Whoa: ’87 Matthew Perry Sitcom Correctly Predicted The Year Of Gaddafi’s Death

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by Jon Bershad | 10:30 am, October 20th, 2011

» 32 comments

Well, it appears that Muammar Gaddafi’s reign of terror is at an end. For decades he’s ruled over Libya with an iron fist. For perspective, realize that, a joke about him dying in a sitcom made all the way back in 1987 got a thunderous applause from the audience. Pretty crazy, huh? What’s even crazier though, is that that sitcom actually predicted his death as happening in…you guessed it…2011.

For some reason, 2011 was a good futuristic year for the entertainment world to set predictions in. And the strange thing is some of them have come true.

The sitcom in question was called Second Chance. It aired for one season in 1987 through 1988. Here’s the premise from Wikipedia:

“In its original format, the show starred Kiel Martin as Charles Russell, a deceased man, and Matthew Perry as his younger self, who is nicknamed Chazz. In the year 2011, Charles dies in a hovercraft accident, and his soul is promptly sent to the high spiritual palace of Saint Peter (Joseph Maher). It is there that Saint Peter determines that Charles is too good for hell but not good enough to get into heaven; therefore, Charles is sent back to Earth in the year 1987, to re-join his life during the teenage years in order to help himself, through the younger Chazz, make more moral choices.”

In the first scene of the pilot, set in this wacky space-age year, we see Kiel Martin’s character arrive at the Pearly Gates for judgment. However, before he does, Gaddafi gets his chance. Quote St. Peter; “Ah, Colonel Gaddafi. Dead at last.” Gaddafi is then condemned to be a human bomb in Hell, blown up every two minutes. Cue rapturous studio audience applause.

Pretty clever, Second Chance. But where’s my hovercraft?

Side note: Do you think an actor goes through an existential crisis when they realize they’ve played both the young and old sides of an age-swap story?

Watch the scene in question below. The Gaddafi stuff begins around the 2:20 mark. Although, please feel free to enjoy a bunch of wacky “dumb beauty pageant winner” jokes beforehand:

(h/t Reddit)

matthew perry, Muammar Gaddafi

Exgoper

“But where’s my hovercraft?”

Damn straight!
Anonymous

Chandler ! Could that BE any weirder ?
Tony the Fist

Freaky. Also, go to the 4:30 mark. It’s Mitt Romney!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_M5V6VTQAVLARF7XXO47Z5OCZWM TangledThorns

OMFG, I remember this episode. I was in high school and I think it was on FOX TV.
http://www.storminsmorningjava.blogspot.com/ stormin1961

after watching that crap i wish i had a second chance to get those 8 minutes back.
Bup

It also predicted he’d die in battle (not running away, as it actually happened, but still, it was in battle).
Anonymous

This is so irrelevant and stupid.. shouldn’t be the front post anyway..
PrezOworst

seriously this is news or diversion from the worst Prez in history?
PrezOworst

seriously this is news or diversion from the worst Prez in history?
Sean68

The 80′s were glorious, weren’t they?
Sean68

I agree. I should have just taken their word for it.
Kahlid Shiek Yerbouti

Headline: Gaddafi forgot to “duck.”
Norbit

Am I the first on this thread to predict ONE-TERM for the liar-in-chief in the White House right now?
http://twitter.com/criticaljane Jane

This takes the prize for most banal post ever offered by Mediaite.
Anonymous

Fact:
Shelly’s_ghost says;
WWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWoooooooooowwwwwwwwWWWWOOOOOwwwww……
Anonymous

Fact:
Count says;
HA HA HA HA
Valkyrie101

No, that would be anything involving Tucker Carlson.
Valkyrie101

You would have a strong case for that if you had an electable candidate to defeat him. According to Ann Coulter’s crystal ball, Romney can not beat Obama.
http://www.facebook.com/eric.boisen Eric J. Boisen

But I like Barry Manilow….
Al Gore

I use to like Manilow, but I’m sure that now he has a 666 tattooed somewhere on his body.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PKEQSTA4WOBYU5Z7QNSBUR2LXI MASSMURDERMEDIA

tonight, on a very special “second chance”, charles confronts muammar about his cocaine addiction…
Anonymous

This by far demonstrates the value Mediaite brings to the table. Keep up the great work.
Lynne

The hovercraft is coming: http://www.pcworld.com/article/242156/levitating_super_conductors_what_sorcery_is_this.html
Monicahrgirl

Knew Ann had balls… didn’t know they were crystal.
http://twitter.com/dirtygreek George Peterson

How is it irrelevant? It’s about something that happened today…
http://twitter.com/dirtygreek George Peterson

I’d say probably, since Obama wasn’t involved in the killing or this sitcom… but it seems people like you always end up saying things like this in unrelated comment threads, so probably not.
http://bleacherreport.com/users/535519-nick-p nick price

I don’t remember that show
http://twitter.com/AbPow Steve Ferra

Short-lived Fox shows tend to be prophetic. The X-Files spinoff Lone Gunmen aired for a few months in early 2001, and its pilot episode foresaw 9/11 with a plot to fly a passenger jet into the World Trade Center.

Guess it’s time to start scouring the likes of Keen Eddie and The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. for references to future events.
Anonymous

I have watched the five since it first came on. Today, 10/20 it was so annoying. I don’t like them talking about
the drinking and the drug use even if they are kidding about it. Bob Beckel and people like him is the reason I
hate the liberals. He gets away with to much on this show.Dana and Greg are my favorites. Beckel needs to go. They have had other liberals on that are better.
Anonymous

Why the heck is Mitt Romney in that video? Kinda creepy if he hasn’t aged in 20yrs…
http://twitter.com/Darr247 Darr Darr

That plot device was swapped for driving off a cliff on a Segway.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/6RLAMCU6Z7PZKSSP7FQWJPT77E nervouscat

This show lasted for one season? That’s longer than Perry’s recent sitcom, Mr. Sunshine.