Season 1 had a gap of HALF A YEAR in it

['80sSitcoms]

I don't think any of us have ever really appreciated the fact of just how long a gap was between the 1979 episodes of season 1 and the 1980 episodes. "I.Q." aired September 14, 1979, and "Overachieving" aired March 12, 1980. Think about that as it's now 40 years later. Remember how long ago mid-september seems? And just think how much more we have to go before mid-March?

What if you were a charters "Facts" viewer back then? What if you had fallen in LOVE with the show and the characters? What if you had no idea what was going on??

That last question brings up a good one. I would love to know if there were any kind of press announcements or what have you about FOL being suddenly gone off the air and "being worked on" before being brought back for spring of 1980.

HALF A YEAR---what a time to wait to see Eastland again after only 4 episodes! (of the new series; not counting TGS)

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I don't think any of us have ever really appreciated the fact of just how long a gap was between the 1979 episodes of season 1 and the 1980 episodes. "I.Q." aired September 14, 1979, and "Overachieving" aired March 12, 1980. Think about that as it's now 40 years later. Remember how long ago mid-september seems? And just think how much more we have to go before mid-March?

What if you were a charters "Facts" viewer back then? What if you had fallen in LOVE with the show and the characters? What if you had no idea what was going on??

That last question brings up a good one. I would love to know if there were any kind of press announcements or what have you about FOL being suddenly gone off the air and "being worked on" before being brought back for spring of 1980.

HALF A YEAR---what a time to wait to see Eastland again after only 4 episodes! (of the new series; not counting TGS)

Some great points and questions, there, '80s.

There was something really strange about that four-episode fall try-out. That was the same length of time, and even the same period, as Dorothy Loudon's very similar boarding school sitcom, Dorothy, which aired on CBS: August 8 - August 29, 1979 (compare to FOL's August 24 - September 14, 1979).

I had checked, a couple of years ago, for press release mentions of the show going on hiatus after the first four episodes, but aside from some reviews of FOL (which mentioned the strong similarity between Dorothy and FOL), there wasn't much mention of the show... and of course, there were almost NO photos.

The only time I found multiple mentions of FOL's new dates and times during the first season was during the summer re-run period, when there were reports that the ratings had significantly improved, and Charlotte going on the record as saying she didn't like the new Fall 1980 time-slot, directly after the beloved hit series Diff'rent Strokes, at 9:30 Eastern, 8:30 Central.

That long gap was far too big to be explained away by the production of new episodes. Nine episodes do not take six months to produce. I feel like NBC was going the el-cheapo route, producing only 13 episodes over the course of a full year, scheduling the show against two hit shows on other networks, not bothering to promote the series, and then being surprised when 13 episodes poorly promoted didn't result in huge ratings.

For a while, during that long gap, NBC aired a short-lived comedy-drama series called Shirley, starring Shirley Jones (from the Partridge Family). But Shirley's star power didn't help: that series was cancelled after just 13 episodes. Then it was a sitcom called Me and Maxx, which only lasted 10 episodes. Nothing survived in that slot, against The Incredible Hulk and Fantasy Island.

[80s Dude]

I was 14 when it debuted and I don't ever noticing the lapse in time. There were lots of TV shows that came and went. Didn't even think about the FOL being gone for awhile. There were tons of other TV shows to watch then,

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

I was 14 when it debuted and I don't ever noticing the lapse in time. There were lots of TV shows that came and went. Didn't even think about the FOL being gone for awhile. There were tons of other TV shows to watch then,

Great to get the perspective of someone watching from the very first episode!

I didn't become a serious viewer until sometime after 1980. While I might have watched some episodes of the first season when it originally aired, I suspect for the most part that my mom would have turned the channel to Fantasy Island. I distinctly remember hearing "Da Plane! Da Plane!" pretty much every week.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Great to get the perspective of someone watching from the very first episode!

