Webster and that Star Trek TNG crossover no one wanted (Part 1 of 2)

What does a clone of another sitcom and Star Trek TNG’s season have in common?  Worf.  Worf didn’t just show up in DS9, but also in an often-overlooked sitcom called Webster.  Sit back and enjoy the show.  

Webster is an interesting, if stupid, TV show.  I always viewed it as the knockoff of Different Strokes.  To coin a phrase from Clerks II, Websters is the GoBots of Different Strokes Transformers.  The original idea for the show was so supposed to be based on the lives of Alex Karras and Susan Clark, a married couple.  The concept was about a meat-and-potatoes retired football player marrying a rich and well-educated woman.  This was supposed to show nothing more and nothing else.  The title of the show was called Another Ballgame.  

A little, if annoying, kid named Emmanuel Lewis caught the attention of network execs.  They shoehorned Lewis into the premise of Another Ballgame and the show mutated into Then Came You, which kept as the theme song.  It was a slightly less developed Different Strokes, a cheap knockoff.  Karras and Clark were okay with this change, not realizing it was a Trojan Horse.  You see, the show quickly changed from being about the parents and focused on the kid instead.  

Side note:  I liked Gary Coleman growing up as Arnold better.  He had a bit of a more street edge to him.  However, Emmanuel became a better person after his show was canceled.  From what I can tell, Lewis was a nicer and better person than old bitter Coleman.  I thank Lewis was thankful for his time as an actor.  

Anyway, the married couple, who owned the production company, got into many clashes with the studio, writers, and the network.  Lewis saw much of this BTS fighting.  It caused some major problems.  Interestingly enough, things were smoothed out later on as the show went on.  

Another side note: Emmanuel Lewis got one fact about his show’s origin wrong in a podcast.  He said there was only one other version of the show before it was renamed Webster.  He was wrong, it was called Another Ballgame.  I am wondering if he put that fact back in his mind because of all the pain he put himself in due to the adults fighting on set?  

As the show progressed, the rating took a nosedive and the network and studio decided to end the show.  But why spend money on new sets, actors, and lighting?  Why not make it a gloried clip show?  

And, so enters Star Trek The Next Generation.  Lewis and the cast would see the TNG crew walk by in the outfits.  I am also certain they saw some of the actors sneaking onto their set and stealing food from their food table.  I am not making this up.  TNG, during season 1 didn’t always have money to pay for craft service tables.  Worf, Data, and Riker would have to sneak into other studios to get some food.  

Can you imagine Worf, Troi, and Picard walking around your set?  

Now, let’s get into the story of Webster’s final episode and Star Trek’s strangest crossover. 

Oh, boy...