Series synopsis
Perfect Strangers is an American comedy television series that premiered on ABC on March 25, 1986. It ended on August 6, 1993. It was created by Dale McRaven. It stars Bronson Pinchot, Mark Linn-Baker, Melanie Wilson and Rebeca Arthur.
The chronicles of the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous.
Premise
The chronicles of the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous.
Premise: Now we are so happy we do the Dance of Joy!
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Bronson Pinchot as Balki Bartokomous
- Mark Linn-Baker as Larry Appleton
- Melanie Wilson as Jennifer Lyons
- Rebeca Arthur as Mary Anne Spencer
- Sam Anderson as Sam Gorpley
- Ernie Sabella as Donald Twinkacetti
- Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow
- Lise Cutter as Susan Campbell
Supporting cast
- Belita Moreno as Lydia Markham
- James Noble
- Amy Hill
- Ava Cadell
- Patrick Cranshaw
- Lewis Arquette
- William Cort
- Paul Eiding
- Alisan Porter as Tess Holland
- Macka Foley as Rudy
- Brian Byers as Staff Executive (as Bryan Byers)
- Candi Milo as Gina Morelli
Guest cast
- Belita Moreno as Lydia Markham
- James Noble
- Amy Hill
- Ava Cadell
- Patrick Cranshaw
- Lewis Arquette
- William Cort
- Paul Eiding
- Alisan Porter as Tess Holland
- Macka Foley as Rudy
- Brian Byers as Staff Executive (as Bryan Byers)
- Candi Milo as Gina Morelli
Episodes
This series spans 9 seasons with 151 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 1 | ||
| Season 1 | 6 | March 25, 1986 | April 29, 1986 |
| Season 2 | 22 | September 17, 1986 | April 1, 1987 |
| Season 3 | 22 | September 22, 1987 | March 25, 1988 |
| Season 4 | 22 | October 14, 1988 | May 5, 1989 |
| Season 5 | 24 | September 22, 1989 | April 27, 1990 |
| Season 6 | 24 | September 28, 1990 | May 3, 1991 |
| Season 7 | 24 | September 20, 1991 | April 18, 1992 |
| Season 8 | 6 | July 9, 1993 | August 6, 1993 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Dance of Joy Merry montage of Balki and Larry's signature two-step throughout the show's first two seasons. |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Knock Knock, Who's There? Larry Appleton has just settled in his new Chicago apartment after leaving home of one of nine kids and took a job at the corner discount store working for his greedy landlord Mr. Twinkacetti until he can eventually become a photo journalist. But one evening, Balki Bartokomous, his distant cousin and a Mediterranean sheep herder from the island of Mypos shows up on his door step looking for a place to stay. So Larry takes him in and tries to get him a job at Twinkacetti's store which may mean risking his own job. |
March 25, 1986 |
| 2 |
Picture This Larry tries to kickstart his career and gets tipped off that Dolly Parton is in town committing adultery. So he decides to follow her until he can get a picture to sell to newspapers. Meanwhile, Balki will do a favor for anyone who will ask for it so Larry teaches him to say "no" once in a while but it backfires on him. |
April 1, 1986 |
| 3 |
First Date Larry takes Balki to a singles bar to meet women and while Balki gets his first date, Larry gets beat up in a parking lot by a boyfriend of a woman he hit on. |
April 8, 1986 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Hello Baby Balki invites Gina, a friend from his citizenship class to stay with them. But she happens to be pregnant and goes into labor in the middle of the night. |
September 17, 1986 |
| 2 |
Hunks Like Us Larry decides to join a health club after having the hots for a member named Jennifer. But he thinks she's only interested in jocks and pretends to be one. Balki goes with him and picks up a woman right away who happens to be Jennifer's best friend Mary Anne. |
September 24, 1986 |
| 3 |
The Unnatural Larry's softball team has a chance of winning the championship but the star player was sent to prison. So He promises to let Balki play until a star ringer shows up. |
October 1, 1986 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
All News That Fits Larry gets a job at the Chicago Chronicle local newspaper as a reporter and brings Balki to find a job. Mr. Burns the city editor hires Balki in the mail room but Mr. Gorpley the mail room boss doesn't want him there and tries everything to fire him. |
September 22, 1987 |
| 2 |
Weigh to Go Buddy When Larry discovers that he has gained 7 pounds, He goes on a diet that won't work. So Balki gives him a Mypos diet but Larry has trouble following it and Balki won't let him quit. |
September 29, 1987 |
| 3 |
Sexual Harrassment in Chicago The editor of the Chronicle's Sunday Magazine makes a play for Balki but he isn't interested. She won't take no for an answer and anyone who ever tried to report her lost their jobs. |
