Review: 'Pete & Pete: Season 2' is quirky family fun

Posted Monday, December 5, 2005 at 3:21 PM Central

by Tim Briscoe

Quirky sitcoms have always had their place in the world of television. Their strange cast of characters have viewers in their grasp episode after episode. The shows are loved by their core, albeit small group of fans and by critics alike. Loved until they suffer the inevitable fate of poor ratings.

One of Nickelodeon's first forays into sitcoms was the mid '90s The Adventures of Pete and Pete. Created by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi, it was the tale of teen Pete (Michael Marrona) and his pre-teen brother -- Pete (Danny Tamberelli). They were affectionately known as Big Pete and Little Pete respectively.

Their identical names were the smallest of their eccentricities. Their dad was a bizarre tinkerer. Their mother had a metal plate in her head. Little Pete had a tattoo of a woman on his forearm. Their adventures took place in the small burg of Wellsville and their neighbors were just as strange.

The show, which now seems like a forerunner to Malcolm in the Middle, came into its own during its second season. It added a very young and adorable Michelle Trachtenberg as a new neighbor. The storylines were as bizarre as ever. The second season also featured a bevy of guest stars. Chris Elliott, Janeane Garofalo, LL Cool J, Iggy Pop, and David Johansen all made cameos. Most importantly, it featured the end of the way-too bizarre (even for this show) Artie, a.k.a. The Strongest Man in the World.

The recently-released Season Two DVD features all 13 episodes from the sophomore year. It also includes a few episode commentaries from creators McRobb and Viscardi and cast members including Marron and Tamberelli. There are also several short episodes which served as the show's introduction on Nick.

Quirky sitcoms will have their place in the history of TV. They are all led by the most successful of the bunch, Seinfeld. Current television has My Name Is Earl, The Office, and the recently-cancelled Arrested Development. (McRobb and Viscardi went on to create the equally quirky small town of Stuckeyville for NBC's "Ed.")

The Adventures of Pete and Pete will go down in the history of TV as just another quirky show that people will barely remember -- if it were not for a great DVD collection like this.

If you never had a chance to experience Pete and Pete on Nick during its run from 1993-1996, this DVD serves as an excellent orientation. It's great, quirky comedy that the whole family can enjoy.