"PERFECT STRANGERS," in my opinion, is an absolute ABC classic! I'm not sure if I've never seen every episode, but I still enjoyed it. One of my favorite episodes is where Larry (Mark Linn-Baker) and Balki (Bronson Pinchot) get sunburned by some sunbathing beds. If you want to know how and why that happened, you'd have to have seen it for yourself. I also enjoyed the romances between them and their girlfriends (Rebecca Arthur and Melanie Wilson). Everyone always gave a good performance, the production design was spectacular, the costumes were well-designed, and the writing was always very strong. In conclusion, I hope they bring it back on the air for fans of the show to see.
Add a Review
-
Catherine_Grace_Zeh21 January 2006
-
Sylviastel20 March 2007I have to admit that Balki and Larry were the male version of Laverne and Shirley. The show had a unique premise and it worked best with Bronson Pinchot as Balki who reminded me of Andy Kaufman on Taxi. Anyway, the show was never controversial or raised any eyebrows. It had it's moments including the relationship between Larry and Balki that emerged from complete strangers who were distant cousins to best of friends. The cast included the under-rated Ernie Sabella, JoMarie Payton France whose family would spin-off to more successful Family Matters. Friday nights on ABC were reserved for light family comedy fare. I just wish that they would bring sitcoms back. Bronson's role and performance was one of the best in a long time.
-
OmegaWolf74716 July 2006I'd love to give this show a ten, I really would. The first five seasons are an absolute ten. Larry was hilarious, especially when he'd start a scheme. Larry: "I have..." Balki: "Oh, God." Larry: "...a plan." Larry seemed to be hooked on money and live to make a buck. Larry: "What'll you do with your share of the money?" Balki: "Give it to the poor." Larry: "Well, they'll be taken care of. I'm going to spend my share on myself." Balki was very sweet and very naive. He came to America speaking broken English and knowing nothing of how the nation worked. Many times his naivety landed him and Larry in trouble. Because he was so trusting, Larry would often unfairly take advantage of him and use him in his money-grubbing schemes.
Starting with the sixth season though, things started to go downhill. All of a sudden, Larry goes from being money-grubbing, but still somewhat redeemable, to this pathological greedy liar who would never learn any better. Balki goes from being naive but very intelligent to just flat-out stupid.
Also, I detested their girlfriends, Jennifer and Mary Anne. I liked the red-haired girl Susan from the first two seasons. I thought it was so cute when Balki would throw himself at her and Larry would have to keep him from making a fool of himself. I guess the blondes were added to provide sex appeal, but to me it just seems like a sell-out. Susan was a real, down-to-earth and intelligent woman whereas Mary Anne and Jennifer were just superficial and shallow.
All in all, it was a great show in the beginning, but it just ran way too long and was unrecognizable by the end. -
This is one of the all-time classic t.v. shows that stays with you forever. My whole family used to get together every Friday night to watch this show when it was on T.G.I.F. Try as I might, i can't find reruns of this show anywhere! This is the only show that I actually remember them doing the curtain call at the end of the last show, my whole family was crying! Man, those were the days.
-
jono-1711525 January 2022Full House got one......... I could do another single season with Balki and Larry. Both divorced, playing the single Tinder scene. Endless partners and laughs. Maybe a little more oomf on the adult si side of the ratings. I think my only non negotiable ask would be to keep the title theme song. That stays. Standing Tallllll, yeah that stays.
-
hellraiser728 July 2018This show is another childhood gem of mine, it's also another under the radar gem, it was really popular for it's time but as I said for it's time as time went on its became slightly forgotten. It was one of the first comedies/sitcom shows I've ever watched when I was about 7 or 8; it's also kind of one of the first buddy comedies as well. The Buddy cop/comedy genre back in the 80's was a really big thing from films like "Lethal Weapon", "48 Hours", you name it; so, it's no surprise this show would come along.
Not much to say really, it's just a simple premise like any buddy comedy on two very different people living together and trying to make it together. I really like both characters they have really good back and forth, both actors Bronson Pinchot and Mark Lynn Baker are really solid it's too bad both didn't have much else afterward. Both characters are well rounded and are easy to emphasize with.
Larry (Mark Lynn Baker) he is bit of a workaholic, ambitious but very insecure at the same time. I can emphasize a bit with him because even I'm a bit of a workaholic, and his insecurities at times are something we all feel sometimes, and they really aren't always misplaced some of his insecurities are justified. What I really like about him is how ambitious he is, he's always trying out things or starting up ventures to get more money, get a step up, or whatever else in life. And he does actually win sometimes but what's funny is how he loses sometimes, not just from not having the luck of the draw but just letting his ambition cloud his better judgement or letting things get out of hand.
