teen angel was exactly what it was supposed to be: a fun 30 minutes on Friday nights, on a channel that devoted Friday night's early prime time hours to programming for young watchers. since we had children in that category, we, as parents watched or listened to most episodes. many episodes had laugh out loud moments. our favorite? the science class with the talking frog! that was tremendously clever. the voice used was genius. we had quite a laugh! the science teacher was a hit too. it was fun seeing marcia-marcia-marcia, all grown up since her '70s Friday night "family show" days. of course the star, steve or corbin allred was great casting too! so all in all, we would have happily supported another season of this clever program.
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dscyd9 July 2007
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Moax42921 January 2008Just as I thought Friday night TV wouldn't get any better in 1997, I was channel surfing and came across "Teen Angel." I thought to myself, "Oh, this is probably going to be another one of those kiddie-coms with 'dumb' humor in it" (think "Full House" and "Family Matters"). Not so in this case: "Teen Angel" was indeed funny, and (unlike those other two shows) it managed to be without having to beat you over the head to get a laugh. (I was in my late 30's when "Teen Angel" first aired.)
As with a few other IMDbers, my favorite episode had to be the fourth one in which Yeardley Smith (the voice of Lisa in "The Simpsons") was the science teacher and Tim Curry was the voice of the frog; what was especially funny in this episode was when the frog did his Rex Harrison impression from "My Fair Lady" and when the teacher screamed, "All right! Anybody who doesn't do the dissection gets an F!" to the class. The eighth one, in which Steve tries out for the lead in the school play (with a Kool-aid commercial parody in between the action), is my choice for the runner-up. I have to force myself to save those two episodes for when I have a not-so-hot day so I can laugh my brains out when I watch them again! (The only two episodes I wasn't crazy about, however, was the one where Marty gives Steve a singing voice so he could be the lead singer in the school choir, as well as the one where Steve was forced to take his younger sister Katie on a camping trip.)
Just as I was beginning to enjoy "Teen Angel," in February 1998 ABC unceremoniously yanked the show, with the lame excuse it was "on hiatus." Then three months later, "Teen Angel" reappeared in reruns, so, remembering what somebody once said in a Chicago Tribune TV question-and-answer column:
"If you want to save it for posterity, you'd better videotape (this show) yourself before (it) vanishes forever."
I also figured it'll be a miracle before Disney/ABC either syndicates the reruns (fat chance, since only 16 episodes were produced; in order for any network series to qualify for syndicated reruns, there has to be at least 95 episodes made. Sadly, "Teen Angel" also didn't achieve any kind of cult following like "Bosom Buddies" and the Classic 39 episodes of "The Honeymooners" did, thus precluding any chance of this program joining that exclusive club of one-season wonders in Rerun Heaven as well) or releases them on either VHS or DVD (even fatter chance; VHS tapes were still popular in mid-1998 but were to be eclipsed by DVDs four years later, about the time the current trend to release box sets of TV shows on DVD began).
So, I DID videotape ALL 16 episodes of "Teen Angel" in the summer of 1998 when they were repeated before they "vanished forever." I remember I even made a special trip to visit my family in Davison, Michigan one Friday just so I could videotape one of those episodes; the Detroit ABC affiliate, WXYZ-TV, Channel 7, blithely denied everybody of said episode that week - airing a boring locally-produced sports special during that time slot - while the Flint ABC affiliate, WJRT-TV, Channel 12, which itself had just been purchased by Disney/ABC, DID show it, so now I have every episode of "Teen Angel." As I said in another posting, thank the Lord for network-owned TV stations, as well as having relatives in the right place at the right time.
So I've had the show "for posterity" on VHS tape for the last 9 1/2 years, and now - to ensure even longer "posterity" - I recently transferred all 16 episodes onto a DVD, so I can enjoy them ad infinitum. As I said before, who knows if and when Disney/ABC will ever put "Teen Angel" on DVD commercially?
