Do Over
A man relives his teenage years with adult memories.
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Do Over is an American fantasy sitcom television series created by Kenny Schwartz and Rick Wiener. It originally aired on The WB from September 19 to December 5, 2002, and stars Penn Badgley. The series follows a man who gets a chance to relive his childhood after a shock from defibrillation paddles sends him back to 1981 as his 14-year-old self, with all his adult memories intact.
Lore & Background
The series begins with adult Joel Larsen, a single, depressed paper salesman disappointed with his life. He missed opportunities, his sister became a drug-addict, his best friend sold out, and his mother left his father bitter. A defibrillator shock sends Joel back to 1981 as his 14-year-old self, retaining all memories from 2002. He tells only his best friend, Pat, and sets out to correct the wrongs he knows will happen to him and his family.
A running gag involves Joel's mother inventing items like fanny packs, Lunchables, and post-its, which are ridiculed by his father, who prefers investing in asbestos tile, Betamax cassettes, or electric typewriters. Joel uses future knowledge for personal gain—investing in Intel stock, passing off 1990s songs as his own, befriending a future billionaire—but situations never work as planned. The final episode shows Joel convincing his father to invest in one of his mother's inventions, which does not exist in the future, and ends with the family toasting the future.
Reader's Guide
Do Over was a fantasy sitcom that aired on The WB in 2002, scheduled Thursdays at 8:30 EST against CBS's Survivor and NBC's Scrubs. Despite a devoted fan base, it suffered from low ratings and was cancelled after eleven of fifteen episodes aired in the United States. The entire series, including the final four episodes, aired on Channel 4 in Great Britain in September 2008.
The show was compared to ABC's That Was Then, which had a similar premise. Its significance lies in its exploration of second chances and the culture clash between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, though it failed to find a broad audience in a competitive timeslot. The series remains a footnote in early 2000s television, notable for Penn Badgley's early role and its cult following.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Do Over?
Do Over is a short-lived American fantasy sitcom created by Kenny Schwartz and Rick Wiener that aired on The WB during the 2002-2003 season. The series ran for only 11 episodes before being cancelled.
Why did Do Over get cancelled?
The WB greenlit the series for the 2002-2003 season, but it only made it through 11 episodes in the US and the UK before the network pulled the plug.
More in American fantasy comedy television series
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Do Over (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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