Balki (Bronson Pinchot) is my favorite character, I can sort of emphasize a little with Balka as he's an outsider, he's has sort of childlike sensibilities but what I love about the guy is he's not afraid to be himself, he really puts his home country sensibilities and whatever he loves in life out there. It may seem strange to anyone else, but he honestly doesn't care what anyone else thinks he just want to do his thing. He really is a good for Corson as he really helps bring fun to his life which he probably never has much of and even helps guide him on the right path likewise for Corson sometimes. I really like the theme song which is an honorable mention if favorite themes songs in my book. It's memorable and perfectly reflects the show.
And these two just get into all kinds of crazy crap, there are a lot of funny memorable episodes like one where they make a crazy amount of pastries called Biba Badkas which is once again another one of Larry's fast business ventures the results well I won't tell you but it's hilarious. Balki dressing up as a ninja and both Larry and him playful fight which is funny but really addressed the ninja craze back in the 80's. Or one where they are invited to a club but overdo it on the tanning and they look like walking oranges, though to me the highlight was seeing them move which was hilarious as even the smallest and simplest movement is painful.
Overall if you're looking for vintage buddy comedies this is a show to check out, it's a perfect good time.
Rating: 3 and a half stars -
statechamp4210 February 2021I watched the pilot and couldn't wait til Monday to tell about it at school..i was in 8th grade. I was laughing so much I was crying. than it wasn't funny anymore.
-
jahenke138 July 2018I watched every episode of the show when it aired. Never saw it again, never saw it in repeats, never available on DVD. Recently I watched all the episodes again on Hulu and while Bronson Pinchot got the majority of the laughs as well as most of the credit for the success of the show for me, Mark Linn-Baker was brilliant as Larry Appleton. A kind-hearted man who was constantly looking for a quick get rich scheme and always had a...plan! I also thought he was so cute and adorable. I do agree that it ran a couple of seasons too long, I enjoyed it tremendously and enjoyed seeing the show again.
-
ellis072280-125 September 2007I was 5 years old when this show debut & watching it with my grandmother is one of the few memories I have of her before she passed away. I continued to watch until I was 10 years old. At that age any sitcom is funny, but a year back I watched a 'Perfect Strangers' marathon on Nick at Night & I have to say even now the show was still fairly enjoyable for what it was, though it was tainted for me whenever I watched Bronson Pinchot on the Surreal Life. Who knew that guy was such a creep and when Janice Dickenson gave her 'Get it' confessions of her childhood troubles which she completely ripped off from Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, when Bronson acted as if he had broken down from her tales of molestation was the worst piece of dramatic acting since Cindy Crawford's performance in Fair Game. Never the less, if you were a fan of the show in the 80's, even if you were too young to understand what good comedy was you should take a look at it again as an adult, you will be surprised that it is still a decent show even by todays standards.
-
johns608715 November 2016There's nothing really special about this show, it's a typical 1980's to 1990's sitcom with not very well developed characters and a really simple premise, but the actors are so likable and the show is so fun that I just don't care.
In this case the characters are Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot), a naive and very foreign shepherd boy from Mypos (pretty much but technically not really a Greek island) who immigrates to the land of the free America, in the city of Chicago, to build a new life. This is much to the chagrin of "Cousin Larry", his (distant) American cousin who is a wannabe photographer who had no idea Balki was coming. Apparently it's customary in their family that they should just take each other in for unknown periods of time.
Cousin Larry obviously has reservations until he's moved by Balki's plight and his kindness and opens his doors (and apartment) to the foreigner. The two work in a nick-knack shop, then at the Chicago Tribune newspaper (after Larry makes it as a photographer/news man), and all along the way they go through the weekly ritual of know-it- all Larry announcing "I have a plan!" then forcing Balki, who knows what they should actually do but is too innocent and taken in by Cousin Larry's confidence to object, to get into trouble before clumsily lucking their way out of it. They also have crushes on their two upstairs neighbour girls, beautiful stewardesses, who they pursue (and finally get) during the series' entire run, even buying and fixing up a house. Obviously the plots and situations wear thin by the end (the last season was not very good in my opinion) but even then the characters and simple, fun premise stayed entertaining and just plain fun!
The only really remarkable thing about this show is how enduringly popular it was as it lasted a surprising number of seasons/years (like 10!) and huge numbers of people loved it during its run on ABC's (or was it NBC's?) "TGIF" Friday night lineup.
Definitely a family friendly show too, if that is something that concerns you (kind of why we watched it). -
safenoe31 January 2022I have fond memories of Perfect Strangers. Sure, it wasn't produced to win Emmys but so what. The humor wasn't mean, you could laugh with the duo, and the laughs were played for fun.
