I found this Nancy quote on the Lifetime site:

McKeon says she'd "prefer not to relive my puberty on Nick at Nite, in a 40-show marathon, no less."

Looking at it that way puts it in a whole new perspective. I came across my high school yearbook the other day. Taking a look at it made me immediately feel insecure, so I hid it back in the bottom of a moving crate. The FOL girls don't have that luxury. They get the honor of having all of the Nick-At-Nite viewing audience see their awkward stages, bad wardrobe, off hair-days, and other nuances of puberty. I don't know about any of you, but I sure wouldn't handle that very well.

Lol, I agree. That's like a public active yearbook! lol!

Yes but do remember, it was their choice to be on the show, and heck they knew they were going through puberty! Yes I agree though it would be embarrasing, but that's just part of show business! I mean look at them now! I think they all look pretty damn good! Plus, we don't watch the show to watch them grow, we watch it for entertainment and cause we enjoy watching it.

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See ya~The T
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Jo: Well I'm startin.

Nat: Where'd ya get the beer?

Jo: I got the beer. Here's to all who wish me well, all the rest can go to.......Jersey.
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The T, I did plenty of things as a teenager that I thought were a good idea at the time, but looking back, I don't want to be reminded that I did them, since they aren't how I want to be remembered.

This is kinda off-topic, but it relates a little, so here goes...I was reading something in a magazine that said Courtney Cox was the first person to say "period" on a television series, which makes me think it was said on the series Friends. Facts of Life pre-dated Friends by more than 10 years. Given that all the girls were going through puberty, did they ever mention anything about that, or ever say the word, on the show? I know this is random, but it's just something I thought of.

Jeter-

No, I don't thing they did. The thing Lisa brings up in interviews alot is "It was called 'the Facts of Life', but we never really dealt with the actualy facts of life'.
I think the writer's were very 'cautios'. They wanted the girls to stay girls forever.

ks

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Jo: Things are NOT going well here. They're dragging your name through the mud...I think I'm gonna have to hit somebody.

Natalie: Who asked you to defend my honor?

Jo: I think I'm gonna have to hit you.
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Jeter2,
If Courtney Cox was the first to say "period" on TV, it couldn't've been on "Friends." There is an episode of The Golden Girls when Blanche is going through menopause and they have a whole conversation about getting their period. Since GG went off the air in 1992, and I believe Friends' first season was mid-90s, Cox probably said it in something else. Just a piece of info I wanted to pass on! http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif But it is odd that that subject never came up on FOL. And if it did, I don't recall the episode.

Miller, I think that during the whole Golden Girls ordeal, they never actually reffered to it as a "period"... I think they probably had a euphanism for it like "the monthly visitor" or something like that. Maybe I'm wrong, because its been awhile since I've seen that episode.

That episode of Golden Girls was on tonight and they never actually did say period. They used every other word for it though.

HHmmm...I'm almost positive Rose refers to it as her period... Because I remember watching the episode tonight and remembering the post about Cox being the first to say it. I could be wrong, though.

Back to the topic---
I agree with the T(when do I don't?)that they should of expected this, all of the actresses, including Nancy McKeon. I think there was a topic a month or two ago, when someone said Nancy McKeon was selfish(I believe it was CLASSIC TV MAN). And at that time, I disagreed.
But now, I do think she's selfish. By far the most of the whole group of girls. All I have to say is that she should seriously get over herself and get a ego check.
I mean, SERIOUSLY, what did she expect? I think we can all agree that 'The Facts of Life' is a great show, and apparently the folks over at N@N think the same thing. They liked it enough to show a 40- episode marathon(not once, but twice!).
Should'nt she have enough respect for the show that got her where she is today? Of course i'm not in her shoes, but if I was her, i'd be proud to have been apart of something like that. I could be blowing this way out of proportion, but that's what I think.
I mean, we all go through 'the awkward years' sooner or later. The difference is they were in front of a camera(embarrassing for sure, but c'mon!) http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

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"It was just like Saturday Night Fever, only it was a Friday."

[This message has been edited by Cokies (edited 01-16-2001).]

