Similarities between FOL and DS

[FOL-FAN-ITA]

I was reading some IMDB reviews on the show and one in particular caught my attention, saying that FOL was basically a female version of DS. If you think, there are some similarities between the two shows. I wrote my similarities, let me know yours! (How is the situation there? I heard nightmare stories on TV)

-Mrs. Garrett was the only adult for most of the show's run, the mentor and "mother" of the girls, just like Drummond on DS (but I think Mrs. Garrett did it better)
-Tootie was the little kid with a catchphrase like Arnold and Natalie was the funny girl like Arnold
- The actors and actresses of both shows grew up on the set, differently...
- Both shows replaced a cast member at the end of the first year, Adelaide for Mrs. Garrett and Jo for the Lost Girls
- Both shows were and still are highly successfull
-Both shows added a kid during their later years, Sam on DS and Andy on FOL (Andy was waaaaay better than Sam, who was annoying and whiny, at least he was funny sometimes)
- Both shows became essentially another show in the end with new characters and stories, the quality declined (little exception with season 8 of FOL, for me a huge improvement in writing after a weak seventh season)


Even some episodes plot are the same: Dieting and Bulimia/ The Facts of Love and Growing Up/ Dope and First Day Blues/ Cousin Geri and Kathy

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

I was reading some IMDB reviews on the show and one in particular caught my attention, saying that FOL was basically a female version of DS. If you think, there are some similarities between the two shows. I wrote my similarities, let me know yours! (How is the situation there? I heard nightmare stories on TV)

-Mrs. Garrett was the only adult for most of the show's run, the mentor and "mother" of the girls, just like Drummond on DS (but I think Mrs. Garrett did it better)
-Tootie was the little kid with a catchphrase like Arnold and Natalie was the funny girl like Arnold
- The actors and actresses of both shows grew up on the set, differently...
- Both shows replaced a cast member at the end of the first year, Adelaide for Mrs. Garrett and Jo for the Lost Girls
- Both shows were and still are highly successfull
-Both shows added a kid during their later years, Sam on DS and Andy on FOL (Andy was waaaaay better than Sam, who was annoying and whiny, at least he was funny sometimes)
- Both shows became essentially another show in the end with new characters and stories, the quality declined (little exception with season 8 of FOL, for me a huge improvement in writing after a weak seventh season)


Even some episodes plot are the same: Dieting and Bulimia/ The Facts of Love and Growing Up/ Dope and First Day Blues/ Cousin Geri and Kathy

Different Strokes also had an episode similar to IQ where Mr. Drummond wanted to enroll the boys into the boy prep school he went to and the IQ tests were not geared to inner city youth and the headmaster had to take an IQ test.

Different Strokes was a much more family oriented show. FOL was geared to teens and adults. I can never see Arnold talking about Mr. Drummond's kinky panties or holding a night gown with instructions.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Different Strokes also had an episode similar to IQ where Mr. Drummond wanted to enroll the boys into the boy prep school he went to and the IQ tests were not geared to inner city youth and the headmaster had to take an IQ test.

Different Strokes was a much more family oriented show. FOL was geared to teens and adults. I can never see Arnold talking about Mr. Drummond's kinky panties or holding a night gown with instructions.

"IIIINSTRUCTIOOOONS....?!!!!!"

[RetroGuy2000]

Haha! Lorimar, as soon as 80s Dude said "Instructions", that's the line I thought of, too!


Getting back to topic, FOL and DS had quite a few episodes with the same or a similar title. For example, "Front Page", "The Prep School/The Girls' School", "The Fight/The Big Fight", "The Adoption/Adoption", "Teacher's Pet", etc.