Second Chance (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Second Chance was a short-lived American
television sitcom, which aired on Fox
from September 26 to November 28, 1987. The series was then revamped under the new title Boys Will Be Boys, and ran in the new format from January to May 14, 1988. It was created by David W. Duclon and Gary Menteer.
as Charles Russell, a deceased man, and Matthew Perry
as his younger self, who is nicknamed Chazz. In the year 2011, Charles dies in a hovercraft
accident, and his soul is promptly sent to the high spiritual palace of Saint Peter (Joseph Maher
). It is there that Saint Peter determines that Charles is too good for hell
but not good enough to get into heaven
; therefore, Charles is sent back to Earth in the year 1987, to re-join his life during the teenage years in order to help himself, through the younger Chazz, make more moral choices.
Charles showed up at his childhood home with a different last name, Time, which he assumed from the magazine of the same name; it was also symbolic of his travel back through time and the extra amount of it he was awarded by Saint Peter. He came to rent out an apartment over the Russell garage when his feisty, sensible mother Helen (Randee Heller
) needed a boarder to help make ends meet. Charles was a convenience store proprietor by day in between his efforts to reconnect with Chazz, who from the start had no idea that the new tenant hanging around and becoming buddy-like was in fact his older self. The two did form an instant friendship, and Chazz, who was in dire need of a resident father figure, often found himself turning to Charles (either directly or not) when life's dilemmas got too out of hand. Chazz's two best friends were tough, supercool Francis "Booch" Lottabucci (William Gallo) and awkward, geeky Eugene Blooberman (Demian Slade), the latter of which was tolerated by Chazz but always regularly put down by Booch. As the boys cooked up schemes, encountered teenage romance and got into trouble, Charles was there to be the voice of reason, even if Booch and Eugene never always understood why he was involved. In turn, Saint Peter, grading Charles' progress in his effort to grow into a new man the second time around, watched over him like a hawk. He, however, could only be seen or heard by Charles.
The early episodes focused on the Russell's efforts to keep the family home, in wake of Helen's ex-husband (played in guest appearances by Richard Kline
) becoming six months behind on his alimony
. In the pilot episode, Booch talks Chazz into disguising themselves as older men to purchase lottery tickets, with the idea of eventually stealing from the convenience store if they didn't win the jackpot. It just happened to be the older Charles' convenience store they came to; Charles watched himself (Chazz) and Booch attempt to get away with their plan. He then stepped in and began gently manipulating them with sage advice in order to get the boys (namely himself) to do the right thing. Despite nearly everyone in the picture not catching on to the fact that Charles Time was really the older Chazz Russell, it was Helen who always exclaimed the similarities that both Charles and Chazz had in their behaviors (i.e. synchronizing their movements of picking up utensils and drinking milk at the kitchen table, at the same time) and even in their looks.
By the end of November sweeps, ratings were unsatisfactory even by the standards of the young Fox network, who had yet to rival the established broadcast networks in audience size. Second Chance left the air briefly, as Duclon, Menteer and company set out to retool the show.
is shown being judged
after his death, with the date given as July 29, 2011. In the year after the Berlin discotheque bombing
and the U.S. response, the 1987 pilot was playing off Gaddafi's prominent negative perception by the American public. Twenty-four years later, by coincidence, Gaddafi's death
occurred within three months of the "predicted" date.
as the retooled series began. The Russells now had their entire garage space free so that Chazz and his friends could use the upper apartment level as a hangout pad.
Two new characters were added to the show, who had previously made guest appearances on Second Chance. Debbie Miller (Terri Ivens
), Chazz's main love interest since first grade, had broken up with Chazz during her early guest shot on the show, but, now on full time, at first dated others but then fell for Chazz all over again. The two soon resumed being an item. Also joining the cast was Alex (Adam Sadowsky
), who, in his Second Chance guest appearances, made friends with Chazz and revealed to the older Charles Russell that he was also on a mission for God
. This character history was disregarded for Boys Will Be Boys, as Alex was now a classmate/friend to Booch and Eugene as well as Chazz.
