Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    It’s Your Move

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 4 – 1 9 8 5 (USA)
    18 x 30 minute episodes

    Matthew Burton (Jason Bateman) is like Dennis the Menace crossed with Machiavelli, with a 14-year-old J.R. Ewing thrown in. The kid is so slick he makes Teflon look like Velcro.

    Matthew lives with his foxy widowed legal secretary mother, Eileen (Caren Kaye) and his 16-year-old sister, Julie (Tricia Cast) at Apartment 407, 46 Wilshire Boulevard in Van Nuys, California.

    The two kids attend Van Buren High School where Julie is a cheerleader and captain of the Pom Pom Team. She practices kissing on her stuffed Snoopy toy and, according to Matt, “stuffs her bra with Kleenex”.

    ‘Hell Hound’ is one of the many terms Julie uses to describe Matt, who enjoys torturing his sister at every opportunity and has a money-making scam for every occasion.

    Matt’s money-making scams are the result of good intentions – to supplement his mother’s income (he often sneaks money into her purse and Eileen is always amazed to find extra money – with no idea where it came from).

    Matt thinks his mother should marry rich but boring lumber dealer Mort Stumpelrutt (“a woman is just a woman but you can build things with wood”).

    Eileen, however, is rather taken with Norman Lamb (David Garrison), a struggling writer and former insurance salesman who has just moved from Chicago into apartment 406 across the hall.

    Matthew tries to outfox Norman (pictured above right) but just may have met his match.

    Matt’s antics were curtailed halfway through the series when Eileen caught him red-handed in a scam. He was put on probation, and the original series concept was lost.

    Norman, who became an English teacher at Van Buren High, and Eileen were now the focal point. The series declined and was no match for Dynasty (which shared the same time slot) and soon went off the air.

    Eli (Adam Sadowsky) was Matt’s “cohort in crime” (English was his worst subject: “I couldn’t even spell my first name until I was seven”); Lou Donatelli (Ernie Sabella) was the apartment building super, and Dwight Ellis was the principal of Van Buren (brought on when the format changed)

    Matthew Burton
    Jason Bateman
    Eileen Burton
    Caren Kaye
    Julie Burton
    Tricia Cast
    Lou Donatelli
    Ernie Sabella
    Norman Lamb
    David Garrison
    Eli
    Adam Sadowsky
    Principal Dwight Ellis
    Garrett Morris

    Video

    Related Posts

    • How to Be Cool
      How to Be Cool
      1 9 8 8 (UK) 3 x 60 minute episodes A…
    • Unhappily Ever After
      Unhappily Ever After
      1 9 9 5 - 1 9 9 9 (USA) 100…
    • Just the Ten of Us
      Just the Ten of Us
      1 9 8 8 - 1 9 9 0 (USA)…
    • Whiz Kids
      Whiz Kids
      1 9 8 3 (USA) 18 x 60 minute episodes Richie…
    • Father Matthew's Daughter
      Father Matthew's Daughter
      1 9 8 7 (UK) 6 x 30 minute psiodes This…
    • Gimme A Break
      Gimme A Break
      1 9 8 1 - 1 9 8 7 (USA) 137 x…
    • Walter & Emily
      Walter & Emily
      1 9 9 1 (USA) 13 x 30 minute episodes This…
    • New Dick Van Dyke Show, The
      New Dick Van Dyke Show, The
      1 9 7 1 - 1 9 7 4 (USA) 72…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleE/R
    Next Article Swizzlewick

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Dorothy Stratten
      Born Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten, Dorothy Stratten was a former […]
    • FJ Holden, The (1977)
      This was the first movie to truly show what it was really like […]
    • Rubettes, The
      Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington knew they had a hit when […]
    • People’s Court, The
      1 9 8 1 – 1 9 9 3 (USA) Retired judge Joseph Wapner […]
    • Bizzy Lizzy
      1 9 6 7 (UK) The character of Bizzy Lizzy first appeared in 1955 […]
    • Barnaby Jones
      1 9 7 3 – 1 9 8 0 (USA) 178 x 60 minute episodes After a […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.