'Strangers' Ratings Promising
Written by: Carolyn McGuire

The outlook is good for an ABC renewal of "Perfect Strangers," the half-hour sitcom that premiered March 25 (7:30 p.m. on ABC - Ch. 7) and hit the top 10 in the A.C. Nielsen ratings on three of its four outings.

In case you've missed it, the series takes place in Chicago and concerns the relationship between a Mediterranean goat herder named Balki Bartokomous (played by Bronson Pinchot) and his American cousin, Larry Appleton (played by Mark Linn-Baker).

What's a cousin to do?  But he takes Balki in, gets him a job at his office (a discount store) and proceeds to teach Balki the American way of life -- how to say "no," get a date and pass his driver's license test.  Of course, there's chaos at every turn.

In Tuesday's show, Balki finds out the hard way that he doesn't have unlimited check writing privileges on his new banking account.

The show will have its last airing next Tuesday before ABC decides if it will return next season.