"The Older Man" (DS) - some screencaps

['80sSitcoms]

Season 3's "The Older Man" episode of Diff'rent Strokes saw our girls Blair and Natalie crossing over into guest appearances; Blair most briefly, and Natalie up until shortly after the first commercial break. It's almost odd that they included Blair in this cross-over, seeing as how quickly she exits. It's too bad they didn't have her stick around for at least a couple more minutes.

Also, it's nice to see Kimberly and "re-worked" Blair interact with each other since we first saw "bad Blair" introduced by Kimberly in "The Girls' School".

And guess who portrays the boys' YMCA counselor Mike? The same actor who portrayed Eastland teacher Mr. Palmer on "Facts" in "Cousin Geri Returns"!

Even though Felice was now only doing periodic appearances on "Facts", it would have been nice to have had her guest star here as helping to coach Kimberly in her acting (Kimberly: "Thanks for coming over, Nancy. I remember how you really helped me a lot in our school production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. You were terrific!").

Also, this is another case of learning something about a character on a "diff'rent" show than their home show; we learn Natalie's middle name is Letitia!

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['80sSitcoms]

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['80sSitcoms]

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['80sSitcoms]

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[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Season 3's "The Older Man" episode of Diff'rent Strokes saw our girls Blair and Natalie crossing over into guest appearances; Blair most briefly, and Natalie up until shortly after the first commercial break. It's almost odd that they included Blair in this cross-over, seeing as how quickly she exits. It's too bad they didn't have her stick around for at least a couple more minutes.

The producers probably thought there were "too many girls".

Also, it's nice to see Kimberly and "re-worked" Blair interact with each other since we first saw "bad Blair" introduced by Kimberly in "The Girls' School".

And guess who portrays the boys' YMCA counselor Mike? The same actor who portrayed Eastland teacher Mr. Palmer on "Facts" in "Cousin Geri Returns"!

Wait a minute! Kimberly is dating Mr. Palmer?!

Another thing that's funny about this episode is that they talk about the huge age difference between Mike and Kimberly, yet they previously made no mention of the age difference between Blair and Steve, and Blair and that other guy in Season One, when there were similar age differences.

Even though Felice was now only doing periodic appearances on "Facts", it would have been nice to have had her guest star here as helping to coach Kimberly in her acting (Kimberly: "Thanks for coming over, Nancy. I remember how you really helped me a lot in our school production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. You were terrific!").

I was just thinking this earlier today. Since (between "The Girls' School" and "The Slumber Party"), it was already established that Kimberly was friends with Nancy, Sue Ann, Molly, Cindy, Jennifer, Natalie, and Tootie, they could have had any of those characters appear on DS, even after the cast purge. Okay, probably not Jennifer, but any of the rest.

As you say, there's a great tie-in with Nancy, because she had appeared in many school plays (not just "Midsummer Night's Dream", but she apparently had some sort of play role in "South Pacific" as well).

Having the Lost Girls back on DS would have been a great way to continue telling their characters' stories even after the cast purge. But I suppose the purpose of the crossovers were to build an audience for FOL, and the audience might have felt slightly gypped if they saw all these lovely girls on DS, and then tuned in to FOL only to find that many of these girls only appeared occasionally.

Still, it was a missed opportunity! Having Molly on DS, in a decent-sized role, could have made her feel better about getting cut from FOL, for sure.

Also, this is another case of learning something about a character on a "diff'rent" show than their home show; we learn Natalie's middle name is Letitia!
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Yes, but I believe that elsewhere we learn that Natalie's middle name is Sage (as in, Sage Green).

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

The producers probably thought there were "too many girls".

Bwahahahaha!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Another thing that's funny about this episode is that they talk about the huge age difference between Mike and Kimberly, yet they previously made no mention of the age difference between Blair and Steve, and Blair and that other guy in Season One, when there were similar age differences.

Okay, my instinct was to respond, "But this is a 10-year difference; Steve's a teen or 20, just a few years older than Blair" but then I looked him up and he was 24 in 1979! Who knew?? Well I didn't, lol...I guess the fact that he's so short helped me to think of him as an "older teen". He just looks so short and innocent and---very very blond! lol

But "that other guy", I can't recall which one that is? [which is surprising given that there are only 13 episodes in season 1, lol...but I still can't remember Blair being on screen with any other guy back then]

Oh! You're talking about "Romeo", from "Emily Dickinson". I just investigated, and Jason Hoss was born in '56! So he was about 23! Dang, could this show not find an underage guy for Blair's co-star? lol...Steve I can understand as he was a deliveryboy, but Romeo, come on, lol.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I was just thinking this earlier today. Since (between "The Girls' School" and "The Slumber Party"), it was already established that Kimberly was friends with Nancy, Sue Ann, Molly, Cindy, Jennifer, Natalie, and Tootie, they could have had any of those characters appear on DS, even after the cast purge. Okay, probably not Jennifer, but any of the rest.

