A friend and I were recently reminiscing about the many shows that have appeared on Fox immediately following The Simpsons. And so we were delighted to discover this amazing list of the 11 worst shows to air after The Simpsons. It’s always wonderful to be reminded that Babes and its perfectly terrible theme song actually existed.

Not mentioned in the 11 Points article — and rightly so, as it’s the opposite of awful — is Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, the 1990-93 sitcom that sparked our conversation after we saw that its first season has finally been released on DVD. It’s surprising that this gem of a show, which has always commanded a devoted cult following and which delivers a manic hilarity that any fan of Jud Apatow’s Undeclared would find familiar, took so long to arrive to the format. And thousands of Parker-heads must agree:  Season two will hit stores on January 26, 2010.

With luck, a whole new generation will discover what I’ve been telling people for years — that Parker Lewis’ sychophantic pal Jerry Steiner (played by Troy Slaten, pictured at the bottom of the classic Fox print ad above) looks and behaves exactly like my friend, Time magazine columnist Joel Stein. You can judge for yourself, by watching the amazing clip (complete with crossover appearances from various 90210 stars) posted below.

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