What topics should FOL have done, but didn't?

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by Impressions

I would have liked to see episodes on:

The girls help out help the poor and homelessness
An Eastland girl takes birth control
Natalie experiences body shaming
An Eastland girl fights against the school’s strict dress code
Blair enters a beauty contest and the episode discusses the harmful effects of beauty pageants
A girl at the school has an abortion
Blair’s mom undergoes plastic surgery and the episode discusses the harmful effects of it
An Eastland girl cheats her way into Langley
Attempted school shooting at Eastland or Langley
Blair fights against the glass ceiling and sexism in the workplace as a lawyer
Girls fighting against animal testing in the cosmetics industry and against wearing furs
Girls fighting for LGTBQIA rights
Dealing with a murder on campus
Sex offender on campus
Ghosts in campus building
UFO abduction

I can't ever imagine Blair being critical of beauty contests, except when she loses. That would be a Molly thing. Something where they had some disagreements in this area in the first season. If not Molly, then it sounds like something Natalie would oppose.

I think Natalie was indirectly body shamed in "Sex Symbol". The producers and writers were very careful about not directing fat jokes toward Natalie/Mindy.

[cfr1970]

A lesbian student falls in love with Jo. Yes we all know Jo was straight, but with her mannerisms and dress it was only natural that she would eventually attract the attentions of a gay student. Even after she lost the ponytail, she still went and cut her hair into a mullet and wore men's suits for God sakes. It's almost like some kind of running inside joke with the show that viewers weren't privy to.

Butch women for miles around should have been flocking towards her lol. That tomboy/butch look and attitude of the character was just screaming to be addressed on that show and it strangely never was.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by cfr1970

A lesbian student falls in love with Jo. Yes we all know Jo was straight, but with her mannerisms and dress it was only natural that she would eventually attract the attentions of a gay student. Even after she lost the ponytail, she still went and cut her hair into a mullet and wore men's suits for God sakes. It's almost like some kind of running inside joke with the show that viewers weren't privy to.

Butch women for miles around should have been flocking towards her lol. That tomboy/butch look and attitude of the character was just screaming to be addressed on that show and it strangely never was.

There are plenty of lesbian Fan Fiction sites out there where Blair and Jo hook up. Some of them have Cindy in them too. Cindy was the original possible lesbian on FOL. And the first ever under 18 character who questioned her sexuality on prime time TV.

[cfr1970]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

There are plenty of lesbian Fan Fiction sites out there where Blair and Jo hook up. Some of them have Cindy in them too. Cindy was the original possible lesbian on FOL. And the first ever under 18 character who questioned her sexuality on prime time TV.

I know those fan fictions are out there but I don't like that idea. Blair & Jo together that way is just....yuck. They're like sisters so to think of them that way together is just gross lol.

Cindy & Jo however I could tolerate hooking up together.

I think that mean butch girl who held up Edna's Edibles...Kelly was her name? (I already forgot or blocked her existence out of my mind lol)...That could've been a good springboard for the story of someone falling for Jo and she has to set them straight so to speak. And then she's gone after that 2 parter special episode instead of lingering for half a season. I think that would've worked. But it was still the conservative 80's so sitcoms still were hesitant to venture there just yet.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by cfr1970

I know those fan fictions are out there but I don't like that idea. Blair & Jo together that way is just....yuck. They're like sisters so to think of them that way together is just gross lol.

Cindy & Jo however I could tolerate hooking up together.

I think that mean butch girl who held up Edna's Edibles...Kelly was her name? (I already forgot or blocked her existence out of my mind lol)...That could've been a good springboard for the story of someone falling for Jo and she has to set them straight so to speak. And then she's gone after that 2 parter special episode instead of lingering for half a season. I think that would've worked. But it was still the conservative 80's so sitcoms still were hesitant to venture there just yet.

