So it was 1982 when Ricky Schroder first wormed his way into many a pre-teen girl's heart as Ricky Stratton, with his mop of blonde hair and his charming dimples. Yes, he overacts a wee bit and yes, his dad, Edward Stratton III, played by Joel Higgins, is a big goofball, but he is a loveable goofball. Erin Gray rounds out the cast as the lovely Kate, Edward's dependable assistant who eventually begins a relationship with him.
Edward is a rich boy who has never grown up. He displays this by riding around in his train that takes him to various spots in his mansion, continuously playing Pac-man, one of the many arcade games in his living room, and occasionally dressing up in something goofy. Well, one day there's a knock at his door and much to his surprise, it's his 12 year old son, Ricky. A son he never knew existed. Well, as the kinks work their way out, Ricky comes to live with his father and man teaches boy how to enjoy being a kid, and boy teaches man how to grow up a little.
In this first season of Silver Spoons, we learn how Ricky and Edward came to be together, we are introduced to Evelyn, Edward's ex and Ricky's mom, and also Edward's unbending father, Mr. Stratton, played by John Houseman. Edward Stratton II also doesn't know of his grandson's existence and is surprised by Ricky's appearance. He resents his son Edward because he is silly, much like Mr. Stratton's own father, but the series has father and son learning to appreciate one another with Ricky's help.
Another 80's star to pop his head in is Gary Coleman, who appears in one episode as Arnold Jackson, his character from Diff'rent Strokes. Here, he and Ricky get into some trouble with the FBI because Arnold wants a top-notch story for his school paper and Ricky decides to hack secret government plans to impress him. Hilarity ensues.
Then there's Mr. T, who makes an appearance as a bodyguard hired by Edward to protect Ricky from the school bully. Of course, this only makes the kids think Ricky is a dork, but it is great to see Mr. T intimidate the school teacher and to answer the American history questions with such fervor.
Another recurring character in the series is Derek, Ricky's jerk of a "friend" who was also his roommate at military school. Derek is played perfectly by Jason Bateman, as he constantly torments Ricky and fills him with self-doubt. Bateman definitely sharpened his skills as Derek for his later role on It's Your Move. My favorite line is when Derek is describing Sally Frumbel, the lovely new girl in school that Ricky has fallen head over heels in love with - "Sally is every man's pally." Oh, the evil.
If you were a fan of Ricky Schroder or Silver Spoons, back in the day, you owe it to yourself to pick Silver Spoons: The Complete First Season up. Although lean on Special Features (there are none), the series is still quite funny and it's nice to see where Ricky Schroder and Jason Bateman got their starts. Let the nostalgia roll!
