would make a sick touchdown dance in the NFL

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Equivalent_Public_41@reddit

I tried watching this with the wife and kids a while back, and I pretty much got the leave that back in the 80s vibe from the fam. I loved it.

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Swimming-Trifle-899@reddit

It’s such a great show. My all-time number one tv theme song too!