This show could actually be one of the most influential TV shows ever.
It proved that you could be surrealistic especially in a children's show and still get great ratings and appeal to adults. This would spawn such stuff as Malcolm in the Middle, and Parker Lewis Can't Lose and probably influenced a lot of adult programming in little ways, like integrating mythology and reality, breaking the third wall by talking into the camera, fallible parents and retrospective comedy.
The Artie character was in many ways totally stupid and wrong but he sort of fit the entire mood of twisted not quite real reality, this show was going for. And of course, people would get away with a lot of weird man/child stuff back then because we weren't all disillusioned and afraid of everything, and thinking pedophiles were everywhere and after our children. These were simpler times.
I think my favorite episode was the one where they try to get the world record for staying up past their bedtimes.
And I think this show virtually started the alternative music craze, with probably the greatest Toadies or Ween song never made by them, and I agree one of the most special theme songs ever.
It proved that you could be surrealistic especially in a children's show and still get great ratings and appeal to adults. This would spawn such stuff as Malcolm in the Middle, and Parker Lewis Can't Lose and probably influenced a lot of adult programming in little ways, like integrating mythology and reality, breaking the third wall by talking into the camera, fallible parents and retrospective comedy.
The Artie character was in many ways totally stupid and wrong but he sort of fit the entire mood of twisted not quite real reality, this show was going for. And of course, people would get away with a lot of weird man/child stuff back then because we weren't all disillusioned and afraid of everything, and thinking pedophiles were everywhere and after our children. These were simpler times.
I think my favorite episode was the one where they try to get the world record for staying up past their bedtimes.
And I think this show virtually started the alternative music craze, with probably the greatest Toadies or Ween song never made by them, and I agree one of the most special theme songs ever.
