Yes, there was a television show based on the hit movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. But it didn’t star Matthew Broderick. Instead, Charlie Schlatter took over the role of Ferris Bueller. Ami Dolenz played Sloane Peterson with Brandon Douglas as Cameron Frye and Jennifer Aniston as Jeannie Bueller. The cast also included Sam Freed, Cristine Rose, Richard Riehle, and Judith Kahan.
NBC gave Ferris Bueller a special sneak peek 30 years ago tonight on August 23rd, 1990. The episode ranked 6th for the week with nearly 23 million viewers watching. But when the sitcom premiered in its regular time slot on Monday, September 17th it ranked 57th for the week.
In mid-December, NBC cancelled Ferris Bueller due to low ratings. A few days later, the network aired the 12th episode. The 13th and final episode aired eight months later, in August 1991.
Read my in-depth article about Ferris Bueller.
Personally, I’m a modest fan of this show. I’ve watched the entire series all the way through at least twice. It’s nothing like the movie but it isn’t awful. The cast members do the best they can to fill some very big shoes. If it ever comes out on DVD, I’ll buy it.
Did you watch NBC’s special “sneak peek” premiere of Ferris Bueller 30 years ago? Were you a fan of the show? Hit the comments with your thoughts.
I loathed this show. Nothing wrong with the supporting cast, but Charlie Schlatter’s smirking portrayal of the title character made me tune out after a couple of eps. The adaptation’s biggest crime was moving the setting from Chicago (so important to the film) to California (yawn). This series should have never been made.
I remember the commercials for this thing back in 1990; it smelled “loser” from first frame to last.
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Despite all the negativity about this show, I was 14 when “Ferris Bueller” originally aired, and it was one of a handful of shows my sisters and I watched together (we have varying tastes in TV). I also would like to get the show if it ever makes it to DVD. Yes, my sisters and I watched the sneak preview, and that’s what sparked our interest in the show. When a show like that deviates from the original source, then it will make the public cry foul, and I believe that’s why “Ferris Bueller” got a bad rap.