# Small Wonder (1985)

> A cybernetics engineer's secret robot girl is passed off as a real child in his suburban family household.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2756

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 99
- Episode runtime: 21 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, family
- Created by: Howard Leeds
- Network: Syndication
- Cast: Tiffany Brissette, Dick Christie, Marla Pennington, Jerry Supiran, Emily Schulman, William Bogert, Alice Ghostley, Edie McClurg
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088610/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: subtle
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: cozy, wholesome, breezy, whimsical

## What critics say

Audiences found the family sitcom about a robot child light, warm and charming, with a mixed overall verdict.

## Synopsis

Small Wonder (1985-1989) is an American syndicated family sitcom created by Howard Leeds. Cybernetics engineer Ted Lawson (Dick Christie) brings home his top-secret invention, a talking android named Vicki, and must pass her off as a real child to his wife Joan (Marla Pennington) and precocious son Jamie (Jerry Supiran). Marla Pennington's Joan dotes on Vicki like a daughter, while Jamie exploits her for homework and to keep away Harriet (Emily Schulman), the annoying redheaded girl next door. The engine of each episode is the constant near-miss of discovery, with the Lawsons' nosy neighbors and Ted's demanding boss forever circling the household. Running four seasons across roughly ninety-nine episodes, it is a standalone case-of-the-week style comedy in which each half hour resolves its own mix-up. Set in a contemporary American suburb, it is warm, bright and gently absurd, a wholesome household comedy with a light science fiction hook. Fans of Mork and Mindy, Mr. Belvedere and Full House will find the same cozy domestic sweetness and kid-centered mischief.

## Shows like Small Wonder

- [Mama's Family (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/1907)
- [My Life as a Teenage Robot (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/162)
- [Real Humans (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/39295)
- [Eden (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/78364)
- [Bionic Six (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/10322)
- [No Good Nick (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/70539)
- [Charles in Charge (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/535)
- [My Parents Are Aliens (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/13619)
- [Karishma Kaa Karishma (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/29040)
- [Yo Soy Franky (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/63783)

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