I mean wouldn't have made a lot more sense to have Kimberly at the very least recur on The Facts of Life with Mrs. G? She was going to Eastland at the time so having Kimberly appear would make a lot of sense to the original version of the show. Agree? Disagree?

They really didn't need to bring Kimberly to FOL full time but it would have been more real for me if they brought her over periodically for double duty since she was a student there and she was friends with the principal cast. Like the episode when Willis came to visit, Willis responds to Jo's question with "I have a sister. I know its like". I thought he should have said something like "With Kimberly being my sister, I know what it's like". I know it's a nitpic but that is my observation.

They could have alternated--one week she would be on DS, the next week on FOL.

They could have alternated--one week she would be on DS, the next week on FOL.


That's what they did with Arnold and Tootie. Tootie would appear on DS one week and then Arnold would appear on FOL the following week

I wonder if being on "The Facts of Life" would have made a difference in Dana Plato's life. She needed the work and maybe it would have lead to more opportunities and a longer life.

I wonder if being on "The Facts of Life" would have made a difference in Dana Plato's life. She needed the work and maybe it would have lead to more opportunities and a longer life.


I think since they had their SET number of girls on FOL, it was no way for Kimberly to be added to the show

I think since they had their SET number of girls on FOL, it was no way for Kimberly to be added to the show

But she could have popped in here and there. That would have made it even more realistic for me.

But she could have popped in here and there. That would have made it even more realistic for me.


It was no way for her to pop in if she was attending the same school LOL

It was no way for her to pop in if she was attending the same school LOL

Uh, yeah there was. I'm talking about appearing on screen. She could have done that She went to the same school that her friends did. Her house keeper became her dietician. She could have been seen eating in the cafeteria. Hands down.

Uh, yeah there was. I'm talking about appearing on screen. She could have done that She went to the same school that her friends did. Her house keeper became her dietician. She could have been seen eating in the cafeteria. Hands down.


Tom if she was enrolled in Eastland on DS, then it was no way for her to guest star on FOL-lol Either she had to go to FOL with mrs. Garrett or not appear on there at all.

Tom if she was enrolled in Eastland on DS, then it was no way for her to guest star on FOL-lol Either she had to go to FOL with mrs. Garrett or not appear on there at all.

Says who? Solomon, it sounds like you are giving selective logic to this issue. It makes sense to have her appear as she is a student there with her other friends. She appeared on episode one with the rest of the cast. Then Arnold and Willis appeared separately during season two. Kimberly could have made appearances. No doubt about that. Plus, her friends appeared sporadically on DS through season four. Both shows were filmed in the same studio as well. Yes, it was possible. The Huxtables sure did make appearances on A Different World while both Cosby and ADW were filmed in studios across the country.

Solomon, you're not debating this for the sake of pushing up a new, organic debate, are you? :confused:

Says who? Solomon, it sounds like you are giving selective logic to this issue. It makes sense to have her appear as she is a student there with her other friends. She appeared on episode one with the rest of the cast. Then Arnold and Willis appeared separately during season two. Kimberly could have made appearances. No doubt about that. Plus, her friends appeared sporadically on DS through season four. Both shows were filmed in the same studio as well. Yes, it was possible. The Huxtables sure did make appearances on A Different World while both Cosby and ADW were filmed in studios across the country.

Solomon, you're not debating this for the sake of pushing up a new, organic debate, are you? :confused:


How could she appear as a student without viewers wondering where she was the next episode? That's why i feel she and Mrs. garrett should have both went to FOL and that way it would have made more sense and then she could have made guest appearances on DS with the girls

How could she appear as a student without viewers wondering where she was the next episode? That's why i feel she and Mrs. garrett should have both went to FOL and that way it would have made more sense and then she could have made guest appearances on DS with the girls


Solomon, there are other characters that were students that did not appear on every episode but we saw them two times or a few more which was enough to show the viewers that they existed. The same argument goes for Kimberly. Besides, the season one girls popped in and out as well through season three. So, yes it could have happened. Kimberly did not have to be seen every episode but seeing here and there would have sufficed. There is no law against that.

