SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic

Posted: Nov 01 2005 12:34 pm

Everyone knows the feeling: You watch a beloved show from your youth and find yourself thinking, "why the hell was I ever into this?!" Pete and Pete isn't one of these shows. Pete and Pete is somehow most definitely better when you're older and able to notice all the genius poured into every nook and cranny of each episode. The music, the camrea work, the actors, the script- you'll find gold in it all.

It was a show for everyone. It wasn't dummed down for kids, and even though the stories were off-beat, they were somehow realistic enough to where the parents could enjoy them too. It was funny, touching, and it even had a moral or two that it taught without being obvious or overdone. That sort of quality is missing from every show today.

No one in Pete and Pete was especially attractive or dolled up for TV either (have you seen the chompers on those kids?). All the people seemed like regular old folks you'd bump into down your street.

B. Pete:"We're not perfect, dad, we're just... us."
L. Pete: (defiantly) "WE'RE MUTANTS!!!"

I also appreciate the consistency in the show. Even just the little things, like the flashlight, for example: Anytime the Petes use a flashlight, it's always that long black flashlight with the red and yellow tape on it. The smallest supporting characters keep returning too, there aren't many new ones thrown in, or old ones forgotten.

The Adventures of Pete and Pete has a great nostalgia about it. The old grunge music by Polaris playing in the background takes me back to the 90s, reminds me of what it was like to be a kid; the tiny things I valued and thought. A fun show, from a fun time bascially.

"It'll make your pancreas quiver with joy!"

Posted: Nov 01 2005 01:08 pm

I went to school in western Massachusetts and Danny Tamberelli (Little Pete) was a student at a neighboring college. He played bass in a band that often played at the bar I frequented. He's kind of a hippee, but he can rock out.

He usually gets smashed after his set and starts buying people drinks. He's pretty cool about answering Pete and Pete questions unless you really start harping on him for details.

Posted: Nov 01 2005 01:31 pm

Pete & Pete ruled. My favorite episode was probably the Mr. Tastee one. A lot of people probably say that, but dammit, it was a good episode.

Posted: Nov 01 2005 02:54 pm

The Mr. Tastee episode aside (which is automatically disqualified because it's EVERYONE'S favorite), I have to with the one where Little Pete tries to break the world record for days without sleep. A very clever episode with hidden gems for everyone to enjoy. Plus, there's a line:

Joyce: "Beautiful day, isn't it?"
Pete: "Dawn was better."

...that I used to repeat ad nauseum except I would substitute something relevant.

For example,

Mom: "Wasn't dinner delicious?"
Me: "Taco Bell was better."

Friend: "That chick was HOT!"
Me: "Your mom was better."

Yeah, I had a lot of friends growing up. Or not.

Posted: Nov 01 2005 03:06 pm

S. McCracken wrote:

Joyce: "Beautiful day, isn't it?"
Pete: "Dawn was better."

That one was called Nightcrawlers, and it is really good one too!

My favorite is the one when little pete gets grounded to the basement during the fourth of July and has to Tunnel his way out. I can't remeber the name though... My second favorite is 'Day of the Dot' (is it weird to love an episode almost entirely about Ellen, and not one of the Petes?).

Posted: Nov 01 2005 03:18 pm

As I recall, there was an episode where Ellen destroyed the town's entire public education system by asking "Why do we have to know this?" during algebra class. Her teacher couldn't answer and the entire town was subsequently plunged into anarchy as teachers questioned their lives and kids ran amok.

Posted: Nov 02 2005 04:13 am

I loved any episode with Steve Buscemi. I am saying this as someone who loved the character before he even knew who Steve Buscemi is.

I cried during the "Farewell, my Little Viking" episodes Sad

I miss Arte... :'(

Posted: Nov 02 2005 07:07 am

Oh, what about the episode with the evil kid who always threw paper in Rock-Paper-Scissors and everyone else would always throw rock because they were afraid of him? Anyone remember that one?

Posted: Nov 02 2005 10:42 am

I vaguely remember the rock-paper-scissors one... That bully's name was Papercut.

Artie cracks me up! If it wasn't enough when he was striking odd poses, pulling insane faces, and uttering bizarre noises, when that man gets near funk music in the show, he turns into a dancing god. I just kept thinking back to him and his funky gyrations and chuckling all day long the first time I saw it.

Posted: Nov 02 2005 12:42 pm

There were far too many good episodes, but a couple of my favorites were when the alien kid comes to school (I hope I have the right show), and the one where Artie actually proves he's the strongest man in the world by moving their hosue a couple inches to reallign the front door with the steps. The episode with the underwear inspector was pretty fucked up though. And actually Mr. Tastee was never my favorite episode: mine was KING O FROD

Posted: Nov 02 2005 12:48 pm

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

There were far too many good episodes, but a couple of my favorites were when the alien kid comes to school (I hope I have the right show)

Yes, it was the episode where the kid comes down to Earth and is obsessed with Johnny Unitas because his home planet had just received the TV frequencies from the Superbowl. Then Big Pete and Ellen figure out all the "coincidences" between Johnny Unitas and the alien. A great episode.

Posted: Nov 02 2005 03:19 pm

Now that they finally have season 1 of Pete & Pete on DVD, and season 2 either out now or coming soon (my friend even saw a commercial for it), I have a reason to earn some money.

Aside from my economical problems, one of my favorite episodes was the one with Stan the Bus Driver and the red light. I don't remember the other stuff going on in the episode, just he and the light. It was hilarious when I was younger and thinking about it nowadays still strikes my funny bone.

Posted: Nov 14 2005 04:07 pm

I loved the road trip episode. Roadkill bingo cards and Dad's line about how it's an animal's highest honor to get hit by the car are absolutely brilliant and would never be seen on kid's TV these days.

Artie leaving was sad, I was pissed off at Dad for that one. Steve the crossguard (I believe this was his name, correct me if I'm wrong) was a great character too and did his part as an artie replacement. Steve wasn't as great in the same ways, but he was awesome in his own right. Where else on a kid's show could you find a guy that smoked so much his glove was blackened and missing its fingertips? Also, they frequently had this guy lighting up on camera, in front of many kids. That sort of stuff would probably not fly nowadays.

Posted: Feb 01 2006 12:30 am

Apparently the third season has been cancelled! Screw you Paramount and UPN's merger with the WB!

http://tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=4984

Posted: Feb 01 2006 12:32 am

Tebor wrote:

Apparently the third season has been cancelled! Screw you Paramount and UPN's merger with the WB!

http://tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=4984

NOOOOOOOOOO!

Posted: Jul 14 2006 12:08 pm

I hate to make such an old thread resurface again, but I wanted to ask:
Has anyone else noticed that Bus Driver Stu is in Washington Mutual commercials now? He's always on the left inside of their "banker's pen" and even has lines every now and then. Pretty much looks the same as he did in the old Pete & Pete days, except with less hair.

It makes me a little sad that he didn't get something better, but it's much worse to see The Petes on that Wendy's commercial.