All 9 Season of Facts of Life to be released on DVD

[Bachu]

Originally Posted by Christopher

What Bachu is saying is that Out of Peekskill is Natalie telling a story of a recent event that we, the viewers, have not seen yet.

You got it.

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

While not every few episodes, they do have several. I think they're cozy episodes. They feel like cuddling up and listening to your grandmother and great aunts reminisce about family stories.

Agreed. I like those flashback episodes TGG did. I love the one where it is cold and they all share Sophias bed.

From memory, Christopher is not a TGG fan but, he does enjoy Dark Shadows so I won't judge him too harshly.

[Christopher]

I view flashback episodes as a message that the show has run its course and they can't think of any new material for episodes. The Golden Girls had like 2 to 4 flashback episodes per season. That's a sign the show should have ended so much sooner since all they could do is show viewers clips from previous episodes ever year. If I want to see a clip from a previous episode, I would just go back and watch that particular episode. Chances are it would probably be an episode I would want to rewatch anyways. Susan Harris must have seen The Facts of Life episode The Way We Were and decided to do that all the time on The Golden Girls since there's already so much of FOL on there.

['80sSitcoms]

I don't view sitcom clip show episodes as running out of ideas at all. That's quite a negative view, lol. It's a different kind of episode a show gets to do, and it feels so natural since among our own families and friends we "flash back" on past events and stories as well. Sometimes such as with The Dick Van Dyke Show or Mama's Family or GG you get the opportunity to see the characters at different ages. That's often fun.

I think GG did several because they had the advantage of a show focused on four older women, and older people are full of stories and love to share their life experiences (that's why Susan Harris was so excited about creating the show when NBC asked her to pen it).

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by Christopher

Even though Out of Peekskill is the first one NBC aired of season 8, it's not the first one produced. The girls and Cloris filmed the TV movie Down Under first. I'm sure the writers had some idea how Cloris would be written into the show, but they started her off with the core four in Australia. Weird to have your first working experience with a new character be in an established format instead of their introduction episode.

I hope you end up enjoying season 8. It's my second favorite season. I love how strong the friendships are that year. I think the writing is just as great as any earlier season





What Bachu is saying is that Out of Peekskill starts off with Natalie telling the story of how Mrs. Garrett left Peeksill and them. It is a flashback episode, but not your normal run of the mill flashback episode that The Golden Girls does every few episodes so there's nothing original about the show. Out of Peekskill is Natalie telling a story of a recent event that we, the viewers, have not seen yet. However, it does have a few flashback scenes within the flashback. Remember the girls thinking back to times when Mrs. Garrett helped them? Technically, Out of Peekskill's plot is an entire flashback of how Mrs. Garrett got married and left to Africa with Bruce.

I get it now Christopher, and nice to have you back with us, sharing your point of view!

It is true: the girls all remembered a time when MRS G gave them a piece of advice indeed!
And like you, i truly enjoyed the girls's friendship during the whole season 8, and how kind and helpful they were, towards BEVERLY ANN and ANDY! (unlike poor PIPPA, who a year later got bad treatment from them and hardly any advise lol!)

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

That's quite a negative view, lol.

No it's not. There were so many times The Golden Girls had an episode begin with a good premise and then get shot down where all we saw next were clips of previous episodes. It gets tiring. I was really looking forward to seeing how Never Yell Fire At A Crowded Retirement Home would turn out because it was a Sophia episode and she was my favorite from the show. Instead of having a well established plot with a beginning, middle, and end, we got bombarded with tons of flashbacks of episodes we've already seen. I hate that. Like I said, if I wanted to see something from a previous episode, I would just watch that episode. No need to have entire episodes replay short clips from the previous years.

[Bachu]

Clip shows are a way of shows saving money. I think TGG did have a few too many considering it ran for 7 seasons. I did like the flashback episodes were they sat about and remembered times from their past before the show began so everything was filmed new for the episode. Also, years ago, when a number shows were not so readily available, clip shows allowed viewers to see highlights from episodes they may not have seen before.

I have just watched the episode Ready or Not where Tootie and the love of her life, who we have never seen before, almost make love. Loved the timing of 'The Lady is Tramp'; the screach of tyres as her Rudy left and Bev telling Tootie that she was now a woman.

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by Bachu

Clip shows are a way of shows saving money. I think TGG did have a few too many considering it ran for 7 seasons. I did like the flashback episodes were they sat about and remembered times from their past before the show began so everything was filmed new for the episode. Also, years ago, when a number shows were not so readily available, clip shows allowed viewers to see highlights from episodes they may not have seen before.

I have just watched the episode Ready or Not where Tootie and the love of her life, who we have never seen before, almost make love. Loved the timing of 'The Lady is Tramp'; the screach of tyres as her Rudy left and Bev telling Tootie that she was now a woman.

I am not too fond of the episode 'Ready or not' i have to say: for a starter, that guy and TOOTIE had absolutely NO chemistry at all, and i kept wishing all the time for JEFFREY to turn up!
And secondly, TOOTIE kind of annoyed me on that episode too...

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Christopher

No it's not.

That's the impression I got from your wording. It sounded like you were saying that about sitcoms in general, as if you don't enjoy clip shows of any series at all (and you may very well not). And I don't know that it's fair to say any series runs out of ideas since there are a number of in-house writers and freelance writers contributing different scripts for each season (now I don't know how this applies to The Simpsons, a show I don't watch, which is now going on several decades of episodes! )

Originally Posted by Christopher

No need to have entire episodes replay short clips from the previous years.

