History Series / PerfectStrangers

* FriendsRentControl: A photographer, a mailroom clerk/cartoonist, and two flight attendants could not possibly have afforded a big Victorian house in Chicago's Old Town neighbourhood.
** This was late in the series, as Larry and Balki were shown living in a regular apartment through most of the series, and their promotions to editors in season 7 would've helped.

* TheyDo: Larry and Jennifer, then Balki and Mary Anne.

* ShaggyDogStory: Larry would often tell these to Balki (though "a look...into the future!") to either convince his cousin to aid him or spill the beans on something. In any event, once Larry got what he wanted, things don't go as planned.

-> ''Standing tall...\\

Rise and fall...\\

* CorruptedContingency: In "Safe At Home", Larry installs a new security system after he and Balki's apartment is burgled. At night, Larry accidentally sets off the system and is unable to deactivate it because he forgot the password ([[{{Irony}} which he also refused to tell Balki for security purposes]]). When Larry tries to resolve the issue by ripping out the panel, the system threatens to release poison gas, prompting them to throw Larry's new stereo chair through the window to shut it off, which the system interprets as the "robbers" having fled.

* GameShowAppearance: The two went on the fictional show "Risk It All", which borrowed actual props and games from ''Series/FunHouse'' (another Lorimar/WB production).

-->-- "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now", sung by David Pomeranz

* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: A two-part episode in which Larry and Balki go to Hollywood for a report on a wedding and wind up framed for murder, forced to go on the run with the murderers and police on their tail. There's very little in audience laughter and it's shot more like a movie, being on location and everything.

** Balki revealing whatever odd ingredient he would use in his Myposian food, often eliciting a "IAteWhat" reaction (Or a cringe one if they were about to eat it).

* YouLookFamiliar: Creator/SamAnderson (Mr. Gorpley) appeared once in the first season before returning for his more recognized role. Belita Moreno appeared occasionally in the first two seasons as Mrs. Twinkacetti, before playing Lydia later.

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Many examples of this in "Just Desserts," aka [[TheOneWith "The Bibi-Babka episode."]]

* ReTool: The show was overhauled in the third season, with Larry and Balki getting new jobs in a more glamorous setting (a big newspaper instead of the small store they'd been working at before), new supporting characters including Mr. Gorpley and Harriette, a new and better apartment (though, without explanation, Jennifer and Mary-Anne were still their neighbors) and a memorable new title sequence with footage shot on location in Chicago.

* ShoutOut: At the end of the main title, the play Larry and Balki are going to see is Theatre/TheOddCouple, one of the models for this and many other sitcoms about an OddCouple.

* ReTool: The show was overhauled in the third season, with Larry and Balki getting new jobs in a more glamorous setting (a big newspaper instead of the small store they'd been working at before), new supporting characters including Mr. Gorpley and Harriette, and a memorable new title sequence with footage shot on location in Chicago.

I'm bound for better days\\

Nothing's gonna stop me now!''

->- "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now", sung by David Pomeranz

* CuddleBug: Balki loves to give hugs, even when meeting someone for the first time.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Larry on occasion. As greedy and egotistical as he is at times, he's often shown to really care for his cousin, and he's truly in love with Jennifer.

* CompanionCube: Dimitri, Balki's stuffed sheep. Later we find out that [[spoiler: he's made from the wool of an actual sheep named Dimitri who was killed saving Balki from being run over by a carriage.]]

* ComedicallyMissingThePoint: A very common trope for Balki.

* ThePollyanna: Balki, save for a few BreaktheCutie moments.

** The "Look Into the Future" gag, which Larry uses to guilt Balki into doing something immoral [[BreakThemByTalking by feeding him a tragic story about what will happen (in Larry's mind, of course) if he chooses not to do it]]. This gag comes to a satisfying conclusion in the final season, with Balki making the stark realization that he has been manipulated by Larry for all these years, [[GrewASpine and tells him he is simply tired of it]].

Creator/{{ABC}} {{Sitcom}} (1986-1993) about [[FunnyForeigner naive immigrant]] Balki Bartokomous, from the fictional Mediterranean country of [[{{Ruritania}} Mypos]], who comes to live with Larry Appleton, his American cousin whom [[LongLostRelative he's never met]]. Started out as equal parts FishOutOfWater and OddCouple, took an odd turn when the StraightMan stopped being straight (comedically, that is) and started devising [[GetRichQuickScheme deranged schemes]] that would have made Creator/LucilleBall dizzy. At that point, it became the personification of [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism Idealism vs Cynicism]], with Balki's wide-eyed idealism almost always (if not completely always) winning out over Larry's "real-word savvy" cynicism.

** The "Look Into the Future" gag, which Larry uses to guilt Balki into doing something immoral [[BreakThemByTalking by feeding him a tragic story about what will happen (in Larry's mind, of course) if he chooses not to do it]]. This gag comes to a satisfying conclusion in the final season, with Balki making the stark realization that he has been manipulated by Larry for all these years, [[GrewASpine and tells him is simply tired of it]].

* ShowWithinAShow: Later seasons featured parody clips of the show Creator/LaurelAndHardy, with the titular characters being played by Balki and Larry respectively. Mixture of Type 2 and 3.