I AM LUUKING FOR MY KOZZEN LARRY!

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'AMERICA OR BURST'

― kephm, Tuesday, 20 April 2004 14:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

NOW VEE DO THA DANCE URV JOY

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 14:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

Wasn't this show the number one comedy in America for a while or something? Wait, number two surely, The Cosby Show ruled all.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 14:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

I CAN'T STAND THE FACT THAT MY COUSIN IS DEPLORABLY INARTICULATE

― alex in mepos (slutsky), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 14:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

weren't Family Matters, Full House, and a less successful third sitcom all spin-offs of PS?

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 14:59 (9 years ago) Permalink

jesus christ, when i was a kid the fox station outta des moines ran this show, and then kate & allie iirc, right after the afternoon cartoons. my friend mat (yes mat w/ 1 t) refused to change the channel, ever.

ok i'm a little surprised at my vitriol there. sorry, mat, all forgiven.

― g--ff (gcannon), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

A professor of mine in college wrote a book on Chekhov. I was skimming it one day and found a part where it talked about one of the preeminent performers of Chekhov at Yale Drama School in the early 1980s, a man who everyone agreed was an astounding, serious stage actor with a brilliant future. His name? Mark Linn-Baker. His most famous role to date? Cousin Larry.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

What does that have to do with Chekhov?

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

Family Matters might've been a spin-off, Huckle, since both shows took place in Chicago. But I don't think Full House was.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

(the mom on FM was originally the elevator operator at Larry's workplace, was it a newspaper? A newspaper in the basement?)

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

What does that have to do with Chekhov?

What do you mean? The role of Cousin Larry wasn't actually mentioned in this book on Russian theatre; I just recognized the name Mark Linn-Baker and said "wait, wasn't he...?".

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:06 (9 years ago) Permalink

The Perfect Strangers opening credits were very Ferris Bueller.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

Still, hadn't Chekhov been dead for decades by 1980?

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

A professor of mine in college wrote a book on Chekhov. I was skimming it one day and found a part where it talked about one of the preeminent
performers of Chekhov at Yale Drama School in the early 1980s, a man who everyone agreed was an astounding, serious stage actor with a brilliant
future. His name? Mark Linn-Baker. His most famous role to date? Cousin Larry.

He was a great foil to Peter O'Toole in My Favorite Year...but somewhere along the way...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

He appeared in the role of Hysterium in the 1995 Broadway stage production of 'A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum'.

Played "Marvelous" Mark Slackmeyer in the Broadway production of "Doonesbury - The Musical"

His christened name is Mark Linn Baker (without the hyphen). Linn is actually his middle name,
not part of his last name. When he joined the actors union, there already was a Mark Baker, so he
combined his middle name with his last name. His father made up his middle name "Linn" in
honor of Leonid Tolstoy.

Mark is a partner in Manhattan's West Bank Cafe.

Wife Adrianne Lobel is a set designer. They have one daughter.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

he was a killer with asperger's on L & O: ci not too long ago.

xpost jesus fuck a doonesbury musical??!?

― g--ff (gcannon), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:12 (9 years ago) Permalink

It took me a few tries afore I could watch My Favorite Year without thinking of Balki

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

MLB vs Paul Reiser!

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

mark linn baker is actually (weirdly enough) cited by a lot of actors as being sort of the "comic actor's comic actor!" he's really well-respected!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

xpost jesus fuck a doonesbury musical??!?

When Trudeau took what at the time was an unusual break for comic artists -- I think it was something like a year and a half off, around 83-84 -- part of his time was spent writing the musical or rather cowriting it. I still have never seen it, but my understanding was that it covered the 'missing time' during the break, when Mike and JJ got married and the original 'Walden' crew finally went their separate ways.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

that is crossover wierdness. it's like bizarro x-files.

― g--ff (gcannon), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 15:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

oh my god, is there a soundtrack???

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 17:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

MLB was also on L&O: Original Recipe with Joe Piscopo.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 17:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

That would be cool if that was the 3rd spin-off.Law & Order: Original Recipe
Joe Piscopo and Mark Linn-Baker star as two Kentucky Justice Dept. agents assigned the dangerous task of guarding 11 herbs and spices.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 17:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

If Serena Southerlynn perishes in a vat of fried chicken, it will be the best show ever.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 17:33 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

i was just going to start a thread about mark linn-baker but figured i'd check the archives first. ilx, i salute you.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 15:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

a recent photo

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 15:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

Was he in "My Favorite Year" with Peter O'Toole?

