There are very few childhood relics that can withstand the test of time with me, but this show is one that is the most sacred and has held up to the expectations I hold now and even exceeds them. You've never really seen a show like it, it's one of those shows that come every decade but capture your attention because it has something you've never seen and it's style has been echoed in movies and TV shows like "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World", "Eureka", "Seinfeld", and "Community".
The show has a rather strange yet colorful history. At first it started out as 1 or 2 min commerical shorts. When I watch them two things went on my mind. One, what the hell just happened and two this was the funniest and weirdest thing I've ever seen and I wanted more. Then the shorts turned into hour long TV specials which were ever better because there was more story. But despite these things I was waiting for them to make it into a TV show and my wait paid off in full.
This show works on many levels, the music from Polaris is excellent and memorable, from the theme song which is one of my favorite TV theme songs ever down to the ongoing and end credit music, it's something I miss in most current shows. The storytelling style is excellent almost reads like a journal/comic book. The Physical humor is excellent some of the things the characters do are so absurd and out there which is why it's funny. But I most of all love the verbal humor it is hilarious due to some of the strange things they say and how much the dialog feed your imagination.
But despite the show being a fantasy, it has no special effects and that was a good thing because this was a show that relied on story and characters and that was it's true strength because it was actually a deep coming of age tale where most of the weirdness and adventure is metaphor on our real world social dilemmas.
I love the world of Wellsville that is created it's the kind of place I wouldn't mind visiting. What is seen is an alternate version of America where everything looks ordinary but isn't; from their unusual counter culture which consists of Time Vortexes, Hazardous Parts of the Road to make your shoes stick, bowling balls and slushy drinks loaded with bad karma, evil telephones that are cursed, and other things. I like the fact that there is a sense of familiarity to it from the neighborhood to the school, it looks like the kind of place I lived in as a kid, this gives the show a sense of relatiablity.
But most importantly are the strange colorful characters that truly drive the show, not so much by their quarks but by their humanity. The two brothers Old Pete and Young Pete both are comic book heroes both are forced everyday to contend with evil while discovering more about themselves and trying to get though life alright. I like the chemistry between both of them I really believed in their bond together, and it's that bond that is their true strength in survival. But I also like how different both are from each other; Older Pete whom is more down to Earth and Young Pete (he's my favorite) is a tough as nails rebel. You can really relate and emphasize with both characters viewpoint on things because some of those things are things we've thought about as we gone though the motions whichever age we are or were at the time.
And there are other characters like Ellen (as a kid I had a crush on this girl), she is sort of that girl next door some of us might of been friends with, like the chemistry between Old Pete and Her which does develop into something more. Artie the Strongest Man in the world whom physically doesn't look strong and doesn't even look the part for that manner. But his actions ring true to his words. Nona (Michelle Tracknburg, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer")whom is a sweet but rebellious girl whom always has a cast on her arm, really like the chemistry between Young Pete and her she was the perfect counter part to Young Pete as Ellen is to Old Pete. And finally Endless Mike he's one of my favorite fictional villains because he's fun, this guy is pretty much a butt head whose mission is to make everyone's life a living hell for no reason.
This show had lots of memorable episodes which weren't afraid to be different each time which made each adventure feel unpredictable, dark, funny, but also simple tackle simple themes. Like "Dance Fever" which was about self evolution, it has the most bizarre but cool chase scene ever. "Yellow Fever" where Old Pete embrace his dark side, and my favorite episode "Day of the Dot" which was Old Pete and Ellen becoming more.
The only bad thing about the show is that it never had a proper conclusion or even a Silver Scrren adaptation afterward it would of been a cool movie in Nick's line up. All in all Pete and Pete to me was probably one of the last great TV shows ever because like any outsider it had a warm heart and soul.
Rating: 4 stars
The show has a rather strange yet colorful history. At first it started out as 1 or 2 min commerical shorts. When I watch them two things went on my mind. One, what the hell just happened and two this was the funniest and weirdest thing I've ever seen and I wanted more. Then the shorts turned into hour long TV specials which were ever better because there was more story. But despite these things I was waiting for them to make it into a TV show and my wait paid off in full.
This show works on many levels, the music from Polaris is excellent and memorable, from the theme song which is one of my favorite TV theme songs ever down to the ongoing and end credit music, it's something I miss in most current shows. The storytelling style is excellent almost reads like a journal/comic book. The Physical humor is excellent some of the things the characters do are so absurd and out there which is why it's funny. But I most of all love the verbal humor it is hilarious due to some of the strange things they say and how much the dialog feed your imagination.
But despite the show being a fantasy, it has no special effects and that was a good thing because this was a show that relied on story and characters and that was it's true strength because it was actually a deep coming of age tale where most of the weirdness and adventure is metaphor on our real world social dilemmas.
I love the world of Wellsville that is created it's the kind of place I wouldn't mind visiting. What is seen is an alternate version of America where everything looks ordinary but isn't; from their unusual counter culture which consists of Time Vortexes, Hazardous Parts of the Road to make your shoes stick, bowling balls and slushy drinks loaded with bad karma, evil telephones that are cursed, and other things. I like the fact that there is a sense of familiarity to it from the neighborhood to the school, it looks like the kind of place I lived in as a kid, this gives the show a sense of relatiablity.
But most importantly are the strange colorful characters that truly drive the show, not so much by their quarks but by their humanity. The two brothers Old Pete and Young Pete both are comic book heroes both are forced everyday to contend with evil while discovering more about themselves and trying to get though life alright. I like the chemistry between both of them I really believed in their bond together, and it's that bond that is their true strength in survival. But I also like how different both are from each other; Older Pete whom is more down to Earth and Young Pete (he's my favorite) is a tough as nails rebel. You can really relate and emphasize with both characters viewpoint on things because some of those things are things we've thought about as we gone though the motions whichever age we are or were at the time.
And there are other characters like Ellen (as a kid I had a crush on this girl), she is sort of that girl next door some of us might of been friends with, like the chemistry between Old Pete and Her which does develop into something more. Artie the Strongest Man in the world whom physically doesn't look strong and doesn't even look the part for that manner. But his actions ring true to his words. Nona (Michelle Tracknburg, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer")whom is a sweet but rebellious girl whom always has a cast on her arm, really like the chemistry between Young Pete and her she was the perfect counter part to Young Pete as Ellen is to Old Pete. And finally Endless Mike he's one of my favorite fictional villains because he's fun, this guy is pretty much a butt head whose mission is to make everyone's life a living hell for no reason.
This show had lots of memorable episodes which weren't afraid to be different each time which made each adventure feel unpredictable, dark, funny, but also simple tackle simple themes. Like "Dance Fever" which was about self evolution, it has the most bizarre but cool chase scene ever. "Yellow Fever" where Old Pete embrace his dark side, and my favorite episode "Day of the Dot" which was Old Pete and Ellen becoming more.
The only bad thing about the show is that it never had a proper conclusion or even a Silver Scrren adaptation afterward it would of been a cool movie in Nick's line up. All in all Pete and Pete to me was probably one of the last great TV shows ever because like any outsider it had a warm heart and soul.
Rating: 4 stars