Why No Love For Pippa Here?

[Heenan Fan]

I believe the most dedicated fans on the whole Sitcomsonline.com website are probably right here on the FOL thread. You can just look at the number of posts here and tell the passion the regulars have for FOL here.

That being said, I see that Pippa gets really buried here. It seems like nobody here cares for her much. I never had a problem with her. She was no Cindy or Sue Ann obviously, but I thought she was sweet with a cool accent. I was really looking forward to her starring alongside Julliette Lewis before NBC put the kibosh on that.

So, what's up with Pippa? No love?

[RetroGuy2000]

She had a cool accent, and yes, she was sweet.

BUT.

I have a huge, huge problem with the network deciding there were "too many characters" in the first season, firing half the cast, and then inexplicably adding a bunch of new characters. Senseless. Why did there need to be a street urchin? And then another street urchin? And then an Australian urchin? Why?! What was the point? What did any of these characters add to FOL?!

Can anyone name ten things Pippa did on the show? She was there for most of a season, so it should be easy. But I don't think it is.

Can anyone tell us ten things about Pippa's personality? Or was she just a stand-in for Crocodile Dundee's popularity at the time? What's her favorite book? (Did she even read a book while she was on the show?) What's her favorite sports team? Did she have any pets back in Australia? Any love interests back in her home country?

We can answer most of these questions for the Original Girls, Mrs. Garrett, and Jo. But I don't think we can for Pippa. By then, the writers had given up. At this point, they were just lazily adding random characters they thought would make the show popular once more, in a desperate, but failed, attempt to revive ratings.

But since you like her, I wouldn't mind some Pippa threads around here. Plenty of space.

Originally Posted by Heenan Fan

I believe the most dedicated fans on the whole Sitcomsonline.com website are probably right here on the FOL thread. You can just look at the number of posts here and tell the passion the regulars have for FOL here.

Why, thank you, Heenan.

FOL was something pretty special... at least the first four to six seasons, or so. They paid a lot of attention to details and continuity, they wrote and produced some amazing and funny shows, and they shaped the lives of a generation. FOL to me means happy memories, lessons learned, and wonderful characters who often felt very real, thanks to the acting and talent of nine wonderful ladies.

[Lorimar Television]

Tbh I really don't mind Pippa. I didn't mind Kelly that much either but in the grand scheme of things their characters weren't serving very much purpose.

['80sSitcoms]

Pippa is just "there" to me. She simply takes up space. Nothing remarkable or even remotely interesting resonates with me about her.

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

I didn't mind Kelly that much either

[*quietly ushers Lorimar Television out the "Facts of Life" fandom door*]

Okay, okay. Kidding...but still...

[TV Guy]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Why did there need to be a street urchin? And then another street urchin? And then an Australian urchin?

They were clearly worried about the core four getting too old after Blair and Jo graduated, so they were always desperately searching for younger blood. And they also seemed to be concerned with adding male characters (Kevin, George, Andy), even though they were completely unnecessary. No man in the coveted 18-34 demographic was suddenly going to start watching FOL just because of those losers.

What made the show for me was the chemistry between the four young women, plus their older confidante. The final years of the show would have been better had they concentrated on the four young women instead of bringing in Beverly Ann, Andy, et. al. All those characters did was disrupt the chemistry of the show.

And Pippa? She sucked. I kept hoping that she’d be murdered, perhaps by some pack of wild dingoes wandering the streets of Peekskill. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Pippa is just "there" to me. She simply takes up space. Nothing remarkable or even remotely interesting resonates with me about her.





[*quietly ushers Lorimar Television out the "Facts of Life" fandom door*]

Okay, okay. Kidding...but still...

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

They were clearly worried about the core four getting too old after Blair and Jo graduated, so they were always desperately searching for younger blood. And they also seemed to be concerned with adding male characters (Kevin, George, Andy), even though they were completely unnecessary. No man in the coveted 18-34 demographic was suddenly going to start watching FOL just because of those losers.

I agree, but I'd add: once the new character was in place, it usually didn't take very long for the producers to see they had made a horrible, horrible mistake in adding the new character in the first place. Often, the new character was quietly dropped without notice or explanation. The viewer never even finds out what happened to the new character.

Then they'd add another new character. Their search for a new character was endless.

What made the show for me was the chemistry between the four young women, plus their older confidante. The final years of the show would have been better had they concentrated on the four young women instead of bringing in Beverly Ann, Andy, et. al. All those characters did was disrupt the chemistry of the show.

I'd add: and took away lines from characters we did like.

Charlotte Rae spoke several times in interviews how she felt she "wasn't needed" anymore. They had Kelly, Andy, Kevin, and/or George by then. Mrs. G's role was in decline...

And Pippa? She sucked. I kept hoping that she’d be murdered, perhaps by some pack of wild dingoes wandering the streets of Peekskill. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Haha! While I didn't hate her that much, I can understand why her inclusion grates on many people's nerves.

I did like that the writers finally acknowledged the fact that the show had changed too much, and enrolled Pippa in Eastland, bringing the show a little bit back to its roots. Of course, they never bothered to show Pippa at Eastland (until the very end), but I think they at last realized that moving the show away from the school took away some of the show's distinctiveness.

