Many years ago, on ALL IN THE FAMILY, Edith Bunker wondered who "Dear Abbey" and "Ann Landers" went when they needed advice. The answer became clear to me in 1991. They went to Clarissa Darling, who had all the answers all along! But seriously now, the show was really good entertainment. Since it was aimed at a teenage audience, the issues, plots and humor hit the mark the way it was meant to.
Much of the humor was light and the writers got their inspiration from other shows which is perfectly acceptable.
Sam, who always made his appearance through Clarissa's window, reminded me of "Wilson" from HOME IMPROVEMENT, who was always lurking behind the fence, ready to give Tim Taylor some advice or simply lend an ear when Tim had to get something off his chest.
Sam's appearance also reminded me of Harry Zarakardos, that weird fireman, who lived in that fire station located next to Dick & Paula's apartment on the 1967 sitcom, HE AND SHE, portrayed by the great Kenneth Mars. Harry used to drop in on Dick & Paula by popping his ladder between his window and theirs and simply showing up unannounced. The same persona was portrayed by Michael Richards, better known as SEINFELD's Cosmos Kramer.
Clarissa was very sharp without being "street smart" and she was forever getting into sticky situations like "boy problems", blind dates, a bratty kid brother, parents who either didn't understand her situation, or worse yet, understood her situation too well! It was a combination of "life as a teenager" and "life with a teenager".
OK, so the only fault Clarissa had was in her being quick to complain that her life was a "teenage hell" in spite of the fact that she was popular in school, had good grades, stylish clothes, parents who loved her and cared for her, and, in short, had it made. Isn't it normal for a teenage girl to find a reason to complain, gripe, mope and grope?
The beauty of this show was that the show was well written with no "hidden agendas" and no matter how bad Clarissa's situation got, everything somehow worked itself out and Clarissa always explained it all in a light hearted way.
Much of the humor was light and the writers got their inspiration from other shows which is perfectly acceptable.
Sam, who always made his appearance through Clarissa's window, reminded me of "Wilson" from HOME IMPROVEMENT, who was always lurking behind the fence, ready to give Tim Taylor some advice or simply lend an ear when Tim had to get something off his chest.
Sam's appearance also reminded me of Harry Zarakardos, that weird fireman, who lived in that fire station located next to Dick & Paula's apartment on the 1967 sitcom, HE AND SHE, portrayed by the great Kenneth Mars. Harry used to drop in on Dick & Paula by popping his ladder between his window and theirs and simply showing up unannounced. The same persona was portrayed by Michael Richards, better known as SEINFELD's Cosmos Kramer.
Clarissa was very sharp without being "street smart" and she was forever getting into sticky situations like "boy problems", blind dates, a bratty kid brother, parents who either didn't understand her situation, or worse yet, understood her situation too well! It was a combination of "life as a teenager" and "life with a teenager".
OK, so the only fault Clarissa had was in her being quick to complain that her life was a "teenage hell" in spite of the fact that she was popular in school, had good grades, stylish clothes, parents who loved her and cared for her, and, in short, had it made. Isn't it normal for a teenage girl to find a reason to complain, gripe, mope and grope?
The beauty of this show was that the show was well written with no "hidden agendas" and no matter how bad Clarissa's situation got, everything somehow worked itself out and Clarissa always explained it all in a light hearted way.