Right on Cokies!!

.....and yes that was my topic.


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Stanley Roper: I'm sorry Jack

Jack Tripper: Oh, thats ok, what did you do?

Roper: Me? Nothing, I just thought I saw something that wasnt normal, because it was normal, but, now I can see it aint normal, so, everything's back to normal again.

Jack: oh, well, I'm glad for you.

I'm going to have to come to Nancy's defense on this one...

I'm sure most people here wouldn't want to relive their puberty. And not only relive it, but relive it in front of millions of people. I don't blame her for not wanting to sit down and watch herself be a teenager again. Lisa has even said that those were very 'awkward' years and she doesn't like watching herself on N@N. I don't know about Mindy and Kim, but if we're gonna bash Nancy about not wanting to be in the reunion, that why don't we start bashing Kim to because she doesn't want to return as Tootie. Nancy has moved on and is succesful, and just because she doesn't want to watch some 40ep marathon on N@N doesn't mean she is selfish. I think we should stop judging someone we don't even know...


ks


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Jo: Things are NOT going well here. They're dragging your name through the mud...I think I'm gonna have to hit somebody.

Natalie: Who asked you to defend my honor?

Jo: I think I'm gonna have to hit you.
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Cokies: well said!!! Glad someone around here agrees with me! and coily2, yes I'm sure everyone here has done some stupid things in their childhood, but like Cokies said, where would she be today without The Facts of life?!?! Plus God knows she had enough time to back out of the show, I mean for god sakes she was on it for 8 years!! And another thing, I don't really think nancy was ever in any particularly awkward stage. If someone should be complaining it should be Kim, or even Lisa because of her weight. Nancy was the least changed I think throughout the show. So if anyone SHOULDN'T be complaining it's Nancy!!! And yeah TVADDICT I totally agree with your theory about Nancy being Selfish. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif

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See ya~The T
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Jo: Well I'm startin.

Nat: Where'd ya get the beer?

Jo: I got the beer. Here's to all who wish me well, all the rest can go to.......Jersey.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Nancy never said she didn't enjoy doing the show. She said that she wouldn't want to RELIVE it. We shouldn't be sitting here judging her. In every interview that I ever read her doing in the 8 years she was on FOL she was enjoying her work. She leanred alot on the set of FOL, and she even said so in her IP interview. Why in the heck is everyone calling her selfish when you've never even met her? And why aren't we sitting here calling Kim selfish for not wanting to do the reunion? I mean come on, why can't we just leave it!


ks

I have to agree with ks. If anyone watched the IP she certainly didn't come off as "selfish." She may've said that "not wanting to relive her puberty" thing more light-hearted than it seems. I definitley don't think she's on some kind of ego-trip. It's probably embarrassing for her to watch herself at what she feels was an awkward stage.

Thank you, Miller. And you're right--she could very well have said the light heartedly. We don't know how she said it because we weren't there and we have no right to judge her. Also in the IP she talked about the suicide letter and how it really touched her. She obviously has fond memories of her FOL years.


ks

I watched the IP too, and I thought she came off as a very nice person, and yes, I have heard that she enjoyed her years on the 'facts'. BUT it seems that in every article recently she has said things that were very anti-'facts'. I mean, despite, she does come off as a little jerky. I'm just thinking that if she's so sure with herself now with her 'new career', then she should'nt be so insecure about her past. Why can't she just deal with it?
I mean, she spent her teenage years on a popular show, in which she was the most popular character. Tell me, what is so bad about that?...
Nothing.


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"It was just like Saturday Night Fever, only it was a Friday."

whoops, double post




[This message has been edited by Cokies (edited 01-17-2001).]

I agree with T and Cokies(except for the part about Nancy coming across as jerky which I do not believe is the case). Nancy was the one who decided she wanted to be an actor at a young age and was the one who willingly signed a contract to play the character of Jo and got paid handsomely to do so. From what I understand watching her IP she built up quite a nest egg from doing that show and was able to buy a condo, finance her own movie, etc.