Pam Adlon said Nancy M. (without naming her specifically) wasn't friendly toward her on the set and blamed her for pressuring the writers of making Kelly an unlikable character, so I doubt that would have worked.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Impressions

I would have liked to see episodes on:

The girls help out help the poor and homelessness
An Eastland girl takes birth control
Natalie experiences body shaming
An Eastland girl fights against the school’s strict dress code
Blair enters a beauty contest and the episode discusses the harmful effects of beauty pageants
A girl at the school has an abortion
Blair’s mom undergoes plastic surgery and the episode discusses the harmful effects of it
An Eastland girl cheats her way into Langley
Attempted school shooting at Eastland or Langley
Blair fights against the glass ceiling and sexism in the workplace as a lawyer
Girls fighting against animal testing in the cosmetics industry and against wearing furs
Girls fighting for LGTBQIA rights
Dealing with a murder on campus
Sex offender on campus
Ghosts in campus building
UFO abduction

Great list, Impressions!

The last two might work for Halloween episodes.

'80s Sitcoms mentioned this once or twice, and I would have liked to have seen it as well: Christmas at Eastland. We only got Christmas in the post-Eastland years, but it would have been so nice to have seen the girls merrily sipping eggnog around the fireplace...

I think we did get "sex offender on campus" and an abortion episode. A homeless episode would have been very nice.

An LGTB episode would have been cool, but I think the closest they could come, in that era, was "Rough Housing". It just was a different time, and the white men running the three networks were very conservative. My god, some channels still don't air that episode. Still, it would have been nice to see.

Had Molly been retained, we might have seen fur-is-murder, glass-ceiling, and anti-beauty-pageant episodes, but the producers went in a different direction, so we instead got El DeBarge, Bull from Night Court, '60s-themed, and Fuzzy Dice Murder episodes.


I wouldn't want a murder on campus storyline. The rape episode was more than enough violence for me.

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

There are plenty of lesbian Fan Fiction sites out there where Blair and Jo hook up. Some of them have Cindy in them too. Cindy was the original possible lesbian on FOL. And the first ever under 18 character who questioned her sexuality on prime time TV.

I never saw CINDY as 'lesbian', and also never understood why people did: to me she was just an insecure young teenager, still growing and shy around boys (i had a few friends like that when i was 13-14, and they turned out to be straight).

[valentina warner]

Here is a list of topics for episodes i would have liked to see, and i'm pleased to notice no one has mentioned them:

1. BLAIR going for a ride on JO's bike (with her or alone) not caring what she looks like or if her dress gets dirty).

2.

[RetroGuy2000]

Here are other storyline ideas:


While Mrs. Garrett is at Pastry School in NYC, the girls throw an unsupervised party that quickly gets out of control.

Sue Ann's boyfriend is involved in a farm accident, resulting in his death. Will she ever recover?

After a trip to New York, Tootie brings a homeless teen to Eastland for the holidays. April Lerman guest stars.

Everyone is thrilled when Cindy gets a chance to skip a grade. But how will this change affect her relationships with the other girls?

Molly, Blair, and Jo are arrested over the demonstration of Miss Muldoon's firing.

After Mrs. Garrett insists that Tootie will be grounded for lying, and will miss the class field trip, she is caught in a lie herself. Will Howard have to take the girls to the Met?

Roger's family is moving to another state; can Nancy adjust to a long-distance relationship with him?

The girls at Eastland are invited to New York City to participate in the Individualized Honors Program at Millard Fillmore High School. Howard Hesseman guest stars.

[valentina warner]

OOPS it jumped again! (my laptop keyboard did)

2. MRS G taking the girls to 'Appleton, Wisconsin' for a wee holiday.

3. BLAIR teaching in a kindergarten (she seemed to be good with little kids).

4. MRS G adopting another girl and ad it to the 'Core of 4' (why not? There could always be some kind of little orphan out there).

5. BLAIR becomes suddenly poor and has to learn how to cope with her new life (her father suddenly looses all his money on a gambling game).

6. MRS G never left to Africa, and instead she lived under the same roof with her girls forever and ever (even with the girl's husband and children as TOOTIE once said she wished).

7. MRS G takes a job as a teacher instead of nutritionist on season 2 (but she is still in charge of the 'Core of 4').

8.The 'Lost girls' have never left, and on season 2 they ad JO as a new character (the 8 of them get detention, and are forced to work in the cafeteria under the watchful eyes of MRS G).

