Was Molly's Holiday suppose to be the last episode of Season 1?

[80s Dude]

I always thought that the Molly's Holiday's episode was originally was suppose to be the season ender for season 1. All the students going home made it seem that they were ready for their summer break. The last aired episode of Dope just seemed like it was out of sequence.

['80sSitcoms]

I used to think that years ago, but then I noticed it was their spring break.

MH was actually episode #7 of season 1 in taping order (see "The Facts of Life" Production Guide brilliantly compiled by fellow user hch here).

But yeah, that would have been neat though having a season finale where the girls are going off their separate ways for the summer break.

[RetroGuy2000]

It is indeed, as '80s Sitcoms says, their Spring Break. NBC was too cheap to give the series a full 24-episode run, so they only got 13 episodes: not truly long enough to stretch from Fall to Summer.

But I've also read, somewhere, that "Dope" was held back due to its controversial nature. So even though "Molly's Holiday" wasn't originally meant to be the final episode of the season (because we know it was produced much earlier), I think it's possible that some NBC executive saw it and said, 'Let's use this as the season finale, with all the girls departing for the break".

I think both "Molly's Holiday" and "Dope" work equally well for the season finale: in both episodes, we already start to get a bit of a transition to Season Two, with Nancy and Cindy's roles already being pared down in MH, and Molly, Nancy, and Cindy's roles pared down in "Dope" (the only big casting change remaining is Sue Ann being replaced by Jo). Had there been more episodes in Season One, we might have even seen a more gradual reduction in their roles, with a better transition. Instead, we get, "Well, at least 'our group' is back together," with just Mrs. Garrett and four girls hugging. I'll never believe that was a complete coincidence. The producers must have known, by then, that they were culling some students from Eastland. Why else script it that way?

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

It is indeed, as '80s Sitcoms says, their Spring Break. NBC was too cheap to give the series a full 24-episode run, so they only got 13 episodes: not truly long enough to stretch from Fall to Summer.

But I've also read, somewhere, that "Dope" was held back due to its controversial nature. So even though "Molly's Holiday" wasn't originally meant to be the final episode of the season (because we know it was produced much earlier), I think it's possible that some NBC executive saw it and said, 'Let's use this as the season finale, with all the girls departing for the break".

I think both "Molly's Holiday" and "Dope" work equally well for the season finale: in both episodes, we already start to get a bit of a transition to Season Two, with Nancy and Cindy's roles already being pared down in MH, and Molly, Nancy, and Cindy's roles pared down in "Dope" (the only big casting change remaining is Sue Ann being replaced by Jo). Had there been more episodes in Season One, we might have even seen a more gradual reduction in their roles, with a better transition. Instead, we get, "Well, at least 'our group' is back together," with just Mrs. Garrett and four girls hugging. I'll never believe that was a complete coincidence. The producers must have known, by then, that they were culling some students from Eastland. Why else script it that way?

But why did they end it that way if Molly was the last girl fired and was originally going to be the 4th girl?

[valentina warner]

Now, if MOLLY was supposed to be the girl number 4: would she have being paired up with BLAIR? (instead of JO)?

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

But why did they end it that way if Molly was the last girl fired and was originally going to be the 4th girl?

I don't believe she was. I believe a producer told her she was going to still be on the show. Molly interpreted this as "you're still going to be in the opening credits." Then she showed up to the set, and realized it was not something she'd been led to believe. Something similar happened to the original Mark Foster on Step By Step: he's written here on SO that he showed up to the Christmas party, only to find out that he'd been replaced. His agent wasn't honest with him, and it was The Most Awkward Christmas Party Ever.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

Now, if MOLLY was supposed to be the girl number 4: would she have being paired up with BLAIR? (instead of JO)?

I don't see Molly as a good foil for Blair: she's the same age (roughly) as Natalie and Tootie*, which makes it odd that they would pair up three younger girls with one older one. It would have been weird to have older, sophisticated Blair being snobby to three younger girls. It would have played very differently.

Also, while Molly did have a Social Justice Warrior thing going on, Molly and Blair rarely if ever clashed during their scenes together. Blair and Sue Ann, Blair and Cindy, and even Blair and Nancy were more likely to clash.


