Smart, witty, ultra-suave teenagers may only exist in the realm of TV and movies, but we'll take 'em where we can find 'em because they make for excellent entertainment. Closely following the formula put down by Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Fox aired a like-minded comedy in the early 90s called Parker Lewis Can't Lose. The half-hour sitcom concerned the adventures of the very cool Parker Lewis and his friends.

Parker was the most popular, most liked guy at Flamingo High. He could fix any problem with a combination of smarts, charm and gadgets. Providing backup for Parker were his two buddies, rebel pretty boy Mikey and geeky Jerry. The three friends were always in cahoots, often involved in cloak-and-dagger operations  while prowling the school halls. They had every reason to look over their shoulder, for the dreaded Ms. Musso, principal and arch-nemesis  would just jump at the chance to bust Parker and his gang. Another annoyance to be avoided at all times was Shelly, Parker's kid sister and all around pain in the butt.  Rounding out the cast were Parker and Shelly's kind but naive parents, Ms. Musso's servile assistant and Larry Kubiac, a giant fellow student who could be friend or enemy depending on how much food he received in bribes.

The show's humor went further than a typical teen comedy, with definite elements of the surreal thrown into the mix. The writers took a page from classic cartoon gags and used them effectively in every episode. Nerdy Jerry always wore a big trenchcoat from which he produced all manner of objects no matter how big they were. Ms. Musso had an almost supernatural ability to sniff out Parker's mischief and her assistant, Frank Lemmer, appeared at Musso's location the moment she called for him. Kubiac (or, "the Kube")  was so huge that he shook the ground he walked on and often performed amazing feats of strength.

Parker Lewis Can't Lose gained a large fan base very quickly and it remains a cult favorite to this day. Changes made to the format and themes in the third season robbed the show of most of its charm however, so it was cancelled amid falling ratings. Due to the lack of a DVD release, VHS tapes are a hot commodity among Parker Lewis's ardent fans.