"I.Q." original script

['80sSitcoms]

*****MAJOR ORIGINAL SCRIPT SPOILERS*****

"Jane Gould & Shelly Landau" - interesting, a writing team we will never again see on "Facts" in the rest of its 9-year run. How interesting! And they chose to focus on two future Lost Girls, making the rare pairing of Nancy and Sue Ann!

Ah, they spell it Ste"ph"en!

Aww, my Cindy gets last billing :-\

That billing is interesting...from top to bottom, Blair, Nancy, Molly(?) Sue Ann...then Tootie, Natalie, Cindy.

Although, Natalie and Cindy were the characters added last. Perhaps Mindy was found and there was "Natalie", and then possibly Julie Ann was plucked last of all with Cindy being the last of the core girls created? Interesting to think about...

I wish we had footage of "Notes with cast" in these!

Sue Ann passes up the junk food for an all-American apple---oh, that good ol' conscientious Kansas City, Kansas farmgirl! lol

Hey, wait a minute---how can Blair be postured for studying/reading, yet entering from the kitchen at the same time?

"I've never doubted it. That's why I made my history test a killer." -- so that's why she did! lol

Oo, Mrs. Garrett challenging I.Q.s...like branding cattle, what if they have a cold, or get panicky at tests---good points!

Miss Tracey! I NEVER think of Miss Tracey! Ah, the first mentioned-but-never-seen Eastland teacher...we'll have to feature her more here! lol

(TOOTIESK) -- lol

Omg:

(MOLLY TAKES BIT OF CELERY, EVERYONE REACTS)



Are you kidding me?? Everyone reacts to Molly taking a bit of celery?? Hahahahahahah!!

Oh, WOW! They made a change in my Cindy!!

(UNENTHUSED) "What is it this time, Tootie?" -- this makes Cindy sound tired of Tootie's assumed secret-claiming, like someone exasperated over a kid sister (think of the other girls in early Act I of "Gossip").

But in the actual show, she says, clearly enthused, "What is it, Tootie??" with twinkling eyes and a grin of curiosity. What a total change here!

"TOOTIE TYPE SECRECY"? haha

Aww, Natalie's anxious over her score...I assume she thought she'd be one of the lowest?

Nat keeps trying to see the score sheet, lol.

Hey! Molly's friend's brother with the really low I.Q. was originally going to be an encyclopedia salesman! lol

Also, Molly here is saying "Sue Ann, don't be upset because you're the dumbest girl on the list." --- I'm glad they changed the end of that line. It's so cute hearing Molly say "the dumbest girl in skoo-ull", lol.

Sue Ann "aspiring" to be a sponge squeezer at a car wash, lol...I can't recall the airing line, but I know it's something else (what did it change to? "junior dog catcher"?).

Oh, wow! My Molly got an extra line after Mrs. Garrett wheels Tootie out! "Tootie, let me know if Mr. Bradley pounds on you. There's a state law." --- jeez, what dark humor!

And then Mrs. Garrett gives Molly a look, lol!

Whoa, they originally had "That oughtta keep her busy---for a few minutes!" first saying "That oughtta keep her busy until she graduates", lol. The aired line is much better.

"Now hold on, young lady. Sit down and listen." -- oo, Garrett gets real! Gettin' tough on the girl! lol

Interesting seeing missing chunks of Mrs. Garrett and Sue Ann's "Nike" heart-to-heart ("just do it").

Pajamas?? Blair and Nancy were supposed to be in pajamas?? lol...this scene was originally at nighttime, interesting...

Great to see that Blair's best line of season 1 was an original line! (the "...how gorgeous I am!" one, lol)

"Mahoney"?..."Mahoney"?? Ha! Not "Miss Mahoney", but just "Mahoney"! lol!

(THIS SOBERS SUE ANN)---interesting wording there...

Oo, neat mountain analogy, Nancy...(they should have clasped hands and both burst into "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" here, haha)

(SUE ANN PATS NANCY'S SHOULDER) -- aww...

Hey, the girls were supposed to ad lib their eagerness over their grades, but they didn't!

I see they tweaked "Mahoney's" (lol) line to Nancy, as she ended up repeating Nancy's words, "You obviously guessed at half the answers." (author's emphasis, haha)

Oo, "Mahoney" also originally said "Your answers didn't even correspond to the questions." I much prefer the aired line, "You put answers where there weren't even questions!" That's funnier, more creative, and a good character detail in this situation.

