PERFECTLY STRANGE

PERFECT STRANGERS
1986-1993 ABC

PERFECTLY STRANGE
MAD #270, April 1987
w: Dick DeBartolo
a: Angelo Torres

The concept is that Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) has moved to Chicago and living away from home when his cousin Balki Barkotomous (Bronson Pinchot) has come from the country of Mypos and moves in with him. They work in a store on the ground floor of their building owned by their landlord, Mr. Twinkacetti (Ernie Sabella).

In the splash panel, the parody notes the show is derivative of other sitcoms. Ernie Sabella resembles Danny DeVito of Taxi, which also had the foreigner character Latka. The alien-out-of-water premise is taken from Mork and Mindy, while the clashing roomates concept comes from that of Tony Randall and Jack Klugman in The Odd Couple. It was on opposite The Cosby Show, the highest rated show on television at the time.

Mark Linn-Baker's breakout role was in My Favorite Year. Ming the Merciless is a character from Flash Gordon. 72 was the number for football player William “The Refrigerator” Perry.

The patches on Balki's jacket are Chicago sports team, except the last one, nickname for newspaper Chicago Tribune. The “Don't squeeze the Charmin” commercials with Mr. Whipple aired for at least two decades.

ALF's schtick was eating cats.

IMPERFECT STRANGERS
Cracked #231, October 1987
w: Joe Catalano
a: Walter Brogan

Yakov Smirnoff was a stand-up comic whose gimmick was also the bemused observational foreigner. Balki saying “don't be re-dick-u-lous” in his accent was his catchphrase on every show.