‘Square Pegs’ Fits USA

“Square Pegs” may have lasted only one season on CBS, but it has had amazing longevity in rerun heaven. And the 1982 teen comedy series joins the USA Network lineup today.

Sarah Jessica Parker, currently on ABC’s “Equal Justice,” and Amy Linker starred as the “Square Pegs.” The two were Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson, best friends who were freshmen at Weemawee High School. They wanted to be cool and strove to be accepted by the “in-crowd,” but Patty’s glasses and Lauren’s braces did little for their popularity. Equally square peggish class clown Marshall (John Femia) and new wave music fanatic Johnny Slash (Merritt Butrick, who died of AIDS a year ago) became their good buddies.

Parker, who recently bounced on the big screen in Steve Martin’s “L.A. Story,” isn’t the only “Square Peg” alum who went on to fame. Tracy Nelson, daughter of the late Rick Nelson and star of ABC’s “Father Dowling Mysteries,” played the shallow Jennifer DeNuccio, who cared more about clothes than people. And Jami Gertz of “Less Than Zero” and “Sibling Rivalry” was the snobby, preppy Muffy Tepperman, the most popular girl in school and the head cheerleader.

“Square Pegs” isn’t the only new old series joining USA this month. Michael Mann’s stylish, short-lived series “Crime Story” has returned after a long hiatus.

“Crime Story,” which debuted September, 1986 on NBC with an acclaimed two-hour movie, began as a serialized crime drama. Set in Chicago in the early 1960s, it followed the lives and careers of Lt. Mike Torello (former Chicago cop Dennis Farina), the head of Chicago’s MCU (Major Crime Unit), and his chief nemesis, the young crime lord Ray Luca (Anthony John Denison).

In the middle of the first season, the action moved to Las Vegas.

Despite terrific performances, moody cinematography and great period music--the theme song was Del Shannon’s classic “Runaway”--the series never took off. NBC originally put “Crime Story” up against the enormously popular “Moonlighting” and later moved it to Fridays after Mann’s “Miami Vice,” where there was a marginal ratings improvement.

No one expected the series to be renewed for a second season, especially the producers, and the finale found Luca caught in the middle of an atomic bomb test in the desert outside of Vegas.

But NBC decided to give “Crime Story” one more try and renewed it. “Crime Story” was moved yet again to Tuesdays opposite “thirtysomething.” Then set in the late ‘60s, the series abandoned its serialized format and Luca survived the atomic blast to become even more vicious and ruthless. However, the already small audience became a trickle and the series ended in May 1988.

“Square Pegs” airs Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m. on USA and “Crime Story” airs Saturdays at 10 a.m. on USA.