Elayne Heilveil or Meredith Baxter-Birney?

[catlover79]

^ Awwww, that's terrific. I'm so glad you got to meet Elayne and that she turned out to be everything you expected and more!!

[Kas]

I haven't seen her on anything in a long time, doesn't she want to do acting any longer? Does she do plays or anything?

[duckie]

Since she was on the show longer, i'd have to go with MBB.

[Oscar&Felix]

Meredith Baxter-Birney actually brought me to the show, when I looked for her work pre-Family Ties. Still, the more I watched Family, the more I realized I wasn' truly interested in her character. Kristy McNichols and Sada Thompson (both of them I had never seen before) really made it for me.
I think Elayne Heivel and MBB had a different view of Nancy. The former was more of a childlike, frail character, while the latter, although pretty brazen, seemed able to take her life in charge. I guess I prefer Heyvel's potrayal in the end. More dramatic, and more original, sometimes in a rather disturbing light: like her casual, innocent behaviour at her son's christening, as she's apparently unaware of the painful memories it brings back to the rest of the family. Heyvel made Nancy aloof, yet likeable. Baxter-Birney, on the other hand gave a more down-to-earth character, that suited well the change of mood in the series, since the second season : more of a mix between drama and comedy.

[lakesgirl]

Meredith Baxter Birney. I didn't like the first Nancy at all although I wasn't a big fan of the 2nd Nancy either. But MBB was good. And so pretty. But Kristy McNichol is the one who made the show for me.

[dollymolly]

I just found some Family episodes on Youtube. I was very confused when watching the pilot because the only Nancy I knew was played by MBB. I loved watching this show when I was younger however I now see that I didn't start watching until the second season. I had NO idea there was another son, Timmy, who died. Really wish there were more shows like Family on TV now days.

[Penny Lane]

After I watched the first episodes again I liked Elayne as Nancy. Meredith was ok too but they turned her character into a selfish, self important, person whom I didn't care for. That wasn't Meredith's fault. But I do wish that John Rubinstein would have been in more episodes. I thought he was cute.

[TV Guy]

Cheryl Ladd was not the second choice for the role of Nancy. An actress named Jane Actman got the role after Elayne Heilveil was let go. After filming two episodes, she was also let go. Meredith Baxter Barney was hired - over Cheryl Ladd - and then refilled all of Actman's scenes.

Ladd didn't start on Charlie's Angels until a year after the lost out on the part of Nancy.

[biffbronson]

I'll have to go with Elayne. Meredith's acting is certainly fine, but I'm finding how her character was handled maybe a little heavy-handed by the writers.

[Bonniegirl]

Originally Posted by Penny Lane

After I watched the first episodes again I liked Elayne as Nancy. Meredith was ok too but they turned her character into a selfish, self important, person whom I didn't care for. That wasn't Meredith's fault. But I do wish that John Rubinstein would have been in more episodes. I thought he was cute.

Yeah, he was really cute! And I sort of agree, I think Elayne was better as Nancy than Meredith ! Even though I was more familiar with Meredith being she was in more episodes . Elayne looked more like she belonged in that family ! Meredith didn't look like the rest of them at all !!

[KyleThaddeus2015]

Originally Posted by Bonniegirl

Yeah, he was really cute! And I sort of agree, I think Elayne was better as Nancy than Meredith ! Even though I was more familiar with Meredith being she was in more episodes . Elayne looked more like she belonged in that family ! Meredith didn't look like the rest of them at all !!

Meredith just seemed out of place as the new Nancy. Elayne really fit in, but I assume she didn't want to continue playing the role when ABC renewed it for a full season in fall 1976, following the spring mini-series. She probably thought it wouldn't have been picked up as a regular show. I'm actually trying to locate episodes of shows she was in (like in a 1977 episode of Serpico, the short-lived TV series with David Birney, the religiously-themed special 3 Days from 1984, and the unsold HBO pilot All Night Radio from 1982).

[GhostAura]

I had never seen the original Family episodes with Elayne Heilveil until recently … had only seen Family with Meredith Baxter-Birney. This would ordinarily have made seeing a different actress in the role an adjustment and put her at a disadvantage. But Heilveil was outstanding. Her performance in the opening sequence was especially memorable. It’s unfortunate she wasn’t given a little more time while she was with the series.

Overall, I favor the original version of Nancy. At first she seemed more the victim of Jeff’s immaturity, but with the change she seemed to take the upper hand in that department, leaving Jeff the more sympathetic character. Elayne Nancy was a warmer, more likable character. Meredith Nancy seemed cooler and more immature and self centered. A bias against ‘strong’ women? Not if Kate is any indication … she is formidable, but likable, inspires respect, and generous. Buddy was my personal favorite, having been a teen at the time the show debuted. Had Elayne Nancy had more time to develop character dimension, I think she would be remembered more positively even by Meredith Nancy fans.

Not to take anything away from Baxter-Birney … just a different look and a different personality. The writers seem to have changed their approach along with the casting change. Baxter-Birney played the lines she was given flawlessly. Crucially for the series, she fit the Lawrence family well.

As far as the Family women are concerned, Sada Thompson and Kristy McNichol played the indispensable roles.

By today’s more serialized standards, we might wish for more multi-episode story arcs, but the rarely on-the-nose dialogue, and especially the setting, characters, music and sepia tinged ambience make Family still one of my all time favorites.