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 15:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

DB is a god among men.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 15:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

He WAS in "My Favorite Year" with Peter O'Toole! A winner is me!

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 15:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Read upthread, my friend. xpost

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 15:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well ok thanks for making me think, AGAIN, of the episode where Balki becomes a famous rapper. "Fresh Young Balki B" your song is in my head again. FUCK YOU.

― Allyzay flies casual (allyzay), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

oh jesus i could not even have dreamt that such an episode exists. please tell me you're not joking.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 18:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

― The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

mark linn baker is in something that is coming out soon. I just saw him in a trailer. I can't remember what it is though.

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

I am not joking.

http://epguides.com/PerfectStrangers/guide.shtml

Ep. 114.

― Allyzay flies casual (allyzay), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:05 (7 years ago) Permalink

WTF THIS SHOW WAS ON FOR EIGHT YEARS???????

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

Later on, Larry falls down the stairs at the Chronicle and gets amnesia

God I miss this show

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

omg

and in hopes of going into labor, Larry and Balki take Jennifer up in the balloon.

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

WTF THIS SHOW WAS ON FOR EIGHT YEARS???????

I'm still amazed.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

i'm more amazed that someone took the time to put an episode guide up.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

Still boggling over here. EIGHT YEARS.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Standing tall, on the wings of my dreams
the rise and fall, of the wings of my dreams
My life, my dreams, nothing's gonna stop me now
whoah whoah whoah

Why can I still remember this shit 10 years later?

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 19:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

Larry wants to put some sparks back in his marriage, and after he fails with Balki's secret treasures, he goes shopping with Balki and accidentally gets locked in the store after hours with a mad dog on the loose.

― Allyzay flies casual (allyzay), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 20:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

Balki's secret treasures

SO GODDAMN WRONG.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 20:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

I so knew this was a donut yotch thruuud.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 20:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Larry decides to grow it big to make money off it unaware that growing it big has wacky side effects

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 20:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

OH NOES

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 20:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

MAGE IT BEEGER, LARRY, MAKE IT BEEGER!

― slightly more subdued (kenan), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 20:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

After reading every single episode summary I'm convinced Larry was a very greedy man.

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Wednesday, 8 June 2005 20:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 229 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Did that just say "Produced by Philip Roth"?

Maybe that's how Mark Linn-Baker got to play Zuckerman?

― G00blar, Saturday, 3 November 2007 23:58 (5 years ago) Permalink

Larry and Balki wind in jail after refusing to reveal a source of a commodity scandal to protect the freedom of the press. They won't stop there they are very persistent to keep their sources and take the hard time, But they later get two dangerous cell mates.

I love these summaries because they hardly sound like comedies at all.

― Abbott, Saturday, 3 November 2007 23:59 (5 years ago) Permalink

It's a very psychotic evening when Marvin Berman, who tried to blow up Larry and Balki, visits them for dinner to apologize. But in the process, they mistakenly think that the mob is after them and they are surrounded by killers.

― Abbott, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:02 (5 years ago) Permalink

Larry is going duck hunting with Mr. Wainwright and Balki wants to go to get revenge on something that happened to him when he was a kid involving a duck. Larry lets him go when he sees what a great shot Balki is but it turns into a disaster when Balki will only let them kill one kind of ducks - pterodactyls.

Okay I REALLY want Mypos to be real is pterodactyls are still there!

― Abbott, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

Mr. Wainwright promotes Balki as the editor of the Sunday Children's page where he draws a comic trip of a sheep named Dimitri and Larry is assigned to fill in the dialogue "bubbles." But Larry and Balki can't agree on the sheep's sensibility.

