Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries - Popcorn Kid: Cast Photo

Popcorn Kid aired from March until April 1987 on CBS.

The venerable old Majestic movie house, a revival theater in Kansas City, was the setting for this comedy about teenagers. It was the Majestic's policy to hire local high school kids to man the concession stand, and they were a motley group. Scott ( Bruce Norris) loved movies and dreamt of becoming a star himself someday; Willie ( Jeffrey Joseph) wanted people to see him as more than just a great athlete; Gwen ( Penelope Ann Miller) was the " intellectual," a good student who had a secret crush on Scott; and Lynn Holly ( Faith Ford) was the stereotypical dumb bombshell whose beauty was a turn-on for Scott, despite the fact that he was too shy to ask her out. Marlin ( John Christopher Jones) was the Majestic's spaced-out projectionist and Leonard ( Raye Birk) its married manager who had no kids of his own-which suited him just fine.

A Review from The New York Times

By JOHN J. O'CONNOR
Published: March 26, 1987

CBS's ''Popcorn Kid,'' coming from MTM Productions and many of the folks who bring you Bob Newhart, has the potential to develop into this year's class act among sitcoms. The series, created by Barry Kemp (also the executive producer) and Mark Ganzel (the story editor), is set in the Art Deco lobby of an old Kansas City movie palace called the Majestic Theater. The anchor booth, so to speak, is the sparkling candy-and-popcorn counter. Working behind the counter, when not taking tickets or sweeping up, is Scott Creasman (Bruce Norris), a 16-year-old who dreams of getting into the movies, although he confesses, ''I don't even know what I'd like to be.'' Scott is pure enthusiasm and determination.

His young co-workers are wisecracking Gwen (Penelope Ann Miller); gorgeous, bubbleheaded Lynn (Faith Ford), and smooth Willie (Jeffrey Joseph). The other weekly regulars are Mr. Brown (Raye Birk), the snide, jittery theater manager, and Marlin (John Christopher Jones), the spaced-out projectionist living in his own special world of old movies. ''Everybody needs a place to escape,'' Marlin tells Scott up in the projection booth, ''and my hatch is always open.''

Last Monday's ''special preview,'' directed by the busy Mr. Mackenzie, had Scott persuading the theater's owner to drop a plan for turning the Majestic into a sterile multiplex movie house. Tomorrow, with David Steinberg directing Irene Mecchi's script, Scott is recruited to help Lynn win a beauty contest being held at the Majestic. The problem is that the pretty cheerleader seems to be utterly untalented except for a pompon routine done to the lyrics of ''My Way.'' Scott finally reverts to a lip-synching act - ''It's like being a ventriloquist, only you're the dummy,'' he says - done to a recording of the song ''People.'' All of which leads to afinale that explains the episode's title, ''There She Is - Vic Damone.''

''The Popcorn Kid'' is a cleverly conceived, nicely performed exercise, the humor just offbeat enough to separate this series from the herd. Mr. Kemp and crew have turned the difficult television trick of seeming to be fresh and genuinely charming.

A Review from USA TODAY

TV PREVIEW/BY MONICA COLLINS

'Popcorn Kid': Well-puffed fluff

Malball wishes and jujube dreams. The Popcorn Kid takes kids' fantasies and spins them into a fine confection of gentile comedy.

Set in a grand deco Kansas City movie theater-the kind of place where Gable used to play to a packed balcony-The Popcorn Kid is about a group of high school kids who work behind the counter, selling the popcorn, candy and drinks-the moviegoers' food for thought.

One of these cheeky vendors, Scott-The Popcorn Kid-is known to be quite chatty with the customers, telling them his own celluloid aspirations. He wants to be in pictures. He oughta be a star. The customers just want a " large" with extra butter.

Behind the counter, Scott ( played by Bruce Norris) is joined by high school pals; the common-sensical Gwen; football hero Willy, who's juggling job, homework and athletics; and cheerleader Lynn Holly, who doesn't notice much except that the floor near the candy counter is sticky.

The authority figure here is the cantankerous manager of the Majestic , Mr. Brown. And the high comedy is provided by a character named Marlon ( John Christopher Jones). He's the goofy projectionist and film nerd, who can recall a movie scene the way most of us can remember our home phone number.

The Popcorn Kid explores kids' dreams-from the grand illusion of stardom to the simple hope of getting a date on Saturday night.

These kids are obviously working after school. That premise alone gives the characters more weight. Layered upon their situation is the fact that they work in a movie theater, where millions of people have looked up at the screen and momentarily lost their minds and heart in dreams.

The Popcorn Kid pokes fun at the dreamers while also applauding them.

For a Website dedicated to Penelope Ann Miller go to http://www.janeek.com/penelope.htm

For the Penelope Ann Miller picture Galleries go to http://www.geocities.com/penelopeannmiller2/

For a Page dedicated to Faith Ford gp to http://www.faithford.com/

For a Website dediacted to Faith Ford go to http://www.faithford.tv/