Oops. Sorry, Webster!

For some reason in Ikea the other day the subject of a dumb waiter came up. (No, not a stupid server but an elevator-like apparatus for bringing up food and drinks in big houses). Thea and I exclaimed at the same time, “Like in Webster!” Jinx. She owes me a Coke.

That got me thinking about the hit TV Show and how I left old Emmanuel Lewis out of my new series. I guess now he deserves his own blog. Here’s what I remember about Webster:

How Webster always came down for breakfast in the dumb waiter
How he called him adopted parents “Ma’am and George.”
That awesome theme song: “Then Came You” with still shots of the three of them
How Webster ran a marathon but it took him a really long time so by the end it was dark and nobody was left cheering except Ma’am and George.
Ben Vereen? What was he doing there?

I mainly remember enjoying the show and including it as one of my appointment programs along with The Dukes of Hazzard, Different Strokes, The Love Boat (which my parents vetoed after about three seasons—too late) and Punky Brewster.

But still, I have some questions for Webster:

You looked like a kid but you weren’t really a kid, were you? By the time the show ended you were 18! How did that make you feel?
Was there a rivalry with Gary Coleman?
Why did you and Michael Jackson wear matching outfits?
Would you have any objections to playing a kid now and if so, would you want to be in my new TV series as Lisa Turtle’s son?

You know what, Webster? Don’t worry about it. You can be in my show no matter what age you wanna play. Oh, but just one requirement: you have to be able to fit into the dumb waiter.