Were There Any 'Positive' Things About the First Season? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 04-25-2012, 03:35 AM

It feels like The Facts of Life didn't properly begin (the first season w/ Cindy, Molly, Nancy, Sue Ann and Mr. Bradley was more or less a "wading through the water" phase) until the second season when Jo first showed up. Kind of like how Star Trek: The Next Generation didn't really "begin" until Riker (Jonathan Frakes) showed up w/ his beard at the start of Season 2.

mets82 · 04-25-2012, 11:25 AM

Well I would think the first season helped Molly Ringwald because she became a huge star. Maybe not because of the show but you never know if she wasnt on the show, would she have been a huge star in the 80s?

I get the premise of the show but I think there were too many characters.

icecream · 04-25-2012, 11:37 AM

I liked the 1st season of both FOL and TNG.

MikeLutton · 04-25-2012, 04:17 PM

was there ever an explantion on what happend to the other girls that left

TMC · 04-26-2012, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeL

was there ever an explantion on what happend to the other girls that left

They continued to make guest appearances here and there at Eastland in order to ensure continuity (and of course Sue Ann, Nancy and Cindy reappeared in the "Little Chill" episode down the line). For example, Molly Ringwald reappeared in the second part of the Season 2 premiere.

gidgetgrape · 04-26-2012, 08:58 PM

I maybe in the minority, but I like the first season, especially the rifts between Blair and Sue Ann.

70s show watcher · 04-27-2012, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gidgetgrape

I maybe in the minority, but I like the first season, especially the rifts between Blair and Sue Ann.

i enjoy the first season too

Jude The Obscure · 04-27-2012, 10:15 AM

Molly was scheduled to make recurring spots like the other girls in seasons 2 and beyond, but after appearing in "New Girl" Part II, she got a movie offer and I'm sure a movie offer was too tempting to pass up--the chance to have your career expand or simply be a glorified extra on a what may not have been a show that was going to run a long time. I understand her decision easily. That movie was "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" with Peter Strauss. One of the first of the 3-D 80s fad movies. From that movie, she was spotted by John Hughes and the rest is history.

robyrob · 04-27-2012, 11:09 AM

i always liked the 1st season, the only downside was just too many characters that weren't developed enough

Jude The Obscure · 04-27-2012, 02:13 PM

There were just overanxious to tackle social issues--each episode had to deal with a certain problem that affected each of the girls. Nancy was the only one really not to have an episode devoted particularly about her--I don't consider the episode with the IQ scores a "Nancy" episode

OldBiddy · 04-27-2012, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude The Obscure

There were just overanxious to tackle social issues--each episode had to deal with a certain problem that affected each of the girls. Nancy was the only one really not to have an episode devoted particularly about her--I don't consider the episode with the IQ scores a "Nancy" episode

I think Nancy's episode was the pilot.

Jude The Obscure · 04-28-2012, 06:49 PM

Do you mean the pilot on Diff'rent Strokes? I know on the first season DVD interviews, Felice talks about how she felt that she was basically lied to about how central her character was to the show.

OldBiddy · 04-28-2012, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude The Obscure

Do you mean the pilot on Diff'rent Strokes? I know on the first season DVD interviews, Felice talks about how she felt that she was basically lied to about how central her character was to the show.

Yes, if I remember right, Mrs Garrett went to Eastland (Eastlake in the pilot, I think) to temporarily fill in as house mother in one of the dorms. The school was putting on a play (Midsummer Night's Dream?). Nancy was a very popular student and star of the school play. It turns out that her parents could no longer pay her tuition so Mrs. Garrett convinces the headmaster to give Nancy a scholarship.

After the pilot, it seems that Nancy wasn't used much except to make boyfriend jokes. No wonder why Felice felt ripped-off.

MikeLutton · 04-28-2012, 08:23 PM

i could never get in to nancys charactor one about the test scores was a pretty good one i was to busy looking at sue ann and cindy lol

Dr. Thong · 04-28-2012, 09:05 PM

I liked the first season. In fact, I liked the opening theme to the first season better than the one used for the rest of the series. Same music, but the lyrics were different.

What was interesting that in the very early episodes, Blair was kind of a "bad girl." She dressed somewhat provocatively (for the late '70s) in some episodes and she even smoked.

04-25-2012, 03:35 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,452	Were There Any 'Positive' Things About the First Season? It feels like The Facts of Life didn't properly begin (the first season w/ Cindy, Molly, Nancy, Sue Ann and Mr. Bradley was more or less a "wading through the water" phase) until the second season when Jo first showed up. Kind of like how Star Trek: The Next Generation didn't really "begin" until Riker (Jonathan Frakes) showed up w/ his beard at the start of Season 2.

04-25-2012, 11:25 AM	#2
mets82 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 14, 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,058	Well I would think the first season helped Molly Ringwald because she became a huge star. Maybe not because of the show but you never know if she wasnt on the show, would she have been a huge star in the 80s? I get the premise of the show but I think there were too many characters.
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04-25-2012, 11:37 AM	#3
icecream Cat-tastic and Whiskerlicious Forum Celebrity Join Date: Sep 01, 2006 Location: The Catacombs Posts: 20,608	I liked the 1st season of both FOL and TNG.
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04-25-2012, 04:17 PM	#4
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,870	was there ever an explantion on what happend to the other girls that left
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04-27-2012, 11:09 AM	#9
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,159	i always liked the 1st season, the only downside was just too many characters that weren't developed enough
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04-26-2012, 08:58 PM	#6
gidgetgrape Forever Gidget Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 20, 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 3,503	I maybe in the minority, but I like the first season, especially the rifts between Blair and Sue Ann.

04-27-2012, 10:15 AM	#8
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	Molly was scheduled to make recurring spots like the other girls in seasons 2 and beyond, but after appearing in "New Girl" Part II, she got a movie offer and I'm sure a movie offer was too tempting to pass up--the chance to have your career expand or simply be a glorified extra on a what may not have been a show that was going to run a long time. I understand her decision easily. That movie was "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" with Peter Strauss. One of the first of the 3-D 80s fad movies. From that movie, she was spotted by John Hughes and the rest is history.

04-27-2012, 02:13 PM	#10
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	There were just overanxious to tackle social issues--each episode had to deal with a certain problem that affected each of the girls. Nancy was the only one really not to have an episode devoted particularly about her--I don't consider the episode with the IQ scores a "Nancy" episode

04-28-2012, 06:49 PM	#12
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	Do you mean the pilot on Diff'rent Strokes? I know on the first season DVD interviews, Felice talks about how she felt that she was basically lied to about how central her character was to the show.

04-28-2012, 08:23 PM	#14
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,870	i could never get in to nancys charactor one about the test scores was a pretty good one i was to busy looking at sue ann and cindy lol

04-28-2012, 09:05 PM	#15
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,545	I liked the first season. In fact, I liked the opening theme to the first season better than the one used for the rest of the series. Same music, but the lyrics were different. What was interesting that in the very early episodes, Blair was kind of a "bad girl." She dressed somewhat provocatively (for the late '70s) in some episodes and she even smoked.
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