And now, 10 years later, what does ABC air in that time slot on Friday nights? ADULT GARBAGE! (I would explicitly name the show currently occupying "Teen Angel's" former slot, but said program has developed a "following" among today's teens - very sad - so, as the saying goes, some things are better left unsaid. Ironically, that show, like "Teen Angel," is also produced by Disney/ABC under their ABC Studios banner.)
Whatever happened to ABC's commitment to good, clean family entertainment on Friday nights? -
jeremycrimsonfox31 December 2019Ah, TGIF. As a kid, I grew up with that block, as it had some good shows like Family Matters, Dinosaurs, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, and this show.
The story of this comedy has a dark scene for a family sitcom airing on a Friday Night block famous for airing shows the entire family will enjoy. Marty, the main character, dies after accepting a dare from his best friend, Steve, and eats a six-month-old burger. However, he meets a floating head, who reveals himself to be Rob, God's cousin, who states his extreme youth is why they're considering his admission to Heaven, however, Marty must prove himself worthy, as Rob has a mission for him, revealing his friend, Steve, is going through the worst time of his life. Other than losing his friend, his family is divorced and going through difficulties. So Marty's mission is to be Steve's guardian angel, which Marty accepts. And thus, the misadventures begin.
So, this series was created alongside You Wish (the show with the genie) in an attempt by ABC to capitalize on the success of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. So it follows almost the same formula, as episodes focus on Marty trying to use something powerful to help Steve in a situation he's facing, only to end up making things worst. One episode involves Marty finding out he can travel through time and uses said power to stop himself from eating the burger, resulting in Steve and his family eating it, while another focuses on Steve's sister taking a feather from Marty's wings, which grants wishes, with Marty having to seek guidance from Rob to set things right.
It was a good show with the same humor that made Sabrina a hit. Sadly, it never got the success the teenage witch enjoyed due to CBS launching the CBS Block Party (a block whose failure would create an audience fracture that, combined with other reasons, would lead to TGIF's demise), as well as Disney management, caused this rare gem of a show to end with one season making up 17 episodes. This is a good series that truly deserved better. -
smurfhater3 July 2007This was one of the best TV series i've seen to date even though they're all just reruns now they still keep me entertained. THe guy who plays Marty is definitely the best actor of the lot but then again being dead lets the character be a lot more emotive as hardly anyone can see him.
Summary ----------
This show is about two friends who used to do everything together having to part ways, when Marty(the joker) is dared by Steve to eat a 6 month old hamburger from under his bed, even Marty dieing is slightly funny as the writer makes fun of the cliché walls spinning around. Marty now travels to heaven by elevator and is confronted by a Giant Head who is the cousin of God called Rod. After Marty gets past the fact that Headdy(Rod) isn't going to eat him he is assigned to be the guardian angel of his grieving friend Steve Boshamp. The series sees them getting into many wacky circumstances were Marty usually does more harm than good.
Some of the highlights in the show in my opinion are when Steve's family members would walk in on Marty doing something strange, for e.g. in one of the episodes Steve's aunt walks in and Steve is in a barber chair with a big moustache. -
lkmcfarr25 October 2006So, I think that this show was fabulous!!!!! I was in 7th grade, and needless to say, the tag line of eating a "skanky burger" really caught my eye. I watched it every week, and I'm not afraid to admit that .....yes.....my best friend and I both had crushes on both Marty Depolo and Steve Beauchamps. It was very sad (at least to my friend and myself) when it went off of the air. Where else are you going to find an all star cast of the former Marsha Brady, and the fat lady from Mr.Deeds? No where! So anyone who thinks that this show was lame, remember who the target audience was, and know that it definitely hit the bullseye.
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hekatemoon4425 June 2007At the time the show was on i was seven and it was hilarious. HE DIED FROM EATING AN OLD HAMBURGER! that was hilarious. all the people making fun of it are old and I'm wondering what they are doing watching old shows from TGIF? The acting was your standard teen sitcom, not superb but well enough for the younger kids to believe the story. the jokes were fine, once you grow up,they seem trite but i assure you they were funny at the time ( it was the 90s!!) It was edgier than Sabria, and a few double ententes slipped through the strict TGIF censors. Some day, they will put the show back on the air in the us and all of the 90s generation of kids (us!) will remember how funny the 90s television was. (corny but fitting to the shiny bright times highlighted by the spice girls)
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coolcollie14 December 2006I think this is another one of those shows that was before its time: it didn't surprise me in the least to find out the creative minds from The Simpsons and The Critic were behind it.
