The Adventures of Pete & Pete 

This delightfully quirky show looks at the lives and adventures of two red-headed brothers with the same name.

Creators:

Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi

Stars:

Michael C. Maronna, Danny Tamberelli, Judy Grafe

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Michael C. Maronna	...	Big Pete Wrigley / ... 39 episodes, 1992-1996
Danny Tamberelli	...	Little Pete Wrigley / ... 39 episodes, 1992-1996
Judy Grafe	...	Joyce Wrigley / ... 30 episodes, 1992-1996
Alison Fanelli	...	Ellen Josephine Hickle / ... 29 episodes, 1992-1996
Hardy Rawls	...	Don Wrigley 29 episodes, 1992-1996
Henry W. Laster	...	Henry 18 episodes, 1994-1996

Storyline

Pete and Pete are two red-headed brothers living in the somewhat surreal town of Wellsville. Pete, the older of the two, narrates the stories about their adventures in everyday life. Will Artie, the Strongest Man in the World, have to leave town? Why does X=Y? Can Pete ever rediscover the Perfect Song? Tune in and find out!

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Plot Keywords:

name | boy with glasses | girl with glasses | six word title | fictional town | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-Y

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pete and Pete

Filming Locations:

Bayonne, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wellsville Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 24 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to one of the show's creators, the show was originally going to be about a boy named Pete and his dog named Pete, but they changed the dog to a younger brother when they realized a dog "wasn't exciting enough."

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Goofs

Little Pete's forearm tattoo, Petunia, is important enough to get her own identification ("and Petunia") in the opening credits for the show. Apparently, Petunia likes to travel. In early episodes, she is on Pete's left arm, in later episodes on his right arm. In the opening credit sequence, during her main appearance she's on his left arm, and in the very next shot, when Pete and Pete are walking toward the camera with a sunset in the background, she's on his right.

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Quotes

Older Pete Wrigley: I'll give you anything you want. You can destroy anything in the house, tear up the yard, anything.
Endless Mike Hellstrom: Anything?
Older Pete Wrigley: Anything.
[thoughtfully]
Endless Mike Hellstrom: You got any... Neapolitan ice cream?
[Older Pete nods]
Endless Mike Hellstrom: Good, Wrigley. Good.

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Crazy Credits

The opening intro only has the characters by their first names.

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Connections

Referenced in Honest Trailers: Home Alone (2013)

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Soundtracks

Hey Sandy
by Polaris

User Reviews

Quality Television DOES exist

The Adventures of Pete and Pete is what more television shows should strive for. Kids can enjoy it, but I was 19 when I started watching it and have been intrigued ever since (I'm 24 now). This show is unique, humorous but not in the traditional way, very well written, very surreal and there is enough mystery to leave a variety of impressions and interpretations. Things that should be small events are blown up to very large scale circumstances with apocalyptic consequences. Other stories take completely random and unreal situations and make them a part of everyday life. If people thought like this on a daily basis, everyone's life would be much more exciting.

Artie, "The Strongest Man in the World", is a skinny fellow in striped pyjamas. His favorite smell is tire air. He's little Pete's personal superhero. Artie, who calls things "Pipe" when they're going well, is the only man capable of vanquishing a bowling ball that comes between two brothers. Without special effects the writers have created a very convincing alternate universe.

The stories are usually called "weird". More appropriately, they are metaphorical and mysterious. Little Pete and friends must survive a gym class dodge ball match, while Big Pete needs to study for a test. Whatensues is an epic of revolution and facing your fears. Cryptic characters come and go, bearing vague clues and meanings such as an old woman with a leg vein pattern matching an Iowa road map (though I've seen a map of Iowa and it's really just a big grid). Other times, yes, it's just plain weird. Very funny too.

Pete and Pete breaks away from every boring and trite television show out there. The problems on most sit-coms are stupid, petty and seem like every other show out there (everyday life is great, but WATCHING everyday life sucks). Pete and Pete breaks out of that completely. The storylines create profound meanings from quirky twists on everyday life; the quest for perfection...using an underwear inspector, a "lost" favorite song and the journey to get it back. If there is ANYTHING to compare this show to, it's like Tim Burton got control of the Wonder Years...kind of.

Pete and Pete says there is excitement in everyday life and implies that just about anything is possible...why not be a bus driver or a bear for career day?

If TV were truly what it should be: A medium to entertain, inspire and teach the masses, we would see so many more shows like this. Talented writers who made something unique right down to the theme music.

And the guest stars! They're offbeat yet recognizable and respectable... Steve Buchemi, Janine Garofolo, Chris Elliot, Adam West. Then rock and roll stars: Michael Stipe, Iggy Pop and Juliana Hatfield. Finally out of the blue you get Monday Night Football's Frank Gifford and PBS's John McLaughlin. Like I said, unique right down to the theme song.

This show is awesome.