Why wasn't Jack Riley maintained as the headmaster

[TMC]

Jack Riley played the headmaster, Mr. Crocker, at Eastland in the backdoor pilot from Diff'rent Strokes entitled "Garrett's Girls".



Mr. Crocker had more of an antagonist relationship with Mrs. Garrett than the headmaster we got in the actual series. Mr. Bradley was instead, more of a reasonable nice guy (kind of like Mr. Belding on Saved by the Bell).

[RetroGuy2000]

Looking at the original script for "Garrett's Girls/The Girls' School", it's clear that Jack Riley was a last-minute hire for the role of Mr. Crocker.

Mr. Crocker was insane, and I cannot imagine the heavy-hitting issue-of-the-week storylines told during the first four years of TFOL meshing well with a loopy character like Mr. Crocker running the show. I can't fault Jack Riley for playing the part, but his character was too lightweight to tell any serious stories. TFOL would have been a show about administrative craziness, rather than the stories of seven girls and their supportive dorm mother/dietician.

I think they did well in replacing Crocker with Bradley, although the constant change in headmasters did eventually lead to Eastland having at least seven headmasters/headmistresses in the space of nine years, which is a little crazy if you think about it. Eastland's faculty and administration never lasted long, with Mrs. Garrett seemingly being there the longest, at about 4.5 years (May 1979 to September 1983).

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Looking at the original script for "Garrett's Girls/The Girls' School", it's clear that Jack Riley was a last-minute hire for the role of Mr. Crocker.

Why is it clear? (it's been a while since I looked at the script)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Mr. Crocker was insane

My favorite moment of him in TGS is his intense coaching of Nancy on how he wants her to act, with all of those detailed emotions!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Eastland having at least seven headmasters/headmistresses in the space of nine years, which is a little crazy if you think about it.

7? I thought there were just 4? The Croc, Mr. Bradley, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Parker (I don't count Blair in the series finale). I guess there was one right before Blair, but even counting Blair, that's only 6.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Eastland's faculty and administration never lasted long, with Mrs. Garrett seemingly being there the longest, at about 4.5 years (May 1979 to September 1983).

Interesting, I never feel that. I feel only the headmasters had the evolving door, while faculty such as Mrs. Garrett, Ms. Downes, Mr. Palmer, Miss Mahoney, and others were there for years. Although I wouldn't count Mrs. Garrett until August of '79, assuming she didn't stay there all summer.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Why is it clear? (it's been a while since I looked at the script)

Because on April 17th, 1979, Zale Kessler and Pam Myers were penciled in to play the roles of Mr. Crocker and Miss Bruner. The episode was taped on April 19, 1979, two days later. Sometime in between April 17th and 19th, Jack Riley was hired, and the character of Miss Brunner was jettisoned, only to appear in an altered form, several months later.

My favorite moment of him in TGS is his intense coaching of Nancy on how he wants her to act, with all of those detailed emotions!

That is a hilarious scene... they could have had him stay on as the crazy Drama teacher... but he didn't work well as a Headmaster.

7? I thought there were just 4? The Croc, Mr. Bradley, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Parker (I don't count Blair in the series finale). I guess there was one right before Blair, but even counting Blair, that's only 6.

Kimberly tells us in TGS that Mr. Crocker is "the new headmaster", indicating there was someone shortly before Crocker's very short run:

1. Headmaster before Crocker
2. Mr. Harold J. Crocker
3. Mr. Steven Bradley
4. Mr. Harris
5. Mr. Charles Parker
6. Mr. Abner Morehead
7. Miss Blair Warner

...There may have even been headmasters between Parker and Morehead.

Interesting, I never feel that. I feel only the headmasters had the evolving door, while faculty such as Mrs. Garrett, Ms. Downes, Mr. Palmer, Miss Mahoney, and others were there for years. Although I wouldn't count Mrs. Garrett until August of '79, assuming she didn't stay there all summer.

Ms. Downes was a bit of a revolving door herself, what with her holding several positions at Eastland. Or was that Miss Muldoon?

And I'd always assumed Mrs. Garrett started full-time at Eastland shortly after "The Girls' School", simply because once we see the cast again, Mrs. G has already established a rapport with the girls: she doesn't have to learn their names (even though we'd previously seen dozens of girls in the dorm), she already feels protective of them, etc. This bonding wouldn't have happened while the girls were off on summer break.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Miss Brunner was jettisoned, only to appear in an altered form, several months later.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

That image still cracks me up, Lorimar!

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

That image still cracks me up, Lorimar!

It was Eights who made it famous.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Sometime in between April 17th and 19th, Jack Riley was hired, and the character of Miss Brunner was jettisoned, only to appear in an altered form, several months later.

Ahh, I read you wrong. I thought you meant Mr. Crocker was a last minute write-in, sorry (I went up and re-read). I think the thread title also threw me off, as I was picturing "The Crock", not "Mr. Riley".

