"Stand in the place where you live. Now face north. Think about direction. Wonder why you haven't before."
Get a Life was a sitcom that ran on Sunday nights during FOX's early broadcasting days, specifically from 1990 to 1992. The show follows the life of Chris Peterson, a 30-year old paperboy who lives in an apartment above his parents' garage. Holding the same job since he was a kid, Chris refuses to accept and live life as an adult. His childish, naive behavior often got him in silly and outlandish situations. For example, falling out of an airplane after mistaking an exit door for the bathroom. In fact, Get a Life was an unconventional comedy with many surreal episodes. What other TV show at the time killed off its main character twelve times?
Chris' parents, Fred and Gladys Peterson, were just as much off-the-wall as their son. Always wearing pajamas, the Peterson parents were always doing some strange activity like polishing their handguns, and always made comments criticizing their son's lifestyle or poking fun at one of his odd quirks. One such oddity was Chris' fear of nudity.
Chris Peterson almost always focused on trying to find direction in his life, and more importantly, trying to find a place where he belongs. Whether it was with a street gang or a group of construction workers, he tried growing up but always ended up being that little boy in a 30-year old's body.
By the show's second season, FOX had pressured the producers to make Chris Peterson more independent. So in a manner to do what the network had asked, and at the same time laugh in its face, the producers had Chris move out from his parents house...and into the garage of ex-cop Gus Borden. Gus, a sociopathic ex-cop fired for peeing on his boss, becomes Chris' foil in the second season. In the full episode below, Chris time travels (see how surreal the show was?) to 1977 in attempts to save Gus' enforcement career. He does, however, run into trouble with disturbing the past and encounters oddities as a result of the journey...such as two-headed zombies.
Get a Life was a ridiculous show that was suitable for FOX and despite it only lasting two seasons, the show was a fan favorite and has retained a cult following in the decades after its demise. Looking back, it could be one of the most underappreciated comedies from the '90s. Chris Elliott did an incredible job in making Chris Peterson a believable character that could be living across the street from your house. The childlike nature, almost innocence, made you feel sorry that he was a 30-year old paperboy. And if the wacky episodes didn't leave its mark, then the show's memorable theme song sure did. R.E.M.'s Stand was etched in the viewers mind as the opening depicted Chris delivering newspapers in his neighborhood. Stand was forever associated with Get a Life and helped place the show on the map.
The good people at Shout! Factory released the complete series on DVD back in September 2012, and with original music intact! Though the show's taste of humor may turn some viewers off, this set is definitely worth having in your personal library. You can purchase a copy from Shout's website!
This wraps up another Sunday Show Spotlight...remembering the great, and not so great, from Sunday night television. Keep checking back with Stay Tuned for future posts of anything and everything television. Also, visit us on our Facebook page, Stay Tuned: Channel Surfing through the Years!
No comments:
Post a Comment