"It's Your Move" (1984) TV series 1984-1985

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

26 September 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

TV Show | Sitcom | Neighbor Torment | Teen Rebel | Teen Comedy

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Jason Bateman	...	Matthew Burton (18 episodes, 1984-1985)
Caren Kaye	...	Eileen Burton (18 episodes, 1984-1985)
David Garrison	...	Norman Lamb (18 episodes, 1984-1985)
Tricia Cast	...	Julie Burton (17 episodes, 1984-1985)
Ernie Sabella	...	Lou Donatelli (15 episodes, 1984-1985)
Adam Jay Sadowsky	...	Eli (15 episodes, 1984-1985)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Embassy Television

Quotes:

Norman Lamb: You're gonna laugh.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Diff'rent Strokes' (2006) (TV)

This was a Stellar Show, and it was all Bateman

Possibly the most underrated show since 'Frank's Place', It's Your Move was phenomenonly funny. Tricia Cast, David Garrison and Caren Kaye could all be replaced, but it was Bateman's show, through and through. The relationship between Matthew Burton, his mother, Caren Kaye, and the man who dates her who lives across the hall, David Garrison, could have in time become much more sharper and defined. Tricia Cast was Matthew's sister, Julie, and just as much a victim of his shenanigans as Garrison was. But still she was his sister and could be just as sinister as he was, yet he wasn't overly cruel to her. I always remembered one moment when Matthew was exchanging barbs with Julie, her female friend Sheila, and their dates, two football players. As Matt left, he recognized the four of them as thus, "Ladies (you think he means the two girls), . . .Sheila (obviously now implying Sheila was not a female, but the jocks were). His subtlety and their blank expressions was hilarious. Yet the funniest was the two parter Dregs of Humanity. Again, like Franks Place, It's Your Move could not be left alone and was yanked around, till the audience grew weary of trying to find it. Dregs of Humanity became the victim of that act, as two episodes near the end of the season, the ratings dropped and the first time Dregs aired, part two was deleted the following week for a special coverage, politics or something! I waited back through all the episodes and had to keep up with where the show was airing as it kept getting shuffled around until I finally found and saw part two. Even today I have to tell people what happened when they say "Do you remember a show with Jason Bateman and that guy off Married With Children? Whatever became of the Dregs of Humanity?" Then, yes, there was the burglars stealing the furniture episode too, when Matt and Norman did go on a gameshow. Too, too funny. The battle of wits in this show has not been surpassed since. It wasn't crudely offensive either.

This is a lost show. If it should ever air somewhere, try to record it and keep it. And then you can ask yourself "What happened?"