Whiz Kids

1 9 8 3 (USA)
18 x 60 minute episodes

Richie (Matthew Labyorteaux from Little House On The Prairie), Ham (Todd Porter), Jeremy (Jeffrey Jacquet) and Alice (Andrea Elson) were teenagers living outside Los Angeles and attending Canyon High School.

They were also computer hackers (with a talking computer called RALF and what looked like $20,000 worth of high-tech gadgetry in Richie’s deluxe attic clubhouse) who worked as amateur detectives in their spare time.

Llewellen Farley (Max Gail) was a reporter with the Los Angeles Gazette who was a source for the kids and sometimes asked them for help on stories he was writing.

His brother-in-law, Lieutenant Quinn (A Martinez) – who ran the police department’s Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) – also provided the kids with help.

The real star of the show, however, may have been RALF the talking computer.

With Richie’s expert programming, RALF provided clues, images, answers to problems, and access to other computer information banks that were supposedly protected against unauthorised use.

Richie’s 7-year-old sister, Cheryl (Melanie Gaffin), had a small robot (instead of a doll) named Herman. Richie was always threatening that he would burn her dolls or stuff her in a coffin.

Their divorced mother, Irene, had been enrolled (by Richie) in a computer dating service.

At midseason, the mysterious Carson Marsh was added to the cast – an elderly gentleman who, as head of the Athena Society, had contacts and access to data that not even Richie or the police could get to. Occasionally, when the kids got in over their heads, Carson helped bail them out.

Richie Adler
Matthew Labyorteaux
Hamilton Parker
Todd Porter
Jeremy Saldino
Jeffrey Jacquet
Alice Tyler
Andrea Elson
Cheryl Adler
Melanie Gaffin
Llewellen Farley Jr
Max Gail
Lt. Neal Quinn
A Martinez
Irene Adler
Madelyn Cain
Carson Marsh
Dan O’Herlihy