Square Pegs
Square Pegs is an American teen sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 27, 1982, and ran for one season until its finale on March 7, 1983.[1] Created by Anne Beatts, a former writer for Saturday Night Live, the series follows the misadventures of two awkward high school freshmen—Patty Greene, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and Lauren Hutchinson, played by Amy Linker—as they navigate the social challenges of Weemawee High School in an effort to gain acceptance among the popular cliques.[2][3] The show comprises 20 episodes and stars a ensemble cast that includes Jami Gertz as Muffy Tepperman, Tracy Nelson as Jennifer DeNuccio, Merritt Butrick as Johnny "Slash" Ulasewicz, John Femia as Marshall Blechtman, Claudette Wells as LaDonna Fredericks, and Jon Caliri as Vinnie Pasetta.[4][5] The premise revolves around Patty and Lauren's contrasting personalities—Patty's quirky enthusiasm and Lauren's sarcastic wit—as they scheme to infiltrate the school's elite groups, often leading to humorous and relatable failures that highlight themes of adolescent insecurity and identity.[2] Known for its sharp writing and integration of 1980s pop culture, including references to new wave music and contemporary films, Square Pegs distinguished itself by sympathetically portraying outsiders rather than using them solely for comic relief.[6][7] Guest stars such as Bill Murray and the musical performances by The Waitresses added to its culturally attuned vibe, with the theme song "Square Pegs" by The Waitresses becoming a notable example of licensed pop tracks enhancing teen-oriented narratives.[8] Despite positive critical reception—earning an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its honest depiction of teenage life—the series struggled with low viewership and was canceled after its single season.[4][6] Square Pegs holds a lasting legacy as a pioneering 1980s comedy that influenced the use of contemporary music in television soundtracks and provided an early breakout role for Sarah Jessica Parker, whose performance foreshadowed her later success in shows like Sex and the City.[9][10] The series has since been praised for its satirical take on high school dynamics and remains available for streaming on platforms like Netflix and Prime Video, introducing its witty humor to new generations.[11][12]Overview
Premise
Square Pegs is an American sitcom that centers on the experiences of two awkward high school freshmen, Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson, who navigate the challenges of fitting in at Weemawee High School, a fictional institution set in an unspecified urban environment reflective of 1980s teen culture.[2] The show portrays their determined yet often misguided efforts to reinvent themselves and achieve popularity among their more socially adept peers, highlighting the everyday trials of adolescence in a high school setting.[4] The central theme revolves around the protagonists' quest for acceptance, blending situational comedy arising from their comedic mishaps with subtle social commentary on peer pressure, the rigidity of social cliques, and the broader anxieties of teenage identity formation.[10] This tone captures the humor in youthful awkwardness while critiquing the superficial standards of popularity that dominate high school life.[13] Aired on CBS, Square Pegs ran for a single season from September 1982 to March 1983, consisting of 20 episodes in a standard 30-minute sitcom format.[14]Main Characters
The protagonists of Square Pegs are freshmen Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson, two awkward and socially ambitious teenagers navigating the cliques at Weemawee High School. Patty, portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker, is depicted as a skinny, nearsighted, and brainy girl who is witty yet self-deprecating and anxious about her outsider status.[15][16] At age 17 during filming, Parker brought prior Broadway experience, including roles in The Innocents (1976) and Annie (1978), to the part, marking an early television lead for the Ohio-born actress.[17] In contrast, Lauren, played by Amy Linker, is assertive, quick-witted, and never at a loss for words, despite her braces and baby fat that underscore her nerdy image.[15][16] Linker, around 16 at the time, had limited prior acting credits and was selected by creator Anne Beatts for her authentic portrayal of teenage vulnerability.[16] Their close friendship forms the core of the series, with the duo's contrasting traits—Patty's intellectual introspection and Lauren's verbal boldness—driving their shared efforts to gain popularity among the school's elite.