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Ms. Downes was a bit of a revolving door herself, what with her holding several positions at Eastland. Or was that Miss Muldoon?

Ms. Downes was the (I assume?) drama teacher during all her tenure at Eastland up until season 5, in my faniverse. Then she gets some sort of office position where she has access to student records. Miss Muldoon was the librarian during the classic era, but maybe a science teacher too?? (the diary episode)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

And I'd always assumed Mrs. Garrett started full-time at Eastland shortly after "The Girls' School", simply because once we see the cast again, Mrs. G has already established a rapport with the girls: she doesn't have to learn their names (even though we'd previously seen dozens of girls in the dorm), she already feels protective of them, etc. This bonding wouldn't have happened while the girls were off on summer break.

I know what you mean, but I feel the girls went home for summer break. To me Mrs. Garrett still feels "new" enough. There are only 7 girls' names to remember (not 10, 12, haha), and it feels like she doesn't know them well enough to know that Blair has a cruel side to her. In my faniverse, Mrs. Garrett and the girls had been there for a week or two getting settled in.

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

It was Eights who made it famous.

Well, thank you Lorsie, but I don't know if I can take credit for that; I think Retro may have been the first to use it.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Ahh, I read you wrong. I thought you meant Mr. Crocker was a last minute write-in, sorry (I went up and re-read). I think the thread title also threw me off, as I was picturing "The Crock", not "Mr. Riley".

Oh, no. No, it's clear Crocker wasn't a last-minute write-in, just Jack Riley was a last-minute casting decision. Miss Bruner was a last-minute write-out, though.

Ms. Downes was the (I assume?) drama teacher during all her tenure at Eastland up until season 5, in my faniverse. Then she gets some sort of office position where she has access to student records. Miss Muldoon was the librarian during the classic era, but maybe a science teacher too?? (the diary episode)

I do like these touches where we see people change jobs. It makes for interesting continuity and discontinuity.

I know what you mean, but I feel the girls went home for summer break. To me Mrs. Garrett still feels "new" enough. There are only 7 girls' names to remember (not 10, 12, haha), and it feels like she doesn't know them well enough to know that Blair has a cruel side to her. In my faniverse, Mrs. Garrett and the girls had been there for a week or two getting settled in.

I can definitely see your point about Mrs. Garrett still feeling new, but I can't agree that she didn't know Blair could be cruel: Mrs. Garrett herself had already been told by Blair that "the help" should mind their own business.

On this point, I guess we'll never know for sure... unless the answers are hidden somewhere in a script!

Well, thank you Lorsie, but I don't know if I can take credit for that; I think Retro may have been the first to use it.

I was indeed the first to use that emoji for Miss Mahoney, but Lorsie's right: YOU made it famous!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Oh, no. No, it's clear Crocker wasn't a last-minute write-in, just Jack Riley was a last-minute casting decision. Miss Bruner was a last-minute write-out, though.

They should have kept her name as an in-joke, to reference as a never-seen teacher, like Miss Gafney, Tootie's English teacher who "rats" to Mrs. Garrett that Tootie missed turning in her 3 latest English assignments in "Starstruck", lol.

Or maybe we can include Miss Bruner by saying that Miss Bruner married a Peekskill Mr. Gavney, becoming a "Ms. Gafney"!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I do like these touches where we see people change jobs. It makes for interesting continuity and discontinuity.

I agree!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I can definitely see your point about Mrs. Garrett still feeling new, but I can't agree that she didn't know Blair could be cruel: Mrs. Garrett herself had already been told by Blair that "the help" should mind their own business.

True, but I see that as a flippant teenage remark to an "oldster". She saw her be snobby with the insult to Sue Ann (that Sue Ann didn't know was an insult, lol), but I like to think she didn't realize how truly cruel Blair could be until she got Blair to admit "the crack" she made to Cindy. (hey, TGS had "The Crock", and RH had "the crack" )

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I was indeed the first to use that emoji for Miss Mahoney, but Lorsie's right: YOU made it famous!

Well, I think you were the one who first said it was Prototype Monica slapping Miss Mahoney!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

They should have kept her name as an in-joke, to reference as a never-seen teacher, like Miss Gafney, Tootie's English teacher who "rats" to Mrs. Garrett that Tootie missed turning in her 3 latest English assignments in "Starstruck", lol.

That would have been cool. Only the insidiest insider would know what the reference was to.

True, but I see that as a flippant teenage remark to an "oldster". She saw her be snobby with the insult to Sue Ann (that Sue Ann didn't know was an insult, lol), but I like to think she didn't realize how truly cruel Blair could be until she got Blair to admit "the crack" she made to Cindy. (hey, TGS had "The Crock", and RH had "the crack" )

Blair sure had a cruel streak early on. I'm glad that got toned down as Blair matured under the influence of Mrs. Garrett. There's no way those cruelties could have continued for nine seasons.

Well, I think you were the one who first said it was Prototype Monica slapping Miss Mahoney!

That was definitely me!