At a young age she did a job, got paid for it and learned a craft both in front of and behind the camera. I'm not saying that she owes us anything more and certainly it is up to her to decide if she ever wants to do any reunion movies*same thing goes for Kim Fields and the other girls*. I can see her being embarrassed by having her puberty shown again on Nick *although I don't think she ever went thru any awkward stage* but the bottom line is that she got paid to play a character on FOL and the rights to that show have been bought by N@N who can choose to run 40 episode marathons for the next two years and there is nothing Nancy can do about it.

Back to coily's original post, I think that Nancy was probably just joking about the marathon. I know where she is coming from because I have to laugh with embarrassment at my high school pictures sporting those hideous 80's style clothes and hairstyles.

I just want to comment on the whole "awkward stage" thing...
McKeon my not have gone through a noticeable awkward stage on camera, but I'm sure off camera was a different story. People go through puberty in all different ways. Hers was probably more emotional, and perhaps she still feels a bit insecure about it. Somehow, I don't see her purposely bashing FOL, I think she realizes what it did for her career. I guess she just wants it to be a part of her past, and she wants her fans to see her as more than just "Jo." I'm sure a lot of the older people on this message board can say that they've changed since high school...and how would you feel if everyone you knew still thought of you as that kid you were in high school?

I got IP in the mail from another board member. So I am going to watch it. I don't think she or Kim are being selfish but I do think that they both need to do that movie. Kim needs to definietly do the movie. No questions. Even if Kim won't, Halle Berry would be an ideal choice for a replacement.

about the period thing --

I saw an interview with Courtney Cox and she said that it was a Tampax commercial and she was the first person to say "period" on T.V..
I don't remember when the commercial was though.

ks, miller15, I couldn't say anything better than you two already have. Excellent posts!!!

I guess I can see Nancy's point of view. When I was in high school, I was a "bad girl", a tomboy, voted class-ass, boasting a proud C- grade average, and was perfectly content doing nothing except skipping classes, cruising around town at night, TPing houses, and partaking in a range of illegal naughty teenager activies. I went to college, turned my life around, grew up, got out of the rebellious teenage stage, and now I have a wonderful husband, a nice house, and a very successful career as an engineer. However, when I get back together with my old friends from high school, nobody sees that side of me. It's always the tough-girl they want to see. As a result, that's not a part of my life that I like to revisit. I have a feeling that Nancy is going through something very similar.

We don't know her so we have no right to judge her. She seemed nice and funny in the interview, and everyone she has worked with seems to really like her.

Innocent until proving guilty.

Originally posted by Jeter2:
This is kinda off-topic, but it relates a little, so here goes...I was reading something in a magazine that said Courtney Cox was the first person to say "period" on a television series, which makes me think it was said on the series Friends. Facts of Life pre-dated Friends by more than 10 years. Given that all the girls were going through puberty, did they ever mention anything about that, or ever say the word, on the show? I know this is random, but it's just something I thought of.

they never did a show abotu one of the girls going through the actal getting their period type thign... but i was reading a facts of life article about how the girls relate to the show... and one of the questions asked by the interviewer was why they never did a show on one of the girls first getting theirs... (I think this article was introduced in like the 6th or 7th season and featured all the girls and charlotte rae) and they said that the writters thought that a show on that would have been out of the question at the point where they could have... (with it being season 6 an episode like that was kinda too far off for the subject to come up) but mindy said that she first did get hers and she didn't want to act on the show anymore at that time (hehe) and that was when the subject first came up to do a show about it cuz hey... it was a show abotu growing girls... but the directers turned it down (I think that was in the first season) and then in like the 2nd season kim got hers and the subject came up again (and with it being different directers... producers... and writers... the outcome coudl be different) and they said yes that is fine go ahead and do a show about it (that would have been the first show ever to do a episode related to the subject) but they all got the script and tootie was gonna get hers and all this stuff... and they started to do the script but it wasn't going over to well... mindy, kim, and even nancy (even though she was 16) after a while felt uncomfortable doing a show about it... so they cancelled the shows production... but lisa said, that it was rediculous for the 3 of them to be intimidated by something that is a normal part of life and that they shoudl be able to act this episode just fine... and they all said that they just couldn't and with it being kim fields just getting hers she was the most intimidated and threw the script down and walked out of the studio... but charlotte said that it was understandable for them to feel weird about it becuase it is a personal matter taht doesn't always have to be shared with all of america... (but my thing is what is this article saying?? hehe) and there were like about 10 other questions in the article too... it was like the top 10 questions/relations that the facts of life cast has to their show or somethign along those lines for the title... but it was a very interesting article... i think one of the questions was about he rumor of one of the girls losing their virginity (cuz i guess for a while in like the end of 6th season there was a rumor that in the next season a girl woudl have sex for the first time) and i believe that they all replied that it might happen but it is still in discusion and they all voiced their opinoin and at THAT time lisa was ok with it.... but it was later that she realized that it wasn't a good episode to have... but check out the article i don't remember what website i was at but do a yahoo search for facts of life articles and i think it will come up!

