The Bad Seedling

Ted brings home Vanessa, an upgraded twin of Vicki whose revolutionary but quirky quasi-human artificial intelligence runs amok.

A fun and piviotal episode introducing a character who appears only twice but had the potential to renovate the series and spin-off a new one.  Not only did Brissette get to portray her own personality's diametric pert and sassy "evil" twin, but raked in one of the largest hauls of fan mail enthralled by her snotty, saucier side as Vanessa, which prompted whose/its(?) return in "Hooray for Hollyweird."

Some story consultants, sympathetic of Brissette's stilted role and a leveling in ratings, float the idea of later replacing Vicki with Vanessa entirely (which was ironically Ted's original intention in The Bad Seedling) as a robotic counterpunch to ALF (see Vanessa's Lost Episode).  Leeds put this on the back-burner, partly by his doll-like view of Vicki and reluctance to develop a saucy near-teen character without human inhibitions, but the Vanessa concept snowballs.

Notable scenes: When Vanessa literally rips off Joan's dress and her smug confrontation with Ted.  Vanessa was named after the newly crowned Miss America at the time (another very naughty girl).

Production Title: "The Bad seed"
Completed: 31-Oct-85
Show no: 308
Written by David Silverman and Stephen Sustarsic
Directed by Bob Claver