Jennifer Aniston would become one of NBC’s biggest stars as Rachel Green on Friends, but the road to fame isn’t always easy. One of her highlights along the way (besides her starring role in the ridiculous horror comedy “Leprechaun”) was her role in a television adaptation of John Hughes’ ’80s classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Aniston was perfect for the role of Jeannie, Ferris’ sister, replacing Jennifer Gray who played that character in the film. Aniston’s deep, deadpan voice, pouting mouth and exasperated sighs perfectly captured Jeannie’s sullen demeanor and her frustration with Ferris’s antics – particularly his uncanny ability to charm anyone he meets and his nimble way of getting out of trouble . She’s a great fit for the role, but the TV show itself? Well, it’s not that great. It’s even bizarre.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” the best John Hughes film of all time, focuses on the best day ever of senior year – a final celebration before the characters Ferris, Cameron and Sloan face the everyday grind of adulthood. However, in order for the story to work for a television series, the writers had to take a step back and take us into Ferris’ first year to explore the daily life of the well-spoken, fun-loving teenager. This concept didn’t last long as the series was canceled just months after its debut with only 13 episodes aired. Reviews were poor, with the Ottawa Citizen calling the series a “high school horror” that deserved a “failing” grade. It simply lacked the film’s magical spark, existing in a strange parallel universe in which this version of Ferris was not, as the Boston Globe memorably put it, “the kind of high schooler other kids would want to spend time with.” “. “but the kind that “other kids would like to hang.”

The series attempts something that could have been clever if lead character Charlie Schlatter hadn’t had such a shady presence. Schlatter has none of the swagger and boyish charm of Matthew Broderick, but comes across more like a know-it-all class clown who is more irritating than funny. In this strange, topsy-turvy world of Ferris Bueller exists the original John Hughes film based on the life of Schlatter-as-Ferris. He complains about the film and even disparages Matthew Broderick for playing himself, even going so far as to cut his head off a life-sized cardboard cutout with a chainsaw. “It’s TV, it’s real,” he says. While this meta-joke seemed like a clever introduction to the show – since comparisons were inevitable – it seems unnecessary given all the strange changes since Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Why even bother making the TV series? None of the original actors return and the setting shifts from Chicago to Santa Monica, depriving the original film of its everyday suburban feel. It could have been fun to see Ferris’ school scandals, but it all feels routine and inconsequential. The short season revolved around Ferris fighting Ed Rooney, meeting Sloane, and helping Cameron find a girlfriend. There are storylines that involve being stuck in an elevator with Rooney, running for student president, and dealing with an annoying grandma. Ferris Bueller simply doesn’t have the heart of John Hughes’ film, especially without Matthew Broderick’s captivating performance. Ferris’ story wasn’t just about joyrides, museum visits and raucous parades; It was about teenagers struggling with their future, caring for their friends and dealing with family problems. If you’re curious about how tough this early part of Jennifer Aniston’s career was, you can find a few clips on YouTube.