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

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

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.

I'm glad The Little Chill wasn't like that. Could you imagine if the lost girls had come back for a reunion and all there was for them was a minute of airtime because they wanted to show clips of season 1? That would have been a waste of time on their end.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

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.

Yep. That's another thing that's risky about doing flashbacks. They forget what they had already told us in previous seasons. It's best to just stay in the present and focus on the character's lives as they go on; not from what happened in the past.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I'm glad The Little Chill wasn't like that. Could you imagine if the lost girls had come back for a reunion and all there was for them was a minute of airtime because they wanted to show clips of season 1? That would have been a waste of time on their end.

Ugh! That would have been awful. I'm glad we got a story, and not just flashbacks, with the girls laughing between clips show segments. I don't mind a few, here, and there, as TLC did, but a whole episode? No.

According to this page, The Golden Girls had thirteen clip shows over seven seasons. There was one additional flashback episode, but it had original content all the way through, and was a Friends-style flashback episode of who the girls met. 13 clip shows is a lot. They were doing clip shows as early as the second season. Flashing back to a year ago is almost as ridiculous as DS flashing back to a few months earlier!

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

According to this page, The Golden Girls had thirteen clip shows over seven seasons. There was one additional flashback episode, but it had original content all the way through, and was a Friends-style flashback episode of who the girls met. 13 clip shows is a lot. They were doing clip shows as early as the second season. Flashing back to a year ago is almost as ridiculous as DS flashing back to a few months earlier!

See what I mean? The Golden Girls didn't need to worry much about creativity. All they had to do was show a clip show and fans like 80sSitcoms would be happy I'm glad my favorite shows didn't go that route. I prefer story and character development with my shows.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

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.

A rerun packaged as a "new episode"? That sounds like an extreme example. I can't think of any episodes like that. Scenes, yes, but not whole episodes.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Christopher

See what I mean? The Golden Girls didn't need to worry much about creativity. All they had to do was show a clip show and fans like 80sSitcoms would be happy I'm glad my favorite shows didn't go that route. I prefer story and character development with my shows.

I love story and character, I'm just not anti-clip shows, lol. I like how they're relatable since families and friends love to reflect back on stories. I would expect that more from GG because they were older women and old people love to reminisce. I wouldn't tell my grandmother 'Don't tell me that story, I want to hear you say something new."

DS was ridiculous though in presenting a clip show in episode 8---8! Their Christmas episode of season 1. Wow, lol.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

A rerun packaged as a "new episode"? That sounds like an extreme example. I can't think of any episodes like that. Scenes, yes, but not whole episodes.

But it is a whole episode. That's exactly what The Golden Girls did. They advertised these episodes as new when all it was is them saying "remember this? remember that?" It was a rerun just like Retro said.

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

DS was ridiculous though in presenting a clip show in episode 8---8! Their Christmas episode of season 1. Wow, lol.

All this talk of Diff'rent Strokes reminded me I have this show incomplete on DVD. I stopped at season 6. I just blind buy The Mary Tyler Moore Show plus the TV movie Mary & Rhoda from Amazon. I now have added seasons 7 and 8 of DS to checkout. I'm thinking of creating a playlist with All in The Family, The Jeffersons, DS, and Mary Tyler Moore. I like having shows I haven't seen all of in my TV viewing. I'll definitely skip episode 8 of DS though. That is way too early to do a clip show of 7 episodes

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Christopher

But it is a whole episode. That's exactly what The Golden Girls did. They advertised these episodes as new when all it was is them saying "remember this? remember that?" It was a rerun just like Retro said.

I think we may be talking about two different things. I took him to mean that at the beginning of an episode, characters say, "Remember this?" and then they rerun an entire episode instead of a new one. I can't think of any sitcom I've seen do that. Usually in clip shows it's clips from past episodes with new material as interstitials to tie it all together.

Originally Posted by Christopher

I'll definitely skip episode 8 of DS though. That is way too early to do a clip show of 7 episodes

Yes, all those fond remembrances of a whole two months ago--so many memories to choose from!

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by Christopher

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.

On the episode 'Another room', i love the scene where BLAIR is trying to unfold an ironing board very carefully (not to bother JO), but unfortunately ends up making a loud noise: the look that JO gives her speaks volume!!!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I think we may be talking about two different things. I took him to mean that at the beginning of an episode, characters say, "Remember this?" and then they rerun an entire episode instead of a new one. I can't think of any sitcom I've seen do that. Usually in clip shows it's clips from past episodes with new material as interstitials to tie it all together.

That's what I'm talking about. But all of the "new material" adds up to less than five minutes. It's actually worse than watching a rerun, because in a rerun, you'd get a full episode, and not "select moments the producers decided to show you again". I love The Golden Girls, but their Clip Shows were one weakness. 13 in seven years is excessive.

Yes, all those fond remembrances of a whole two months ago--so many memories to choose from!

MR. DRUMMOND: Remember that time you boys came to live with Kimberly and me?