Don't forget Laura and Leon! lol

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

As you say, there's a great tie-in with Nancy, because she had appeared in many school plays (not just "Midsummer Night's Dream", but she apparently had some sort of play role in "South Pacific" as well).

Which is odd, because Nancy was there on an acting scholarship, and here she is telling Tootie the play can't go on without Tootie! (ahh, the perils of becoming Lost!)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Having the Lost Girls back on DS would have been a great way to continue telling their characters' stories even after the cast purge.

That would have been great!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

But I suppose the purpose of the crossovers were to build an audience for FOL, and the audience might have felt slightly gypped if they saw all these lovely girls on DS, and then tuned in to FOL only to find that many of these girls only appeared occasionally.

But, yes, I can see that as well.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Still, it was a missed opportunity! Having Molly on DS, in a decent-sized role, could have made her feel better about getting cut from FOL, for sure.

Especially since she lived "right nearby"! lol

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yes, but I believe that elsewhere we learn that Natalie's middle name is Sage (as in, Sage Green).

Hahaha! Sounds like hippie parents, lol.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Okay, my instinct was to respond, "But this is a 10-year difference; Steve's a teen or 20, just a few years older than Blair" but then I looked him up and he was 24 in 1979! Who knew?? Well I didn't, lol...I guess the fact that he's so short helped me to think of him as an "older teen". He just looks so short and innocent and---very very blond! lol

Well, he's not young, and he's also not so innocent: IMDb indicates Greg Bradford did some risque films after FOL.

But "that other guy", I can't recall which one that is? [which is surprising given that there are only 13 episodes in season 1, lol...but I still can't remember Blair being on screen with any other guy back then]

Oh! You're talking about "Romeo", from "Emily Dickinson". I just investigated, and Jason Hoss was born in '56! So he was about 23! Dang, could this show not find an underage guy for Blair's co-star? lol...Steve I can understand as he was a deliveryboy, but Romeo, come on, lol.

This is what I'm saying! If you're going to bring up the issue of underage girls dating overage guys with Kimberly dating "Mr. Palmer", why are you at the same time also having Blair date Steve (who is 24) and [just looked up his name] Duane, who is 23?

Don't forget Laura and Leon! lol

Haha! I hadn't forgotten about Laura, but I didn't bring her up because Kimberly introduced Mrs. Garrett to Nancy, Tootie, Molly, Jennifer, Sue Ann, and (grudgingly) Blair in TGS as "her friends". In TSP, she also introduces Cindy and Natalie. She never introduces any of the others in the room as her friends, explicitly leaving out Laura, DeJanine and her twin, Nina and Kedgie (if they were there), and of course Leon. She apparently hated those girls more than she even hated Blair.

I assume after TGS, Kimberly and Jennifer had a serious falling-out, as Jennifer is never mentioned again, and isn't invited to the slumber party.

Which is odd, because Nancy was there on an acting scholarship, and here she is telling Tootie the play can't go on without Tootie! (ahh, the perils of becoming Lost!)

True, but at least Nancy was there, supporting the play.

Hahaha! Sounds like hippie parents, lol.

Heee! BUT: We meet Natalie's mother, multiple times, and she seems so straight-laced and conservative: she even threatens to stop supporting Natalie financially if Natalie doesn't go to college. She seems like the complete opposite of a hippie. So who gave her the name "Sage Green"? Natalie's dad? Why would her strict mother agree to that?

I can see Natalie's mom giving her the middle name of Letitia.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Well, he's not young, and he's also not so innocent: IMDb indicates Greg Bradford did some risque films after FOL.

Well maybe he was innocent through FOL, but after that infamous van scene it "steered" him in a new direction.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

This is what I'm saying! If you're going to bring up the issue of underage girls dating overage guys with Kimberly dating "Mr. Palmer", why are you at the same time also having Blair date Steve (who is 24) and [just looked up his name] Duane, who is 23?

