[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/square_pegs.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:325:''[[ExpositoryThemeTune "I'd like it if they'd like us, but I don't think they like us."]]'']]

->'''Lauren:''' Listen, I've got this whole high school thing psyched out. It all breaks down into cliques.\\
'''Patty:''' Cliques?\\
'''Lauren:''' Yeah, you know, cliques; little in-groups of different kids. All we have to do is click with the right clique and we can finally have a social life that's worthy of us.\\
'''Patty:''' No way! Not even with cleavage!\\
'''Lauren:''' I told ya. This year we're gonna be popular!\\
'''Patty:''' Yeah?\\
'''Lauren:''' Yeah. Even if it kills us!
-->-- '''TitleSequence'''

''Square Pegs'' is a HighSchool {{sitcom}} on Creator/{{CBS}} from 1982 about a pair of "unpopular" teen girls, Patty and Lauren, struggling to fit in with the "popular" kids at school. Joining them in the struggle are two teen boys, Marshall (who hopes to become the ClassClown) and Johnny Slash (who happens to be [[TheAce talented at a lot of things]] but is too much of a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} to appreciate it).

Despite its [[ShortRunners very short]] [[ScrewedByTheNetwork runtime]], the show retains a cult following to this day. For everyone else, it's best known for [[RetroactiveRecognition unleashing]] Creator/SarahJessicaParker on an unsuspecting populace.

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!!Tropes:

* TheEighties: Valley speak, video games, and New Wave music cover the landscape.
* AdultsAreUseless
* AsHimself:
** Music/{{Devo}}, on the Muffy's Bat Mitzvah party episode.
** Music/TheWaitresses sing the series theme at the end of the pilot.
* BeautyIsBad: Jennifer, La Donna, Vinnie and Muffy.
* BrainlessBeauty: Vinnie Pasetta. To a lesser extent, Jennifer.
* TheCameo: Among the draws of the show were the ubercool guest stars.
** Creator/BillMurray. Coolest substitute teacher ''ever''.
** Also, Johnny's band has that "guy who drummed for Music/TheDoors".
* ChristmasEpisode: the two-parter "Child's Christmas in Weemawee".
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}
* TheDitz
* ExtracurricularEnthusiast: Muffy Tepperman was involved in, if not the head of, every extracurricular activity.
* TheGlassesGottaGo: Patty wears huge geeky glasses, which Lauren keeps telling her she needs to ditch in order to attract cute guys. But Patty is BlindWithoutEm, and inevitably she goes back to wearing them.
* HalloweenEpisode
* InWithTheInCrowd: What Lauren hopes to achieve.
* PopularIsDumb: One of the reasons Patty and Lauren never click with the clique: they're too smart.
* PreppyName: Muffy Tepperman.
* RunningGag: The never-seen Guatemalan orphan that Muffy keeps sponsoring for the school, whose demands kept increasing as the series progressed.
* SassyBlackWoman: La Donna Fredricks.
* SawStarWars27Times: La Donna says she's seen ''Film/{{Fame}}'' 75 times. Given that she has a star complex, it's not surprising.
* SchoolPlay: There is an homage to ''Theatre/AChorusLine''.
* ShoutOut:
** The Marshall audition to the school's play as [[Series/SaturdayNightLive Roseanne Roseannadanna]].
** To ''Theatre/AChorusLine''.
** There's an alusion to ''Film/TheElephantMan''.
* SoUnfunnyItsFunny: Marshall's attempts at comedy. Painful is the nicest thing to say about them.
* StatusQuoIsGod: Just when Lauren thinks the four have found a way to get in with the cool kids, something happens to embarrass either themselves or the popular clique, stranding them back at the losers' table. Also FailureIsTheOnlyOption.
** Lauren - who is obsessed with popularity - never achieves it while Patty - who just wants to survive high school - has more opportunities to be popular at school (but doesn't because her best friend Lauren will get jealous).
* ThisLoserIsYou: We're supposed to identify with Patty and Lauren.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Marshall and Johnny.
* ValleyGirl: Jennifer [=DiNuccio=].
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