Square Pegs was in a class by itself, but much like the main characters--brainy, bespectacled Patty (Sarah Jessica Parker) and pushy, overweight Lauren (Amy Linker)--popularity eluded this late, lamented TV sitcom, which was expelled from primetime after one season (1982-83). Rarely seen in syndication, its cult cachet has only increased over time (enhanced by Parker's extreme makeover into Sex and the City's trendsetting Carrie Bradshaw). As peppy, preppy Muffy Tepperman (a spirited Jami Gertz in her own career-launching role) might say, it “behooves” us to report that the series lives up to its rep as a smart and hip alternative to what the show's creator Anne Beatts (in the bonus interviews of cast and crew spread across the set) calls “processed cheese television.” Anticipating Sixteen Candles and Freaks and Geeks, Square Pegs viewed high school from the perspective of the bottom of the social food chain. As freshmen at Weemawee High School, if Patty and Lauren can click with the right clique, they will at last have “a social life that's worthy of us.” Alas, it's not to be. The girls instantly run afoul of the school's reigning Mean Girl, Jennifer (Tracy Nelson), her bad boy boyfriend Vinnie (Jon Caliri), and her sassy best friend LaDonna (Claudette Welles). Each of the 19 episodes compiled here brings some new hell for Patty and Lauren, but also some hope that their stock will rise—until then, cup size may trump IQ, but friendship will always trump everything. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)
Square Pegs: The Complete Series
Sony, 3 discs, 491 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95 Volume 23, Issue 5
Square Pegs: The Complete Series
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