Please, can we have a reboot? I nominate British actors Danny Dyer and Vinnie Jones to play the duo provided they put on decent American and Russian accents. -
alexpeychev19 January 2021This show was one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. I have very fond memories of this show and I wish they'd bring it back on reruns somewhere. Bronson Pinchot (Balki) and Mark Linn-Baker (Larry) are the perfect match, each with very different kinds of humor. Larry has a more scheming, intellegent kind of humor. Balki has more of a dumb, physical kind of humor. The two balance it perfectly and make this show one of the funniest of it's time.
-
view_and_review19 March 2024"Perfect Strangers" was like an updated version of "The Odd Couple" that worked. The show paired Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot) and Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) together and they couldn't be more unalike.
I was a kid when the show aired so I was easily entertained. I could watch Balki Bartokomous all day everyday. Heck, I just liked saying the name Balki Bartokomous. It just rolls off the tongue and has such a funny ring to it.
You try it. Say, "Bal-ki Bar-tokomous." Fun right?
He was such a riot with his foreign ways and his foreign accent and he drove his cousin Larry crazy with his antics. -
Flickerater1 March 2021If you can tolerate a show where a fake audience laughs for you... well I'm sorry.
In the first minute of the first episode, the crowd goes hysterical over a guy trying to pull open a bag of chips. He has hardly even started when the guffaws kick in. I quit right there, so I don't know if he got it open or if anything else in this 13-year (!) 7.2-rated (!) series is worth seeing.
A laff-track shows complete contempt for the viewers. It's incredible that people would willingly sit through such a thing. I can't. -
What can I say, except that those were the days! They really don't make it like this anymore-wholesome, scripted comedy, that people of all ages can appreciate.
I have been watching this show since I was around 7 years old, and in my experience, it has only gotten better with age. As a youngster, I think I enjoyed it because of the character of Balki-the naive sheepherder from a small developing island, faced with a massive culture shock when he arrives unexpectedly at the door of his distant cousin, Larry. I laughed along as Balki was dazzled by Western technology, taught Larry his bizarre Myposian rituals, made endless failed attempts at popular American sayings, and had his good nature taken advantage of time and time again. I must admit that at the time, Larry was just a character that was around so Balki could exist, and I really took little notice of him. But now that I am older, it is Balki that has begun to fade into the background. The character of Larry seems kind of straightforward-an average guy in his mid 20s who, despite himself, comes to learn many life lessons from his eccentric cousin. I would have thought they could have gotten any old actor to play someone like that, but now I see that I was wrong. Mark Linn Baker is subtly brilliant as Larry Appleton. He portrays Larry's neurotic, on-edge personality, without becoming tacky and predictable in his mannerisms. And despite being "the normal one", his use of physical comedy is hilarious. The 2 lead actors bounce off each other perfectly, and make this show work.
This show is pure fun, but also made a nice statement about morality, which made you care about the 2 lead characters. At the age of 20, I still shed a tear when Balki moves back to Mypos and he and Larry have to say goodbye. And when Jennifer accepts Larry's unrehearsed marriage proposal, over the proposal her new attractive, wealthy boyfriend. And I still laugh when I see Larry and Balki sneaking into Jennifer and Maryanne's apartment at night to swap Jennifer's engagement ring, fix up a house and accidentally get stuck in a chandelier, or dancing to the reworded limbo rock as they attempt to bake 3,000 "Bippy Bobkas".
As a disclaimer, I must warn that this show isn't exactly high-brow, to say the least. The story lines are often far from believable, the dialogue isn't always as funny as the raucous canned laughter would have you believe, and a "straight guy meets wacky guy" comedy isn't exactly cutting edge. But in all honesty-so what? This show may not be the height of intellectual viewing, but when you're just looking for a show to veg out in front of and forget your troubles for half an hour, then look no further. This show always leaves you with a smile on your face, and is a refreshing change from the myriad of recycled reality shows they beam to us at every opportunity.
Since this show was cancelled, a lot of shows have come and gone that I have loved for various reasons, but I have yet to find another sitcom that can hold the flame to this one. I prey that they will release this series on DVD. And if not, then I hope the reruns I recorded back in the 90s will last long enough for me to show to my children. -
info2-82 May 2006Best comedy series ever. Enjoyable by many different perspectives! I hope this will be available on DVD. The facial comedy of the main actors, the plot, the supporting actors are perfect. This series has been translated and watched in many countries across the globe and friends living abroad have also commented on their appreciation for this production. My favourate character is Larry Appleton, I particularly like the way he flips out when things go wrong. He is a crack up. Well done to the team who have made this a success. As mentioned, hope this is out on DVD soon. If the DVD's are available then please post the information on this board so that we are aware of the place to to purchase.