[Sitcommania]

They didn’t write the characters well in Season 9. The writers threw in Pippa because the girls were “too old”. Meanwhile, the storylines had to do with Blair going to law school and marrying off Jo and Tootie. And to boot, Beverly Ann was there to babysit them. Why? They were in their early twenties. There were plenty of other stories they could have written about the girls adjusting to adulthood. I think they got it right by moving Natalie to the city.

[Christopher]

Pippa was not written to be liked by the fans or the core four. There were episodes when the girls would shun Pippa. Something in Common and The First Time are two episodes that really stand out how much the girls didn't like Pippa. She would try to join in on their girl talk but they would tell Pippa to leave. Mrs. Garrett never treated the girls like that when they were young so it was out of character for them to behave that way towards Pippa. It almost came off as the girls were too good to be around Pippa. I didn't like that.

Originally Posted by Sitcommania

And to boot, Beverly Ann was there to babysit them. Why?

I never saw Beverly Ann as a babysitter. She took over Mrs. Garrett's place in the store. Not to mention in season 9 the girls were dumping their work shifts in the store onto Beverly Ann. She was more like a person of convenience when the girls needed it.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Sitcommania

They didn’t write the characters well in Season 9.

Very true.

The writers threw in Pippa because the girls were “too old”.

Yeah, but at the time the 9th Season first aired, Kim was 18, Mindy was 20, and Nancy was 20. Three of them couldn't even legally drink! "Too old" makes about as much sense as "too many girls".

Meanwhile, the storylines had to do with Blair going to law school and marrying off Jo and Tootie. And to boot, Beverly Ann was there to babysit them. Why? They were in their early twenties. There were plenty of other stories they could have written about the girls adjusting to adulthood.

They definitely could have dealt with more adult topics... Not sexual, though. Lisa would have boycotted that.

I think they got it right by moving Natalie to the city.

Ugh! That episode was horrible!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I never saw Beverly Ann as a babysitter. She took over Mrs. Garrett's place in the store.

Not just that: she took her room as well. And she was supposed to be a new confidante for the girls. Not that they often noticed...

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Very true.

In season 9 they didn't write the stories well.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Ugh! That episode was horrible!

No it wasn't! It wasn't even the worst of the spin-off attempts!

(I know, we all have different tastes for what's the worst episode, lol)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Not just that: she took her room as well.

Too bad it was never seen...

[Sitcommania]

Big Apple Blues was the best spin-off attempt, imo. I really do think the producers of FRIENDS watched it. Good thing they missed “Jo’s Cousin”.

I don’t think the writers had any choice but to write Pippa as a pest. The network obviously pushed the idea of a younger character and what could she have in common with the older girls? It’s not like she could advise them.

I don’t mean Beverly was literally a babysitter, but even the actors, including Cloris Leachman, said it made no sense for her to be there.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by Sitcommania

Big Apple Blues was the best spin-off attempt, imo. I really do think the producers of FRIENDS watched it. Good thing they missed “Jo’s Cousin”.

I don’t think the writers had any choice but to write Pippa as a pest. The network obviously pushed the idea of a younger character and what could she have in common with the older girls? It’s not like she could advise them.

I don’t mean Beverly was literally a babysitter, but even the actors, including Cloris Leachman, said it made no sense for her to be there.

I didn't care for Big Apple Blues. I thought it was stupid. I think it's ironic Mindy says she doesn't understand why the girls were still living together in the later years but was fine with Natalie going off to share an apartment with people she didn't really know. In reality, it makes more sense to split expenses with people you know you can trust than people you hardly know. I don't think it was far fetch the girls were still living together in the later years.

I think it could have been a great opportunity for the girls to be Pippa's mentor like Mrs. Garrett was to them. Mrs. Garrett shared so many of her life experiences with the girls. Mrs. Garrett looked at them as equals, not at their age. The girls didn't do that with Pippa. It was horrible writing.

Season 8 I felt Beverly Ann connected with the show. Her character went through a divorce and needed to find herself again. You had Tootie helping her date again, Natalie offering advice when she was going to adopt Andy, Jo and Blair showing Beverly Ann around New York, and other moments in that year where the girls help Beverly Ann bounce back. Part of the facts of life is going through divorce and recovering from it. I think it worked that year. Season 9 Beverly Ann was not part of the girls lives and made zero sense having her there. She should have been a one season character IMO.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Sitcommania

Big Apple Blues was the best spin-off attempt, imo.

Ugh! Hate it. Hate it with a passion.

I don’t think the writers had any choice but to write Pippa as a pest. The network obviously pushed the idea of a younger character and what could she have in common with the older girls? It’s not like she could advise them.

She couldn't advise them, but she didn't have to annoy them. That was the writers' choice.

I don’t mean Beverly was literally a babysitter, but even the actors, including Cloris Leachman, said it made no sense for her to be there.

Indeed. These were girls who no longer necessarily needed a mother figure. Certainly not a woman they didn't even know, which was the case at first.