Jo being a pianist...hmmmm... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

'80sSitcoms · 01-31-2013, 11:19 PM

Does it really bother anyone else how in the later seasons of FOL Jo was suddenly this very skilled and talented pianist?

This is probably the "character" thing in the series that really gets to me the most. Never before season 6's premiere episode was Jo ever mentioned as playing piano. And even in the discussions of Jo's financial difficulties with her parents, it was never brought up that, "Hey, maybe you could play piano in a nice restaurant for a salary, or play parties and events for tips."

I'm currently watching the entire series of FOL, and when I was watching this episode, I was keeping an eye out for who wrote Jo being a pianist---and I couldn't believe it was Linda Marsh and Margie Peters! Two long-time producers and writers of the show who really knew these girls, wrote so many terrific episodes, and here they are writing, IMO, such a hopelessly contrived detail into a character. Yes they tried to explain how she learned the piano, but for that kind of skill level you would certainly need a good deal of practice regularly (unless you were a rare virtuoso or child prodigy). There are other things they could have written about for that episode to show Jo doing "the last thing you'd expect to see Jo doing", but this just seems like such an unrealistic stretch to me.

And while we're on the subject of pianos, why on earth did they go to the trouble to include a piano on the set of the common room in season 1, but no one ever played it?? In a dorm full of girls, even if only 7, surely at least 1 of them had taken piano lessons...

Johnny be good! · 02-06-2013, 10:23 AM

That's true.

frodnew6 · 02-10-2013, 03:52 AM

Yeah that's true. I thought that maybe it was something she could always do, but she didn't want anyone to know; she probably trusted Mrs. Garrett enough to do it in front of her (which failed anyway since it was shared with everyone lol). But even that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, unless we're supposed to assume that she practiced off-camera, when everyone else was gone or something. Speaking of which, they had a piano during the Beverly Ann years, yet Jo never was seen playing it...only her dad did once.

TopperMadeline · 04-12-2013, 12:22 PM

Speaking of that, it's not really established that Jo could sing until the Cruising episode.

frodnew · 04-12-2013, 09:19 PM

Actually she sang in the same episode she played the piano, Summer of '84. I feel like maybe they did these things because Nancy had the talents and they wanted to be able to show them off or something...

frodnew · 04-12-2013, 09:21 PM

Oops...this is frodnew6...I logged in wrong lol

TopperMadeline · 04-12-2013, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frodnew

Actually she sang in the same episode she played the piano, Summer of '84. I feel like maybe they did these things because Nancy had the talents and they wanted to be able to show them off or something...

Oh, okay. I didn't realize the piano episode came before Cruising.

80s Dude · 05-02-2020, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopperMadeline

Speaking of that, it's not really established that Jo could sing until the Cruising episode.

Jo attempted to sing. She could not sing.

valentina warner · 05-02-2020, 06:07 PM

Hey guys: don't you remember how JO played piano on the 'Christmas in the big house' episode? (i know that was afterwards, but still)....

But yes you are right: the writers kept giving her weird hobbies, such as 'Ball room dancing' classes too (by season 7) remember????

RetroGuy2000 · 05-02-2020, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valentina warner

Hey guys: don't you remember how JO played piano on the 'Christmas in the big house' episode? (i know that was afterwards, but still)....

But yes you are right: the writers kept giving her weird hobbies, such as 'Ball room dancing' classes too (by season 7) remember????

Yes. Jo should never have played piano, sang, or ball room danced. That wasn't Jo. I think Nancy McKeon asked the producers to showcase her piano playing, and the worked it into the scripts, but Jo playing piano should never have happened. It was a reboot of the character. I have no problem with them wanting to soften Jo's image, but not with the piano playing or ballroom dancing.

valentina warner · 05-02-2020, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yes. Jo should never have played piano, sang, or ball room danced. That wasn't Jo. I think Nancy McKeon asked the producers to showcase her piano playing, and the worked it into the scripts, but Jo playing piano should never have happened. It was a reboot of the character. I have no problem with them wanting to soften Jo's image, but not with the piano playing or ballroom dancing.

Even BLAIR said to JO: "are you're trying to confuse me? (on the episode 'Ballroom dancing')

Folfan1234 · 05-03-2020, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Yes they tried to explain how she learned the piano, but for that kind of skill level you would certainly need a good deal of practice regularly...

80s, did they try to explain in Summer of 84? If she played before, why didn’t they put her as the piano player in S3 in Green Eyed Monster....