I always enjoy the stroll down memory lane, but I like clip shows in sitcoms.

[Bachu]

Have just seen the episode where they make another room for Natalie and Tootie. If only they did this episode last season; George could have done the construction.

About the only thing I like about a clip show is that it can reduce a 25 minute episode to about 5 minutes as I skip past the actual clips.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Bachu

About the only thing I like about a clip show is that it can reduce a 25 minute episode to about 5 minutes as I skip past the actual clips.

So we're getting a varied spectrum of views on clip shows, lol. I still watch the whole episode because for me it's like going through a family album.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I view flashback episodes as a message that the show has run its course and they can't think of any new material for episodes. The Golden Girls had like 2 to 4 flashback episodes per season. That's a sign the show should have ended so much sooner since all they could do is show viewers clips from previous episodes ever year. If I want to see a clip from a previous episode, I would just go back and watch that particular episode. Chances are it would probably be an episode I would want to rewatch anyways. Susan Harris must have seen The Facts of Life episode The Way We Were and decided to do that all the time on The Golden Girls since there's already so much of FOL on there.

I think popular shows sometimes did that to give viewers highlights of eps they may have missed. Like Friends was still a hit and they had about 8 fb eps.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

I think popular shows sometimes did that to give viewers highlights of eps they may have missed. Like Friends was still a hit and they had about 8 fb eps.

With the Friends episodes, though, the "flashbacks" were usually new content: showing how the gang met, or what they were doing during high school/college. The GG episodes were basically reruns.

[Christopher]

Yeah, I'm going to clarify which flashback episodes I don't care for. The episodes where all they do is show clips of previous episodes viewers have already seen. I gave an example of one of The Golden Girls episode in a previous post. They had so many episodes where it starts out like a normal episode but quickly switches to showing viewers flashbacks of episodes we've already seen. I find that a waste of time. It sounds like Bachu does too since they fast forwarded the clips to see the actual episode

Now flashback episodes with new material are somewhat ok. It's risky doing those type of episodes if they're creating a scene within the show's timeline from a previous season. For example Friends wedding vow episode from season 7. They added more story to how Chandler and Monica eventually hooked up in season 4. Remember how Monica says in the episode to Chandler, "we aren't that close anyways" if they lose their friendship by sleeping together? We all know that's a lie because these two had many, many moments over the years where they are close. Sometimes when the writers do a flashback with a new scene from a previous season, they forget what all was before that because all they're thinking about is the story they want to tell now. I prefer there were no flashback episodes and just keep the show going with stories of the present.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by Bachu

I have just watched the episode Ready or Not where Tootie and the love of her life, who we have never seen before, almost make love. Loved the timing of 'The Lady is Tramp'; the screach of tyres as her Rudy left and Bev telling Tootie that she was now a woman.

Originally Posted by Bachu

Have just seen the episode where they make another room for Natalie and Tootie. If only they did this episode last season; George could have done the construction.

These two have funny Beverly Ann moments. At the end of Ready or Not, I love how Beverly Ann uses her husband cheating on her as an example that if it's meant to be, he'll be back. The girls all look at her and Tootie says, "but he didn't come back." Beverly Ann has this funny expression on her face like "well **** you're right" and then adds quickly, "ok we can still learn from this story. Sometimes they don't come back" Beverly Ann was perfect comic relief in season 8.

Another Room is funny when Jo keeps trying to sleep but everyone keeps bothering her. You have Beverly Ann stripping her bed while she's still laying down and the girls talking loud. I love the scene where Tootie talks to Jo about writing a letter to whoever she's mad at but don't send it. Jo replies, "well that'll teach em" Tootie then goes on this bizarre way of sending the angry letter to yourself so you have the satisfaction of knowing how the other person would have felt if you had the nerve to send it to them There's so many great moments in season 8.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Christopher

Yeah, I'm going to clarify which flashback episodes I don't care for. The episodes where all they do is show clips of previous episodes viewers have already seen. I gave an example of one of The Golden Girls episode in a previous post. They had so many episodes where it starts out like a normal episode but quickly switches to showing viewers flashbacks of episodes we've already seen. I find that a waste of time. It sounds like Bachu does too since they fast forwarded the clips to see the actual episode

I'm the same way: I want a new episode, not a rerun packaged as a new episode, with two minutes of new material, and then they say, "Remember when we entered that lookalike contest, and you..." and they cut to a repeat. That's terrible.

Now flashback episodes with new material are somewhat ok. It's risky doing those type of episodes if they're creating a scene within the show's timeline from a previous season. For example Friends wedding vow episode from season 7. They added more story to how Chandler and Monica eventually hooked up in season 4. Remember how Monica says in the episode to Chandler, "we aren't that close anyways" if they lose their friendship by sleeping together? We all know that's a lie because these two had many, many moments over the years where they are close. Sometimes when the writers do a flashback with a new scene from a previous season, they forget what all was before that because all they're thinking about is the story they want to tell now. I prefer there were no flashback episodes and just keep the show going with stories of the present.

I know what you mean. But for me, it's the contradictions the flashbacks present that are the problem, not the flashbacks themselves. A little closer care with continuity could have fixed the issues with differing birthdays, etc. One thing that looks a little strange due to the flashbacks is how Rachel doesn't recognize Chandler in the pilot. Because of the flashbacks, we know they know each other quite well.