I only have a vague recollection of her from the original airings, and remember I couldn't stand her back then. That feeling hasn't changed watching her episodes again. I just never knew they put her in the opening credits too! I don't remember her being that important a character and she didn't deserve to be in the opening.

Her presence was just so redundant and not needed. I see in IMDB she was only in 12 episodes and then shown the door. :lol:

And not shown the door soon enough! lol

I agree. Sorry for the actress, but I utterly disliked the character. Once she threatened Blair and held her up and smashed Mrs. Garrett's goods, uh-uh---you are GONE.

She is my unfavourite character, I can't stand her. They added her because they wanted to soften Jo but it didn't work and they fired her. Another useless character! But I don't remeber 12 eps with her, she was in like 7 or 8 eps

She is my unfavourite character, I can't stand her. They added her because they wanted to soften Jo but it didn't work and they fired her. Another useless character! But I don't remeber 12 eps with her, she was in like 7 or 8 eps

Correction, she was in 9 episodes. On IMDB it says 3 of them were "credit only", I missed that part earlier. But yeah, the character certainly didn't make a good first impression by threatening everyone. The episode where she threatened Blair made her especially hateful.

I wonder if angry viewers wrote in demanding they get rid of her.

Pamela Adlon, the actress who played Kelly claimed it was Nancy M. who pressured the writers to make her character unlikable.

I only have a vague recollection of her from the original airings, and remember I couldn't stand her back then. That feeling hasn't changed watching her episodes again. I just never knew they put her in the opening credits too! I don't remember her being that important a character and she didn't deserve to be in the opening.

Her presence was just so redundant and not needed. I see in IMDB she was only in 12 episodes and then shown the door. :lol:

Kelly was a terrible, terrible decision by Margie and Linda. Eve Brandstein did her best in casting the character (I have no problem with Pamela herself), but the way they wrote her quickly doomed the character. As you correctly write, I think they wanted a mini-Jo, trying to duplicate their success with Jo. But duplicating Jo would have just been... redundant. I honestly don't know why the writers kept trying to saddle these girls with much younger sidekicks. It just made no sense. What college student wants to hang out with a young teen or (in Andy's case) pre-teen?

Yes, both Kelly and Howard were seen in some of the opening credits, although Howard's were only seen in some syndication prints, and are not on the DVDs.

Pamela Adlon, the actress who played Kelly claimed it was Nancy M. who pressured the writers to make her character unlikable.

If that's true, I don't blame her one bit. I'd feel the same way if someone came in threatening my job, and that's what it rightfully could have been perceived by Nancy. Here's this new character who's pretty much a carbon copy of her own character just a few seasons ago. Hell yeah i'd be insulted as well as threatened by that and would complain to producers.

It's not even the fact that she was a mini Jo...the show was running just fine at that point and didn't need to have a 5th girl added to the mix.

Correction, she was in 9 episodes. On IMDB it says 3 of them were "credit only"

How odd!

But, I don't see Kelly as them wanting to duplicate their success with Jo. I see it as an attempt to capitalize on Jo herself. The audiences LOVED Jo, and she had reformed from her socially unacceptable punk ways which she was before she came to Eastland. I think the producers/writers thought, gosh, since everyone LOVES Jo, and she's reformed her "bad" ways from her early adolescence, why not capitalize on this new "softer" Jo and have her be a mentor to someone who's like Jo was before we ever met Jo.

KELLY was definitely a 'doomed' character: JO treated her badly on the show and KELLY

And KELLY herself was horrible to BLAIR!

If that's true, I don't blame her one bit. I'd feel the same way if someone came in threatening my job, and that's what it rightfully could have been perceived by Nancy. Here's this new character who's pretty much a carbon copy of her own character just a few seasons ago. Hell yeah i'd be insulted as well as threatened by that and would complain to producers.

It's not even the fact that she was a mini Jo...the show was running just fine at that point and didn't need to have a 5th girl added to the mix.

It's no slight to Panela Adlon to say that the character of Kelly just didn't work right for FOL. Kelly stuck out like a sore thumb. They made her unlikeable, so it was unbelievable that these girls would hang out with her, even at a shop.

How odd!

But, I don't see Kelly as them wanting to duplicate their success with Jo. I see it as an attempt to capitalize on Jo herself. The audiences LOVED Jo, and she had reformed from her socially unacceptable punk ways which she was before she came to Eastland. I think the producers/writers thought, gosh, since everyone LOVES Jo, and she's reformed her "bad" ways from her early adolescence, why not capitalize on this new "softer" Jo and have her be a mentor to someone who's like Jo was before we ever met Jo.

