Why didn't Mrs. G. accept the Eastlake offer in the Girls School? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

80s Dude · 08-23-2021, 05:57 PM

So in the "The Girls School" backdoor pilot, Mrs. Garrett decided not to take the job of Housemother, but something happened where she all of a sudden was the housemother. What happened was never explained.

Perhaps the Crock got fired and Mr. Bradley came on board and Mrs. Garrett reconsidered her original decision. Maybe it was the change of the school's name.

RetroGuy2000 · 08-23-2021, 06:16 PM

I think the underlying reason was that, at the time of the backdoor pilot's taping, NBC hadn't green-lit the series, and wouldn't do so until after viewing the pilot and checking the Nielsen ratings for the episode. Once they were reassured the episode was well-received, production over the summer was green-lit. But not without some changes: gone were Jennifer, Laura, and Leon, replaced by Natalie, Cindy, and the pig.

On the show itself, her change of heart is never explained, but I like the idea of her reconsidering after the Crock's termination (and commitment to a mental ward).

PracTz · 08-27-2021, 10:13 AM

Maybe Kimberly along with a few other girls originally went to Eastlake School but then all transferred to Eastland en masse to get away from the Crock and Mrs. G. decided that this would be a school worth 'temporarily' helping out by the time of the 'FOL' premiere!

RetroGuy2000 · 08-27-2021, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PracTz

Maybe Kimberly along with a few other girls originally went to Eastlake School but then all transferred to Eastland en masse to get away from the Crock and Mrs. G. decided that this would be a school worth 'temporarily' helping out by the time of the 'FOL' premiere!

I could get on board with this theory if Eastlake's dorm didn't look identical to Eastland's dorm... well, the interior, anyway.

PracTz · 08-28-2021, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I could get on board with this theory if Eastlake's dorm didn't look identical to Eastland's dorm... well, the interior, anyway.

Well, if there can be identical homes across the country from the early 1900's to World War II due to the folks using Sears Roebuck's Home Kits to build them, then who's to say that at least two upstate New York girls' school dorms in the late 1970's didn't use the Co-Ed Fever Interior Dorm Kit? If so, then my theory would still work!

RetroGuy2000 · 08-28-2021, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PracTz

Well, if there can be identical homes across the country from the early 1900's to World War II due to the folks using Sears Roebuck's Home Kits to build them, then who's to say that at least two upstate New York girls' school dorms in the late 1970's didn't use the Co-Ed Fever Interior Dorm Kit? If so, then my theory would still work!

That theory is pretty brilliant... but how come Blair says she's been Eastland Harvest Queen three years in a row?

FOL-FAN-ITA · 09-10-2021, 06:36 AM

The plot says she didn't want to leave the Drummonds

valentina warner · 09-19-2021, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

That theory is pretty brilliant... but how come Blair says she's been Eastland Harvest Queen three years in a row?

If BLAIR enrolled at 'Eastland' (Eastlake then)when she was 12 years old, it would make sense she was nominated 3 years in a row: at age 12, 13 and 14 (that would make her 15 years of age by season 1 lol!)

80s Dude · 09-20-2021, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valentina warner

If BLAIR enrolled at 'Eastland' (Eastlake then)when she was 12 years old, it would make sense she was nominated 3 years in a row: at age 12, 13 and 14 (that would make her 15 years of age by season 1 lol!)

12 is the minimum age for attendance at many boarding schools (including Westlake-Harvard. Tootie and Molly were 12 years old at Eastland.

hch · 01-29-2026, 02:10 AM

n the backdoor pilot "The Girls' School" (also titled "Garrett’s Girls"), Mrs. Garrett declines the job because she feels a deep loyalty to the Drummonds and initially prefers to remain their housekeeper.
The shift from her refusal at "East Lake" to her sudden arrival at "Eastland" was never explicitly explained on screen through a specific scene of "changing her mind". However, the real-world and narrative reasons for this gap include:

Network Pick-up Timing: At the time of the pilot's taping, NBC had not yet officially green-lit the spin-off. Once the episode received strong ratings, the series was green-lit for production over the summer, and the transition happened off-screen.