WILLIS: Um, that was eight episodes ago, Mr. Drummond!

ARNOLD: [Outraged] Whatchootalkin'bout, Mr. Drummond?!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

That's what I'm talking about. But all of the "new material" adds up to less than five minutes. It's actually worse than watching a rerun, because in a rerun, you'd get a full episode, and not "select moments the producers decided to show you again". I love The Golden Girls, but their Clip Shows were one weakness. 13 in seven years is excessive.

It's more than normal for sure. But it just depends on who you ask. You guys don't enjoy them, but I do. "Diff'rent strokes" for diff'rent folks.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

MR. DRUMMOND: Remember that time you boys came to live with Kimberly and me?

WILLIS: Um, that was eight episodes ago, Mr. Drummond!

ARNOLD: [Outraged] Whatchootalkin'bout, Mr. Drummond?!

I'm telling you, it's crazy!

[Bachu]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I think we may be talking about two different things. I took him to mean that at the beginning of an episode, characters say, "Remember this?" and then they rerun an entire episode instead of a new one. I can't think of any sitcom I've seen do that.

Bewitched did that a couple of times.

Flashbacks that contain nothing but new footage but with some of it set in the past I like. Clip shows with clips of previous episodes I do not like.

I just watched the Chill episode. I enjoyed it but it was a shame they didn't focus more on the old cast. Great that they came back to do it though. So much big 80s hair.

I did find it strange that Jo didn't seem to know any of them. She would have gone to some of the same classes surely? Mind, I guess the others had that bond from sharing a dorm room etc.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Bachu

I did find it strange that Jo didn't seem to know any of them. She would have gone to some of the same classes surely? Mind, I guess the others had that bond from sharing a dorm room etc.

Yeah, this has been an ongoing concern here at this board for 20 years now. Some people point out that they're acting like strangers and like they've never met Jo, but Tootie clearly asks them, "You guys remember Jo, right?" and they confirm they do. And then later, Cindy asks, "Jo, where were you that first year at Eastland?" (really just Cindy's and maybe Natalie's first year, and the viewers', but I digress, lol).

So they do remember her, just in a very casual "acquaintance" manner.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Bachu

Bewitched did that a couple of times.

Flashbacks that contain nothing but new footage but with some of it set in the past I like. Clip shows with clips of previous episodes I do not like.

I'm the same way, but as '80s says, and I heartily agree, "It takes diff'rent strokes to move the wooooorlllld! Mmmm!"

I just watched the Chill episode. I enjoyed it but it was a shame they didn't focus more on the old cast.

A two-parter could have been better, but I LOVE that episode, and the acknowledgement by the writers that these girls had been a big part of the Core Four (well, Core Three's) lives back at Eastland. I love that homecoming. I love the storyline... they're not just there to chit chat. There's legitimate conflict, and by the two feistiest characters in the series: Jo and Sue Ann throw down!

Great that they came back to do it though. So much big 80s hair.

It was that era.

I did find it strange that Jo didn't seem to know any of them. She would have gone to some of the same classes surely? Mind, I guess the others had that bond from sharing a dorm room etc.

'80sSitcoms speaks for me on this matter: Jo clearly didn't know them all that well. They never shared a dorm room, they never even shared a dorm building. They didn't have late-night pillow fights, popcorn and movie nights, or Ouija board sessions. Tootie was invited over, in "Gossip", but Jo didn't gossip. They clearly saw her in some classes, and in the cafeteria, but they never became real friends.

My hope is that Jo was able to put her negative feelings about Sue Ann aside, realize that Sue Ann had made a mistake, and during the next reunion (which Molly of course attended), the eight of them just had a wonderful time, no drama.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by Christopher

All this talk of Diff'rent Strokes reminded me I have this show incomplete on DVD. I stopped at season 6. I just blind buy The Mary Tyler Moore Show plus the TV movie Mary & Rhoda from Amazon. I now have added seasons 7 and 8 of DS to checkout. I'm thinking of creating a playlist with All in The Family, The Jeffersons, DS, and Mary Tyler Moore. I like having shows I haven't seen all of in my TV viewing. I'll definitely skip episode 8 of DS though. That is way too early to do a clip show of 7 episodes

Creating your own clip show is an interesting thing to do. I did that on 2 DVDs with Everybody Loves Raymond several years ago, and it's really fun to watch. In fact, I need to pull those out and re-watch!

This is a huge thread so this comment may have been made already, but IIRC DS made a clip show for Christmas in the first season. That's gotta be a record--clips after around 11 episodes?

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I'm glad The Little Chill wasn't like that. Could you imagine if the lost girls had come back for a reunion and all there was for them was a minute of airtime because they wanted to show clips of season 1? That would have been a waste of time on their end.




Yep. That's another thing that's risky about doing flashbacks. They forget what they had already told us in previous seasons. It's best to just stay in the present and focus on the character's lives as they go on; not from what happened in the past.

Christopher with TLC praise? Be still my heart!