Weird Science (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Weird Science is a mid-1990s American
comedy series made for television, based on the 1985 film of the same name
.
) and Wyatt Donnelly (Michael Manasseri
), two socially inept high school students in an unspecified town in California
(unlike the movie, which was set in Illinois
). Together, using Wyatt's computer, they try to create a computer simulation
of a perfect woman in order to practice communicating with women. However, a freak lightning storm brings the computer simulation to life, creating a real woman named Lisa (Vanessa Angel
) - a drop-dead gorgeous genius with the powers of a "magic genie." The show followed in the tradition of '60s fantasy sitcoms like Bewitched
and I Dream of Jeannie
, combining a sitcom format with supernatural stories.
In the pilot episode, Gary claims that creating Lisa is possible because he "saw it in a John Hughes movie" - that is, of course, Weird Science.
in association with Universal Television. Premiering on March 1, 1994, the show ran for five seasons on the USA Network
for a total of 88 episodes. However, new episodes ceased airing in 1997 with the final six still unaired. They would eventually air in America the following year on The Sci-Fi Channel
.
The theme song for the series was "Weird Science" by Oingo Boingo
, the same as that used in the movie (though they received no on-screen credit for the series).
John Hughes had no involvement with the television version of his film. The creators and showrunners of the series were Tom Spezialy
and Alan Cross, who had both been key writers on Parker Lewis Can't Lose
and brought along many other writers, directors and producers from that show, giving Weird Science the feel of a fantasy version of Parker Lewiss light high school comedy.
Kari Lizer
, one of the staff writers, who later went on to create The New Adventures of Old Christine
, remembered her Weird Science years very fondly: "Weird Science turned out to be the best job because it made me realize I was more than an actress who could write monologues for herself. It turned me into a real writer because I had to write about things that weren’t close to home.”
Seth Green
was one of the finalists for the part of Gary. This is mentioned on the DVD commentary for the pilot of Weird Science. He later had a guest appearance in season 2, episode 1 "Lisa's Virus"
released the complete first and second seasons of Weird Science on DVD in Region 1.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy series made for television, based on the 1985 film of the same name
Weird Science (film)
Weird Science is a 1985 American teen comedy film written and directed by John Hughes and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Kelly LeBrock...
.
Plot
The series follows the adventures of Gary Wallace (John Mallory AsherJohn Mallory Asher
John Mallory Asher is an American actor, director, writer and cinematographer.He is perhaps best known for his performance as Gary, on the USA Networks' series spinoff of the movie Weird Science.-Biography:...
) and Wyatt Donnelly (Michael Manasseri
Michael Manasseri
Michael Manasseri is an American actor and film director.-Biography:He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Wyatt Donnelly in the TV series Weird Science . Manasseri also had a recurring role in the second season of the NBC sitcom Wings as young pilot Kenny McElvey...
), two socially inept high school students in an unspecified town in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(unlike the movie, which was set in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
). Together, using Wyatt's computer, they try to create a computer simulation
Computer simulation
A computer simulation, a computer model, or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system...
of a perfect woman in order to practice communicating with women. However, a freak lightning storm brings the computer simulation to life, creating a real woman named Lisa (Vanessa Angel
Vanessa Angel
- External links :...
) - a drop-dead gorgeous genius with the powers of a "magic genie." The show followed in the tradition of '60s fantasy sitcoms like Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
and I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
, combining a sitcom format with supernatural stories.
In the pilot episode, Gary claims that creating Lisa is possible because he "saw it in a John Hughes movie" - that is, of course, Weird Science.
Cast
- John Mallory AsherJohn Mallory AsherJohn Mallory Asher is an American actor, director, writer and cinematographer.He is perhaps best known for his performance as Gary, on the USA Networks' series spinoff of the movie Weird Science.-Biography:...
takes over the role of Gary Wallace, played in the film by Anthony Michael HallAnthony Michael HallMichael Anthony Hall , known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, film producer and director who starred in several teen-oriented films of the 1980s. Hall began his career in commercials and on stage as a child, and made his screen debut in 1980...
. Unlike his counterpart in the film, Gary is a poor student and a slacker, always looking for shortcuts to get what he wants (usually to impress girls). His father, Al (Jeff DoucetteJeff DoucetteJeff Doucette is an American television and film actor. Doucette has appeared in over 92 films and television series which include Bedazzled, That '70s Show, Malcolm in the Middle, Murphy Brown, Invasion, "Gilmore Girls", Desperate Housewives, Newhart, Little House on the Prairie, Highway To...
) is a plumber. - Michael ManasseriMichael ManasseriMichael Manasseri is an American actor and film director.-Biography:He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Wyatt Donnelly in the TV series Weird Science . Manasseri also had a recurring role in the second season of the NBC sitcom Wings as young pilot Kenny McElvey...
takes over the role of Wyatt Donnelly, played in the film by Ilan Mitchell-SmithIlan Mitchell-SmithIlan Mitchell-Smith is Assistant Professor of English at California State University Long Beach, but he is best known as an actor and co-star of the film Weird Science...