*Tootie, not Kim. We know Kim in real life was a few years younger than even Molly or Mindy.

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I don't see Molly as a good foil for Blair: she's the same age (roughly) as Natalie and Tootie*, which makes it odd that they would pair up three younger girls with one older one. It would have been weird to have older, sophisticated Blair being snobby to three younger girls. It would have played very differently.

Also, while Molly did have a Social Justice Warrior thing going on, Molly and Blair rarely if ever clashed during their scenes together. Blair and Sue Ann, Blair and Cindy, and even Blair and Nancy were more likely to clash.


*Tootie, not Kim. We know Kim in real life was a few years younger than even Molly or Mindy.

So it wouldn't have made any sense to have MOLLY on season 2, unless another one of the girls, nearer BLAIR's age would be paired up with her?
CINDY would have been a great foil for BLAIR (they already clashed on the episode 'rough housing') though.....

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I don't see Molly as a good foil for Blair: she's the same age (roughly) as Natalie and Tootie*, which makes it odd that they would pair up three younger girls with one older one. It would have been weird to have older, sophisticated Blair being snobby to three younger girls. It would have played very differently.

Also, while Molly did have a Social Justice Warrior thing going on, Molly and Blair rarely if ever clashed during their scenes together. Blair and Sue Ann, Blair and Cindy, and even Blair and Nancy were more likely to clash.


*Tootie, not Kim. We know Kim in real life was a few years younger than even Molly or Mindy.

There was only a year (15 months) age difference between Molly and Kim. 3 years between Kim and Mindy.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I don't believe she was. I believe a producer told her she was going to still be on the show. Molly interpreted this as "you're still going to be in the opening credits." Then she showed up to the set, and realized it was not something she'd been led to believe. Something similar happened to the original Mark Foster on Step By Step: he's written here on SO that he showed up to the Christmas party, only to find out that he'd been replaced. His agent wasn't honest with him, and it was The Most Awkward Christmas Party Ever.

What was the name of the original Mark Foster?

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

What was the name of the original Mark Foster?

Jarrett Lennon Kaufman, and he discusses what happened to him on SBS in this thread. Lorimar and I got all the juicy details at that time. (Of course, we hadn't yet learned of the Angela Watson drama, yet).

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

So it wouldn't have made any sense to have MOLLY on season 2, unless another one of the girls, nearer BLAIR's age would be paired up with her?
CINDY would have been a great foil for BLAIR (they already clashed on the episode 'rough housing') though.....

I feel as though Cindy would have been a better foil for Blair than Molly. Still, Cindy, too, was a couple of years younger than Blair.

In real life, Nancy McKeon was two years younger than Lisa, yet she looked considerably older. Maybe it was her height, or something else, but she could easily pass for 15 or 16, while I don't think Julie Anne could have.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Jarrett Lennon Kaufman, and he discusses what happened to him on SBS in this thread. Lorimar and I got all the juicy details at that time. (Of course, we hadn't yet learned of the Angela Watson drama, yet).

Haha very juicy indeed

[80s Dude]

This is another source that said that Molly was the last to be fired. This is the transcript from a documentary called TV Guide's Behind the Sitcoms. A producer of the show said that Felice and the Julies were fired first and then the next decision was to decide which preteen to keep, Kim or Molly. http://www.televisionhits.com/factso...Kkcn7MPBeP5lCA

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

This is another source that said that Molly was the last to be fired. This is the transcript from a documentary called TV Guide's Behind the Sitcoms. A producer of the show said that Felice and the Julies were fired first and then the next decision was to decide which preteen to keep, Kim or Molly. http://www.televisionhits.com/factso...Kkcn7MPBeP5lCA

Thanks for the link! Actually, Felice is never even mentioned in that transcript: only Molly, Julie, and Julie Anne. (There's also no mention of Jenny O'Hara or John Lawlor).

That transcript also uses the "f"-word: "fired", while Molly insists she was simply "let go".

The Truth Behind the Sitcoms again relies on the old chestnut that there were "too many girls" at a girls' school, even though many successful shows with large school casts (6+ kids) have been successful, even hugely so.

John Bowab also mentions he feels like Molly had a conspiracy theory about her being "let go": You know I liked Molly, I think that there was a feeling that all of us conspired in to let her go."