Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show
A wacky inventor's experiments lead to new adventures for his family.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, a comic sci-fi series for syndication, took the 1989 film's premise of a botched shrinking experiment and broadened it to include many other mishaps. The hour-long program aired from September 27, 1997, to May 20, 2000, spanning three seasons and 66 episodes. Peter Scolari portrayed inventor Wayne Szalinski, a role originated by Rick Moranis. Production took place in Calgary, Alberta, at a former military dormitory.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comic science fiction; Family sitcom
- Camera
- Film; Single-camera
- Runtime
- 48 minutes
- Creator
- Ed Ferrara; Kevin Murphy, (Based on characters created by Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna and Ed Naha)
- Starring
- Peter Scolari
- Barbara Alyn Woods
- Hillary Tuck
- Thomas Dekker
- George Buza (seasons 2–3)
- Executive producers
- Leslie Belzberg; John Landis
- Composer
- Peter Bernstein; Christopher L. Stone
- Company
- Plymouth Productions
- St. Clare Entertainment
- Walt Disney Television
Facts from the source article.
Characters
The Szalinski family are the only returning characters from the films. Wayne Szalinski, played by Peter Scolari, is the show's protagonist and husband of Diane, father of Amy and Nick. He constructs inventions such as the Shrink-Ray, Neuron Nudger and Brainiactivator that often create predicaments. Diane Szalinski, portrayed by Barbara Alyn Woods, is a lawyer who supports Wayne but grows frustrated with his antics. The family dog Quark is played by Matese in the first season and by Rusty in seasons two and three. Amy Szalinski, played by Hillary Tuck, is the oldest child and displays typical teenage angst while loving her family. Her younger brother Nick, played by Thomas Dekker, shares Wayne's inventiveness and has extensive knowledge of the supernatural. The Szalinskis relocate to Matheson, Colorado, where their neighbors are the McKennas. Jake McKenna, played by George Buza, is police chief and often involved in Szalinski mishaps; his younger son Joel is Nick's friend, and older son Jack is an occasional love interest for Amy.
Production history
The television series launched in September 1997, shortly after the direct-to-video release of Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, the last film in the trilogy. The series focused on the Szalinski family as they were in the first film, with Wayne and Diane raising Amy and Nick. The third child Adam, introduced in Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, was never mentioned; it was unclear if the series took place before his birth until the penultimate episode, when Diane announced she was pregnant, indicating the show is set between the first film and the sequel. Rick Moranis is briefly mentioned in one episode when Amy tells Wayne he resembles him, but Wayne does not know who Moranis is. After the first season, writers Ed Ferrara and Kevin Murphy left; Ed Naha, a creator of the original film, became head writer and co-executive producer for the final two seasons. In the second season, Stuart Gordon, another original film creator, directed an episode. The third season saw a drop in ratings, and Disney ended production after three seasons, with the series finale airing on May 20, 2000.
More in American Children's Fantasy Television Series
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced