Do you think Mrs. Garrett changed from Diff'rent Strokes to Fol?

[FOL-FAN-ITA]

What do you think?

['80sSitcoms]

Well, as naturally as someone would change from going to a private penthouse housekeeper to being a supervisor of 7-plus young girls in a school dorm.

[80s Dude]

She would have too. From going to unskilled to a supervisor, you got to change.

[PracTz]

Let's not forget on 'Diffrent Strokes' Mrs. Garrett was the wacky and goofy sidekick housekeeper with a heart of gold like Alice on 'The Brady Bunch' and had few if any opportunities to exert authority but was supportive of the others.

However, on 'FOL' 'Mrs. G.' was not only the main protagonist but she was also the de facto, hands-on mother of all these girls whose parents had decided to put their offspring in the school's keeping and the school entrusted her with supervising their non-academic lives. She could not have stayed the wacky, goofy person she'd been on 'FOL' with any kind of credibility.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by PracTz

Let's not forget on 'Diffrent Strokes' Mrs. Garrett was the wacky and goofy sidekick housekeeper with a heart of gold like Alice on 'The Brady Bunch' and had few if any opportunities to exert authority but was supportive of the others.

She did challenge Mr. Drummond's authority on several occasions though---pretty boldly, too! lol

Originally Posted by PracTz

She could not have stayed the wacky, goofy person she'd been on 'FOL' with any kind of credibility.

They found a good balance for her with her funny wackiness and her credible authority. I still think the scene of Mrs. Garrett and ex-hubby Robert at the pay phone in the dorm in episode #3 is one of her funniest bits ever!

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

She did challenge Mr. Drummond's authority on several occasions though---pretty boldly, too! lol




They found a good balance for her with her funny wackiness and her credible authority. I still think the scene of Mrs. Garrett and ex-hubby Robert at the pay phone in the dorm in episode #3 is one of her funniest bits ever!

Well said! MRS G was definitely the authority figure for all the girls and especially our 4 main ones: she was a mixture of confidante and a mother, and the glue to the show! After she left the show i kind of stopped watching (in fact, i only got the FOL DVD set 1 up to 6) after that it sucks with the BEVERLY ANN character, who was a joke compared to MRS G!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

Well said! MRS G was definitely the authority figure for all the girls and especially our 4 main ones: she was a mixture of confidante and a mother, and the glue to the show! After she left the show i kind of stopped watching (in fact, i only got the FOL DVD set 1 up to 6) after that it sucks with the BEVERLY ANN character, who was a joke compared to MRS G!

I heart Mrs. Garrett, too. No way could Beverly Ann replace her, any more than Jo could replace Cindy.


Mrs. G definitely changed over the years: she started off as a very flighty maid, and gradually evolved into a very serious businesswoman, who occasionally still liked to clown around a bit (but not very often). It was done so gradually that it was hard to notice, but we certainly do notice, during binge-watching (which wasn't possible when the show originally aired).

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I heart Mrs. Garrett, too. No way could Beverly Ann replace her, any more than Jo could replace Cindy.


Mrs. G definitely changed over the years: she started off as a very flighty maid, and gradually evolved into a very serious businesswoman, who occasionally still liked to clown around a bit (but not very often). It was done so gradually that it was hard to notice, but we certainly do notice, during binge-watching (which wasn't possible when the show originally aired).

I don't think MRS G stopped clowning at all: she might have been more authoritative on FOL than on 'Different strokes', but she was always looking out for the girl's company and became often a shoulder to cry on for our 4 main ones. In a way she became a mixture of best friend, confidante and mum to them, and even though she gained a higher position she was still a barrel of laughs.
PS: she even said in one episode that she was 'one of the girls' hee hee!

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I heart Mrs. Garrett, too. No way could Beverly Ann replace her

Beverly Ann wasn't meant to replace Mrs. Garrett. The character of Beverly Ann just went through a divorce and was finding herself. She served a pivotal role in season 8 because divorce is part of learning The Facts of Life. I'm glad she wasn't like Mrs. Garrett. It's pointless when shows do this. Look at Night Court when they killed off Phil. They ended up bringing the actor back as the twin brother Will that was completely different but turned him into Phil 2.0. Thank God The Facts of Life didn't become this stupid in the later years.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Christopher

Beverly Ann wasn't meant to replace Mrs. Garrett.

The question is, do fans mean replace as in an "exchange", or replace as in just filling an empty cast slot? That would be a good dissertation: "Sitcom Characters and the Subject of Replacement" (Mrs. Garrett/Beverly Ann, Jo/CindySueAnnMollyNancy)

Originally Posted by Christopher

Look at Night Court when they killed off Phil. They ended up bringing the actor back as the twin brother Will that was completely different but turned him into Phil 2.0. Thank God The Facts of Life didn't become this stupid in the later years.

I had to look that up to even see who that was. I watched all of NC on cable several years ago and didn't remember that incident at all.

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by Christopher

Beverly Ann wasn't meant to replace Mrs. Garrett. The character of Beverly Ann just went through a divorce and was finding herself. She served a pivotal role in season 8 because divorce is part of learning The Facts of Life. I'm glad she wasn't like Mrs. Garrett. It's pointless when shows do this. Look at Night Court when they killed off Phil. They ended up bringing the actor back as the twin brother Will that was completely different but turned him into Phil 2.0. Thank God The Facts of Life didn't become this stupid in the later years.

I understand your point of view, but i still think BEVERLY ANN wasn't needed (whether as a friend or mother figure): she just didn't click with the girls the way MRS G did with them, and there was hardly any chemistry between them, except for ANDY (who was in strong need for a mother).

PS: and i know CLORIS LEACHMAN is a great actress cos i'v seen her on a 'TWILIGHT ZONE' episode and she was fabulous!

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I had to look that up to even see who that was. I watched all of NC on cable several years ago and didn't remember that incident at all.

It started out as a great story for Dan. He went through a lot of guilt over Phil's death. Then they brought in Phil's twin brother, Will, who scams Dan. After time passed, Will returns and becomes exactly like Phil and gets called Phil. Phil's death has to be the most POINTLESS story in any TV show history since they basically undid it. Even Bull getting abducted by aliens in the finale isn't as stupid as Phil's death storyline. Season 9 was a bad year. That maybe why you don't remember it. It was mainly a slap in the face to fans because the cast and crew weren't happy NBC brought them back that year. From what I read, they all wanted Night Court to end with season 8.

[MikeLutton]

i missed cindy and sue ann

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

PS: and i know CLORIS LEACHMAN is a great actress cos i'v seen her on a 'TWILIGHT ZONE' episode and she was fabulous!

And because she won Oscar and Emmy awards for The Last Picture Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, lol.