Why Did Nancy McKeon get Special Billing? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

horizonbeach11 · 03-08-2018, 07:41 AM

In the show's opening credits, they they go through all of the actors one by one saving Nancy McKeon for last, and then give her this billing: "and Nancy McKeon as Jo Polniaczek", as if she's a bigger celebrity than the others or something. None of the others are introduced with their character's name, and the other three girls were on the show before she joined the cast. It isn't like she was a big celebrity before she did this show, so why did she get so much more of a star treatment than the others?

'80sSitcoms · 03-08-2018, 10:24 AM

Well, it looks special, and for some it may be (such as Bob Uecker's credit in "Mr. Belvedere"), but in a way the other 3 girls deserved to be billed first since they were charter members of the series. Lisa (first) and Kim (second) were in the DS backdoor pilot, and Mindy (third) was in the official pilot.

TV Guy · 03-08-2018, 09:02 PM

She didn’t have that billing when she first joined. She was just billed last after the other girls. But she was one of the most popular actors on the show during the original run. She was starring in TV movies in addition to her FOL roles. And when her contract was renegotiated, her agent insisted on special billing. It happens.

stevea · 03-08-2018, 10:33 PM

This is like those progressive changes to Jimmie Walker's billing on Good Times. First he was listed with the other 2 kids, then separated out "And Jimmie Walker as JJ", then "And Also Starring....". Like TV Guy said, all negotiated by their agents.

horizonbeach11 · 03-09-2018, 12:33 AM

Thanks for the interesting and informative replies, it makes sense that her agent would have negotiated that to make her look like a bigger star than she really was, all things considered.

I'm trying to remember if they ever changed John Travolta's billing on "Welcome Back, Kotter" after he really did become a big star movie star during the run of the show, but I'm thinking that they didn't except for during the last season when he wasn't a regular member of the cast anymore so they would bill him as "and John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino" when he did make a guest appearance...I think. I know that always before that, even when he had starred in "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" and was a huge star, the billing on WBK would always just be, "and starring in alphabetical order"... which I think is a nice, respectful way to do it. To read that show's opening credits, you would never have known who was the big star, John Travolta or Ron Palillo.

MrCleveland · 03-12-2018, 02:23 PM

Probably because she's the last actress to be billed.

For GAB...if they had a celebrity, they'd add "Special Guest Star Sammy Davis Jr." or in the Season Finale of Season 4 "Julie's Birthday", they had "And Introducing Johnathan Silverman". On Season 6, the opening credits ended sometime with "And Paul Sand as Marty".

Speaking of GAB...Telma Hopkins had special billing on Family Matters and she was the last actor to be mentioned on the show. Ryan Stiles from The Drew Carey Show got special billing too...and Frasier...it ends with "...And John Mahoney".

So...it may depend on how the opening credits want to show the name.

jayman75 · 05-15-2018, 06:09 AM

I think Kim noticed this... when she did “Living Single,” she had the “end spot” with the special billing as well.

Gemini_89 · 08-08-2018, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayman75

I think Kim noticed this... when she did “Living Single,” she had the “end spot” with the special billing as well.

It made sense for Kim at the time because coming into the show, she was the successful child actress. I never heard of the other ones prior to Living Single (other than Queen Latifah who had a semi-successful rap career).

DJM77 · 08-08-2018, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini_89

It made sense for Kim at the time because coming into the show, she was the successful child actress. I never heard of the other ones prior to Living Single (other than Queen Latifah who had a semi-successful rap career).

I guess out of all the four female leads Kim Fields might have been the most famous, but I already knew who all the others were at least. I remembered Erica Alexander from The Cosby Show and I remembered Kim Coles from In Living Color.

Dr. Thong · 08-13-2018, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horizonbeach11

I'm trying to remember if they ever changed John Travolta's billing on "Welcome Back, Kotter" after he really did become a big star movie star during the run of the show, but I'm thinking that they didn't except for during the last season when he wasn't a regular member of the cast anymore so they would bill him as "and John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino" when he did make a guest appearance..

On the final season of Welcome Back, Kotter, only on the episodes he appeared in, he was billed as a "Special Guest Star."

He wasn't featured in the credits for episodes he didn't appear in and yet Gabriel Kaplan was.

03-08-2018, 07:41 AM	#1
horizonbeach11 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 05, 2018 Location: Inside a console TV Posts: 109	Why Did Nancy McKeon get Special Billing? In the show's opening credits, they they go through all of the actors one by one saving Nancy McKeon for last, and then give her this billing: "and Nancy McKeon as Jo Polniaczek", as if she's a bigger celebrity than the others or something. None of the others are introduced with their character's name, and the other three girls were on the show before she joined the cast. It isn't like she was a big celebrity before she did this show, so why did she get so much more of a star treatment than the others?

03-12-2018, 02:23 PM	#6
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,227	Probably because she's the last actress to be billed. For GAB...if they had a celebrity, they'd add "Special Guest Star Sammy Davis Jr." or in the Season Finale of Season 4 "Julie's Birthday", they had "And Introducing Johnathan Silverman". On Season 6, the opening credits ended sometime with "And Paul Sand as Marty". Speaking of GAB...Telma Hopkins had special billing on Family Matters and she was the last actor to be mentioned on the show. Ryan Stiles from The Drew Carey Show got special billing too...and Frasier...it ends with "...And John Mahoney". So...it may depend on how the opening credits want to show the name.
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05-15-2018, 06:09 AM	#7
jayman75 I Love the 80s! Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 27, 2000 Location: THE GREAT UNITED STATES Posts: 3,809	I think Kim noticed this... when she did “Living Single,” she had the “end spot” with the special billing as well.
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03-08-2018, 10:24 AM	#2
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Well, it looks special, and for some it may be (such as Bob Uecker's credit in "Mr. Belvedere"), but in a way the other 3 girls deserved to be billed first since they were charter members of the series. Lisa (first) and Kim (second) were in the DS backdoor pilot, and Mindy (third) was in the official pilot.

03-08-2018, 09:02 PM	#3
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	She didn’t have that billing when she first joined. She was just billed last after the other girls. But she was one of the most popular actors on the show during the original run. She was starring in TV movies in addition to her FOL roles. And when her contract was renegotiated, her agent insisted on special billing. It happens.

03-08-2018, 10:33 PM	#4
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,728	This is like those progressive changes to Jimmie Walker's billing on Good Times. First he was listed with the other 2 kids, then separated out "And Jimmie Walker as JJ", then "And Also Starring....". Like TV Guy said, all negotiated by their agents.

03-09-2018, 12:33 AM	#5
horizonbeach11 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 05, 2018 Location: Inside a console TV Posts: 109	Thanks for the interesting and informative replies, it makes sense that her agent would have negotiated that to make her look like a bigger star than she really was, all things considered. I'm trying to remember if they ever changed John Travolta's billing on "Welcome Back, Kotter" after he really did become a big star movie star during the run of the show, but I'm thinking that they didn't except for during the last season when he wasn't a regular member of the cast anymore so they would bill him as "and John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino" when he did make a guest appearance...I think. I know that always before that, even when he had starred in "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" and was a huge star, the billing on WBK would always just be, "and starring in alphabetical order"... which I think is a nice, respectful way to do it. To read that show's opening credits, you would never have known who was the big star, John Travolta or Ron Palillo.