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jo: mrs. g gone on ahead I KNOW i can fix the problem
MRs. G: jo only twice in my life have i spoke in an arbitrary manner, once when my ex husband morgaged our home to pay the bookee, and now, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE OR I'LL BEAT YOU WITH MY FRYING PAN!!!

Jo: Woaw Nat!! Nice Girls Don't Throw Trees!!!

blair: now jo i know we usually dont agree but that was a scuzy thing for your mother to do!
tootie: wahts so scuzy about it!?!? dont you read the national enquirer, some of the best people are Shacking up!!
mrs. g: TOOTIE!!! im surrounded by x-rated kids!!!

****I AM FOR NO DEATH IN ALL FANFICTIONS!!! DEATH IS WRONG ESPECIALLY TO MAIN CHARACTERS!!! I AM AN ANTI-DEATH IN ALL FAN FICTIONS FAN!!!****

~FOL85NatandMrsGRock~
*Sarah Lynn*

Wow, that was some explanation. Thanks for doing it, I don't think I'd ever be able to take the time to write that all out.

Anyway, how embarrassing must it be for your whole cast and crew to know the first time you get your period? I don't blame Kim for not wanting to do it.

Now, I sorta take back what I said earlier, about callin' her a little jerky... And I should'nt jump to conclusions, especially since i'm not in her shoes. But I still think she's a little selfish, for being so against a reunion, etc. But then again, it's she who has to watch out for her so-called 'career', so I guess that's her decision. Whatever that decision may be...
*the same goes for Kim Fields*


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"It was just like Saturday Night Fever, only it was a Friday."

I'd have to say that I can see where Nancy McKeon is coming from on not wanting to do the reunion and putting FOL behind her. I have yet to see her put the show down or anything. She merely wants to move on in her career.

Jo was a role she did, and as much as I love Jo, I can see why she'd want to be known for being more than just "Jo". She's an actress also, and what a disapointment it must be, to not be able to get a chracter behind you.

When people recognize her they all go "Look, there's Jo!". How many people do you think say "Look, there's Nancy McKeon!"? FOL may have jump-started her career, but that wasn't the only thing she did, nor the only thing she should be known for.

From what I've heard, it sounds like she's had a lot of trouble with type-casting also. First as "Jo" like characters, then (after the Tracy Thurman story came out) as victim of abuse characters. That has got to be one of the worst things for an actress. The last thing she's gonna want to do is reassociate herself with "Jo" and FOL and get into the type-casting problem again.

Also, (while I'm on my little soap box http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif ) I think it's WAY out of line for any of us to be calling her selfish, etc.. if we've never met her, or actually talked with her about her reasons. We are in NO postiion to be judging her. You can't tell me You've never done something for your own reasons.

Anyways.... that's my story and I'm stickin to it! http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

- Mystery Jo Fan
~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*

Jo: Why don't you put your money where your muzzle is Benji?

Originally posted by TVaddict:
Wow, that was some explanation. Thanks for doing it, I don't think I'd ever be able to take the time to write that all out.

Anyway, how embarrassing must it be for your whole cast and crew to know the first time you get your period? I don't blame Kim for not wanting to do it.