I made this point on the FOL forum but I think FOL would've been a much better show if they centered the show on a cast of older girls instead of younger actresses like Kim Fields and Molly Ringwald.

I mentioned I would've assembled a cast of Lisa Whelchel, Julie Piekarski, Felice Schachter and possibly Mindy Cohn along with Charlotte Rae obviously and dispensed with the rest.

Judging from some of the cast photos from season one, there seemed to be a thought at least for awhile to align the three older castmates together (there are photos of Whelchel, Schachter and Piekarski together without the rest of the cast) and personally I think one of the biggest problems in season one is they had no clue as to whether they wanted to cater to the teen set (Whelchel and Piekarski were already getting coverage in the magazines due to their involvement in MMC) or base their show around younger actors perhaps hoping to foster another young star as DS did with Gary Coleman.

But to your question, while I would've liked to have seen Dana Plato spun off onto FOL there were just too many obstacles to make that realistically happen. First off it would've weakened the cast of DS considerably to lose both Rae and Plato within the span of one season. Plato was also essential to the Drummond/Jackson dynamic as Kimberly gave Arnold and Willis someone relative to their own age to play off of.

Also as we all know during the first season of FOL, the cast was already very top heavy and adding Plato to the mix and given the fact her character probably would've been cast as the lead would've made the already top heavy cast even more bloated.

I wonder if being on "The Facts of Life" would have made a difference in Dana Plato's life. She needed the work and maybe it would have lead to more opportunities and a longer life.

I've often wondered this too. For me Plato would've been much better served as an actress to have been on FOL instead of DS. DS eventually became Gary Coleman's vehicle with everyone else being reduced to his supporting cast/foils.

As for whether it would've made a difference in her life? I don't know. From a professional standpoint as you mentioned, maybe it would've lead to more roles which would've in turn perhaps steered her away from her eventual path.

Beyond that it's impossible to say.

I think since they had their SET number of girls on FOL, it was no way for Kimberly to be added to the show

Well if Plato was added to the show as a regular from the start you'd have to assume the show would've been a vehicle for her along with Charlotte Rae. The rest of the girls would've been support cast.

Building the show around Dana Plato may have also necessitated the axing of some of the younger cast as the show would've been focused around girls Dana's age and their adventures. Given the fact that the producers cast girls of such a wide age range for FOL, I'm not sure that was a direction they ever considered.

I've often wondered this too. For me Plato would've been much better served as an actress to have been on FOL instead of DS. DS eventually became Gary Coleman's vehicle with everyone else being reduced to his supporting cast/foils.

As for whether it would've made a difference in her life? I don't know. From a professional standpoint as you mentioned, maybe it would've lead to more roles which would've in turn perhaps steered her away from her eventual path.

Beyond that it's impossible to say.



Well if Plato was added to the show as a regular from the start you'd have to assume the show would've been a vehicle for her along with Charlotte Rae. The rest of the girls would've been support cast.

Building the show around Dana Plato may have also necessitated the axing of some of the younger cast as the show would've been focused around girls Dana's age and their adventures. Given the fact that the producers cast girls of such a wide age range for FOL, I'm not sure that was a direction they ever considered.


I guess since she was Mr. Drummond daughter is why she was kept on DS. But they should have just had her attending a local school rather than making her apart of the same school the girls from FOL attended.

I guess since she was Mr. Drummond daughter is why she was kept on DS. But they should have just had her attending a local school rather than making her apart of the same school the girls from FOL attended.

I just thought of another reason (perhaps THE REASON) why Dana didn't guest star on any episodes of FOL outside of the cameo of the entire DS cast for the first episode. By Season 3 of DS, Plato was already a bigger star than any of the girls on FOL and by guesting on that show she would be bringing her star to the show and taking time away from the other less established actors.

