While he was playing Ricky Schroeder's wiseacre buddy in "Silver Spoons" he showed a knack for one-upping his cast mates. This gave him a chance to BE number 1.The show is dated beyond belief now. The sweaters and the early 80's new wave clothes might make even blind men cringe now. But the humor was dead on target.Bateman owned this show. He was not only the eye, but the whole hurricane. He may remind people of a teen version of Hawkeye from M*A*S*H. His feathers never ruffled despite the problems he got into.The puns and one-liners were non-stop as well. Made every episode full of those groaning laughs. I can't figure why it didn't succeed. But I'm glad Jason did.DVD release???

I have always had mixed feelings about this show. On one hand was it funny, hilarious and before it's time. Jason Bateman had originated this role of a teenage con-artist as Derek Taylor on the surprise hit, "Silver Spoons," but by time he got his own show, the role had been expanded upon into some very large scale covert operations with listening devices and secret plots, a sort of "Parker Lewis" for it's time. The show was also a nightmare for me too, because I used to have a friend named Matthew Burton (Bateman's character), and we used to brag about stunts we had never really done. We both got a lot of flak from this show, and I think we enjoyed the attention a little bit. I've lost contact with him, but today when when we see each other, he reminds me of when we strung up the school skeletons for the concert. It never happened of course, but of course it's how we remember the show. I think both of us would have killed to have a mom who looked like Caren Kaye or a sister like Tricia Cast. Garrett Morris could never have been my principal, he was too laid back. David Garrison though I think we would have been friends with, especially if we could have predicted he'd be later moving in next door to Christina Appegate !

I'm involved in a thread on another board, we're posting 70's & 80's sitcoms back and forth. I don't think any of the posters are hip to this one. I was upset when this show was cancelled, it was the one show that I never missed. It was so long ago, that I can't remember too many episodes. Let's see, the soccer one when the large dude was called The Wall (The goalie on my hockey game is called this). The episode when they're controlling skeletons, making them into a rock band. I'll be looking for it, maybe I'll start a petition about it.

See David Garrison before "Married With Children"! Wow this show was the BEST! This was my favorite show in the 80's; I wish someone would show reruns. I think it was just too clever for the critics, and the viewers. But hey what do I know, I was only 11?