DVD Review: Charles in Charge Season 1

I was surprised how much I remembered and enjoyed about this cheesy 80s sitcom… and boy is it cheesy. Charles (Scott Baio from Happy Days) moves in with the Pembrokes, takes care of the three kids (Lila, Douglas and Jason) while attending college, and also while sort of dating Gwendolyn Pierce, and hanging out with his buddy, Buddy (Willie Aames from Blue Lagoon). It was a pretty fun show, but very cheesy, with shoddy writing and bad acting, particularly from Lila and Douglas (it’s no wonder they got rid of the whole family in season 2). Douglas was really annoying, as he was a super-sci-fi-nerd who wore alien masks and had a chemistry set. Highlights were the episodes with a very young Meg Ryan, Christina Applegate and Golden Girl Rue McClanahan. Anyways, it was all held together because of Charles, Buddy and Gwendolyn, who were all great characters. Buddy Lembeck should go down in the books as one of the best sidekicks on TV. (7/10).