[18] The supporting cast embodies 1980s high school stereotypes, adding layers to the narrative through ensemble interactions. Johnny "Slash" Ulasewicz, played by Merritt Butrick (age 23), is a dim-witted new wave enthusiast and class clown who rejects punk aesthetics while aspiring to musical coolness, representing the alternative burnout archetype.[18][9] Jennifer DeNuccio, portrayed by Tracy Nelson (age 19, daughter of singer Ricky Nelson), is the privileged "valley girl" ice queen and beauty, leading the preppy clique with indifferent snobbery.[16][18] Her best friend and sidekick, Muffy Tepperman (Jami Gertz, age 17), is a peppy head cheerleader whose preppy enthusiasm highlights the show's satire of popularity-driven personas.[16][18] Gertz, discovered via a nationwide talent search by producer Norman Lear, had debuted in Endless Love (1981) before this breakout role.[19] Marshall Blechtman (John Femia) serves as the gawky, impression-obsessed aspiring comedian and social reject, often providing comic relief as the "horny best friend" figure with a crush on Lauren.[5][18] Principal Dingleman (Basil Hoffman) rounds out the authority figures as a grinning, bumbling administrator whose square demeanor mirrors the show's title, ineffectually overseeing the chaotic student body. These characters' archetypes—nerds, preppies, new wavers, and hapless adults—satirize the rigid social hierarchies of 1980s teen culture, with Patty and Lauren's group forming an unlikely alliance against the in-crowd.[18][13]Production
Development and Creative Team
Square Pegs was created by Anne Beatts, a former writer for Saturday Night Live, who developed the series in 1982 drawing from her own high school experiences and observations of 1980s teen culture, including the social cliques and eccentricities she had previously explored in her "Nerds" sketches on SNL.[14][20] Beatts envisioned the show as a "thinking kids' sitcom" that captured the authentic pressures and joys of adolescence, emphasizing the innocence of its protagonists amid the era's emerging trends.[14] As executive producer, Beatts assembled a predominantly all-female writing staff, a pioneering move for a major network sitcom at the time, though CBS insisted on adding a male writer, Andy Borowitz, to the team.[20][21] The production was handled by Norman Lear's Embassy Television, with directors such as Kim Friedman contributing to several episodes to maintain the show's fresh, character-driven tone.[20][14] Beatts pitched Square Pegs to CBS as a distinctive teen comedy that avoided stereotypes by focusing on misfit freshmen navigating popularity, incorporating real 1980s slang like "gag me with a spoon" and fashion elements such as oversized sweaters and New Wave aesthetics.[20][14] The network greenlit the series for a fall 1982 premiere in the Monday 8 p.m. slot, ordering 20 episodes to allow for a full season exploration of its urban high school setting set in New York City to evoke an authentic metropolitan teen environment.[14][22] Network notes emphasized broadening appeal while preserving Beatts' vision, including a push for more contemporary cultural references.[20][14]Filming and Style
Square Pegs was produced using a single-camera setup, which set it apart from the multi-camera format typical of 1980s sitcoms and allowed for a more cinematic approach to storytelling. This technique enabled location shooting for exteriors at the abandoned Excelsior High School in Norwalk, California, providing an authentic backdrop for Weemawee High School scenes.[6][23] Interiors were filmed on soundstages by Embassy Television in Los Angeles, contributing to the show's grounded visual feel.[24] The directorial style emphasized realistic depictions of teen life with an ironic, media-savvy tone, often highlighting rapid-fire dialogue among cliques. Half of the 20 aired episodes were directed by women, including Kim Friedman's direction of 10 episodes, which infused the series with a fresh perspective on high school dynamics. Visual aesthetics captured 1980s New Wave influences through moody cinematography and period-specific elements like neon accents in wardrobe and sets.[6][25] Costume and set design authentically reflected early 1980s youth culture, featuring items such as leg warmers, big hair, and Walkman headphones on characters like Johnny Slash to underscore social divides. The cafeteria sets, central to episodes like "A Cafeteria Line," visually segregated cliques—preppies, burnouts, and others—mirroring the show's exploration of fitting in. Guest stars, including Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci in "Pac Man Fever," were integrated seamlessly into this stylistic framework to enhance comedic vignettes.[6][26] This approach, influenced by creator Anne Beatts' vision for hip, relatable teen narratives, defined the series' distinctive look.[6]Cancellation