I didn't become a serious viewer until sometime after 1980. While I might have watched some episodes of the first season when it originally aired, I suspect for the most part that my mom would have turned the channel to Fantasy Island. I distinctly remember hearing "Da Plane! Da Plane!" pretty much every week.

Fantasy Island was at 10 PM EST and didn't go directly against FOL. However, the Love Boat may have.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Fantasy Island was at 10 PM EST and didn't go directly against FOL. However, the Love Boat may have.

The Fall 1979 schedule is well-established, and placed FOL on NBC vs The Incredible Hulk on ABC and Fantasy Island on CBS. FOL documentaries state this, as do all major TV reference works. It wasn't until later in the year when Fantasy Island was moved.

Brooks and Marsh (2007) state Fantasy Island aired on Friday nights from 8-9 PM from August to October, 1979. This was against the first four FOL and The Incredible Hulk. Wikipedia states the same thing.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I had checked, a couple of years ago, for press release mentions of the show going on hiatus after the first four episodes, but aside from some reviews of FOL (which mentioned the strong similarity between Dorothy and FOL), there wasn't much mention of the show... and of course, there were almost NO photos.

Both of those factors seem so odd now (half a year gap with no info, AND no photos from those first 4).

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

The only time I found multiple mentions of FOL's new dates and times during the first season was during the summer re-run period, when there were reports that the ratings had significantly improved, and Charlotte going on the record as saying she didn't like the new Fall 1980 time-slot, directly after the beloved hit series Diff'rent Strokes

What??? Why would she NOT like airing after the parent show?? That's what spin-offs are supposed to do!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

IThat long gap was far too big to be explained away by the production of new episodes. Nine episodes do not take six months to produce.

True, guys like us know there's no way they needed 24 weeks to produce 9 episodes! It didn't take 24 weeks to escort Jenny off of the studio lot! Maybe they just figured "let's come back after the holidays", they started filming the '80 episodes right after the new year, and wait to air them starting in March? But then why air #11 on May 2nd, only to wait OVER A MONTH to air #12 and #13 on June 4th and June 11th?? Didn't shows still air season finales by mid-May back then, or did that become a thing later in the '80s? It feels so odd to have first-run episodes airing in JUNE.

And I too grew up hearing "De plane! De plane!" each Saturday night in the early '80s.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Both of those factors seem so odd now (half a year gap with no info, AND no photos from those first 4).

It definitely was a very different time: network execs could fail to promote a show, give it a nightmare timeslot, have millions of viewers still tune in, yank it off the schedule for over six months, and somehow blame the show's lower ratings on there being "too many characters".

What??? Why would she NOT like airing after the parent show?? That's what spin-offs are supposed to do!

I think I've mentioned this before: I believe this was a bit of kayfabe on the part of the wonderful Charlotte Rae: by stating that she hated the new timeslot, she could get the word out about what the new timeslot was.

Otherwise, I cannot possibly figure out why she'd oppose that timeslot: as you say, it had the perfect lead-in, with its parent series featuring some of the same characters, and attracting a similar demographic.

I don't believe Charlotte was being dishonest, here. But I do believe that Charlotte was asked to play a part for the reporters: the part of an irritated star, in order to help save a struggling NBC.

True, guys like us know there's no way they needed 24 weeks to produce 9 episodes! It didn't take 24 weeks to escort Jenny off of the studio lot!

I know you are kidding, and I laughed very hard at the visual, but I sure hope they didn't actually escort Jenny off the studio lot. (Bad enough that happened to Suzanne Somers and Julie McCullough).

Maybe they just figured "let's come back after the holidays", they started filming the '80 episodes right after the new year, and wait to air them starting in March?

They actually started taping the new episodes in December, according to the production guide HCH put together, and the dates on the scripts. "Overachieving", "Emily Dickinson", and "Molly's Holiday" were all taped at Metromedia during that month, which is why I shared the script for MH right before Christmas last year.

