Should Blossom be considered classic sitcom? Mmmprobably not. But to many a 20-something, the NBC sitcom was an unlikely success that, through a blend of irreverence and quirkiness, lasted five seasons and proved culturally resonant in its approach to covering "realistic topics" relevant to teenagers of the nineties.Of course, the show was culturally resonant for another reason: Joey Lawrence. As Joey, Blossom's hot dum-dum of an older brother (whose requisite catchphrase - "Whoa!" - became an effortless audience pleaser),
Lawrence quickly filled the show's role of teen idol. A shaggy-haired beefcake whose sleeveless flanel shirts and R&B jams were considered attractive at the time, Lawrence was the teenybopper's dreamboat of choice, plastered across bedroom walls far and wide.But what many have since forgotten is that Blossom had another brother: Tony, the recovering alcoholic/EMT driver.
Gynomite points out that, although she was part of the minority, she was much too busy crushing on Michael Stoyanov's character than to have paid any attention Joey Lawrence's mimbo. And she's glad she took the road less taken, because, as it turns out, Stoyanov is an accomplished comedy writer whose credits include Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Mr. Show, and TV Funhouse. He's also since appeared on Reno 911!, The Mentalist, and even had a minor role in The Dark Knight. Not bad, eh?
Each, of course, is entitled to his or her own opinion, so we're curious: were you a Joey or Tony girl (or guy - hey, it was the nineties)? Let us know in the comments.
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-15-2009 @ 9:19AM
Anita said...
Must we choose? Admittedly, I was physically attracted to the ol' JL. But, I really, really liked Tony's character and was upset that JL initially received more post-Blossom attention than MS. Seriously, he was one of the more layered characters what with the alcoholism, EMT position, and minority girlfriend, as you mentioned. I wish sitcoms today could have that veneer of reality without obvious 1-line jokes.
Reply
3-15-2009 @ 3:52PM
Laura said...
I preferred Tony. Sure, Joey was good looking but he was thick as a brick. Joey was just too one dimensional to hold my interest. Tony was cute and layered. He was more than eye candy.
Reply
3-15-2009 @ 4:50PM
DB Kate said...
For my money, it was all about Blossom's boyfriend played by David Lascher also of Hey Dude fame. Like you said, it was the 90s...
Reply
3-16-2009 @ 4:08AM
aaron said...
I always liked Jena von Oy. God I had a crush on her.
Anyway, kudos on the reference for Hey Dude. People remember that show much better than that soapy, craptastic "Fifteen".
3-16-2009 @ 10:50AM
Vijay said...
Also worth mentioning is that the show gave us the still-extant meme: "Tonight, on a Very Special Blossom."
Reply
4-09-2009 @ 9:11PM
Yorkiegirl said...
Tony- no doubt. Michael Stoyanov was incredibly sexy in Blossom. I never even noticed Joey Lawrence.
Reply