. Wyatt's wealthy parents are usually out of town, leaving him and his older brother Chett alone in the house. Most stories have him as the more cautious member of the group, more reluctant than Gary to use Lisa's magic. He is more popular with girls than Gary, and several episodes feature Gary being interested in a girl who likes Wyatt instead. - Vanessa AngelVanessa Angel- External links :...
takes over the role of Lisa, played in the film by Kelly LeBrockKelly LeBrockKelly LeBrock is an American actress and model. Her acting debut was in The Woman in Red co-starring with comedian Gene Wilder. She also starred in the film Weird Science, directed by John Hughes.-Early life:...
. Lisa describes herself as a "magic genie," able to grant the boys' wishes, though she does this out of choice rather than duty and is free to deny them any wish she does not want to grant. Once she grants a wish, Lisa is unable to reverse it, no matter how badly it turns out; however, most of her spells wear off after an indeterminate amount of time. Other than those basic rules, the limits of her powers are never clearly defined, and she seems to get more or less powerful depending on what a particular episode's plot requires. Although she is physically manifested, she is apparently still a program running on Wyatt's computer, and she ceases to appear if the computer is switched off. She is addicted to Chunky Monkey ice cream. - Lee TergesenLee TergesenLee Allen Tergesen is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Tobias Beecher in HBO’s prison drama Oz and as Evan Wright in Generation Kill.-Early life:...
takes over the role of Chett Donnelly, played in the film by Bill PaxtonBill PaxtonWilliam "Bill" Paxton is an American actor and film director. He gained popularity after starring roles in the films Apollo 13, Twister, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic...
. Chett is a military school graduate who turned down his commission, claiming that he did not want to be sent overseas to work for "Third-World slackers"; he lives with his parents and shows no interest in getting a job. Paranoid and angry, he takes out his frustrations on Wyatt, though less sadistically than in the movie; mostly he takes Wyatt's things without asking and calls him names like "wuss-boy" and "pit-lick." He also has a vendetta against Scampi (Bruce JarchowBruce JarchowBruce Jarchow is an American film and television actor, most notable for his role as Lyle Ferguson in the film Ghost.Additional television guest appearances include recurring roles in Seinfeld, Married... With Children, Weird Science, The Norm Show, What About Joan, Desperate Housewives and...
), principal of the boys' high school, whom he remembers as "Ass-istant" principal. Most episodes have Chett getting caught up unwittingly in the magical shenanigans, often getting hurt or transformed without knowing what is going on. At the end of the third season, to expandJumping the sharkJumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
Lee Tergesen's role, Chett was let in on the secret of Lisa's existence; it was explained that Lisa had so often erased parts of his memory that he had developed a mental callusCallusA callus is an especially toughened area of skin which has become relatively thick and hard in response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. Rubbing that is too frequent or forceful will cause blisters rather than allow calluses to form. Since repeated contact is required, calluses...
making him immune to erasure. He occasionally had hints of sexual tension with Lisa.
Production
Weird Science was produced by St. Clare EntertainmentSt. Clare Entertainment
St. Clare Entertainment is a television production company owned by John Landis, Robert K. Weiss and Leslie Belzberg. The company was responsible for such television series as Sliders, Weird Science, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Campus Cops, Dream On and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost...
in association with Universal Television. Premiering on March 1, 1994, the show ran for five seasons on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
for a total of 88 episodes. However, new episodes ceased airing in 1997 with the final six still unaired. They would eventually air in America the following year on The Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
.
The theme song for the series was "Weird Science" by Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
, the same as that used in the movie (though they received no on-screen credit for the series).
John Hughes had no involvement with the television version of his film. The creators and showrunners of the series were Tom Spezialy
Tom Spezialy
Tom Spezialy is an American television producer, director and screen writer. In 2007, began serving as executive producer of Reaper.-Career:Spezialy began his career in 1989 writing for the CBS television series Doctor Doctor...
and Alan Cross, who had both been key writers on Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Parker Lewis Can't Lose
Parker Lewis Can't Lose is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on FOX from September 1990 to June 1993. During the last season, the series sported the simpler title Parker Lewis. The series was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and was strongly influenced by the feature film Ferris...
and brought along many other writers, directors and producers from that show, giving Weird Science the feel of a fantasy version of Parker Lewiss light high school comedy.
Kari Lizer
Kari Lizer
Kari Lizer is an American actress, writer, and producer. She was the creator and executive producer of the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. On May 18, 2010 CBS canceled Old Christine...
, one of the staff writers, who later went on to create The New Adventures of Old Christine
The New Adventures of Old Christine
The New Adventures of Old Christine is an American comedy series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus which ran for five seasons on CBS from March 13, 2006, to May 12, 2010...
, remembered her Weird Science years very fondly: "Weird Science turned out to be the best job because it made me realize I was more than an actress who could write monologues for herself. It turned me into a real writer because I had to write about things that weren’t close to home.”
Seth Green
Seth Green
Seth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
was one of the finalists for the part of Gary. This is mentioned on the DVD commentary for the pilot of Weird Science. He later had a guest appearance in season 2, episode 1 "Lisa's Virus"
DVD releases
On January 1, 2008, A&E Home VideoA&E Television Networks
A&E Television Networks is a U.S. media company that owns a group of television channels available via cable & satellite in the US and abroad...
released the complete first and second seasons of Weird Science on DVD in Region 1.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete Seasons 1&2 | 26 | January 1, 2008 |