SILVER SPOONS – THE COMPLETE SERIES (NBC 1982-86, SYN 1986-87) HARD TO FIND!!! Ricky Schroder, Joel Higgins, Erin Gray, Jason Bateman, Alfonso Ribeiro, Leonard Lightfoot, Franklyn Seales, Billy Jacoby, Ray Walston, John Houseman

It's a train ride of laughs in this classic '80s hit sitcom.  Edward Stratton III likes Pac-Man, pinball machines and electric trains. Ricky Stratton is mature, sensible and understands computers. But Edward (Joel Higgins) is in his 30s, while his son Ricky (Ricky Schroder) is only 12.

In the pilot episode, Ricky Stratton (Ricky Schroder) arrives at the mansion of the father he has never met to introduce himself, move in, and get to know him better. Edward Stratton III (Joel Higgins) epitomizes the phrase "overgrown child"; he has never taken responsibility for anything in his life, including his toy business, Eddie's Toys. Ricky recognizes that his father needs to grow up; Edward thinks his son is too uptight and needs to have more fun while he is still young.

Ricky's mother is Evelyn Bluthorn (Christine Belford). Edward and Evelyn's romantic relationship led to a week-long marriage. Now Evelyn has remarried and placed Ricky in a military boarding school. When Ricky arrives at the Stratton residence, Edward is stunned to discover that his long-ago brief marriage produced a son (when he expresses incredulity because he "wasn't married that long," Ricky points out, "It doesn't take that long"). At first, he sends Ricky right back to the boarding school; later he dresses up as a swamp monster to take Ricky out of the school and back to the mansion, stocked with arcade games and a scale-model freight train that runs through it, to live with him.

Edward exhibits his childishness and playfulness in many ways, such as performing a little dance while the Pac-Man game plays its theme song. Stratton's personal assistant, Kate Summers (Erin Gray), is often the voice of reason. Kate's role adds tension to the show and provides incentive for Edward to act more maturely (at least sometimes). Edward and Kate's will-they-or-won't-they relationship gives way to a third-season wedding.

Edward's father (Edward Stratton II) is played by John Houseman as the intelligent, well-to-do patriarch and industrialist whose demeanor starkly contrasts with Edward's and seems more similar to Ricky's (at first). Throughout the series, the comic tension arises between Grandfather Stratton's belief that people with money are obligated to make more money and Edward's belief that money should be used to make people happy. Ricky is often caught between the two, wishing only for peace and harmony within the family.

During the series' early years, Ricky befriends "bad boy" Derek Taylor (Jason Bateman, seasons 1–2), smooth-talking "cowboy" J.T. Martin (Bobby Fite, seasons 1–2), and "nerdy" Freddy Lippincottleman (Corky Pigeon, seasons 1–4). They get into a lot of trouble and learn many childhood lessons along the way. Leslie Crambottom, played by Georgi Irene, has a major crush on Ricky.

Edward's original attorney was Leonard Rollins (Leonard Lightfoot), who departed after the first season, and was replaced by the aptly named business manager, Dexter Stuffins (Franklyn Seales), who was somewhat stuffier and more erudite than Leonard had been. Dexter remained through the rest of the series and was joined in fall 1984 by his hip, breakdancing nephew Alfonso Spears (Alfonso Ribeiro, seasons 3–5), who became Ricky's new best friend. Once Ricky, Freddy, and Alfonso were in high school in season four, their circle was completed by Brad (Billy Jacoby, seasons 4–5), a reintroduction of the type of "bad-boy" character similar to that of Derek during the show's early years. That year, as Kate and Edward adjusted to married life, Kate's doddering uncle, Harry Summers (Ray Walston), moved into the Stratton mansion.

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Number of DVDs: 15

Number of Episodes: 116

Quality: 9.5/10

Running Time: 46 hrs 24 min (approx)

Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen 1.33:1

NOTES: This is a fan-made DVD set. Not a studio release.