Despite achieving a peak audience share of 24 in its early episodes, Square Pegs struggled to maintain consistent viewership, falling below CBS's internal benchmark of 27 for renewal consideration.[27] Mid-season ratings declined sharply to a 12 share after a scheduling shift, exacerbated by competition from NBC's strong lineup including The A-Team.[6] The series averaged modest numbers overall, never breaking into the top 30 programs for the 1982–83 season, which contributed to its vulnerability amid network pressures.[28] CBS underwent significant executive changes in early 1983, with initial support from executive Harvey Shepherd leading to a mid-season move from Mondays at 8 p.m. to Fridays at 8:30 p.m. in an attempt to boost visibility, but the slot change only accelerated the ratings drop due to tougher Friday night competition.[22][6] The network viewed the show's focus on awkward high school outsiders as too specialized for mass audiences, leading to its non-renewal despite positive reviews. Rumors of on-set drug use and production chaos, later detailed in a 1984 TV Guide article, have been cited as factors, though Beatts attributed the end primarily to low ratings.[14] Creator Anne Beatts expressed deep disappointment over the cancellation, stating, "I knew the show was doomed" after the ratings plunge, and later reflected on the emotional toll in interviews.[6] The abrupt end shifted Beatts' focus to other writing projects, including Broadway and subsequent TV work. For the cast, particularly Sarah Jessica Parker, the cancellation prompted a pivot to feature films, with Parker landing roles in Footloose (1984) and Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985) shortly after.[29] All 20 produced episodes of Square Pegs were aired during its single season, concluding on March 7, 1983, with no unaired content; however, renewal was blocked by ongoing scheduling conflicts and the network's strategic overhaul.[30]Music and Opening
Theme Song and Music
The theme song for Square Pegs, titled "Square Pegs," was performed by the new wave band The Waitresses, known for their earlier hit "I Know What Boys Like" but distinct in style from their holiday single "Christmas Wrapping."[31] The song's lyrics, penned by series creator Anne Beatts, humorously capture the struggles of social misfits trying to fit in at high school, with lines like "One size does not fit all" emphasizing themes of awkward adolescence and nonconformity.[32] The music was composed by Chris Butler, the band's guitarist and primary songwriter, blending upbeat new wave rhythms with witty, observational verses to set an irreverent tone for the series.[33] The closing theme is an untitled instrumental composed by Tom Scott, reminiscent of "Chopsticks," and was used in some episodes, occasionally interchanged with the opening theme. Incidental music in Square Pegs prominently featured contemporary new wave and pop tracks, which served to underscore the characters' teen angst, humor, and aspirations for coolness in a pre-MTV-dominated era.[32] The soundtrack incorporated songs from artists like Billy Idol ("Dancing with Myself"), The B-52's ("Rock Lobster"), and The Clash ("London Calling"), using their energetic, edgy sounds to mirror the protagonists' clumsy attempts at popularity and rebellion.[34] This pioneering approach to licensing current hits helped pioneer the integration of pop music into narrative TV, amplifying the show's authentic 1980s youth culture without relying solely on original scoring.[9] The sound design emphasized 1980s synth elements characteristic of new wave production, with electronic keyboards and pulsating basslines providing a modern, urban backdrop to everyday high school scenarios.[35] Diegetic music was woven into key settings, such as school dances, where live performances by bands like The Waitresses added realism and immersion, blurring the lines between the characters' world and the era's burgeoning alternative scene.[36] Despite its influential role in popularizing new wave on television, no official soundtrack album for Square Pegs was ever released, leaving fans to compile unofficial playlists from the era's hits; the theme song appeared on The Waitresses' 1982 EP I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts but did not achieve significant commercial chart success as a standalone single.[37]Opening Sequence