I always wondered if Nancy really could play. Or is was just a hey let’s put this random fact in.

ALSO, why wouldn’t they mention or show her hobby when she started to date then MARRY a professional piano player!

80s Dude · 05-03-2020, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Folfan1234

80s, did they try to explain in Summer of 84? If she played before, why didn’t they put her as the piano player in S3 in Green Eyed Monster....

I always wondered if Nancy really could play. Or is was just a hey let’s put this random fact in.

ALSO, why wouldn’t they mention or show her hobby when she started to date then MARRY a professional piano player!

The explanation on the show was that Jo kept her piano playing skills a secret which an really odd explanation considering that Eastland would have musical arts. Made no sense at all.

As for where Nancy M. played the piano, this photo should answer that question.

Folfan1234 · 05-03-2020, 10:09 AM

Maybe she just dabbled? I wish they asked that burning question one she podcast she did.

MA · 05-03-2020, 10:21 AM

Did Nancy actually play the piano and sing?

01-31-2013, 11:19 PM	#1
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Jo being a pianist...hmmmm... Does it really bother anyone else how in the later seasons of FOL Jo was suddenly this very skilled and talented pianist? This is probably the "character" thing in the series that really gets to me the most. Never before season 6's premiere episode was Jo ever mentioned as playing piano. And even in the discussions of Jo's financial difficulties with her parents, it was never brought up that, "Hey, maybe you could play piano in a nice restaurant for a salary, or play parties and events for tips." I'm currently watching the entire series of FOL, and when I was watching this episode, I was keeping an eye out for who wrote Jo being a pianist---and I couldn't believe it was Linda Marsh and Margie Peters! Two long-time producers and writers of the show who really knew these girls, wrote so many terrific episodes, and here they are writing, IMO, such a hopelessly contrived detail into a character. Yes they tried to explain how she learned the piano, but for that kind of skill level you would certainly need a good deal of practice regularly (unless you were a rare virtuoso or child prodigy). There are other things they could have written about for that episode to show Jo doing "the last thing you'd expect to see Jo doing", but this just seems like such an unrealistic stretch to me. And while we're on the subject of pianos, why on earth did they go to the trouble to include a piano on the set of the common room in season 1, but no one ever played it?? In a dorm full of girls, even if only 7, surely at least 1 of them had taken piano lessons...

02-06-2013, 10:23 AM	#2
Johnny be good! Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 18, 2007 Location: Westland, Michigan Posts: 1,633	That's true.
	__________________ Alex Bogue

05-03-2020, 10:21 AM	#15
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127,589	Did Nancy actually play the piano and sing?
	__________________ ~-Mikaela-~

02-10-2013, 03:52 AM	#3
frodnew6 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 07, 2013 Location: United States Posts: 132	Yeah that's true. I thought that maybe it was something she could always do, but she didn't want anyone to know; she probably trusted Mrs. Garrett enough to do it in front of her (which failed anyway since it was shared with everyone lol). But even that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, unless we're supposed to assume that she practiced off-camera, when everyone else was gone or something. Speaking of which, they had a piano during the Beverly Ann years, yet Jo never was seen playing it...only her dad did once.

04-12-2013, 12:22 PM	#4
TopperMadeline Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 12, 2013 Posts: 11	Speaking of that, it's not really established that Jo could sing until the Cruising episode.

04-12-2013, 09:19 PM	#5
frodnew 80's girlie Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 25, 2003 Location: wisconsin, usa Posts: 5	Actually she sang in the same episode she played the piano, Summer of '84. I feel like maybe they did these things because Nancy had the talents and they wanted to be able to show them off or something...

04-12-2013, 09:21 PM	#6
frodnew 80's girlie Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 25, 2003 Location: wisconsin, usa Posts: 5	Oops...this is frodnew6...I logged in wrong lol

05-02-2020, 06:07 PM	#9
valentina warner Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 31, 2020 Location: The Uk Posts: 3,154	Hey guys: don't you remember how JO played piano on the 'Christmas in the big house' episode? (i know that was afterwards, but still).... But yes you are right: the writers kept giving her weird hobbies, such as 'Ball room dancing' classes too (by season 7) remember????

05-03-2020, 10:09 AM	#14
Folfan1234 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 28, 2020 Location: Washington Posts: 30	Maybe she just dabbled? I wish they asked that burning question one she podcast she did.