But then why air #11 on May 2nd, only to wait OVER A MONTH to air #12 and #13 on June 4th and June 11th?? Didn't shows still air season finales by mid-May back then, or did that become a thing later in the '80s? It feels so odd to have first-run episodes airing in JUNE.

Clearly, NBC was being run by hamsters, at this point.

It's clear they had no strategy, no solutions, and were just throwing things on the schedule randomly, then yanking it off the schedule if it didn't result in immediate high ratings. No need to promote. No need to build new sets: just re-use the same ones from the previous (God-awful) show. Hire actors to play roles just two days before the show's going to be taped. Tape a backdoor pilot, then do research on authenticating scripts.

And I too grew up hearing "De plane! De plane!" each Saturday night in the early '80s.

Haha! YEP!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I think I've mentioned this before: I believe this was a bit of kayfabe on the part of the wonderful Charlotte Rae: by stating that she hated the new timeslot, she could get the word out about what the new timeslot was.

Otherwise, I cannot possibly figure out why she'd oppose that timeslot: as you say, it had the perfect lead-in, with its parent series featuring some of the same characters, and attracting a similar demographic.

I don't believe Charlotte was being dishonest, here. But I do believe that Charlotte was asked to play a part for the reporters: the part of an irritated star, in order to help save a struggling NBC.

WHAT?? This is all so surreal...do you have sources citing Charlotte's "meltdowns"? (okay so I'm totally exaggerating, haha) And I think you know I don't meant that in an "I don't believe you!" way, but in a "That is fascinating! Where can we see that??" way.





I know you are kidding, and I laughed very hard at the visual, but I sure hope they didn't actually escort Jenny off the studio lot. (Bad enough that happened to Suzanne Somers and Julie McCullough).

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

They actually started taping the new episodes in December, according to the production guide HCH put together, and the dates on the scripts. "Overachieving", "Emily Dickinson", and "Molly's Holiday" were all taped at Metromedia during that month, which is why I shared the script for MH right before Christmas last year.

Oh that's right, the guide! I forgot he generously included tape and air dates in that! #foreverthankful

Wait a minute though, MH was taped with O and ED in December?? But MH was aired as #11! Wow...I forgot it was tape so early, yet aired so late. I'm surprised we don't notice the girls "de-age" in MH!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

WHAT?? This is all so surreal...do you have sources citing Charlotte's "meltdowns"? (okay so I'm totally exaggerating, haha) And I think you know I don't meant that in an "I don't believe you!" way, but in a "That is fascinating! Where can we see that??" way.

Oh, no meltdown, but definitely her complaining about the timeslot. We've discussed it, previously, in the Vintage Promo ads and Pictures thread. It's the Associated Press article where there are multiple versions of the article, but every single one of them has the "chunky divorced, chunky divorced" typo that never got fixed:

Charlotte Rae, a short, chunky divorced chunky divorced comedienne, who plays on NBC's "The Facts of Life," is watching her low-rated show become more popular during the summer rerun season.

"I'm hoping the summer sampling will carry over into the fall," she says. Yet, NBC doesn't share her hopes; they've renewed the show and given it a Friday evening sked that Miss Rae doesn't consider ideal.

"The Facts of Life" deals with mischievous adolescent girls at a private school who need Mrs. Garrett's advice and management. It attracts a teen-age audience.

"But," complains Miss Rae, "by Friday night, most teen-agers are out."

Miss Rae, however, is happy to be back on the air. "They (NBC program executives) told us it was the only place they could fit us in," she says.

Oh that's right, the guide! I forgot he generously included tape and air dates in that! #foreverthankful

Wait a minute though, MH was taped with O and ED in December?? But MH was aired as #11! Wow...I forgot it was tape so early, yet aired so late. I'm surprised we don't notice the girls "de-age" in MH!

I think that is the reason why Molly grows a foot taller between 1-12, MH, and 2-02, TNG 2.