I'm exploring the early works in Mr. T's oeuvre and it's all pretty much "of a piece." Mr. T plays the Mr. T persona and, even then, his acting is sometimes rough. But, unexpectedly, there is a sterling standout appearance and it's his episode of "Silver Spoons."
"Silver Spoons" was another show I really liked as a kid but don't have any idea how it holds up now. If you're unfamiliar, you need to know 3 things: 1) It's about a rich kid - so he has a rideable train in his house. So child-me was sold immediately. 2) Erin Gray is in the cast. And 3) I forgot the third thing after Erin Gray was mentioned. Maybe it was that this show was where Alfonso Ribeiro got his start. It might also have been that it has one of my favorite TV themes of all-time (is it yacht rock?). Call it 4.5 things.
In the episode, little Ricky is getting bullied at school so they hire Mr. T to be his bodyguard. He sits in an elementary school classroom, the teacher asks a question, Mr. T looks around, looks around the other way, no one knows the answer, he slowly raises his hand.
I was pleasantly surprised. If you're not averse to cheesy eighties sitcoms, this is actually genuinely funny. It's weird to say, but this is wittier and more subtle humor than both of Mr. T's appearances on Saturday Night Live. Check out the episode (S01E04) if you're into this sort of thing.
Trivia: In the episode, Mr. T confronts the bully "Ox" played by John P. Navin Jr. The two would meet again in very similar circumstances when Navin plays a gang member who Mr. T takes under his wing in the made for TV movie "The Toughest Man in the World."
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