9. SUE ANN and JO become besties and are the constant foil for NANCY and BLAIR who are also besties; MOLLY is best besties with CINDY and TOOTIE and NAT of course.

And finally

10. MRS G gets engaged with MR PARKER in the end (after admitting that she always had a crush on him).

What does anyone think? Crazy, isn't it????

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Here are other storyline ideas:


While Mrs. Garrett is at Pastry School in NYC, the girls throw an unsupervised party that quickly gets out of control.

Sue Ann's boyfriend is involved in a farm accident, resulting in his death. Will she ever recover?

After a trip to New York, Tootie brings a homeless teen to Eastland for the holidays. April Lerman guest stars.

Everyone is thrilled when Cindy gets a chance to skip a grade. But how will this change affect her relationships with the other girls?

Molly, Blair, and Jo are arrested over the demonstration of Miss Muldoon's firing.

After Mrs. Garrett insists that Tootie will be grounded for lying, and will miss the class field trip, she is caught in a lie herself. Will Howard have to take the girls to the Met?

Roger's family is moving to another state; can Nancy adjust to a long-distance relationship with him?

The girls at Eastland are invited to New York City to participate in the Individualized Honors Program at Millard Fillmore High School. Howard Hesseman guest stars.

Hi Retro!

I like your ideas too: they're great and very imaginative! (especially the one with CINDY skipping a grade, which means she'll be now competing with the 'oldies' SUE ANN, NANCY and BLAIR).

Great job!

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Great list, Impressions!

The last two might work for Halloween episodes.

'80s Sitcoms mentioned this once or twice, and I would have liked to have seen it as well: Christmas at Eastland. We only got Christmas in the post-Eastland years, but it would have been so nice to have seen the girls merrily sipping eggnog around the fireplace...

I think we did get "sex offender on campus" and an abortion episode. A homeless episode would have been very nice.

An LGTB episode would have been cool, but I think the closest they could come, in that era, was "Rough Housing". It just was a different time, and the white men running the three networks were very conservative. My god, some channels still don't air that episode. Still, it would have been nice to see.

Had Molly been retained, we might have seen fur-is-murder, glass-ceiling, and anti-beauty-pageant episodes, but the producers went in a different direction, so we instead got El DeBarge, Bull from Night Court, '60s-themed, and Fuzzy Dice Murder episodes.


I wouldn't want a murder on campus storyline. The rape episode was more than enough violence for me.

We have seen the cast Christmas party picture of them taken on the stairs during the taping of the running episode. They should have made that into a show theme, though the show was not shown during the winter of 1979-80.

Maybe have a plot where Cindy is doing back flips and accidentally hits Santa Claus and knocks him out. Molly wants to take pictures of him, but the other girls won't let her.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

Hi Retro!

I like your ideas too: they're great and very imaginative! (especially the one with CINDY skipping a grade, which means she'll be now competing with the 'oldies' SUE ANN, NANCY and BLAIR).

Great job!

Thanks Valentina!

You know, I definitely wish that items #6 and #8 on your list had come to pass!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

We have seen the cast Christmas party picture of them taken on the stairs during the taping of the running episode. They should have made that into a show theme, though the show was not shown during the winter of 1979-80.

Maybe have a plot where Cindy is doing back flips and accidentally hits Santa Claus and knocks him out. Molly wants to take pictures of him, but the other girls won't let her.

Haha! I'd totally watch a gymnastics-inspired FOL episode, or an Eastland Christmas episode. But I never thought of putting them together!

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Thanks Valentina!

You know, I definitely wish that items #6 and #8 on your list had come to pass!

Thanks for the vote retro!

I know everyone thinks the girls were too 'old' to have MRS G hang around them, but we all need advice from time to time (no matter the age) and in my opinion, BEVERLY ANN was no match for the 'feisty red haired'.

And so, when MRS G left for Africa i was left wondering what would have become of them all: would she have got on with the girl's husband? (I'm sure she would have loved to baby sit for their kids).

Whats more: i would have loved to see MRS G attend JO's wedding and walk down the aisle with BLAIR (she could have comforted her after her 'supposed' boyfriend walked out on her).

There is so much more, but of course we all know the real reason: CHARLOTTE RAE just wanted out (mostly due to her health problems)....