Ricky Schroder was once the TV kid everyone wanted to be, riding his indoor train surrounded by cool video games on 'Silver Spoons.' He's also been the kid no one wanted to be, crying at the end of 'The Champ.' Schroder, who goes by Rick now, took a look back at his career on 'Good Day LA' (weekdays, 9AM PT on Fox) and also talked about replacing Jimmy Smits on 'NYPD Blue' and his new CMT movie 'To the Mat.'

"At 9, 'The Champ' came out," he said. "And that's when everything changed in my life." They showed a series of stills from his various projects, including 'Lonesome Dove,' which Schroder credited as a turning point in his career, along with 'NYPD Blue.' "In 'Lonesome Dove' I went from a boy to a man, literally, in the movie" he said.

While 'NYPD Blue' helped Schroder to be taken more seriously as an adult actor, he had the added burden of having to replace the popular Jimmy Smits on the show. "Jimmy Smits was so loved," he said, "and when I got cast as taking over after he left, um, I think a lot of the fans were kind of skeptical, and luckily, I won them over."

Question: What's better than full episodes of T.J. Hooker? Shortened episodes of T.J. Hooker, of course.

MySpace has launched The Minisode Network, a place devoted to edited versions of episodes of old TV shows like Silver Spoons, Starsky & Hutch, Diff'rent Strokes, Who's The Boss, Sheena, and others. They're actually sort-of complete episodes, it's just that all the trivial parts have been edited out. More like a quick summary of the plot/episode than a full episode. I don't know how this benefits the storytelling, but then again, if you're watching Silver Spoons you're probably not watching it for the storytelling. Of course, you can watch complete episodes of shows over at In2TV.

As for T.J. Hooker, it amazing how cheesy and ridiculous it is, though in an entertaining way. It's like Police Squad.

[via Pop Candy]

Usually when I report upcoming DVD releases I find the information on TVShowsOnDVD.com, but this time the news comes from Sitcoms Online. Keep in mind this is not an official announcement, but apparently Judith A. Moose, author of Together - A Sitcom Lover's Guide To Silver Spoons, says the DVDs are being produced by Sony Home Entertainment and will include special features and audio commentaries. No word on whether these will be released as seasons or not, but if all of this is true we should be seeing the DVDs sometime this summer. Ah, to see a young Ricky Schroder and Alfonso Ribeiro again. Also, that duck phone was awesome. I always wanted one of those. And a racecar bed. Well, I don't want a racecar bed so much anymore, but the duck phone would still be cool.

I thought a lazy Sunday afternoon would be a good time to hop in the way back machine for a look at one of the Celebrity Duets finalists in their younger days. The person we're going to look on is Alfonso Ribeiro.

Before his role as Carlton Banks on the hit NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, even before his role as Ricky Schroeder's friend Silver Spoons, Alfonso was already a recognized personality. Since 1983 he had been starring in the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid. His talents at acting and dancing impressed media types so much that, in 1984, he was cast in a Pepsi commercial with members of the Jackson family, as well as The Gloved One himself, Michael Jackson.

In the video, which you'll see after the jump, Alfonso is decked out in full Jackson garb, circa the Thriller era. As he's showing off to his friends he runs into Michael and his siblings. Rather then getting angry, the Jacksons dance along with Alfonso in his friends, because that is what you did back in the 1980's. If you grew up in the during this time and don't remember this commercial, it will come back to you as soon as you watch the first five seconds.