The plot was not especially unexpected, considering TGIFs line-up of sitcoms starring teen characters with magical powers. Yet what really made this show for me was its absurdity and the great one-liners. Although it hasn't been broadcast in the U. S. in years, some of the transcripts are easily found online, and I have to say: the humor still holds up. (I recommend giving them a look if you can't view the show, you might be pleasantly surprised.)
The characters and setting may have been misleading: the rhythm and tone of the show are much more reminiscent of adult cartoons like "The Critic" than lighter comedies like "Sabrina." That's probably why it was canceled. -
vigile10 June 2001...too bad it ended so soon. its the best comedy show i've seen, after Boy Meets World. i dont blame people if they think the jokes are lame...it depends on the person watching.
besides, the jokes are prety corny sometimes, but, i do laugh at corny jokes. so if it makes someone laugh, or even just smile, then somehow, its good. [that is the main reason why comedies exist]
it has an original plot and the actors are good, i mean, just right. its worth watching. :) -
IMarriedBritneySpears1 August 2003I remember liking this show, and despising "You Wish". I think I was 11 at the time, but I thought it was really funny. At least the main plot was original... I know I used to quote a few lines from it with a friend, but I'm not sure if I'd still think it was funny if I saw it now. We used to watch it at her house on Friday nights along with Boy Meets World, and make sure not to watch anything else on TGIF. This show didn't last too long... maybe it was bad, but the 11 year old me didn't think so.
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the_manwaring8 July 2008This was on of my favorite TV shows when I was growing up and I was extremely disappointed when it was canceled. This show did not deserve to be canceled and was among the most popular of the TGIF line-up. Later I found out the reason this show was canceled.
Corbin Allred, who played Steve, is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and at the time of the shows cancellation had turned 19 and decided to serve a mission for his church. Without the main character the show could no longer continue and was therefore taken off the air.
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-Sorry for the random periods, I had to make the comment longer to submit it... -
TeEn AnGeL17 May 2001I thought Teen Angel was THE COOLEST show ever!!!! By coolest, i mean that there is no other show which delves into teen issues as accurately as this one. The writers of this show obviously have done their research into what it's like to be a teen angel. i myself feel as though *i* am a teen angel, so i can relate to this show. I especially liked the first episode where Marty dies!! This is only because the special effects just blew me away!...and it was sooooooooooo funny!What classic jokes! Have you ever heard of a concept where an angel has retractable wings?
And Steve is the most well developed character because he helps the show stay grounded. Good work Corbin! I just wish the show went on for much much much MUCH longer!!!!!!!! -
sangah17 August 2008It's been years since I've seen this show; I was pretty young when I started watching it, and since I live in Canada, I had to wake up early to watch it, but I didn't really care, because it was one of my favourite shows. Nobody had a problem with it; it was wholesome, it was pretty funny and I liked it. When they pulled it off the air, I was confused as to why. It was a good show, so why cancel? I'd really like to see it again.
I love the fact that he died from an extremely old hamburger, LOL.
I was so young when I last saw this show; I only remember parts of 2 episodes: the first one, where he dies and junk and then another one where the angel tries to go back in time and stop himself from dying, resulting in getting everyone else dead. xD This was one of my favourite shows and yet I can hardly even remember any of it, so that's probably why I'd kill to see it... maybe even more of it (like a new season?). -
SamIAm-524 April 1999Great show! Funny as can be, with great acting and a funny overall plot (of someone dying of a 6 month old burger). Just hilarious, but what happened to it? They just took it off! They need to bring it back, it was basically the only thing I watch on antenna except sometimes the news.
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ianmullen200225 August 2004I find this program really good and really funny. The actors did a superb job. The only character's I disliked were the twins. They were very annoying. The grandfather was funny and the fat aunt was funny. Dapolo was a great character and this show is fantastic for people of my age (13).