"It's a shame" -- oooooo....

"bunk" got into the script! Twice! lol...you rarely hear that...it did show up on "Mama's Family" a few times.

I'm sure glad they expanded "Tootie" to "Make it a round trip, Tootie", lol.

Oo! "Sudorific" means "causing sweat"! (I wonder if consuming Mystery Meat is sudorific? )

Oo, extra lost "Lost Girl" comments by Sue Ann and Nancy after the adults' I.Q. test!

Mr. Bradley comes up with the idea of permitting Mrs. Garrett to put his I.Q. test up on her bulletin board? How big of him---what a sport

Funny how at the end when Mrs. Garrett goofily gets caught up in the coatrack, she just says "Pardon Me"---her physical comedy and humorous verbal reaction in the aired show is much more endearing!

Another gem, Retro!

[Lorimar Television]

The aired line after Molly tells Sue Ann about the dog catcher cousin was, “Maybe I can work my way up to managing a lemonade stand”.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

"Jane Gould & Shelly Landau" - interesting, a writing team we will never again see on "Facts" in the rest of its 9-year run. How interesting! And they chose to focus on two future Lost Girls, making the rare pairing of Nancy and Sue Ann!

Yep; I'm so glad to have acquired this script, because it's one of so few episodes where Nancy gets a decent-sized role.

Although, Natalie and Cindy were the characters added last. Perhaps Mindy was found and there was "Natalie", and then possibly Julie Ann was plucked last of all with Cindy being the last of the core girls created? Interesting to think about...

It definitely does seem to indicate that Julie Anne could have been the last girl cast.

Oh, WOW! They made a change in my Cindy!!

(UNENTHUSED) "What is it this time, Tootie?" -- this makes Cindy sound tired of Tootie's assumed secret-claiming, like someone exasperated over a kid sister (think of the other girls in early Act I of "Gossip").

But in the actual show, she says, clearly enthused, "What is it, Tootie??" with twinkling eyes and a grin of curiosity. What a total change here!

Yeah, Lorimar mentioned the same thing.

Hey! Molly's friend's brother with the really low I.Q. was originally going to be an encyclopedia salesman! lol

YEP!

Oh, wow! My Molly got an extra line after Mrs. Garrett wheels Tootie out! "Tootie, let me know if Mr. Bradley pounds on you. There's a state law." --- jeez, what dark humor!

I'm not sure this was even meant as humorous. It's definitely out of place in this episode.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

The aired line after Molly tells Sue Ann about the dog catcher cousin was, “Maybe I can work my way up to managing a lemonade stand”.

Ah, thanks "Lorsy" I had faith that a Sue Ann-favoring fan would know!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I'm not sure this was even meant as humorous. It's definitely out of place in this episode.

Well, it was the last line before the scene ended, so I'm assuming they meant it humorously, even though it would be dark humor (but supposedly "cute" coming from a child, haha).

['80sSitcoms]

WHOA, wait a minute! Molly Parker just took a bit of celery! Let me "react"!

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Ah, thanks "Lorsy" I had faith that a Sue Ann-favoring fan would know!

I'm your guy

['80sSitcoms]

It's fun seeing you guys chime in here, too. I know the scripts and comments are up at "The Group", but I don't check in there that often; if there's discussion going on, this is my go-to for "Facts" talk.

[RetroGuy2000]

"outside of "Molly's Holiday", she was mostly neglected."

They give her her own nerd-girl things to do in shows like "Flash Flood" and "Running", and she has some good dialogue in the girls' room in "I.Q." (she has about 4 lines there, more than anyone except Tootie and Sue Ann and maybe Nancy!), which is nice. It sure beats being wallpaper ('ey, Nancy?).

[/quote]
But Nancy wasn't wallpaper in "The Girls' School" or "IQ"; weirdly, if you count DS, she got more starring episodes than Molly. She even got a pretty big role in "Gossip".

It's the episodes where she was a background character that she faded into the wallpaper. I totally believe that Felice must have known, by the end of the season, that she didn't make it into "The Group", because they literally put it in the script.

"The end of "Dope" strongly indicates Sue Ann was a keeper."

And then pulls the rug right from under your feet! lol

It really does.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

But Nancy wasn't wallpaper in "The Girls' School" or "IQ"; weirdly, if you count DS, she got more starring episodes than Molly. She even got a pretty big role in "Gossip".

