Perfect Strangers (TV series)
| Perfect Strangers | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by | Dale McRaven |
| Starring |
Bronson Pinchot Mark Linn-Baker Lise Cutter Ernie Sabella Belita Moreno Melanie Wilson Rebeca Arthur Sam Anderson |
| Theme music composer |
Jesse Frederick Bennett Salvay |
| Opening theme | "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now", performed by David Pomeranz |
| Ending theme | "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" (instrumental), composed by Jesse Frederick & Bennett Salvay (seasons 1–7) |
| Composer(s) | Jesse Frederick & Bennett Salvay (seasons 1–2; alternating, seasons 3–7) Steven Chesne (alternating, seasons 3–8) Gary Boren (alternating, seasons 7–8) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 150 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Thomas L. Miller Robert L. Boyett (entire run) Dale McRaven (season 1; executive consultant afterwards) William Bickley Michael Warren (seasons 6–8) Paula A. Roth (seasons 7–8) |
| Camera setup | Film; Multi-camera |
| Running time | approx. 24½ minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Miller-Boyett Productions Lorimar-Telepictures (1986–88) Lorimar Television (1988–1993) |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Original release | March 25, 1986 – August 6, 1993 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Family Matters (1989–98) |
Perfect Strangers is an American sitcom that ran for eight seasons from March 25, 1986, to August 6, 1993, on the ABC television network. Created by Dale McRaven, the series chronicles the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot).
Originally airing on Tuesdays for the short six-episode first season in the spring of 1986, it moved to Wednesdays in prime time in the fall of 1986. It remained on Wednesdays until March 1988, when it was moved to Fridays. The show found its niche there as the anchor for ABC's original TGIF Friday-night lineup, though it aired on Saturdays for a short time in 1992.
The series chronicles the relationship of Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and his distant cousin Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot). Larry, a Wisconsin native from a large family, has just moved into his first apartment in Chicago, Illinois, and is savoring his first taste of privacy when Balki, a hitherto-unknown cousin from a Mediterranean island, Mypos, arrives intending to move in with him. Balki, who was a shepherd on Mypos, interprets what little he knows about the United States by relying on his own (often out-of-context) recollections of American pop culture ("America: Land of my dreams and home of the Whopper"). Balki's signature is his "Dance of Joy", a cross between the dosado and the hokey pokey that he performs (with Larry) to celebrate good fortune. He debuts it in the third episode, "First Date", at a singles bar when he realizes that the song the band is playing sounds like the "Dance of Joy".
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