Also you'll notice that both Lisa Whelchel and Mindy Cohn guest starred on Season 3 of DS hoping to get FOL a rub off of DS. The reason being by appearing on DS with Plato and Coleman, producers hoped that viewers would tune in to see Whelchel and Cohn on FOL.

Contrastingly if Plato appeared on FOL it wouldn't have done anything good for that show as she wouldn't be giving the show a boost as much as she would be making herself she focal point of another show (if only for one or two episodes).

You dig?

Yeah.

The producers were aware of Dana's drug problems and depression. They probably knew that it would be risky starting her on a new show since it would be more awkward writing her off from cast in which she was a main character classmate. Plus more scenes that focus solely on her. Even though I adore Dana and think she was very talented and misunderstood (why her career was slept-on and made a mockery), I think adding to her to FOL would have made her even more notorious to America. She most likely would have been fired from FOL for getting pregnant and possibly gotten into more trouble from resulting pressure.

The producers were aware of Dana's drug problems and depression. They probably knew that it would be risky starting her on a new show since it would be more awkward writing her off from cast in which she was a main character classmate. Plus more scenes that focus solely on her. Even though I adore Dana and think she was very talented and misunderstood (why her career was slept-on and made a mockery), I think adding to her to FOL would have made her even more notorious to America. She most likely would have been fired from FOL for getting pregnant and possibly gotten into more trouble from resulting pressure.


Just seems like she should have followed Mrs Garrett to FOL since DS was clearly all about Mr. Drummond and the boys

I agree Dana should have been on FOL as Kimberly which would have made sense.

I agree Dana should have been on FOL as Kimberly which would have made sense.



Especially since she had a backseat role to Arnold and Willis

The Facts of Life was going to be Dana Plato's show, but for whatever reason (Plato being pregnant or just a screw up) did not work out.

Same with Lisa Bonet and A Different World.

The Facts of Life was going to be Dana Plato's show, but for whatever reason (Plato being pregnant or just a screw up) did not work out.

Same with Lisa Bonet and A Different World.

But Dana didn't get pregnant until 5 years after The Facts Of Life premiered.

I remember one episode Diff'rent Strokes of where Mr . Drummond said that Kimberly goes to boarding school and comes home on the weekends . I later watched The Facts of Life where Mrs . Garrett rode herd on a bunch of girls at a boarding school . It took me a while to realize that the school on The Facts of Life was the self -- same school that Kimberly attended . I never saw the episode where Mrs . Garrett first helped out at Eastlend .

Since Arnold and Willis visited The Facts of Life and Blair and Natalie visited Diff'rent Strokes, Kimberly should have appeared on The Facts of Life a few times a season . She could have been seen visiting Mrs Garrett, and say something like "I'll tell Daddy I saw you !" .

Wikipedia's article on The Facts of Life said that "a run -- in with the law" forced Blair, Jo, Natalie, and Tootie to be separated from the other girls, live together in a spare room next to Mrs . Garrett's bedroom, and work in the cafeteria for Mrs . Garrett .

I thought the four girls did some damage to Eastland school property, so they all had work for Mrs . Garrett to pay for the damage . I remember one episode where Mrs . Garrett announced to the girls that their debt was paid . The girls were all looking forward to moving into the dorms . They wound up in a food fight, throwing flour all over each other, so they wound up at square one, having to work for Mrs . Garrett and pay off a debt . This element diminished in importance over the run of the series, and the four girls and Mrs . Garrett probably felt like a family at one point, so they didn't want to be apart from each other .

If Kimberly wasn't part of the run -- in with the law / the damage to Eastland school property, she wouldn't have had to work for Mrs . Garrett to pay off a debt . She could still be friends with Blair, Jo, Natalie, Tootie and Mrs . Garrett .

Every time I try to offer a short comment, it turns into some big long hairy thing . It's time I went to bed .

Yes, you are right. In the first episode of the second season, which is where Jo joins the cast, they take an Eastland van and go to a bar and get arrested there. And that's how they got the room next to Mrs. Garrett's.

It was always weird that Blair, natalie, and tootie came to Different Strokes but Kimberly never came over to FOL