Shaky Ground
Encyclopedia
Shaky Ground was a TV sitcom created by Bob Keyes, Chip Keyes & Doug Keyes, which starred Matt Frewer
as Bob Moody, a hapless, but supportive and caring father. Robin Riker played his wife and Matthew Brooks, Jennifer Love Hewitt
and Bradley Pierce played their children. The show aired on FOX for the 1992-1993 season.
. In another episode he takes up "Dance Fu", a combination of the martial arts
and jazz dancing, in order to protect his family's right to go to a restaurant after a bully from work threatens him. Other episodes were more down to earth. In one Bob stages a sit-in in his younger son's treehouse in order to protest oppressive zoning
laws which demand the treehouse be demolished. In another episode Bob is asked to stay in the kitchen in order to avoid embarrassing his daughter at her first party. But when the party proves a disaster, Bob livens it up with disco music and a game of Twister to the enjoyment of all involved; he then helps his daughter approach a boy she liked. However outlandish the situations became, the series was always grounded in family life.
The series finale
had Bob circulating a petition
to save the local school music program, ultimately Bob is tackled by Secret Service agents when he tries to get newly-elected President Bill Clinton
to sign the petition—in a men's room.
Scheduled against powerhouse "60 Minutes", Shaky Ground struggled in its time slot, while retaining a small but devoted cult following. Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times described the show as "sneaky-funny" in his 1992 review. This series is not yet available in DVD.
Matt Frewer
Matthew "Matt" Frewer is a Canadian American stage, TV and film actor. Acting since 1983, he is known for portraying the 1980s icon Max Headroom and the retired villain Moloch in the film adaptation of Watchmen.-Life and career:...
as Bob Moody, a hapless, but supportive and caring father. Robin Riker played his wife and Matthew Brooks, Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
and Bradley Pierce played their children. The show aired on FOX for the 1992-1993 season.
Theme
Bob Moody was mid-life, mid-career, middle-management and middle-class. He worked as a quality control inspector for United General Technologies. He loved his family and worked hard to support them, but in ways was struggling with adulthood as well. Episodes often focused on Bob's thwarted ambitions at work, or the fact that he was not a traditional husband and father at home. Bob managed to get by as a result of finding the confidence to accept himself. Some episodes were surrealistic in nature, such as Bob trying an experimental hair restoration product only to find it has resulted in him slowly becoming a werewolfWerewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
. In another episode he takes up "Dance Fu", a combination of the martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and jazz dancing, in order to protect his family's right to go to a restaurant after a bully from work threatens him. Other episodes were more down to earth. In one Bob stages a sit-in in his younger son's treehouse in order to protest oppressive zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
laws which demand the treehouse be demolished. In another episode Bob is asked to stay in the kitchen in order to avoid embarrassing his daughter at her first party. But when the party proves a disaster, Bob livens it up with disco music and a game of Twister to the enjoyment of all involved; he then helps his daughter approach a boy she liked. However outlandish the situations became, the series was always grounded in family life.
The series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
had Bob circulating a petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
to save the local school music program, ultimately Bob is tackled by Secret Service agents when he tries to get newly-elected President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
to sign the petition—in a men's room.
Scheduled against powerhouse "60 Minutes", Shaky Ground struggled in its time slot, while retaining a small but devoted cult following. Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times described the show as "sneaky-funny" in his 1992 review. This series is not yet available in DVD.
Episode list
| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Honey, I Shrunk the Paycheck" | 1992-Dec-13 |
| 2 | "Fight Night" | 1992-Dec-20 |
| 3 | "The Amazing Chimney Boy" | 1992-Dec-27 |
| 4 | "House Party Too" | 1993-Jan-03 |
| 5 | "Pet Sematary" | 1993-Jan-10 |
| 6 | "The Scarlet Letter" | 1993-Jan-17 |
| 7 | "Of Human Bonding" | 1993-Jan-24 |
| 8 | "Asbestos and Costello" | 1993-Feb-07 |
| 9 | "Sudden Impact" | 1993-Feb-14 |
| 10 | "Mr. President" | 1993-Feb-28 |
| 11 | "The Tree House" | 1993-Mar-07 |
| 12 | "Misery" | 1993-Mar-21 |
| 13 | "School Daze" | 1993-Mar-28 |
| 14 | "Love Thy Neighbor" | 1993-Apr-18 |
| 15 | "Faulty Attraction" | 1993-May-02 |
| 16 | "Toupee or Not Toupee" | 1993-May-09 |
| 17 | "Stayin' Alive" | 1993-May-23 |