The opening sequence of Square Pegs consists of a 30-second montage showcasing the cast in various high school scenarios, designed to capture the awkwardness and energy of teenage life at Weemawee High School. The sequence opens with quick cuts of the main characters in stereotypical poses, such as Lauren Hutchinson tripping in the hallway and Johnny Slash strumming his guitar, interspersed with stills from episodes.[14] The title card appears midway through the sequence, displaying "Square Pegs" in a bold, geometric font that evokes the geometric shapes of the pegs and holes, reinforcing the show's title and premise. The montage includes scenes of lockers slamming, students rushing through corridors, and group interactions in the cafeteria, all edited with rapid pacing to mirror the frenetic pace of high school social dynamics. These elements collectively establish a tone of humorous nonconformity, highlighting the protagonists' outsider status amid the pressure to fit in. The opening sequence remained largely consistent across the series' 20 episodes, serving as a reliable visual anchor that reinforced the misfit theme with each airing. The theme song by The Waitresses overlays the montage, providing an energetic new wave soundtrack that complements the visuals without dominating them.[35]Episodes
Episode List
Square Pegs aired a single season consisting of 20 episodes on CBS from September 27, 1982, to March 7, 1983.[38]| Episode | Title | Original Air Date | Plot Summary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot | September 27, 1982 | Best friends Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson, two awkward freshmen, navigate their first day at Weemawee High School, desperately trying to fit in with the popular crowd. | Directed by Kim Friedman; written by Anne Beatts.[39] |
| 2 | A Cafeteria Line | October 4, 1982 | Vinnie and Jennifer's relationship hits a rough patch when Vinnie develops feelings for his co-star Patty in the school musical. | [39][38] |
| 3 | Pac Man Fever | October 11, 1982 | Marshall becomes addicted to the arcade game Pac-Man, while Johnny seeks advice from Father Guido Sarducci to impress a girl. | Guest star: Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci.[39] |
| 4 | Square Pigskins | October 18, 1982 | Lauren convinces Patty to join the girls' flag football team in hopes of meeting cute boys. | [39] |
| 5 | Halloween XII | November 1, 1982 | Patty and Lauren attend a Halloween party at school, where they feel constantly watched and judged by the popular students. | [39] |
| 6 | A Simple Attachment | November 8, 1982 | Marshall invents a "love detector" gadget that causes chaos in the school's social dynamics. | [39] |
| 7 | Weemaweegate | November 15, 1982 | Patty and Lauren investigate a scandal involving the school mascot's campaign posters, with Marshall as a prime suspect. | [39] |
| 8 | Open 24 Hours | November 22, 1982 | During Career Week, Johnny forms a rock band with Marshall as his manager, leading to unexpected opportunities. | [39] |
| 9 | Muffy's Bat Mitzvah | November 29, 1982 | Patty, Lauren, Johnny, and Marshall are not invited to Muffy's lavish Bat Mitzvah, prompting them to crash the event. | Guest stars: DEVO performing "That's Good".[39] |
| 10 | Hardly Working | December 13, 1982 | Jennifer takes a job at a fast-food restaurant to earn extra money, which threatens her cool image at school. | [39] |
| 11 | A Child's Christmas in Weemawee (1) | December 20, 1982 | Patty's estranged father unexpectedly visits for the holidays, disrupting her plans with Lauren. | Guest star: Tony Dow as Patty's father.[39] |
| 12 | A Child's Christmas in Weemawee (2) | December 20, 1982 | Patty confronts her family issues to salvage New Year's Eve celebrations with her friends. | [39] |
| 13 | It's All How You See Things | December 27, 1982 | Patty experiments with contact lenses to see if it boosts her popularity, straining her friendship with Lauren. | [39] |
| 14 | Merry Pranksters | January 10, 1983 | Patty and Lauren attempt school pranks that go awry and get attributed to a notorious prankster. | [39] |
| 15 | It's Academical | January 24, 1983 | Patty competes against Muffy on a local TV quiz show to catch the eye of a handsome senior. | [39] |
| 16 | The Stepanowicz Papers | January 31, 1983 | Lauren develops a crush on a boy who may not reciprocate, leading to heartbreak. | [39] |
| 17 | To Serve Weemawee All My Days | February 7, 1983 | Patty and Lauren rally to support a teacher using unconventional methods, clashing with Muffy's opposition. | [39] |
| 18 | No Substitutions | February 14, 1983 | A substitute teacher shakes up the freshmen class with his unorthodox approach to education. | Guest star: Bill Murray as Mr. McNulty.[39] |
| 19 | No Joy in Weemawee | February 21, 1983 | Johnny's lucky baseball streak draws attention from professional players, putting pressure on him. | Guest star: Steve Sax and Los Angeles Dodgers teammates.[39] |
| 20 | The Arrangement | March 7, 1983 | Lauren believes she and Patty have finally become popular, but Patty uncovers the true reason behind their sudden acceptance. | Jimmy & The Mustangs perform.[39] |