Well, "Mr. Palmer" looks old---I mean, like a man, lol. Greg and Duane look younger. Maybe they weren't (haha), but at least they look it, lol (I just now looked up Lou "Mr. Palmer" Richards", and he was an "ancient" 30, lol).

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Haha! I hadn't forgotten about Laura, but I didn't bring her up because Kimberly introduced Mrs. Garrett to Nancy, Tootie, Molly, Jennifer, Sue Ann, and (grudgingly) Blair in TGS as "her friends".

Oh, I always assumed she introduced Jennifer and Laura together. How unfair and excluding; come on Mrs. Garrett, let's go put a flower in Leon's hair.

(and yes I know frogs don't have hair, I'm just being silly, haha)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I assume after TGS, Kimberly and Jennifer had a serious falling-out, as Jennifer is never mentioned again, and isn't invited to the slumber party.

Whoa, you're going down a dark path there, lol. But don't forget, it's Molly's slumber party! We can presume Kimberly had nothing to do with the guest list, and Molly's mother let her have "a few friends" over; obviously Jennifer wasn't one of the closer of her friends, lol (good thing too, because we'd much rather see Cindy, Natalie, and Tootie). Plus this was a year later anyway after TGS, so Jennifer was history, lol.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

So who gave her the name "Sage Green"? Natalie's dad? Why would her strict mother agree to that?

Maybe Ellen Manheim had already named her? Maybe "Sage" was a joke? (I have no idea what the quote was, lol)

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Well maybe he was innocent through FOL, but after that infamous van scene it "steered" him in a new direction.

I could buy that. After all, actors do get typecast into certain roles.

Oh, I always assumed she introduced Jennifer and Laura together.

No! Laura doesn't get mentioned. Kimberly doesn't introduce her at all.

Whoa, you're going down a dark path there, lol. But don't forget, it's Molly's slumber party! We can presume Kimberly had nothing to do with the guest list, and Molly's mother let her have "a few friends" over; obviously Jennifer wasn't one of the closer of her friends, lol (good thing too, because we'd much rather see Cindy, Natalie, and Tootie). Plus this was a year later anyway after TGS, so Jennifer was history, lol.

It started out as Molly's party, but Kimberly could have easily invited a couple more girls over, if she had wanted to. And actually, she should have, considering they were voting on who would have to go upstairs: the boys or the girls. She could have won in a landslide victory.

At the very least, she could have invited Nancy and Sue Ann, with whom she clearly was close. Sure, the four of them were already in the city, but according to Google Maps, it's only 44 miles (58 minutes) between Peekskill and Manhattan. Kimberly could have even sent the limo for them.

Maybe Ellen Manheim had already named her? Maybe "Sage" was a joke? (I have no idea what the quote was, lol)

I don't recall now, either.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

It started out as Molly's party, but Kimberly could have easily invited a couple more girls over, if she had wanted to. And actually, she should have, considering they were voting on who would have to go upstairs: the boys or the girls. She could have won in a landslide victory.

At the very least, she could have invited Nancy and Sue Ann, with whom she clearly was close. Sure, the four of them were already in the city, but according to Google Maps, it's only 44 miles (58 minutes) between Peekskill and Manhattan. Kimberly could have even sent the limo for them.

But you know that feeling you have when you have plans all set? They probably were just looking forward to having it be a small slumber party with the 5 of them. I see what you mean about a landslide victory, haha, and that would have been great had they invited more girls over. I just assume Blair, Sue Ann, and Nancy had their own plans for that Friday night while the younger girls were all getting together for a slumber party. Maybe it was Molly's first time organizing a slumber party and Kimberly didn't want to intrude or "take over" by inviting anyone else, but simply provide the alternate space.

Again, so many directions fans can go! lol

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

But you know that feeling you have when you have plans all set? They probably were just looking forward to having it be a small slumber party with the 5 of them. I see what you mean about a landslide victory, haha, and that would have been great had they invited more girls over. I just assume Blair, Sue Ann, and Nancy had their own plans for that Friday night while the younger girls were all getting together for a slumber party.

I know, I know: Nancy had a date with Roger, Blair had a date with Jason and/or Steve, and Sue Ann planned to spend the evening scooting her butt across the floor of her room in the hopes of losing weight before her possible date with Scott Dunbar.

['80sSitcoms]

Hahaha, there ya go!

[RetroGuy2000]

There! Fixed!

['80sSitcoms]

By the way, it's interesting how Blair's makeup case doesn't look feminine or glamorous or "girly"---it looks like she's the beautician for the Army!