Square Pegs: A Public Service in the 80's...

[josekortez]

I'm sure I'll lose any cool points I have on this site for mentioning this, but I've been watching an episode of Square Pegs on TV Land where Marshall gets addicted to video games. They set up arcade machines in the school cafeteria to raise money, and he and the popular guy (whose name I didn't catch) start to gain a fan following from their competition. Marshall gets so addicted to Pac-Man that they have to call in a priest and do an intervention. He bums quarters off people and gets into a huge debt. Also, they mentioned the term "video game widows," which I'm sure my ex-girlfriend would have used had she heard it. Anyway, the episode was actually funnier than I expected, almost a precursor to Joe Lieberman's 90's politics (although Mortal Kombat would have been funnier than Pac-Man). Has anyone else seen it?

I was born in the 80's, but I've never actually watched this show before. I was probably too young when it originally aired. It seems like a show that chicks would enjoy, however...

[Duncan]

All I know about that show is that it marked the debut of Sarah Jessica Parker as an actress. And that's about it.

But the episode in question sounds like an interesting bit of video game history...did you tape it? :)

[rbudrick]

Lol...reminds me of that crazy-ass movie form the 80's called Joysticks. ANyone seen that?

-Rob

[o2william]

I've seen that episode. It's cool to see classic coin-ops in a real '80s setting. Besides Pac-Man, I think you can see Centipede, Asteroids and Star Castle cabinets in the lunchroon arcade. It's extremely '80s all the way... the priest in the episode is Father Guido Sarducci (a name that will be well known by anyone who watched Saturday Night Live back then).

[Darth Sensei]

I haven't seen that, but I remember an episode of Different Strokes where Gary Coleman gets addicted to video games and gets in trouble for skipping school and such.

Classic stuff.

D

[Sanriostar]

Lol...reminds me of that crazy-ass movie form the 80's called Joysticks. ANyone seen that?

-Rob

Seen it? Hell, I've got two VHS copies of the thing, currently borrowed. It sure as hell ain't Masterpiece Theater, more like Porky's, but with a less coherent plot.

[Gunstarhero]

Muffy Tepperman rules.

I remember the episode in question, and I remember Marshall getting crazy scores on Pac-Man like 4 million points and stuff...:??? They were scoring millions of points in 10 minutes time, although score wasn't the point of the episode.

That show was only on for 1 season. I can still hear the opening credits "This year we are going to be SO popular".