Anybody who is a fan of 70's sitcoms knows that many of it stars were out of control. Whether it be from drugs, alcohol, money disputes, creative control etc. There are very few shows you can name from the 1970's that didn't have some sort of problem with one of its actors or actresses. Why is that? What was it about this decade that nearly ruined or completely ruined classic shows????

I can answer your question in two parts. 1. the 70s was the era of sex drugs and rock and roll and excessive self indulgence so excessive boozing and drugging was as natural as rain on Sunday. 2. The networks were too chicken**** to stand up to the actors and SAG and therefore with a few exceptions let them do whatever they wanted to do classic example Happy Days.

jimpickens is correct. The excesses of many sitcom stars in the 70's were a reflection of what was going on in society in general in that decade. They didn't call it the "me decade" for nothing. It was a time of extreme self-indulgence and sitcom stars were certainly not immune to that trend. In fact because of the amount of money they were making the self indulgent lifestyle was probably more accessible to them than to most people.

I can answer your question in two parts. 1. the 70s was the era of sex drugs and rock and roll and excessive self indulgence so excessive boozing and drugging was as natural as rain on Sunday. 2. The networks were too chicken**** to stand up to the actors and SAG and therefore with a few exceptions let them do whatever they wanted to do classic example Happy Days.
Let's also not forget that child stars didn't have a lobbyist like Paul Petersen. Speaking of child stars and being out of control, we can't forget these three (and their show began in 1978, so it's technically still a 1970s show):

I agree with the networks being scared of their stars. Where else in showbiz would a lead in a sitcom miss a taping? Stuff like that just doesn't happen anymore, but back then, it seemed common place.

I agree with the networks being scared of their stars. Where else in showbiz would a lead in a sitcom miss a taping? Stuff like that just doesn't happen anymore, but back then, it seemed common place.
Do something like that today, and you end up on the wrong side of a lawsuit! If TPTB back then had more of a backbone, maybe there would've been less headaches and tragedies.

Do something like that today, and you end up on the wrong side of a lawsuit! If TPTB back then had more of a backbone, maybe there would've been less headaches and tragedies.


agreed, well said!

Do something like that today, and you end up on the wrong side of a lawsuit! If TPTB back then had more of a backbone, maybe there would've been less headaches and tragedies.
Well Mackenzie Phillips did get fired from ODAAT for her drug use! Twice!!

Well Mackenzie Phillips did get fired from ODAAT for her drug use! Twice!!
Yes, but that was the exception and not the rule. One thing I never understood is that Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life taped next door to each other and the kid stars from both shows turned out so different.

You have to remember that some child stars were dealing with a bad private life too. Be it a strained relationship with parents or siblings (they could have been abused by them), or peer pressure at school (if they went to public school instead of a tutor). Child stars should be lucky that Paul Petersen is looking out for their interests now.

You have to remember that some child stars were dealing with a bad private life too. Be it a strained relationship with parents or siblings (they could have been abused by them), or peer pressure at school (if they went to public school instead of a tutor). Child stars should be lucky that Paul Petersen is looking out for their interests now.
AMEN!!!

Yes, but that was the exception and not the rule. One thing I never understood is that Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life taped next door to each other and the kid stars from both shows turned out so different.


I may have a clue to the answer..

The Facts of Life was actually 2 shows. The first season with Mr. Bradley, Molly Ringwald, Edna and the girls. Seasons 2 and there after..Edna/Tootie/Jo/Blair/Natalie.

From what I can remember during the first season other than Charlotte Rae, nobody knew who would continue on the series. My guess is that Kim Fields, Natalie Cohn, Lisa Whelchel and Nancy Mckeon had took more value in their roles and watching their P's and Q's knowing that hey..it all can end anytime where as Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges and Dana Plato "next door" on Diff'rent Strokes just couldn't picture the day would come when their roles would end...so ego can be at play here and actually it was. I believe it was TV Guide who interviewed Gary in the early 80s and Gary at time really believed he would be a "big star" forever. The girls on Facts I doubt had the same feelings.

^ Interesting theory!! Makes sense to me.

I can answer your question in two parts. 1. the 70s was the era of sex drugs and rock and roll and excessive self indulgence so excessive boozing and drugging was as natural as rain on Sunday. 2. The networks were too chicken**** to stand up to the actors and SAG and therefore with a few exceptions let them do whatever they wanted to do classic example Happy Days.

Two stars of two of Norman Lear's popular shows threatened to walk out.

Carroll O'Connor at one point threatened to leave but negotiations went through well. Red Foxx, almost totally left the 1st time (which was why a few eps. of S&S were Fred-less), but eventually they renegotiated his contract.

John Amos, not so much. He was gone when the producers didn't cave in to his demands.

Even the lesser, but cult popular hit show What's Happening!! wasn't safe from the ego-ism, either. Mabel Thomas was axed when she disagreed w/ the producers' direction and concept to the point that producers kicked her off and Fred "Rerun" Berry caused problems by trying to ask for more money the 1st time and he launched a strike and almost left WH!!. When WH!! became WHN!! and he tried to ask for more money again in the 1980s, not-so-fast, buddy. He was given the pink slip: GET OUT! GOOD-BYE! YOU'RE FIRED!

I think that by the 1980s, the existing shows from the 1970s that carried into the 1980s still saw some stars being demanding and what not, but it also saw more producers taking action and not taking as much crap from their stars as they did in the 1970s. Fred "Rerun" Berry's firing from WH!! was a prime example of that. Same with MacKinzie Phillips and ODaaT in 1983 when her drug problems went one too many times far enough.

Norman Lear said that he was going to kill off Archie if Carroll O'Connor didn't come back. I always thought that was laughable. The show would have been over. I would have stopped watching immediately.

Some stars could get away with it because they were untouchable. Suzanne Somers thought she was one of them but she was terribly wrong. She was not the star of TC, John Ritter was. Then of course you have the power struggle between Gabe Kaplan and James Komack over on WBK where Kaplan was eased out of his own show and nowadays everyone agrees that the last season just sucked.