Her character after-all, was going to Eastland and the Facts of Life girls (in particular, Tootie) made quite a few appearances on Diff'rent Strokes.

I agree: it was totally a MISSED opportunity, and that is the reason i have written a few 'Fanfiction stories' with Kimberly and all the lost facts of life girls....

Because Charlotte thought Dana Plato would be a bad influence on her girls.

Because Charlotte thought Dana Plato would be a bad influence on her girls.

WELCOME back 80s Dude! I didn't think any of the 'older users' were still on this site lol! How are you? It's been a long time since we all chatted!:wave::wave::wave:

WELCOME back 80s Dude! I didn't think any of the 'older users' were still on this site lol! How are you? It's been a long time since we all chatted!:wave::wave::wave:

Doing fine. Wished the others were here since the Lost Girls are now coming out in public.

Doing fine. Wished the others were here since the Lost Girls are now coming out in public.:wave:


The lost girls are back???? (Wow i didn't know that):wave::wave::wave:

PS: are none of the others on this site anymore? :confused::confused::confused:

316599:wave:


The lost girls are back???? (Wow i didn't know that):wave::wave::wave:

PS: are none of the others on this site anymore? :confused::confused::confused:

Here they are. All were at the Chiller Theatre fan expo in New Jersey during October 2024.

Because Charlotte thought Dana Plato would be a bad influence on her girls.

Charlotte Rae was apparently on Jenny Jones' talk show a short time after Dana passed and someone asked her if she ever reached out to Dana. Charlotte replied that she hadn't kept in touch with Dana after she left Diff'rent Strokes to do The Facts of Life.

Charlotte Rae was apparently on Jenny Jones' talk show a short time after Dana passed and someone asked her if she ever reached out to Dana. Charlotte replied that she hadn't kept in touch with Dana after she left Diff'rent Strokes to do The Facts of Life.

Charlotte mentioned in her book that Dana tried to seduce one of Charlotte's male friends (who was Charlotte's age) on the set of Different Strokes. She also said that Dana was needy and flakey in one interview.

:wave:


The lost girls are back???? (Wow i didn't know that):wave::wave::wave:

PS: are none of the others on this site anymore? :confused::confused::confused:

The Lost Girls have become the Found Girls. Here is a recent interview with Julie Anne Haddock (Cindy). Julie Anne answers the question whether she was really a tomboy and who her closest friend was on the show (life imitates art).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Mh4_XiMfM&t=2s

The Lost Girls have become the Found Girls. Here is a recent interview with Julie Anne Haddock (Cindy). Julie Anne answers the question whether she was really a tomboy and who her closest friend was on the show (life imitates art).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Mh4_XiMfM&t=2s


Thank you SO much for all this useful information 80s Dude: i truly appreciate it!:wave::wave::wave:

Julie Pie's interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea9ha0uNHXQ&t=1995s

Charlotte said she had no contact with Dana since Mr. Drummond's wedding episode. She always praised the boys and her Facts of Life girls.

WELCOME back 80s Dude! I didn't think any of the 'older users' were still on this site lol! How are you? It's been a long time since we all chatted!:wave::wave::wave:

Hi Valentina. I'm glad that you're still here, along with other members. I really miss the good old days with the gang

Charlotte said she had no contact with Dana since Mr. Drummond's wedding episode. She always praised the boys and her Facts of Life girls.

Really? Where can I find this interview?

Anyway, I think one of the reasons, aside from Charlotte's view on Dana, was that the producers didn't want Dana in a new work enviroment full of teenage girls. Remember that in S1 of DS, Kimberly was away much of the time, even Mrs. Garrett, who technically wasn't part of the family, had more screentime than her

Hello FOL FAN ITA!

Great to chat to you too: i miss the good old days too when most of us 'old users' were still around!
How are you?:wave::wave::wave:

I'm fine, thanks. And you?

Yeah, this place really dried out after the old users left. I'm glad there are survivors here and there:lol:

It is one of the biggest "what-ifs" of the 80s sitcom era. Since Kimberly Drummond was the person who actually went to Eastland in the "The Girls' School" (Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 finale), she should have been the natural bridge between the shows.

Here is the reality behind why Dana Plato never made the jump to Peekskill:

Contractual "Star" Power: At the time The Facts of Life launched, Dana Plato was a major draw for Diff'rent Strokes. Tandem Productions didn't want to weaken their flagship show by moving a lead actor to a risky spin-off. They preferred "guest" crossovers where the girls went to Park Avenue rather than Kimberly going to the school.

The "Outcast" Dynamic: The writers wanted Blair Warner to be the undisputed "queen bee" of Eastland. Having Kimberly Drummond there—who was also wealthy, beautiful, and popular—would have created a redundancy in the cast. Blair needed to be the "rich girl" foil to the "commoners," and Kimberly was too nice to fill that role.

Narrative Erasure: After the first season of Facts, the show underwent a massive "retooling" (firing most of the girls). During this shift, the writers moved away from the Diff'rent Strokes connection to establish a standalone identity. Sadly, this meant Kimberly’s status as an Eastland student was largely ignored and eventually written out of the lore.

Personal Struggles: By the time the show reached its peak, Plato's personal life and well-documented struggles with the "child star" transition made the producers of both shows hesitant to increase her workload or shift her role.

"In the Swim" (Season 5, Episode 2), which aired on October 9, 1982.
In this episode, Kimberly transfers from her private school (presumably still Eastland) to Willis’s public school, causing a stir by demanding to join the all-male swim team. This served as the final "narrative divorce" between Kimberly and the Peekskill universe.

The "Kimberly at Eastland" Timeline
1979: Kimberly introduces Mrs. Garrett to Eastland in "The Girls' School".
1980–1982: She is technically still an Eastland student but is only seen at the Park Avenue penthouse during Diff'rent Strokes episodes.
1982: She officially transfers to public school in "In the Swim" to be closer to home and experience a "normal" education.

Why the Crossover Never Happened
Beyond the writing choices, there is a persistent industry rumor that Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Garrett) reportedly felt Dana Plato was "flaky" during the pilot's filming and was hesitant about her joining the Facts cast full-time. Additionally, producers feared that removing a second major character from Diff'rent Strokes (after Mrs. Garrett) would tank the flagship show's ratings.

It's a shame, as a Kimberly vs. Blair swimming rivalry would have been classic 80s TV.

Wow, very impressive. I agree with you on all counts including what a wonderful Blair vs Kimberly match would have been like on TV.

such a MISSED opportunity indeed: Blair VERSUS Kimberly would have been so badass! (One of the many reasons why i have posted stories about them on the 'Fanfiction' site)