I wish there were more shows around like this.
Anybody who dislikes this is either an adult or is gay.
This was a great program and still is. It is now a big show on the UK Disney Channel. It is as good as Boy Meets World and I am very disappointed that it was cancelled. -
Jbboy31 March 1999Teen Angel was really really funny. It was the best show on ABC's TGIF lineup for a while until Brothers Keeper (Booo) and Two Of A Kind (Booo) took over that and you wish.
The best show now is Boy Meets World. -
BlackX25 October 2002Here in Canada, our Family Channel(a lot like Disney Channel with more late 80's and early 90's movies) have picked up this show and "You Wish!", which was much better than this, but that's still not saying much.
Marty, a teenager, dies and is assigned to be guardian angel to his best friend Pete, who is the only one who can see or here him. The jokes were less than standard Friday night pre-teen/family comedy, which is not great to begin with. You Wish! had much the same weirdness to its' plot but pulled it off a lot better.
I'd definitely reassign the roles of Pete, his Mom, his Aunt, and his little sister(man, she's a good actress, but got an annoying part!). They all don't seem right for their roles. I think part of it is the friendship between Marty and Pete isn't believable, maybe by their characteristics, maybe becuase of the poor acting. I think Marty, though he could have used a name more suited for his personality, was greatly acted to the script, though.
I think the series was short lived mostly because of it's boring plots and bad acting. You can stand the jokes, but Marty was the only one who displayed emotion. It couldn't have lasted much longer. -
leaf-931 January 2001When this show first aired in Australia, Teen Angel was described as Sabrina's soul mate - well that in itself is not exactly a flattering comment, but nonetheless I watched it - if only because I couldn't be bothered to move from the couch...
What can I really say about this show? It had incredibly lame jokes which were made worse by the fact that the actors could not act them out properly, and then some of the plotlines seemed to be stolen from other better TV shows and given tacky endings. They obviously also trivialise the issue of death - probably trying to come up with an original concept - well the concept was original but whoever wrote the script had no idea how to write a funny sitcom.
The most useful purpose this TV show ever served me was to laugh at their pathetic attempts to act. I feel sorry for Mike Damus (Marty) who only ever had one good film (Lost In Yonkers) and then his career went downhill. -
Triple00121 January 2001I'm sorry that Teen Angel ever aired on TV. It had nothing but stupid gags and lame jokes, and to make things worse, it's been haunting me ever since.
The whole concept of the show COULD have been amusing, however, the biggest let-down was probably the choice of actors used for the script as they didn't seem to pull the jokes off too well...or maybe the jokes themselves were the problem. -
Mirax7 September 1999This show was positively terrible, and no one should mourn its
passing. It marked, along with "You Wish!," the end of the
Golden Era of TGIF, ABC's friday night preteen programming. I
hope that no one remotely involved with it ever works in acting
again- the main character should get a hair cut and some therapy
for his nervous twitching, and then get a real job, because he
was annoying to watch. The writers should be taken out and
shot, and that guy from "Coach" who played the grandfather has
REALLY gone over the hill. Did her EVER get a go -
canto-320 November 1999I liked this show. I can´t say that I ADORED this show as I ADORE "The Simpsons", "Blossom", and "Dharma & Greg". But I liked it.
Teen Angel had a superb history. The episodes were great, and the jokes were good. But, I think Mike Damus was a little annoying. He was always doing stupid things and was always trying to imitate Jim Carey. This show could have been better, but they should stop doing stupid references to TV shows (like The Simpsons and Dharma & Greg... Was D&G when The Head said about the senseless text in the ending credits?). It really should have more than 1 season. -
boycebrown-18 June 2003Marty is a kid who died from eating a six month old hamburger, (that alone tells you the IQ of this sorry teen). He and his best friend Steve begin a second chance to keep their friendship when Marty becomes Steve's guardian angel. The best episode is when Yearldly Smith plays the new teacher Ms. Gross. Extremely corny jokes, but some funny parts. 6.8/10