Who was the "Nancy" of other series?

[RetroGuy2000]

So, in Season One of The Facts of Life, Felice Schachter got the short end of the stick, and her character, Nancy, had very few lines after "IQ". Often, she would be in a scene, just standing in the background, without any lines. Nancy's only major storylines in the series were in the backdoor pilot ("The Girls' School"), "IQ", "Gossip", and "The Little Chill". Her big scene in "Flash Flood" was her umbrella not opening. Her big scene in "Dieting" was trying to put on tight jeans. Her big scene in "Overachieving" was left on the cutting room floor.

I watched the first four episode of "Head of the Class" last night/this morning, and it's very clear to me that Jawaharlal was the "Nancy" of that series: he never got his own episode, and often, during the first season, he just... stands/sits in the background with no lines. Joher Coleman, who played Jawaharlal, has mentioned the lack of his character development, and the fact that Jawaharlal never got his own main storyline, in the HotC threads here on SitcomsOnline. He left the show after Season Three, with no farewell episode.

Who were the "Nancys" of other series? Here are some I can think of:

The Conners: DJ - has he had more than 15 lines this entire season?

Family Matters - Judy Winslow, clearly.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Her big scene in "Flash Flood" was her umbrella not opening.

Oh, but what a scene that was! As a child I thought that was the most hilarious thing ever in the history of time! ""

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Her big scene in "Dieting" was trying to put on tight jeans.

And it was at the very start of the episode. Nancy's in, Nancy's OUT.

Great points about Jawaharlal. I agree he was clearly "the Nancy" of HotC.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

The Conners: DJ - has he had more than 15 lines this entire season?

Well, he was also so little at first. But, yeah, then again, just because you're a kid doesn't mean you automatically don't get a meaty amount of lines. Just look at Wesley or Arnold or Webster! (not Cindy )

I don't know other Nancys. I'd have to sit down and think about when I'm not busy. Thankfully TV has largely stayed away from "Nancy-ing" many characters!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Oh, but what a scene that was! As a child I thought that was the most hilarious thing ever in the history of time! ""

It was a funny scene, and Felice did a great job.

And it was at the very start of the episode. Nancy's in, Nancy's OUT.

Well, at least it wasn't "you didn't get in The Group. Let's put a flower in your hair."

Great points about Jawaharlal. I agree he was clearly "the Nancy" of HotC.

Totally.

Well, he was also so little at first. But, yeah, then again, just because you're a kid doesn't mean you automatically don't get a meaty amount of lines. Just look at Wesley or Arnold or Webster! (not Cindy )

But I mean grown-up DJ, on the current reboot. He almost never says anything.

I don't know other Nancys. I'd have to sit down and think about when I'm not busy. Thankfully TV has largely stayed away from "Nancy-ing" many characters!

I look forward to your answers, once you've had a chance to think about it!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

But I mean grown-up DJ, on the current reboot. He almost never says anything.

Ooohh, gotcha. I've never watched it, so I can't comment.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I look forward to your answers, once you've had a chance to think about it!

Well, thanks, we'll see if I have any answers.

['80sSitcoms]

I would say Jonathan on Who's the Boss? "became Nancied" on that show. He was actually a pretty heavily featured player for the first few seasons, but after that, his screen time and lines began to wane. He wound up getting the short end of the stick while Tony and Angela were the star players for eight seasons, and Samantha and Mona were constantly featured all through the show's run. Jonathan, meanwhile, was lucky in the later seasons to get 2 episodes centered around his character in a single season, and in many of those later episodes he would only appear in one scene to say a few lines, and that was it.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I would say Jonathan on Who's the Boss? "became Nancied" on that show. He was actually a pretty heavily featured player for the first few seasons, but after that, his screen time and lines began to wane. He wound up getting the short end of the stick while Tony and Angela were the star players for eight seasons, and Samantha and Mona were constantly featured all through the show's run. Jonathan, meanwhile, was lucky in the later seasons to get 2 episodes centered around his character in a single season, and in many of those later episodes he would only appear in one scene to say a few lines, and that was it.