I think that's well put. In fact, we saw shades of this in later seasons, when Jo began working at that youth center, helping inner city kids (or whatever it was; it's been years since I've seen most of those later-season episodes).

Kelly was a terrible, terrible decision by Margie and Linda. Eve Brandstein did her best in casting the character (I have no problem with Pamela herself), but the way they wrote her quickly doomed the character. As you correctly write, I think they wanted a mini-Jo, trying to duplicate their success with Jo. But duplicating Jo would have just been... redundant. I honestly don't know why the writers kept trying to saddle these girls with much younger sidekicks. It just made no sense. What college student wants to hang out with a young teen or (in Andy's case) pre-teen?

Yes, both Kelly and Howard were seen in some of the opening credits, although Howard's were only seen in some syndication prints, and are not on the DVDs.


I do not have a clear memory of who Howard was. Please help me out here.

I do not have a clear memory of who Howard was. Please help me out here.

He was an Eastland cook, played by Hugh Gillin (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318761/). He only appeared in four episodes, but at the time FOL aired, he actually appeared in the opening credits (in the episodes where he appeared, much like Pamela), and in some syndication prints around that era. It was... odd.

Kelly was a weirdo with a strange obsession for Jo.

Kelly was a weirdo with a strange obsession for Jo.

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

He was an Eastland cook, played by Hugh Gillin (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318761/). He only appeared in four episodes, but at the time FOL aired, he actually appeared in the opening credits (in the episodes where he appeared, much like Pamela), and in some syndication prints around that era. It was... odd.

And I would LOVE IT if his credits showed up on YouTube someday!!!

I really thought season 5 might be when the show went downhill according to some but I really love it. Kelly is the least favorite part. The story where she is introduced is so unrealistically and she is so annoying.

I really thought season 5 might be when the show went downhill according to some but I really love it. Kelly is the least favorite part. The story where she is introduced is so unrealistically and she is so annoying.

Aside from Kelly and the loss of Eastland, it is a good season. The set is so beautiful, and it always makes me hungry for quiche and pie and strudel and... :wave:

Aside from Kelly and the loss of Eastland, it is a good season. The set is so beautiful, and it always makes me hungry for quiche and pie and strudel and... :wave:


I LOVE the Edna's Edibles set. I made a post a year ago saying how they should've just rebuilt the store after the fire. This was Edna's freaking DREAM and to open a novelty store in it's place was just dumb.

Anyway, back to the point, that set really is beautiful and very authentic looking. You really do want to sit down in there and have something.

I LOVE the Edna's Edibles set. I made a post a year ago saying how they should've just rebuilt the store after the fire. This was Edna's freaking DREAM and to open a novelty store in it's place was just dumb.

Anyway, back to the point, that set really is beautiful and very authentic looking. You really do want to sit down in there and have something.

I agree 99%!

The 1% where I disagree, lol, is that, yes, while EE is beautiful and so cozy and welcoming and "gives you all the feels" :grouphug:, all the wood is dark. Which is not bad in and of itself, but I was just absolutely in forever love with the cheery, light, airy feel of the pale yellow of the Eastland kitchen, cafeteria, and lounge. :)

I LOVE the Edna's Edibles set. I made a post a year ago saying how they should've just rebuilt the store after the fire. This was Edna's freaking DREAM and to open a novelty store in it's place was just dumb.

Anyway, back to the point, that set really is beautiful and very authentic looking. You really do want to sit down in there and have something.

OOH was indeed dumb, but as a kid, I was excited about the change, the new theme song, and the hip fads that they added, which made Over Our Heads feel like a shop in a mall: very trendy in 1985. Looking back, those things just instantly dated the show.

The EE set looked very authentic, but what didn't look authentic was the exterior. For whatever reason, the exterior shot they used seemed to show a Cape Cod-style building in a completely different style than the interior.

I LOVE the Edna's Edibles set. I made a post a year ago saying how they should've just rebuilt the store after the fire. This was Edna's freaking DREAM and to open a novelty store in it's place was just dumb.

Anyway, back to the point, that set really is beautiful and very authentic looking. You really do want to sit down in there and have something.


I was devastated when 'EDNA's EDIBLES' went on fire and they introduced us 'OVER OUR HEADS'! (worst mistake ever!) and of course when MRS G left the show i was in tears....:(

Kelly was a weirdo with a strange obsession for Jo.


KELLY was in love with JO!:lol::lol::lol:

KELLY was in love with JO!:lol::lol::lol:


I didn't want to go there...but yeah, I have to agree!

Pamela Adlon, the actress who played Kelly claimed it was Nancy M. who pressured the writers to make her character unlikable.

That was DIRTY for Nancy to do (allegedly), regardless of how unlikable the Kelly character was. The actress herself didn't deserve that.