Although the format was tweaked, the series was moved around Fox's Saturday night schedule a few more times, and was then cancelled at the end of the season. After the last original episode of Boys Will Be Boys aired on May 14, 1988, repeats aired through July 2 of that year.
. Both shows had surrogate father figure leads as co-stars (Martin's Charles Russell on Second Chance and George Gaynes
' Henry Warnimont, adoptive father of the title character of Punky). The Second Chance theme song, a warm rock ballad titled "I Gotta Go Back", was composed by Bob Wirth and Rik Howard, who had been the composers on most Duclon/Menteer shows, including Punky Brewster. The theme music, in fact, used the same instrumentation and pitch as the Punky theme.
During the episodes of the series that ran under the title Second Chance, yellow Optima font was used for the credits, which was then currently seen on Punky Brewster (as well as on another Warner Bros.
-produced show, Growing Pains
). In yet another similarity, the reference of Time magazine was used on both shows. In a Season 2 Punky Brewster episode, Henry, Punky, and their dog Brandon have a family photo taken in Henry's new photography studio, which is superimposed into an actual shell cover of Time with the fictional headline "Father of the Year". It appears that Duclon and Menteer were fans of the publication.
Once the series became Boys Will Be Boys, the theme song was revamped so that it was in a slightly higher pitch, but now as an instrumental, jazzy version dominated by saxophone
and electric guitar
. The newer version of the theme, and the musical cues that also changed, came to be a forerunner of the hipper, more irreverent sound that would soon permeate through other Fox
shows. The credit font also changed, but otherwise the familiar production traits of Duclon and Menteer remained.
Adam Sadowsky was hired to become a regular on Boys Will Be Boys after having worked under Duclon's past creative partner, Michael G. Moye
, on his one-season wonder It's Your Move
(NBC, 1984-85). Before It's Your Move, Duclon and Moye had been producers on NBC's Silver Spoons
. By 1987, both Moye and Duclon had development deals with the fledgling Fox network, with Moye being a co-creator of one of Fox's most popular freshman series, Married...with Children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television sitcom, which aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
from September 26 to November 28, 1987. The series was then revamped under the new title Boys Will Be Boys, and ran in the new format from January to May 14, 1988. It was created by David W. Duclon and Gary Menteer.
Second Chance
In its original format, the show starred Kiel MartinKiel Martin
Kiel Urban Mueller , professionally known as Kiel Martin, was an American actor best known for his role as lovable rogue Detective John "J.D." La Rue on the 1980s television drama Hill Street Blues.Martin was married twice, first to Claudia Martin , who was actor/crooner Dean...
as Charles Russell, a deceased man, and Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
as his younger self, who is nicknamed Chazz. In the year 2011, Charles dies in a hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
accident, and his soul is promptly sent to the high spiritual palace of Saint Peter (Joseph Maher
Joseph Maher
Joseph Maher was an Irish character actor who appeared in 43 films and was nominated for three Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award for his supporting roles on the stage.-Career:...
). It is there that Saint Peter determines that Charles is too good for hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
but not good enough to get into heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
; therefore, Charles is sent back to Earth in the year 1987, to re-join his life during the teenage years in order to help himself, through the younger Chazz, make more moral choices.
Charles showed up at his childhood home with a different last name, Time, which he assumed from the magazine of the same name; it was also symbolic of his travel back through time and the extra amount of it he was awarded by Saint Peter. He came to rent out an apartment over the Russell garage when his feisty, sensible mother Helen (Randee Heller
Randee Heller
Randy M. "Randee" Heller is an American television and film actress. Her most notable roles were in the film The Karate Kid and one of its sequels, as Daniel Larusso's mother, and on the 1970s serial sitcom Soap as Jodie Dallas's roommate Alice, one of the first recurring lesbian characters in...