Ya I Know!!! I was talking to someone who knows people who have been to a production of the facts of life and they were at this one and it was in the 2nd season and kim fields all of a sudden just ran out of the thing while they were taping... i guess that was when she got it or somethign... but i mean how embarrassing infront of that WHOLE crowd!! My god... i woudln't have been able to come out!! But i guess mindy like went after her to see what was wrong or something... cuz i thinkt hat mindy and kim were real friends off the screen since they interacted so much on screen... but i mean... YIKES!! how would you like ot be acting and then all of a sudden its like... WHAT!!! i mean... YIKES!! hehe.... I admire her strong aspire to act! http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif


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jo: mrs. g gone on ahead I KNOW i can fix the problem
MRs. G: jo only twice in my life have i spoke in an arbitrary manner, once when my ex husband morgaged our home to pay the bookee, and now, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE OR I'LL BEAT YOU WITH MY FRYING PAN!!!

Jo: Woaw Nat!! Nice Girls Don't Throw Trees!!!

blair: now jo i know we usually dont agree but that was a scuzy thing for your mother to do!
tootie: wahts so scuzy about it!?!? dont you read the national enquirer, some of the best people are Shacking up!!
mrs. g: TOOTIE!!! im surrounded by x-rated kids!!!

****I AM FOR NO DEATH IN ALL FANFICTIONS!!! DEATH IS WRONG ESPECIALLY TO MAIN CHARACTERS!!! I AM AN ANTI-DEATH IN ALL FAN FICTIONS FAN!!!****

~FOL85NatandMrsGRock~
*Sarah Lynn*

Originally posted by TVaddict:
Wow, that was some explanation. Thanks for doing it, I don't think I'd ever be able to take the time to write that all out.

Anyway, how embarrassing must it be for your whole cast and crew to know the first time you get your period? I don't blame Kim for not wanting to do it.

Yea i know... I was talking to this one girl who knows somebody who got to see like 3 episodes of the facts of life being produced and they were in teh studio audience... and i guess this was the first one this person got to see and it was in the 2nd seaosn liek one of the last eps of the facts of life being produced for that season and jo, blair, nat, tootie, and mrs. g were all in the cafeteria for that scene and like blair and jo were supposed to be talking and all of a sudden kim fields just runs off the set... nobody knew why or what happened... (I guess that was like when she first got it or something) and cuz kim and mindy are really pretty good friends off screen since they interact a lot on screen, mindy ran after her to see what was wrong... but i mean.. how embarassing... to get it right here in front of a WHOLE aduience!! YIKES!! I mean... being that age and still first getting it is embarrassing enough but having a whole audience, friends, producers, directors, cast members, extras, make up people... THE WHOLE Kit and Caboodle see ya int hat embarrassing time!! WoW! I really admire Kim's bravery and self esteem to get her to come and face the audience and finish the episode!! http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif Kim Fields is truely a great actress IMO... she really has it in her to face the embarassment!! http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif Good for her!

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jo: mrs. g gone on ahead I KNOW i can fix the problem
MRs. G: jo only twice in my life have i spoke in an arbitrary manner, once when my ex husband morgaged our home to pay the bookee, and now, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE OR I'LL BEAT YOU WITH MY FRYING PAN!!!

Jo: Woaw Nat!! Nice Girls Don't Throw Trees!!!

blair: now jo i know we usually dont agree but that was a scuzy thing for your mother to do!
tootie: wahts so scuzy about it!?!? dont you read the national enquirer, some of the best people are Shacking up!!
mrs. g: TOOTIE!!! im surrounded by x-rated kids!!!

****I AM FOR NO DEATH IN ALL FANFICTIONS!!! DEATH IS WRONG ESPECIALLY TO MAIN CHARACTERS!!! I AM AN ANTI-DEATH IN ALL FAN FICTIONS FAN!!!****

~FOL85NatandMrsGRock~
*Sarah Lynn*

She was cute, even in her "awkward" stage.

I would have to see documentation about this infamous "period" episode ever having been written, much less filmed. In all the articles and interviews and documentaries on FOL I have seen, no one has ever mentioned this.