How the cast reduction was probably decided

[80s Dude]

Here is how my view of how the new producers and writers decided which girls would stay and which would go.

The ones who stayed:

Blair: easy decision. Blair was the most popular character of season 1 (and through out the series). Lisa was the most natural actress of the child stars.

Tootie: She was very popular with the younger audience, fit in well as being the youngest so they could use that for plots, and last, but not least Kim Fields was the only minority in the 1st season cast. It would not look good if they fired their only minority cast member.

Natalie: Charlotte's and the producer's pet project. She had no acting experience, but was a fave of Charlotte. It would also look bad if they fired the only "non-pretty" girl among the students. She was also a fan favorite.

Felice/Nancy O.: Everyone agrees that she was the first girl fired.

Sue Ann: in all probability she was the next girl fired.

Cindy/Molly. Depending on your source, one of these girl was originally going to be the 4th girl and the other one was the next one fired. That lasted for a little while until the new producers saw the movie "Little Darlings" and wanted a girl who was from the streets and wasn't from a wealthy family. When someone saw Nancy M. in a Hallmark commercial and then she accepted the offer, who ever was the 4th girl became a Lost Girl.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Here is how my view of how the new producers and writers decided which girls would stay and which would go.

The ones who stayed:

Blair: easy decision. Blair was the most popular character of season 1 (and through out the series). Lisa was the most natural actress of the child stars.

Tootie: She was very popular with the younger audience, fit in well as being the youngest so they could use that for plots, and last, but not least Kim Fields was the only minority in the 1st season cast. It would not look good if they fired their only minority cast member.

Natalie: Charlotte's and the producer's pet project. She had no acting experience, but was a fave of Charlotte. It would also look bad if they fired the only "non-pretty" girl among the students. She was also a fan favorite.

Felice/Nancy O.: Everyone agrees that she was the first girl fired.

Sue Ann: in all probability she was the next girl fired.

Cindy/Molly. Depending on your source, one of these girl was originally going to be the 4th girl and the other one was the next one fired. That lasted for a little while until the new producers saw the movie "Little Darlings" and wanted a girl who was from the streets and wasn't from a wealthy family. When someone saw Nancy M. in a Hallmark commercial and then she accepted the offer, who ever was the 4th girl became a Lost Girl.

I would say that Mindy was "not the non-traditional pretty actress", rather than saying she was a non-pretty girl. She was chubby, but she had a self-confidence and good comedic timing that was important to the show's success. (Kim says Mindy was "a riot" behind the scenes, which maybe is what caused Molly to feel "intimidated".)

Based on the script for "Dope", I do wonder if Julie Pie really was to be let go. At the end of the episode, Mrs. Garrett mentions "our group", and hugs them, but only Kim, Mindy, Lisa, and Julie Pie appear in that scene, leaving Nancy, Cindy, and Molly downstairs, unhugged, with flowers in their hair, signifying their imminent deportation to the Chuck Cunningham School of Outer Mongolia.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I would say that Mindy was "not the non-traditional pretty actress", rather than saying she was a non-pretty girl. She was chubby, but she had a self-confidence and good comedic timing that was important to the show's success. (Kim says Mindy was "a riot" behind the scenes, which maybe is what caused Molly to feel "intimidated".)

Based on the script for "Dope", I do wonder if Julie Pie really was to be let go. At the end of the episode, Mrs. Garrett mentions "our group", and hugs them, but only Kim, Mindy, Lisa, and Julie Pie appear in that scene, leaving Nancy, Cindy, and Molly downstairs, unhugged, with flowers in their hair, signifying their imminent deportation to the Chuck Cunningham School of Outer Mongolia.

At the time Dope was taped, none of the writers nor cast members or even probably the producers knew there was a cast reduction coming. They expected the show to either be continued as is or canceled. The writers themselves were part of the Great Purge. The two women advisors/writers have not been hired yet.

I've seen no evidence that Julie Pie was going to be the original 4th girl. We had the producer in the documentary who said Julie Ann was going to be the 4th girl and then you have Molly who said she was going to the the 4th girl and there there was the NBC promos of that season that just named Blair, Tootie, Natalie, and Molly.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

At the time Dope was taped, none of the writers nor cast members or even probably the producers knew there was a cast reduction coming.

Do we really know that, for sure? The evidence in the scripts for "Molly's Holiday" and "Dope" indicate otherwise, as certain girls' roles had been pared down significantly. Nancy and Cindy disappear halfway through "Molly's Holiday". Nancy, Cindy, and Molly disappear partway through "Dope". It seems to me that the producers were already likely winnowing down roles of certain girls.

Kim reveals in her book that there had already been audience testing between episodes 4 and 5, and that there was a retooling at that point. That retooling resulted in Jenny O'Hara leaving the show, and the reduction of Nancy to wallpaper status: she gained a boyfriend, but would never again have very many lines, until her appearance in "Gossip" the following season.

So already, the producers were clearly aware that they wanted to make changes, and had already implemented some of those changes.

They expected the show to either be continued as is or canceled. The writers themselves were part of the Great Purge. The two women advisors/writers have not been hired yet.

The timeline of when new writers would have been hired isn't 100% clear to me. It certainly wouldn't have been as late as Fall 1980. That would have given no time to build new sets or write scripts.

I've seen no evidence that Julie Pie was going to be the original 4th girl. We had the producer in the documentary who said Julie Ann was going to be the 4th girl and then you have Molly who said she was going to the the 4th girl and there there was the NBC promos of that season that just named Blair, Tootie, Natalie, and Molly.

Yes, but there's also a newspaper article, which I posted in the Articles thread, which states that Felice was going to be kept on. So there are many contradictory sources.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Do we really know that, for sure? The evidence in the scripts for "Molly's Holiday" and "Dope" indicate otherwise, as certain girls' roles had been pared down significantly. Nancy and Cindy disappear halfway through "Molly's Holiday". Nancy, Cindy, and Molly disappear partway through "Dope". It seems to me that the producers were already likely winnowing down roles of certain girls.

I don't know that I could fully agree to that view. I mean, as far as it happening by the last few aired episodes, anyway. Some girls were "Nancied" in episodes sprinkled along the way. Even Queen Blair got "Nancied" in "I.Q."! lol (you don't realize it though because most of the 5 or 6 line she has are gold, and Lisa's charisma is undeniable)

It would also be interesting to see the timeline for when scripts were written.

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I don't know that I could fully agree to that view. I mean, as far as it happening by the last few aired episodes, anyway. Some girls were "Nancied" in episodes sprinkled along the way. Even Queen Blair got "Nancied" in "I.Q."! lol (you don't realize it though because most of the 5 or 6 line she has are gold, and Lisa's charisma is undeniable)

It would also be interesting to see the timeline for when scripts were written.

I agree: LISA WHELCHEL had the best charisma as BLAIR WARNER, so it was obvious she would be the first choice to continue on FOL. She was actually the glue to the season 1 and the highlight of the sitcom! (without BLAIR there would never have been a FOL)

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

BLAIR WARNER...was actually the glue to the season 1 and the highlight of the sitcom! (without BLAIR there would never have been a FOL)

Mrs. Garrett was the glue and the reason for the show.

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Mrs. Garrett was the glue and the reason for the show.

Well ok: MRS G and BLAIR were the glue in my opinion: they did the best acting and had such great chemistry on the set!