― Abbott, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:07 (5 years ago) Permalink

Those summaries are just still amazing. Beckett couldn't have done better.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:10 (5 years ago) Permalink

i remember all of these

― rrrobyn, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

these summaries are making me think that
they should remake this show in nu-sitcom style with handheld cameras, no laugh track and starring ryan seacrest and tyra banks

― rrrobyn, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

Balki in Wikipedia

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:18 (5 years ago) Permalink

This actually makes sense:

The character of Balki was based upon a foreign exchange student Dale McRaven knew in high school.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:18 (5 years ago) Permalink

In an episode originally aired August 6, 1993, Mary Anne gave birth to their son, Robespierre-Boinki Bartokomous.

― G00blar, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

Two of my housemates are immigrants and our inherent cultural differences lead to a lot of taxing shenanigans around the house. At first, I kinda let it get under my skin, but lately have taken to muttering "Balki, Balki, Balki..." under my breath. It helps.

― kingkongvsgodzilla, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:30 (5 years ago) Permalink

Oh man, Balki was already doing a comic for the Chicago Chronicle at age 28. I'll be outdone by a man who wears brocade vests. : (

― Abbott, Sunday, 4 November 2007 02:13 (5 years ago) Permalink

The lyrics to the Dance of Joy song are approximately:

Dai-dai-dai-dai
Dai dai, duh dai dai dai
Hey
Hey
Hey
Hey
Dai-dai, duh dai duh
Hey!

HAHAHAHA

My brother and I would do the dance of joy any time we were fucking happy, and (jesus) my high school boyfriend and I did too.

― Abbott, Sunday, 4 November 2007 02:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

1993 ???

― Pleasant Plains, Sunday, 4 November 2007 03:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

PERFECT STRANGERS

1986-1993

R.I.P.

― Abbott, Sunday, 4 November 2007 03:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

Oh god, a whole Wikipedia section on Mypos:

Mypos is the fictional island country which Balki Bartokomous is from. Its exact location is never specifically stated, but it is clearly modeled on the Greek Isles and so is presumably located near Greece in the Aegean, Ionian or Mediterranean seas. It has some customs which are unusual by American standards. In one episode Balki wears a traditional necklace that is in the shape of the island, which resembles Cyprus.
Mypos neighbors the also fictional island of Skeptos to the west and the fictional island of Pathos to the east. Together the three islands form the Tri-Island Area.
Cuisine includes:
* Halkidiki: A Myposian travel food which consists of milk, eggs, flour, honey, and goat spleen set out at room temperature until it gets that "little green fur" (as Balki described it).
* Booglie muzacman: Pig bladder stuffed with cheese.
* Dingding makhmud: Pig snout with saffron.
* Bibbibabka: A Myposian delicacy which must be prepared very carefully or it will explode. As Balki puts it, "If you don't make the bibbibabka in the traditional Myposian way, The bibbi in the babka... goes boom." Balki has a mnemonic device to aid in the preparation of bibbibabka in the form of a song (to the tune of "Limbo Rock"): "When you're rolling out the dough, just make sure you roll it slow. If you make the dough too quick, bibbibabkas make you sick...", etc.
Customs include:
* At bed time: in the middle of the day, someone rings a bell, and each person lies down to take a nap wherever they happen to be. On Mypos when it is a person's birthday, the person whose birthday it is gives presents to other people.
Misc facts:
* The king of Mypos was King Ferdinand, who was king until 1991. It is not known when he became king, but it was prior to 1986. After King Ferdinand died in 1991, the queen of Mypos was Queen Cookie. The royal family of Mypos were the only people on the island who had indoor plumbing.
* From the episode "The Lottery", if Balki won the jackpot he would pay off the Mypos national debt of $635.
* According to Balki, Mypos has only one phone on the entire island, located in the country's single 7-11 store. ("But it has Call Waiting.")
* The national sport of Mypos is long-distance spitting.
* In the episode "Ladies and Germs," it is established that Mypos has developed a cure for the common cold, a horrible-tasting potion brewed from herbs and fish parts. Balki makes the potion for Larry, who has a cold. But Larry drinks too much of the potion and falls asleep for three days.
* Other than during the opening credits when Balki waved goodbye, Mypos was only shown in one episode "Citizenship" in Season 7. Including convincing the travel agent that there was such a country, Larry traveled there to convince Balki's mother that her son, who had become a U.S. citizen, was happier back in Chicago.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 4 November 2007 05:17 (5 years ago) Permalink

