'THE GIRLS SCHOOL'

[valentina warner]

'THE GIRLS SCHOOL' episode from the pilot DS had just all the ingredients needed for a great boarding school story:

1. BLAIR is you typical 'naughty, rebellious' girl who breaks all the school rules: she smokes, hangs out with boys and is even rude towards the help

2. KIMBERLY is the 'rival, antagonist' to BLAIR and would probably have been the first written choice (had she stayed on the show) to clash with the 'naughty and spoiled' beautiful golden haired girl.

3. NANCY on the other hand is the 'well behaved, nice' girl who is also popular and very kind to anyone: she helps her friends out, has talent in acting and is hoping on a scholarship so she can stay at school.

4. SUE ANN is the 'clumsy, crazy' girl who is also popular among the girls and warm with all her friends: she likes to hang around people, enjoys anybody's company and the attention too.

5. MOLLY is the 'cute, curious' kid who enjoys hanging around the older girls and has no idea how to sew: she is popular thought, she is a people's person and is easy to talk to.

6. TOOTIE is a 'wide-eye, nosy' little school girl who seems to get in TROUBLE a lot and (especially with the headmaster), but as the youngest she has protection from all the older girls.

7. MR CROCK 'the crock' is the 'eccentric, nervous' headmaster who is too involved with himself to care for teenage girls: he tries to be stern failing miserably: a job a 'FEISTY RED HAIRED LADY' would soon take over!

And finally:

8. our beloved MRS G and the only capable person of ruling an all girls school! With her 'warm, dynamic and no nonsense' personality, she'd be able to handle any girl (especially the rebellious type) and i'm sure that's what the writers had in mind when she was challenged by the naughtiest girl at school: BLAIR WARNER, who first ignores her, almost get caught smoking and even speaks down on her! What a first interaction, and what great part 2 story would it had made it they've gone a little deeper with the 'housekeeper authority' figure towards the 'naughty spoiled' teenager ha ha ha! (nevertheless it was left in the air.....)

Comments?

PS: remember that was my opinion for the DS pilot and before some of the characters were replaced (like that girl you only had a few lines), and others hadn't made their entrance yet....

[80s Dude]

They rearranged the girl's personalities between The Girls School and the Rough Housing. Blair just didn't fit in well as the rebel. A girl that hung up on her appearance won't smoke. Also didn't fit into Lisa's personality. Mr. Crock was a cartoonish and Mr. Bradley was a much better replacement. Molly talked fast, but I think that was Molly Ringwald's persona and she that trait disappeared as Season 1 went around.

A lot of those girls looked like they were college aged or older. Probably leftovers from Coed Fever.

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

They rearranged the girl's personalities between The Girls School and the Rough Housing. Blair just didn't fit in well as the rebel. A girl that hung up on her appearance won't smoke. Also didn't fit into Lisa's personality. Mr. Crock was a cartoonish and Mr. Bradley was a much better replacement. Molly talked fast, but I think that was Molly Ringwald's persona and she that trait disappeared as Season 1 went around.

A lot of those girls looked like they were college aged or older. Probably leftovers from Coed Fever.

You're right about some of the extras looking older, but i don't agree about BLAIR not fitting in as the 'rebel': she was fantastic smoking with her 'DUKE OF HAZARD' looks, and if i had been the writer or the director, i would have kept her character rebellious and wild, but still the 'rich bitch'.....

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Mr. Crock was a cartoonish and Mr. Bradley was a much better replacement.

Mr. Crocker was a walking cartoon. I agree that Mr. Bradley was a so much better fit to the show. I just can't imagine Mrs. Garrett having to deal with an insane headmaster in every episode!

A lot of those girls looked like they were college aged or older. Probably leftovers from Coed Fever.

Laura Shuman (who played Laura, Leon the frog's owner) was definitely college-aged. She married Diff'rent Strokes director Gerren Keith, and sadly passed on in 2002.

D'Janine Lasky, who played one of the acrobatic girls, was the great-granddaughter of one of the founders of Paramount Pictures. She was an extra in many crowd scenes. She was already working as a production assistant on Mork and Mindy in 1982, so she was likely a little older than "the girls".

My understanding is that most of those 23 girls, like D'Janine and Laura, were acquaintances/relatives of the producers and directors, either at Metromedia, NBC, or Tandem Productions. Most of them certainly look older than tiny 9-year-old Kim, on roller skates!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Molly talked fast, but I think that was Molly Ringwald's persona and she that trait disappeared as Season 1 went around.

No, that was written as a part of Molly Parker's character. You can see when it's used, and Mrs. Garrett's reactions. It was one of Molly Parker's identifying traits.