It’s nice to turn on a celebreality show and see someone who, while obviously scarred in some way, is emotionally stable and articulate enough to handle the "journey" that’s before him. No matter what happens to Scott Baio — who’s hired life coach Doc Ali to help him find out why he’s never been able to commit to a woman, including his "basically perfect" current girlfriend, Renee (whom he’s not allowed to see for eight weeks) — you feel confident it won’t break him. Translation: This isn’t a guilty pleasure; it’s just a pleasure.
So last night’s premiere offered three main theories as to why Scott Baio is 45 and single…
(1) Baio’s self-diagnosis: Fame f—ed him. Because he was on TV, it was easy for him to get women. If one aggravated him, he’d show her the door and someone new would walk through before he closed it. A call to his Happy Days costar Henry Winkler, who’s been married for nearly 30 years, however, made Baio see that his celebrity was just an excuse. Is there anyone who doesn’t love Henry Winkler?
(2) After lunch with Happy Days costar Erin Moran, to whom he lost his virginity, Baio had a new theory: Blame her. According to Moran, sometime during the short time they dated when they were teens, he told her that they would get married. She freaked out and broke up with him. Maybe, Baio thought, when someone reacts like that to your first proposal, you don’t ever think about marriage again. I think Baio was giving his 14-year-old self too much credit. Moran also told him that he was insecure about his "small pee pee" back then, which he denied and had a good laugh about with his friends. (More on them later.)
(3) The most promising theory came from Susie, another of the former lovers whom Doc Ali is having Baio confront. She said Scott’s problem is that he’s always looking for the next best thing. She recalled how he broke up with her for a weekend — like five times — so that he could date a Playmate. Susie, I have no idea how you let someone do that to you — five times — but Baio seemed to recognize that he was once evil: "That’s horrible. If I met me back then, I’d kick the s— out of me," he said. Which I guess was an apology?
Like Baio, I’m still not sold on Dr. Ali. Clearly, she was the best option presented to him — as opposed to Miss ”I’ll Intimately Engage With You” — and she showed a certain amount of professionalism by not asking him to diagram how he mistook the couch for Moran during their first sexual encounter. But shouldn’t she have already told Baio to take a break from his horndog buddy Johnny V., who’s been his wingman since he was 15? I know we’d have missed out on Johnny V.’s jackass classic I don’t care that you’re Clint Howard until I’m told your brother is Ron moment, but come on! If Baio can’t see the woman who wants him to commit, then he shouldn’t be able to see the man who’s taking $5,000 bets that Baio will cheat on her. In the coming attractions, Doc Ali does try to get Johnny V. to back off, and Johnny yells something like, "Don’t stifle my time with Scott Baio!" I don’t want to judge their 30-year friendship on an hour of television, but I’d question anyone who uses my full name like that. Keep golfing and smoking cigars with The Wonder Years‘ Jason Hervey, Scott.
As for the show’s other cast of characters, I liked that we got to see Baio’s agent questioning whether the reality show was the right move — after he told Baio that the Hallmark Channel wanted to know if he could ride horses. (You know I’d watch whatever that project is.) I wish the show had gotten more into what Baio’s problems are with Moran. Presumably, they revolve around the fact that she genuinely embraces her Joanie-ness, while he genuinely wants to kill anyone who calls him Chachi. I hope Doc Ali works on that with him, too. I can imagine how that makes him feel like he’s accomplished nothing since 1984, but I guarantee you he wouldn’t have this show if we didn’t all remember his rendition of "Thank Heaven for Little Girls." I think he had every right not to kiss the girl in the autograph line — and will even sanction his snippiness with that woman who was upset that he didn’t remember her from her extras work on Charles in Charge — but there’s no excuse for letting Johnny V. Hollywood him out of that store and make everyone in line feel like an insignificant nuisance. (Okay, I need to step away from Johnny V.) I’ve already set my DVR for next week’s episode, when we’ll get to see Growing Pains‘ Julie McCullough weigh in on Baio’s philandering: "I had my first AIDS test because of you, that’s how much you cheated on me," she says. I love these women!
So what do you think, PopWatchers? Why is Scott Baio 45 and single? What are the chances that his tour of ex-girlfriends will yield a cameo from Heather Locklear? (I say slim to none, and slim’s out of town.) Shouldn’t Baio have at least told Renee (who you know he’s gonna end up proposing to in the end) that he was going to hire a life coach before he interviewed them? Why is he going to be going on dates? When will he be able to "do No. 2" again? And who wants to knee Johnny V. in the nuts? (I can’t let it go. I’m sorry.)