DVD FORTHCOMING:

Warner Home Video will release the first and second seasons on a four-disc DVD set in Region 1 for the very first time on February 18, 2008.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 4 November 2007 05:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

Wow:

In the German dubbing, Balki was said to be an actual Greek and Mypos a Greek island. Even the show was called Ein Grieche erobert Chicago (A Greek captures Chicago), and in the opening credits Balki said that he became bored with his sheep in Greece, so he went to America to visit his cousin.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 4 November 2007 05:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'm sorry, the title in America so should have been A Greek Captures Chicago. It would still be running today.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 4 November 2007 05:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

Is it "captures" as in "beguiles", or...

― roxymuzak, Sunday, 4 November 2007 05:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

A Greek Seduces Chicago

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 4 November 2007 05:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

Chicago Gets Greeced Up

― latebloomer, Sunday, 4 November 2007 06:18 (5 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Perfect Strangers - The Complete First and Second Seasons

On DVD tomorrow!

― svend, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 00:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

Holy shit, the man's gonna have so many more reasons to hate my Netflix abuse! (Yesterday we got "Little Monsters" and a docu called "God Told Me To" about murderers, neither of which I remember even putting on the q, let alone moving to the top.)

― Abbott, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 00:32 (5 years ago) Permalink

I can't sink any dollars into this, but someone out there please tell me that the episode guide descriptions actually fit the episodes. I just need to know.

― Mackro Mackro, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 03:38 (5 years ago) Permalink

Oh, they do, but in a really saccharine way. Like how a Library of Congress summary fits a novel.

― Abbott, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 05:08 (5 years ago) Permalink

The first guy I dated, pretty much the only reason I came to his house is because he had some Perfect Strangers episodes he'd taped as a kid.

― Abbott, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 05:10 (5 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

Thank god, the Balki B video is still on YouTube for instant roffles, so to repost:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F28LW9NWOCk

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 11 August 2008 18:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

My brother just emailed me:

I remembered that perfect strangers is on AOL TV. At least some episodes. So I decided to see if that second episode of their winter expedition and cabin avalanche was on there. Of course the episode is not on there but the first part is! Will we EVER find out what really happened? Will I ever forgive mom and dad for taking us from grandma's house the one time it actually comes on tv? What awful torture must I bear?!

I knew you could sympathize. Thanks. I love you!

-Merr1ck

P.S. For torture inducing memories, the first episode is here: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/perfect-strangers-snow-way-to-treat-a-lady-part-1/355878549

― kind-hearted, sensitive keytar player (Abbott), Thursday, 16 July 2009 18:54 (3 years ago) Permalink

Being robbed of watching that second episode has been a lifelong grudge we both share.

― kind-hearted, sensitive keytar player (Abbott), Thursday, 16 July 2009 18:54 (3 years ago) Permalink

Oh good, Balki B video link still works.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 16 July 2009 18:55 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

This is the greatest thing ever.

http://nothingsgonnastopmenow.com/

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 2 May 2012 22:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

hahaha

just to sing the song

― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 2 May 2012 22:29 (1 year ago) Permalink

oh there are some shitty entries on the dream board

― Dale, dale, dale (Abbbottt), Wednesday, 2 May 2012 22:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

quality video game

― lag∞n, Wednesday, 2 May 2012 22:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

dammit, beaten by minutes!

― Choad of Choad Hall (kingfish), Wednesday, 2 May 2012 22:42 (1 year ago) Permalink

lolling at the tri-island area

― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Wednesday, 2 May 2012 22:42 (1 year ago) Permalink

beaten by an hour actually

― polyphonic, Wednesday, 2 May 2012 22:45 (1 year ago) Permalink

I didn't cotton on to catching stars til about halfway through, I was too busy singing

― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 2 May 2012 22:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

We've had a few Wikipedia links above but anyway, a further celebration:

http://decanting-cerebral.tumblr.com/post/44323013452/16-ways-of-looking-at-perfect-strangers-via-wikipedia

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 1 March 2013 23:27 (2 months ago) Permalink

4 weeks pass...

Oh Balki

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 29 March 2013 17:07 (1 month ago) Permalink

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