Last night Ant TV showed the episode "Bulimia" in which Kimberly develops an eating disorder. This is a very powerful episode and one of the show's very best. I'm just sorry they did not do a follow up episode where we learned of Kimberly's progress. I'm surprised that Kimberly didn't like her body. Besides for Lisa Whelchel on The Facts of Life, who on television in 1985 had a better body! "Bulimia" is also sad as we know the problems that Dana Plato was going through in real life and that she never recovered. :(
Still, "Bulimia" ranks only under "The Hitchhikers" as the best episode of the series.

Dana Plato did do a good job in this episode. RIP, Dana.

I agree. She did well. It was nice to see more of her in the final season. It was her final show and I remember watching it in first run.

Me too. I remember wondering why they showed her so seldom. The show slowly became "The Arnold and Sam Show".

Well, she as let go two seasons earlier. She then appeared in two eps after leaving the show. That final season, she got four eps. With her character being in Paris, I guess it made it easier to not have her been seen on screen. Most of the supporting cast (sans Sam) had a significant amount of episode reduction. Maggie lived there full time and she was only in nine episodes!!!

Yeah. I think the writers ran out of ideas, and just went with the Sam-and-Arnold storyline, since they were cute. And I think the producers were trying to save money by using cast members infrequently.

Gary Coleman later said in an interview that he wished the producers had given Dana and Todd more storylines those last few years, because there was too much pressure on him. Certainly, only having Kimberly appear in four episodes, Maggie in nine, and Willis in a few kept the costs down, but it made the penthouse seem empty. "Bulimia" was Dana's last starring episode.

I don't blame Gary for that at all. It seemed as though they gave him too much to do.

Yeah. I think the writers ran out of ideas, and just went with the Sam-and-Arnold storyline, since they were cute. And I think the producers were trying to save money by using cast members infrequently.

Gary Coleman later said in an interview that he wished the producers had given Dana and Todd more storylines those last few years, because there was too much pressure on him. Certainly, only having Kimberly appear in four episodes, Maggie in nine, and Willis in a few kept the costs down, but it made the penthouse seem empty. "Bulimia" was Dana's last starring episode.

I agree!