It's the episodes where she was a background character that she faded into the wallpaper. I totally believe that Felice must have known, by the end of the season, that she didn't make it into "The Group", because they literally put it in the script.

lol, such a scripted slap in the face...yep...and even though Nancy got one half of a starring episode more than Molly (counting only season 1), I grew up thinking of Nancy least in terms of character because they glue her to the wall and paper over her in so many episodes. If they were feeling "generous", they'd throw her a generic line or three (until they came up with that Roger hook, which they then hooked her on and would not let down!).

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

It really does.

That was THE most shocking television event of 1980. TV Guide even wrote about it (okay, they didn't; I'm totally kidding, haha)...but it must have been a shocker for charter "Facts" fans who were watching the show back then!)

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

lol, such a scripted slap in the face...yep...and even though Nancy got one half of a starring episode more than Molly (counting only season 1), I grew up thinking of Nancy least in terms of character because they glue her to the wall and paper over her in so many episodes. If they were feeling "generous", they'd throw her a generic line or three (until they came up with that Roger hook, which they then hooked her on and would not let down!).

It's true: Roger became her only "thing". In the backdoor pilot, at least she had acting. And early on it the season, she could be neurotic. But by mid-year, Roger was her only attribute.

"The Facts of Facts" podcast even mentions this, although they do it in a pretty disrespectful way. Even they mention how weird it is that the writers on the show gave Felice nothing to work with. Dominick, the main podcast guy, mentions several times how the only thing we know about Nancy are her "great Donna Summer records", while we probably know 100 things about each of the other girls. They theorize that she must have ticked off someone in the writers' room!

That was THE most shocking television event of 1980. TV Guide even wrote about it (okay, they didn't; I'm totally kidding, haha)...but it must have been a shocker for charter "Facts" fans who were watching the show back then!)

TV Guide might have written something, but I've never seen it... other than them mentioning New Girl Jo. TV Guide, did, however, do a Julie Pie spread circa 1981 (that's where the umbrella photo shoot comes from), which talked about her FOL stint, and how she was looking for other roles.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

"The Facts of Facts" podcast even mentions this, although they do it in a pretty disrespectful way. Even they mention how weird it is that the writers on the show gave Felice nothing to work with. Dominick, the main podcast guy, mentions several times how the only thing we know about Nancy are her "great Donna Summer records", while we probably know 100 things about each of the other girls. They theorize that she must have ticked off someone in the writers' room!

Haha, wow...as of this writing, I still haven't decided to listen to their podcasts. But it's neat hearing nuggets like this about them..."That tall girl with the dark hair, why don't they do anything with her?"

We know so little about Nancy, we don't even know what she does when she gets angry! Just as she's thinking of her answer, she changes the subject! We know what Cindy, Natalie, Tootie, and Molly do (and apparently, Sue Ann! LOL), but Nancy doesn't get to reveal to us what her "go-to" is when she's angry.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Haha, wow...as of this writing, I still haven't decided to listen to their podcasts. But it's neat hearing nuggets like this about them..."That tall girl with the dark hair, why don't they do anything with her?"

I'm torn about the podcasts. I can't really recommend them to Lost Girls fans, because they're not very kind to the girls. It's clear they hate the first season, they don't like Mr. Bradley or Miss Mahoney, or the scripts, or the direction, or Cindy, Nancy, Sue Ann, or "Molly Ringwald". They can barely tolerate Tootie, who Britt calls a "sociopath". They hate the guest stars, etc, etc... It's clear Dominick is a Jo fan.

And then, as the podcasts go on, they begin to get very sexual and dirty. By the end of the podcast run, there are at least 20 f-bombs per episode, plus other swearing and sexual stuff, which seems a little inappropriate for a show which starred a bunch of 10-14-year-olds.

And yet... and yet... between all the crude jokes and innuendo, and Lost Girls hate, there are some very insightful comments, like Dominick's observations about Nancy, and how the writers gave her no lines, left her in scenes where she had nothing to do, etc.

So I can't recommend the podcasts, but I listened to them anyway. Kinda painful.

['80sSitcoms]

Yikes, thanks for sharing. But why in the heck would they say that about Tootie??

['80sSitcoms]

Okay Retro, it's late, and I gotta get up in the mornin'. I'll leave you down here in the common room with the computer and snacks while I go in my warm fluffy robe upstairs to bed. See you tomorrow!