Synopsis of TV Show

"Here we are, face to face,
A couple of silver spoons..."

Long before the “Rick” years on NYPD Blue, little Ricky Schroder was a child star. In fact, in the early-to-mid 80’s, The Artist Formerly Known as Ricky was quite a successful actor, appearing in movies, mini-series, TV shows and virtually every issue of Tiger Beat to hit the newsstands (and pre-adolescent girls’ walls). But the role he is most commonly remembered for was that of Ricky Stratton, a.k.a The Ricker, on NBC’s popular sitcom Silver Spoons.

In this half-hour series, much akin to a live-action Richie Rich cartoon, twelve-year-old Ricky was the son of divorcee Edward Stratton III, an irresponsible, immature, but irresistibly loveable millionaire. Ricky was pulled out of military school to live with his rich dad, which is really not a bad trade-off if you think about it. The show chronicled the hilarious and heartfelt relationship between father and son, in which the roles were often reversed as a result of Edward’s childlike demeanor and Ricky’s intelligence and maturity.

Ricky quickly settled in to the high life, enjoying the luxuries that came with his father’s wealth—a butler, his own personal chauffeur, and a mansion complete with video game rooms and train tracks. Although he was uncommonly intelligent and ungodly wealthy for a twelve-year-old, for all intents and purposes Ricky was your typical adolescent boy. He loved girls, dreaded school, and liked spending time with his friends. In fact, most of the episodes centered around Ricky’s hanging out and getting into trouble with friends Freddy, J.T., Derek (a pre-It’s Your Move and Hogan Family Jason Bateman) and Alfonso (a pre-Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Alfonso Ribiero).

Other cast members included Edward’s secretary Kate (whom he married in the 1985 season), his lawyer Leonard, his stodgy business manager Dexter, and his estranged, stuffy old father, Edward Stratton II, with whom Edward eventually developed a relationship—thanks to Ricky, natch. The show also boasted an impressive number of notable celebrity guest appearances, including Whitney Houston, Joey Lawrence, Gary Coleman and Mr. T. Despite the absurdity of this über-rich youngster’s life, viewers were always able to relate to Ricky’s interpersonal relationships and his dilemmas in dealing with the all-too-familiar pains of growing up, with or without the silver spoons of a privileged birth.

"Two silver spoons together...you and I!"

Release History of Prime Time Show

9/25/82 - 9/7/86 NBC
1986 - 1987 syndicated

TV Sub Categories

comedy

Television Network

NBC, syndicated

Television Studio

NBC

TV Cast

Ricky Stratton Rick Schroder
Edward Stratton III Joel Higgins
Kate Summers Stratton Erin Gray
Leonard Rollins (1982-83) Leonard Lightfoot
Dexter Stuffins (1983-87) Franklyn Seales
Derek Taylor (1982-84) Jason Bateman
Freddy Lippincottleman Corky Pigeon
Alfonso Spears (1984-87) Alfonso Ribeiro
J.T. Martin (1983-84) Bobby Fite
Edward Stratton II John Houseman
Uncle Harry Summers (1985) Ray Walston
Brad (1985-86) Billy Jayne

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