Good point about Jonathan. He definitely got "Nancied" in later years.

I thought of another one: Carrie Ingalls. She went from being a central character in the first four seasons, to being living wallpaper during the next four. She got one episode in Season Five, and a partial episode in Season 8. She was lucky to get three lines per episode... then three lines per season!

[Lorimar Television]

Jake Hart on Reba. Gracie Sheffield on The Nanny later on. Brendan Lambert on SBS. Anyone else noticing that it’s the youngest child typically Nancied on shows?

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Good point about Jonathan. He definitely got "Nancied" in later years.

He sure did. And it's so easy for me to notice, because every couple of years or so I binge WTB---so it's blatant as the series goes on!

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Gracie Sheffield on The Nanny later on.

Really? Gracie? Actually, I would say all three kids on that show eventually "got Nancied". Most notably Brighton, I thought.

C.C. once called him "Burton"

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

He sure did. And it's so easy for me to notice, because every couple of years or so I binge WTB---so it's blatant as the series goes on!




Really? Gracie? Actually, I would say all three kids on that show eventually "got Nancied". Most notably Brighton, I thought.

C.C. once called him "Burton"

Haha CC didn’t know any of their names. And yes the kids were reduced after awhile but I would say Gracie felt the most. Her character went from a neurotic, old soul, in therapy with many storylines, to a normal girl just kinda there.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Jake Hart on Reba. Gracie Sheffield on The Nanny later on. Brendan Lambert on SBS. Anyone else noticing that it’s the youngest child typically Nancied on shows?

Good picks! I really hated to see Brendan so completely Nancied.

I never regularly watched Reba, but I can see what you mean about Gracie on The Nanny.

[RetroGuy2000]

...

[RetroGuy2000]

Seeing as how this thread is pretty popular, I wonder if you guys might participate in this similar (but upended) thread, in the HotC forum.

[80s Dude]

Going back a few years earlier, Chuck on Happy Days got Nancied too.

[Christopher]

I would consider Nancy's situation more than just getting faded into the background. In the pilot, it was appearing she was going to be the main girl of the others. When the show started, she was replaced by Lisa as the star of the girls. This is not including Charlotte; just the child performers. This has happened in a lot of shows. I started rewatching California Dreams recently. The show started with the Garrison family being a huge part of the show. Once second season started, they were faded out until they were completely gone because the addition of Jake became the main star.

Mama's Family started off with Vint having two kids. They weren't main stars like Mama, Vint, and Naomi, but they were part of those first two seasons. Once the show came back from being retooled, they never existed.

On Alice, Belle started off as a main part of the show replacing Flo. I noticed in the last few episodes she did, she didn't have many lines and then was replaced by Jolene.

Sabrina The Teenage Witch started off with Jenny as the best friend. She got faded out until she was replaced by Valerie. Dreama in season 4 felt like a waste since she started off big and then by the end of the season you forgot she existed.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

"Pick four. Forget everybody else!"

Those were the words of NBC executive Warren Littlefield,

Wait, wait, whoa whoa whoa...did he actually SAY that???

Originally Posted by Christopher

Mama's Family started off with Vint having two kids. They weren't main stars like Mama, Vint, and Naomi, but they were part of those first two seasons. Once the show came back from being retooled, they never existed.

Actually they still did exist, at least as far as the 2nd episode filmed for syndication; they're mentioned in that episode. Yet after that, yes, it's like one can assume they never existed.

Originally Posted by Christopher

Sabrina The Teenage Witch started off with Jenny as the best friend. She got faded out until she was replaced by Valerie. Dreama in season 4 felt like a waste since she started off big and then by the end of the season you forgot she existed.

The actress who played Jenny was kind of annoyed that the reason they cut her was to get more "ethnic" friends for Sabrina, and she says Valerie was anything but "ethnic" (she says this in an interview I read online several years ago). I liked them both though. I don't know if I'd agree Jenny was faded out. I mean throughout those first 3 seasons the best friend and the boyfriend and the mean girl all come and go depending on the episode's story.

And yes, Dream was an epic witch fail. Like, why even bother?