) needed a boarder to help make ends meet. Charles was a convenience store proprietor by day in between his efforts to reconnect with Chazz, who from the start had no idea that the new tenant hanging around and becoming buddy-like was in fact his older self. The two did form an instant friendship, and Chazz, who was in dire need of a resident father figure, often found himself turning to Charles (either directly or not) when life's dilemmas got too out of hand. Chazz's two best friends were tough, supercool Francis "Booch" Lottabucci (William Gallo) and awkward, geeky Eugene Blooberman (Demian Slade), the latter of which was tolerated by Chazz but always regularly put down by Booch. As the boys cooked up schemes, encountered teenage romance and got into trouble, Charles was there to be the voice of reason, even if Booch and Eugene never always understood why he was involved. In turn, Saint Peter, grading Charles' progress in his effort to grow into a new man the second time around, watched over him like a hawk. He, however, could only be seen or heard by Charles.
The early episodes focused on the Russell's efforts to keep the family home, in wake of Helen's ex-husband (played in guest appearances by Richard Kline
Richard Kline
Richard Kline is an American actor and television director. He is best known for playing the sleazy neighbor and used car salesman, Larry Dallas, on the sitcom, Three's Company.-Early life:...
) becoming six months behind on his alimony
Alimony
Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
. In the pilot episode, Booch talks Chazz into disguising themselves as older men to purchase lottery tickets, with the idea of eventually stealing from the convenience store if they didn't win the jackpot. It just happened to be the older Charles' convenience store they came to; Charles watched himself (Chazz) and Booch attempt to get away with their plan. He then stepped in and began gently manipulating them with sage advice in order to get the boys (namely himself) to do the right thing. Despite nearly everyone in the picture not catching on to the fact that Charles Time was really the older Chazz Russell, it was Helen who always exclaimed the similarities that both Charles and Chazz had in their behaviors (i.e. synchronizing their movements of picking up utensils and drinking milk at the kitchen table, at the same time) and even in their looks.
By the end of November sweeps, ratings were unsatisfactory even by the standards of the young Fox network, who had yet to rival the established broadcast networks in audience size. Second Chance left the air briefly, as Duclon, Menteer and company set out to retool the show.
Colonel Gaddafi "prediction"
In the opening scene for the pilot, as a throwaway joke, Colonel Muammar GaddafiMuammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
is shown being judged
Divine Judgment
Divine judgment means the judgment of God or other supreme beings within a religion. The concept is prominent in Abrahamic religions, most significantly in the Last judgment.-Objective and subjective judgment:...
after his death, with the date given as July 29, 2011. In the year after the Berlin discotheque bombing
1986 Berlin discotheque bombing
The 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing was a terrorist attack on the La Belle discothèque in West Berlin, Germany, an entertainment venue that was commonly frequented by United States soldiers...
and the U.S. response, the 1987 pilot was playing off Gaddafi's prominent negative perception by the American public. Twenty-four years later, by coincidence, Gaddafi's death
Death of Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed leader of Libya, died on 20 October 2011 during the 2011 Libyan civil war. Gaddafi was captured alive after his convoy was attacked by NATO warplanes as Sirte fell on 20 October 2011. He was then beaten and killed by NTC forces...
occurred within three months of the "predicted" date.
Boys Will Be Boys
After a little over a month off the air, the series returned in January 1988 under a new title, Boys Will Be Boys. In this revamp, the supernatural element was dropped, causing Kiel Martin and Joseph Maher to exit the cast. As the new title implied, the format now revolved solely around the antics of Chazz, Booch and Eugene. Helen was by now in a much better financial situation, and was able to keep the family home. This was also evidenced by a three-part excursion the cast took to Las VegasLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
as the retooled series began. The Russells now had their entire garage space free so that Chazz and his friends could use the upper apartment level as a hangout pad.
Two new characters were added to the show, who had previously made guest appearances on Second Chance. Debbie Miller (Terri Ivens
Terri Ivens
Terri Ivens is an American actress.Ivens is best known for her portrayal of Simone Torres on All My Children — a role she originated in October 2001 and portrayed until December 2006.Her feature film credits include; Jimmy Hollywood, with Joe Pesci, and Marked for Death, with Steven Seagal...