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Loved the show…but if Scott is really trying to change himself he has to get rid of the crazy makers in his life like Johnny V.
Ask any ex smoker/druggie/whatever and they will tell you that other people do influence yourlife. If youare around smokers it makes it hard to quit, drug addicts same thing.
Itis nice to see someone who is trying to change their life, not just do a show for publicity (Baio has nothingto plug right?) speaking of which when can we see a sequal to Zapped?
OK I confess–I didn’t watch the show (wanted to, had other things going on) but I don’t really care why Scott Baio (OMG, I’m doing it TOO) is single. I’m on the edge of 40 and I’m single again for the 3rd time (2 ex husbands). Same result, different journey. In fact, if Scott can get over his blonde fascination and let me indulge in my thing for Italian men, give the Goddess a call. No worries, no need to marry, everybody keeps their own house…(call me).
Scott Baio was my first real TV star crush…I loved him SOOOO much. Seeing him now reminds of why…he still looks great! I hope he gets straightened out because he genuinely seems like he wants to do right by Renee. I’ll be watching for sure.
Mark,
We’ve already seen a sequel to “Zapped.” Its called “Zapped Again,” and it came out in 1989. No Baio nor Aames, but it did star Lyle Alzado in one of his last roles.
I liked this show. A person confronting his problems head on (realizing he hates people was a great moment) makes for compelling television – famous or not. It made me see Scott in a whole new light. For a time there, he was Cachi or Charles or whatever his character was on Diagnosis Murder, then a punchline for dating young starlets; kind of refreshing to see a human being and not a cartoon character.
Good luck Scott, we’re rooting for you!
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this show, and Mandi hit it right on the head noting the fact that the central character is someone who’s flawed and damaged, but at least able to express himself and his insecurities in a coherent way. His scenes with Moran were very good and “I got my first AIDS test because of you, that’s how much you cheated on me.” is the quote of the week!
I also got a kick out of the fact that Baio hangs out with Jason Hervey, and it just makes me imagine this fraternity of actors from 80s and 90s sitcoms, hanging out and playing golf and smoking cigars. Johnny V. though. Ugh!
Finally, my girlfriend likes the little cartoon Baio on the bottom right of the screen.
While watching “rob & Big” the other night, they pass by Scoot Baio and mention how they saw him. I wondered why they gave him a free promo until now. Clearly VH-1 and MTV wanted to cross promote the shows. Anyone want to chance it that Rob &Big will cameo on his show?
Somehow, I always pictured that Baio would be kicking it with Willie Aames and not the jerk from the Wonder years.
I also imagined him getting his groove on with 80’s resident hottie Jennifer Runyon. Can they PLEASE cameo? Runyon stole my heart in “Up the Creek” and Willie Aames’ pairing with Scott Baio was the best team up since Han Solo became buddies with Chewbacca.
Ummm,excuse me, life coach? Bullocks. anyway, check out my pic of Tommy Robredo here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15512283@N00/762518278/
I was hesitant when I heard the premise of the show – why should I care why he’s 45 and single? But after catching most of the show last night, I will admit that I’ll be watching it every week. Lots of great lines… and some good interaction with his exes already. It will be interesting to see how things progress.
Wasn’t he engaged to Pamela Anderson at one time?
The sequel to Zapped was a direct to video release and it was worse than Teen Wolf too.
It is good to see someone like Scott Baio think about his mistakes in life and to reflect on them. Hopefully speaking to his ex’es will give him some insight on why he must not make the same mistake with his new girlfriend. BTW: How come his older brother Jimmy (the original Carmen from The Bad News Bears, and from the television comedy Soap)is not going to participate. I’d like to hear what he has to say about his former womanizer brother.
Loved the show! I am from the Happy Days generation and therefore am definitely curious as to what Scott Baio has been up to. Couldn’t believe it when he got up from the table and he was wearing those black Chuck Taylor lowtops- so CHACHI!!!Overall, he seemed flawed and kind of a jerk but also interesting. My opinion is that he looks old…but I like his NY style. It makes sense that he was never satisfied…I think it is tied to being a child actor. All grown up child actors have a sense of not being satisfied because they can’t get over being a God or Goddess as a child. I have set up my season pass and won’t miss the rest of the episodes.
Jimmy and Joey Baio are Scott’s cousins.
I liked this TV show better when it was a movie called “High Fidelity”.
good point about High Fidelity but Johnny C. is much cuter. He would be a good one for a reality show like this as he is a notorious womanizer! That Lloyd Dobler thing is still working for him after all these years.