The "Off-Screen" Exit: Mrs. Garrett's final appearance on Diff'rent Strokes was in the Season 2 episode "The Rivals," after which it was simply stated she had taken a permanent position at the school.

The School Retooling: During the break between the pilot and the series premiere, the school's name was changed from East Lake to Eastland, and the character of the headmaster was changed from Mr. Crocker (the "Crock") to Mr. Bradley.

"Mrs. Garrett’s Crisis": An earlier Diff'rent Strokes episode, "Mrs. Garrett's Crisis," established that she felt her life as a housekeeper was unfulfilling and that she wanted to achieve more. This provided the long-term character motivation for her to eventually accept the challenge of being a housemother.
Essentially, the producers relied on the transition from summer break to a new school year to skip over the messy details of her resignation and relocation

08-23-2021, 05:57 PM	#1
80s Dude Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 24, 2019 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,810	Why didn't Mrs. G. accept the Eastlake offer in the Girls School? So in the "The Girls School" backdoor pilot, Mrs. Garrett decided not to take the job of Housemother, but something happened where she all of a sudden was the housemother. What happened was never explained. Perhaps the Crock got fired and Mr. Bradley came on board and Mrs. Garrett reconsidered her original decision. Maybe it was the change of the school's name.

08-23-2021, 06:16 PM	#2
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	I think the underlying reason was that, at the time of the backdoor pilot's taping, NBC hadn't green-lit the series, and wouldn't do so until after viewing the pilot and checking the Nielsen ratings for the episode. Once they were reassured the episode was well-received, production over the summer was green-lit. But not without some changes: gone were Jennifer, Laura, and Leon, replaced by Natalie, Cindy, and the pig. On the show itself, her change of heart is never explained, but I like the idea of her reconsidering after the Crock's termination (and commitment to a mental ward).
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09-10-2021, 06:36 AM	#7
FOL-FAN-ITA Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 29, 2019 Location: Italy Posts: 1,473	The plot says she didn't want to leave the Drummonds
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01-29-2026, 02:10 AM	#10
hch Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 07, 2001 Location: Montross, VA 22520 Posts: 983	n the backdoor pilot "The Girls' School" (also titled "Garrett’s Girls"), Mrs. Garrett declines the job because she feels a deep loyalty to the Drummonds and initially prefers to remain their housekeeper. The shift from her refusal at "East Lake" to her sudden arrival at "Eastland" was never explicitly explained on screen through a specific scene of "changing her mind". However, the real-world and narrative reasons for this gap include: Network Pick-up Timing: At the time of the pilot's taping, NBC had not yet officially green-lit the spin-off. Once the episode received strong ratings, the series was green-lit for production over the summer, and the transition happened off-screen. The "Off-Screen" Exit: Mrs. Garrett's final appearance on Diff'rent Strokes was in the Season 2 episode "The Rivals," after which it was simply stated she had taken a permanent position at the school. The School Retooling: During the break between the pilot and the series premiere, the school's name was changed from East Lake to Eastland, and the character of the headmaster was changed from Mr. Crocker (the "Crock") to Mr. Bradley. "Mrs. Garrett’s Crisis": An earlier Diff'rent Strokes episode, "Mrs. Garrett's Crisis," established that she felt her life as a housekeeper was unfulfilling and that she wanted to achieve more. This provided the long-term character motivation for her to eventually accept the challenge of being a housemother. Essentially, the producers relied on the transition from summer break to a new school year to skip over the messy details of her resignation and relocation
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08-27-2021, 10:13 AM	#3
PracTz Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2002 Location: United States of America [Happily Living in the 20th Century] Posts: 2,711	Maybe Kimberly along with a few other girls originally went to Eastlake School but then all transferred to Eastland en masse to get away from the Crock and Mrs. G. decided that this would be a school worth 'temporarily' helping out by the time of the 'FOL' premiere!