-
markgorys5 August 2018This was a classic American sitcom that anchored the famed "TGIF" lineup of shows every Friday night on ABC. It seemed every family watched all of these shows every week. Balki and Larry were both really funny and lovable and had great chemistry with each other. And even though the show lasted many seasons it went off before it got way too stale and it holds up better than other shows of the era, for example this show's own spin-off Family Matters. I hope they do some kind of reunion show soon.
-
kojap9 June 2018Totally original, funny and one of the original shows for the TGIF lineup on ABC. Of all the reboots this show deserves one!
-
This is one of the funniest most genuine shows on tv . I watched it when i was a little kid back home in Damascus -Syria and then i rewatched it again in 2020 and let me tell you .,it aged very well and it brings back so much nostalgia ! I love how committed the cast is to the plot . All the love to the makers of this show as they made a must see Tv!
-
Monika-510 October 2000This show was CLASSIC! Mark Linn-Baker and Bronson Pinchot worked brilliantly together, and the writing and direction were both fresh and hysterical. Even though I haven't seen a rerun in so long, I still know how to do the Dance of Joy! Also I remember so many of the great lines, compliments of Balki: "Get out of the city!" "Woooo-wow!" "Well, of course not don't be ridiculous!" "Well, paint me gold and call me Oscar!" "Well, paint me green and call me Gumby!"
GREAT SHOW!!! -
63x927is584014 January 2006Immediate address link is http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0672992. The four leading roles & characters were: 'Bronson Pinchot' (qv)'s double role, as "Balky Bartakokomous" & as 'Elvis Presley' (qv) (when a bell rings), 'Mark-Linn Baker' (qv), as "Larry Appleton", 'Ron Perkins (I)' (qv) portrayed Income Tax agent, Mister Yates & 'Terrence E. Mcnally' (qv) Lamont Cassidy, their friend & hypnotist. This episode originally televised on ABC, on Friday, February 24th, 1989. It is hypnotically & hysterically humorous, from beginning to end! What occurred in this episode, is Balki, was accidentally hypnotized while watching from the kitchen, as he was going to get a glass of water. Shortly after & while Balki is still in the kitchen, a friend of Larry, that was a hypnotist tried to hypnotize Larry. But Larry decided to act as if he were 'Marlin Brando' (qv), instead of 'Elvis Presley' (qv). 'Bronson Pinchot' (qv)'s first line, was immediate, just after the hypnotist and his date left, the telephone rang. He impersonated 'Elvis Presley' (qv), answering with, "How did you get this number, lady?" While Balki was coincidentally and accidentally watching, the hypnosis come onto him! And later in the week, Larry and Balki were to go to their Income Tax agent, named "Mister Yates". And Larry tore a telephone up, to keep a bell from going and hypnotize Balki, while they were in the agent's office! But a clock, with an hourly chime went off and the remainder of this episode was twice as funny, at least! In the last five minutes, Balki was wearing a white suit, looking exactly like if he was 'Elvis Presley' (qv)! I have nicknamed this one episode, "Hypnotically & Hysterically Humorous, From Beginning To End"!
-
burcuhg22 March 2008Perfect Strangers is unforgettable part of my childhood. Balki Bartokomous in one of the best characters created ever. Neither stupid nor smart. The show was very successful to make us to see the relationship between 2 different personality living together. It was pure fun. No such innocent stories of fun shown in these days. Larry's anger was making us cry while laughing. He was getting angry very fast and cooling down so fast too. Their relation was as perfect marriage, full of fun,anger,jealous and trust. Even they played games to each other sometimes, they fully trust each other in heart. Most of all, at the end of each episode they understand how precious to be friends forever so make you think about the real friends are forever.The most killing parts were the dance scenes of our perfect couple.
-
gemsbabys5 December 2006This is fantastic this programme from the 1980s this is my nannas favourite, she has been trying to get this for years, now I've finally found it for her ,its full of humour and thats what she needs its ashame that i cant get it on DVD or video.i really do wish i could get this for my nanna as it would make her happy again she is an old women now bless her with not much to look forward too,please,please put this on DVD or video or on lime wire so i can download all episodes so i can give her them as a Christmas present.its brilliant should watch these episodes if you can ever get them there garrenteed to make you laugh.its makes my nanna laugh so much its unbelievable .
-
mariettemeyer5 May 2020One of the best written family comedies of all time.It has been a while since anything this good has been done
-
Xophianic21 March 2000This show was one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. I have very fond memories of this show and I wish they'd bring it back on reruns somewhere. Bronson Pinchot (Balki) and Mark Linn-Baker (Larry) are the perfect match, each with very different kinds of humor. Larry has a more scheming, intellegent kind of humor. Balki has more of a dumb, physical kind of humor. The two balance it perfectly and make this show one of the funniest of it's time.