The Basket Case
Episode 6
Season 1, 1984
Introducing: --
I have no idea where the title of this episode comes from…but anyway…Riley greets the band after one of their shows with the news that there’s a runaway princess on the loose. Apparently, some Middle Eastern embassy in town has lost her. Mickey is instantly taken with the princess, despite the fact that all he can see is her eyes. Renee, however, is smitten with her royal lifestyle, a fact that Stacy and The Kid waste no time in shooting down.
As they go back up on stage, a veiled newcomer enters The P*lace and inquires about some new American clothing. No one notices Princess Luanna as she assumes a new identity and attempts to blend in.
It’s not easy, however – a video game stumps her. Mickey and Renee come to her rescue and Mickey is delighted to discover that he gets to meet his beauty at last. Luanna makes them swear not to reveal her to anyone, for she is on the lam. Her parents won’t let her have friends or outside interests, so she left. They convince Renee to go back in her place.
Unfortunately, being a princess is not a fairy tale. The royal itinerary consists of 3 baths, 3 different languages, and roast ostrich and curried rhubarb, which Renee hasn’t even heard of, much less eaten. There’s no spaghetti and no fun for her.
Luanna, however, is having a blast, now that she knows what one is, and everyone is very accepting of her.
Renee eventually gives up and returns to her own life, which really freaks out everyone else. Mickey reveals the switch, and poor Luanna gets salaamed again, which she hates. They convince her to tell her parents she wants to embrace Americanism.
I gave this episode 4 microphones because it’s heavy on the Renee (which is always good), but also it’s hard to ignore the sheer silliness after all these years. Renee is a good 6 or 7 inches shorter than Luanna – no one noticed? Also, no one else noticed that Renee was missing, and there’s this new girl in her place, a girl with eyes like the princess? They all saw the article. Then Stacy apparently has no clue if her own sister is the missing princess or not. “Oh, yeah, Stace, I’m a princess and you’re not. Nyah, nyah! Serves you right for making fun of me!”
Guest star: Katie Barber as Princess Luanna
Invention count: 0
Vocab:
Zowie (2)
Royal pits
Continuity, gags and themes:
Mickey tends to be girl crazy
Stacy and The Kid are usually at odds with Renee
New Locations:
The foreign embassy
Luanna’s room
Backstage area
Pop culture references:
That country Luanna’s family is from – could it have been “Kenobi”? It’s a stretch, but a funny one.
Solos:
Gloria (1) =5
Luanna (1)
Kid (1) =3
Episode total = 3
Total = 16
Performance outfits:
Denim with blue/yellow
Blue/magenta/pink
- The P*lace sells clothes
- There’s a foreign embassy somewhere in the city
- Some of the video games in the lobby are Root Beer Tapper and Gradius
- This is also the first time you can see Kids Inc. records
Songs:
ABC –
The Glamorous Life –
The Lucky One – 
Girls Just Want to Have Fun –
All Night Long –
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