October 7, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Lottery Balki insists on buying a lottery ticket but Larry thinks that it is just a waste of money for something that can't possibly win. But during the draws, Larry realizes that Balki picked the right numbers and won 28 million dollars but Balki can't remember where he hid the ticket. |
October 14, 1988 |
| 2 |
Assertive Training After Mr. Perkins, an employee at the Chronicle parked in Larry's parking space and Jennifer breaks a date with him at the last minute, Larry figures he has trouble being assertive. So he goes to a seminar called "stop" hoping it will help him become more assertive. When he returns, He tells Jennifer and Mr. Perkins off, and he instructs Balki how to get a raise after Mr. Gorpley laughed in his face when he asked for it. He finally gets Balki to demand a raise from Mr. Gorpley. |
October 21, 1988 |
| 3 |
Aliens Larry and Balki throw a Halloween party with their friends and after six hours of watching scary movies, Larry wakes up and discovers that Balki is an alien from "Planet Mypos" and is turning everyone into Mypiots by putting vests on them. |
October 28, 1988 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Good Skates When Larry finds out that Grant, a co-worker of Jennifer's, is impressing Jennifer by raising money for a "Big Brothers" roller skating marathon, he gets jealous and lies about his roller skating ability to win Jennifer. |
September 22, 1989 |
| 2 |
Lie-Ability After a minor car accident, Mr. Gorpley suggests Larry should sue. So Larry has plans to defraud an insurance company to gain money to help his sister Elaine with her tuition. But Balki objects as usual. |
September 29, 1989 |
| 3 |
The Newsletter When Balki is put in charge of the Chronicle Newsletter, Larry horns in and suggests he dig deep into the information. But he ends up reporting Lydia getting cosmetic surgery, Mr. Gorpley dating the wife of a sports editor, and quotes an insult Larry made to Mr. Wainwright. |
October 6, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Safe at Home After Larry buys an expensive stereo chair, their apartment is robbed along with the chair. So Larry buys a high-tech security system but takes all the responsibilities himself and won't share them with Balki. |
September 28, 1990 |
| 2 |
New Kid on the Block Balki agrees to babysit their new neighbor's daughter Tess and lets her do whatever she wants. She ends up terrorizing the apartment which disturbs Larry who is trying to write a possible front-page story for a city council expose. She also disrupts the staff at the Chronicle. |
October 5, 1990 |
| 3 |
The Break Up Jennifer was asked out on a date by an old boyfriend and checked with Larry first. But he agreed thinking that's what she wanted but she really wanted to know here their relationship is going. Confused, She breaks up with Larry who is too scared to tell her how he really feels but they eventually end up getting engaged. |
October 12, 1990 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Bachelor Party As the best man at Larry's upcoming wedding, Balki is tricked by Mr. Gorpley into throwing a bachelor party and when Mr. Gorpley show up at the party, he spikes the punch and hires a stripper and Jennifer finds out. |
September 20, 1991 |
| 2 |
The Wedding Larry and Balki are driving to Lake Whitefish where Larry and Jennifer are getting married and they are pulled over for going too slow, but they are arrested when Larry backs into the patrol car, then they are picked out of a line-up when Larry is identified as a robber. Larry and Jennifer end up getting married in jail until the real robber confessed. |
September 27, 1991 |
| 3 |
This New House After losing their new apartment, Larry and Jennifer move into a luxurious Victorian house but can't afford to pay for food and heat. So after trying to break the lease without success, They ask Balki and Mary Anne to board with them to help them out. |
October 4, 1991 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Baby Shower Jennifer is seven months pregnant; Balki and Mary Anne have been on their honeymoon for five months in Mypos and their about to come home. When they arrive, they have a surprise, Mary Anne is also pregnant but isn't going through any bad symptoms like Jennifer is. Balki brought a root back from Mypos that could help Jennifer but when Larry and Balki eat it, they start acting very hyper and ruin the baby shower. |
July 9, 1993 |
| 2 |
After Hours 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. |
July 16, 1993 |
| 3 |
Lethal Weapon When all of Balki's ants on his farm die, he discovers that he has the "exterminiki curse" and everything he touches will instantly die. So he must wear an oven-mitt suit, but can't do his job and drives Jennifer and Mary Anne away until the curse is over. |
July 23, 1993 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ABC |
|---|---|
| First aired | March 25, 1986 |
| Last aired | August 6, 1993 |
| Status | ended |