), Chazz's main love interest since first grade, had broken up with Chazz during her early guest shot on the show, but, now on full time, at first dated others but then fell for Chazz all over again. The two soon resumed being an item. Also joining the cast was Alex (Adam Sadowsky
Adam Sadowsky
Adam Sadowsky , is an American entrepreneur and former actor.He is the president of Syyn Labs, the company responsible for building the Rube Goldberg Machine featured in the music video for the OK Go song "This Too Shall Pass"....
), who, in his Second Chance guest appearances, made friends with Chazz and revealed to the older Charles Russell that he was also on a mission for God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. This character history was disregarded for Boys Will Be Boys, as Alex was now a classmate/friend to Booch and Eugene as well as Chazz.
Although the format was tweaked, the series was moved around Fox's Saturday night schedule a few more times, and was then cancelled at the end of the season. After the last original episode of Boys Will Be Boys aired on May 14, 1988, repeats aired through July 2 of that year.
Production values
As created and produced by the team of David W. Duclon and Gary Menteer, Second Chance initially had many production values similar to that of another one of their programs, Punky BrewsterPunky Brewster
Punky Brewster was an American sitcom about a girl named Punky Brewster being raised by her foster parent...
. Both shows had surrogate father figure leads as co-stars (Martin's Charles Russell on Second Chance and George Gaynes
George Gaynes
George Gaynes is a Finnish-born American actor of stage, screen and television.He may be best known as Commandant Eric Lassard in the Police Academy series, and to television fans as the curmudgeonly Henry Warnimont on the NBC series Punky Brewster, in which his wife, Allyn Ann McLerie,...
' Henry Warnimont, adoptive father of the title character of Punky). The Second Chance theme song, a warm rock ballad titled "I Gotta Go Back", was composed by Bob Wirth and Rik Howard, who had been the composers on most Duclon/Menteer shows, including Punky Brewster. The theme music, in fact, used the same instrumentation and pitch as the Punky theme.
During the episodes of the series that ran under the title Second Chance, yellow Optima font was used for the credits, which was then currently seen on Punky Brewster (as well as on another Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
-produced show, Growing Pains
Growing Pains
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
). In yet another similarity, the reference of Time magazine was used on both shows. In a Season 2 Punky Brewster episode, Henry, Punky, and their dog Brandon have a family photo taken in Henry's new photography studio, which is superimposed into an actual shell cover of Time with the fictional headline "Father of the Year". It appears that Duclon and Menteer were fans of the publication.
Once the series became Boys Will Be Boys, the theme song was revamped so that it was in a slightly higher pitch, but now as an instrumental, jazzy version dominated by saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. The newer version of the theme, and the musical cues that also changed, came to be a forerunner of the hipper, more irreverent sound that would soon permeate through other Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
shows. The credit font also changed, but otherwise the familiar production traits of Duclon and Menteer remained.
Adam Sadowsky was hired to become a regular on Boys Will Be Boys after having worked under Duclon's past creative partner, Michael G. Moye
Michael G. Moye
Michael George Moye is an American photographer and a former television writer and producer. In his television career he has written for shows such as The Jeffersons, Diff'rent Strokes, Good Times, and 227 and produced It's Your Move and The Jeffersons. His best known work is likely the 1987...
, on his one-season wonder It's Your Move
It's Your Move
It's Your Move is an American sitcom starring Jason Bateman, Tricia Cast, Caren Kaye, Ernie Sabella, David Garrison, and Garrett Morris. The show originally aired on NBC from 1984 to 1985.-Premise:...
(NBC, 1984-85). Before It's Your Move, Duclon and Moye had been producers on NBC's Silver Spoons
Silver Spoons
Silver Spoons is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982 to May 11, 1986 and in first-run syndication from September 15, 1986 to March 4, 1987...
. By 1987, both Moye and Duclon had development deals with the fledgling Fox network, with Moye being a co-creator of one of Fox's most popular freshman series, Married...with Children.