Really? I thought that they were brothers. And yeah, the show is a real life version of High Fidelity.
I was so obsessed and in love with Scott Baio for years, so I found it kind of disheartening to find out just how big of a jerk he really is! I do, however, hope that he genuinely wants to change, and that this “process” is able to help him do that.
While I agree that he had every right not to kiss the autograph-seeker, it was very rude and unnecessary for him to add “I don’t know where you’ve been”–especially when it seems that HE is the one who has “been” with just about everyone!
Someone asked about Pamela Anderson–Yes, they lived together for a quite some time, and were engaged, before she married Tommy Lee. (She was much prettier back when they first got together–she didn’t look quite so trashy.)
And Jimmy Baio is actually Scott’s cousin–not his brother. He does have an older brother and sister, though–they are twins–Stephan and Stephanie.
Hey, Stephanie, Zapped Again didn’t feature Willie Aames or Scott Baio.
But I do agree that it did suck more than a Hoover on overdrive. I’d argue that it’s not Baio’s fault the sequel was awful since he wasn’t in it though.
Teenwolf Too…now that movie was so bad that it almost ended Jason Bateman’s career. Thank god it didn’t or we may have missed out on Arrested Development.
Oh man, I got soooo sucked into this show last night and I was just waiting to hear what y’all thought of it! (And you didn’t let me down!!)
I agree that Scott desperately needs a Johnny-V-ectomy, but Jason Hervey was cracking me up. And while I am too young to really have had a TV crush on Baio, it was a fun hour of mindless yet heartfelt TV. Can’t wait for the next ep!
Baio’s finest hour can be described thusly: BOB LOBLAW’S LAW BLOG!
Okay, I must be in an alternate universe. The show I saw was about a self-involved, arrogrant jerk who can’t stay in a relationship because that would involve loving someone other than himself. I won’t be turning in again. I don’t need to watch a 45 year-old misogynistic child who has cheated on every woman he’s dated and who when asked about what he looks for in a woman can only list his physical requirements. What a dumb***!
Right, that’s what I meant. Zapped Again was about a male student discovering Baio’s character’s formula. Baio was not in it. But it was an awful sequel.
And anything with Francis from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure has to suck.
Entertaining show, and I was impressed by Baio’s intellect, but I can’t help my feeling that 90% of the show is scripted. I know a lot of reality television is that way but it seems to be more obvious in this show.
I reluctantly LOVE this show. Great review Mandi. I too HATE Johnny V!!!!
Hmm, so there’s a connection between Baio and Batemen I’d never thought of besides AD. They both starred in movies that featured crap sequels (except that Bateman had the bad luck of BEING in the crappy sequel). Too cool!
Bob Loblaw’s Law Blog? Now you’ve said a mouthful…
This is pretty good as far as celebreality goes. He’s messed up, we can see it on camera and unlike Paula’s show, we’re able to still root for the guy.
Love how strong the women are and they all have some great insight into the guy they went out with. Erin Moran was just priceless. I’d watch a reality show to see what was going on with her too.
I really enjoyed watching this show. It was a combination of Entourage and Broken Flowers by Jim Jarmusch. Although the show isn’t very deep, it’s a fun ride and is actually informative on relationships and male-friendship. Most guys in serious relationships have at least one friend begging them to do the wrong thing. Most guys have at least one friend in their inner circle who they have very little in common with now but remain friends because of their history. And most guys have had girlfriends who wanted to celebrate “anniversaries” like two month or a year and a half.
While I agree from Katie, in theory, I like the show since you get to observe a total jerk from a safe distance. Know thy enemy, as they say. My prediction, he will propose at the end of the series. He must know by know we expect a happy ending. I give their marriage 6 months.
Count me among those who was surprised at how much I liked this show. I had vowed to avoid it like the plague, but on Sunday I was lying on the couch sick with the flu and gave in to temptation. I wound up being glad I did.
I’d like to add theory #4 to Why Scott Baio Is Still Single: He keeps dating the same woman over and over again! No wonder he gets tired of them! I think I’ll die of shock if it turns out he has dated anyone (besides Erin) who was brunette and didn’t seem to have a Playmate/Baywatch past.
I think this idea for a show is a pretty gutsy move by Baio.
Scott has actually had a bit of a career since his sitcom days. I was pleasantly surprised to watch a movie from a few years back called “The Bread, My Sweet”, which was filmed in Pittsburgh. He was amazing in it, and a far better actor than I had remembered. I think it is under a different title on DVD, but please check it out if you can!