If Felice got the role of Kimberly Drummond? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

80s Dude · 08-19-2020, 04:54 PM

If Felice got the role of Kimberly Drummond, do you think we would not be talking about the Different Strokes curse to this day?

Felice had a good head on her shoulders and her mother was a Hollywood agent who knew about pressures of Hollywood and the troubles it can lead to. I doubt that Felice would have gotten Todd Bridges hooked on drugs and have sex with him. That she would not be on the laps of adult men.

But then again, the producers didn't think she was "wholesome enough" and "All-American" enough.

RetroGuy2000 · 08-19-2020, 05:06 PM

Felice says she actually did get the part of Kimberly, but then the producers changed their minds and went with Dana.

As you say, Dana wasn't stable; Todd says she introduced him to drugs. Without Dana and Todd involved in drugs, the story would just be "Gary acts out on the set of DS." These would be no "Diff'rent Strokes curse".

Impressions · 08-19-2020, 11:50 PM

Why was Dana hired?

Lorimar Television · 08-20-2020, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Impressions

Why was Dana hired?

We'll let 80's Sitcoms answer that one

80s Dude · 08-20-2020, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Impressions

Why was Dana hired?

Well, Conrad Bain was blonde and Dana definitely looked much more like his daughter than Felice would have.

80s Dude · 08-20-2020, 07:33 AM

Someone told me that on a recent Reelz documentary it was said that the Little House kids were forbidden from visiting the Different Strokes set because of situations there. I don't know if this is true since I never saw either the documentary or the Dana Plato biopsy special.

This may explain why Kimberly only made one appearance on The Facts of Life, the very first episode. All the girls seem to have frozen her out and ignored her. Charlotte may have put her foot down and said she didn't want Dana hanging around "her girls".

TV Guy · 08-20-2020, 12:59 PM

Felice would have been a much better Kimberly. Aside from the drug issue, I never understood how Dana got that role. She was annoyingly peppy and fake.

80s Dude · 08-20-2020, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV Guy

Felice would have been a much better Kimberly. Aside from the drug issue, I never understood how Dana got that role. She was annoyingly peppy and fake.

Conrad Bain is blonde as was Dana. Show looked more like his daughter than what Felice would have. Besides Felice was deemed not "All Am-eri-can" enough.

Impressions · 08-20-2020, 05:00 PM

So I find it amazing that Diff'rent Strokes promotes a very progressive and diverse agenda, but at the same time, they used a very Arynistic hiring practice when they made decisions about who the daughter was going to be. In my opinion, "All American" is basically a tactful and diplomatic way of saying "blonde hair and blue eyes." I understand eye color and hair styles aren't protected classes in the eyes of the law, but this felt like appearance-based discrimination on the part of the casting manager, producers, and showrunner, and I felt like their hiring decision was racially-motivated. I would've been pissed off about this as Felice was (and still is). You don't have to have "blonde hair and blue eyes" to be an offspring of someone with those characteristics. It's a load of BS, and I would have appealed their decision in court. That decision may have flied in the '70s, but if this happened today, I bet it'd be all over the news and social media.

As far as speculating what the show may have looked like if Felice was the daughter, it's likely that Gary and Jeff may have had the same fate. Felice may have gotten out of it because of her character and upbringing but Gary and Jeff may have not. I just think, overall that the producers just did a very poor job of handling the problems on set. They could have brought in some protections and intervention to alleviate some of the issues that had been going on. That's why I have very little respect for the producers and showrunner of this show.

80s Dude · 08-20-2020, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Impressions

So I find it amazing that Diff'rent Strokes promotes a very progressive and diverse agenda, but at the same time, they used a very Arynistic hiring practice when they made decisions about who the daughter was going to be. In my opinion, "All American" is basically a tactful and diplomatic way of saying "blonde hair and blue eyes." I understand eye color and hair styles aren't protected classes in the eyes of the law, but this felt like appearance-based discrimination on the part of the casting manager, producers, and showrunner, and I felt like their hiring decision was racially-motivated. I would've been pissed off about this as Felice was (and still is). You don't have to have "blonde hair and blue eyes" to be an offspring of someone with those characteristics. It's a load of BS, and I would have appealed their decision in court. That decision may have flied in the '70s, but if this happened today, I bet it'd be all over the news and social media.

As far as speculating what the show may have looked like if Felice was the daughter, it's likely that Gary and Jeff may have had the same fate. Felice may have gotten out of it because of her character and upbringing but Gary and Jeff may have not. I just think, overall that the producers just did a very poor job of handling the problems on set. They could have brought in some protections and intervention to alleviate some of the issues that had been going on. That's why I have very little respect for the producers and showrunner of this show.

Who is Jeff?

Impressions · 08-20-2020, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Who is Jeff?

Oops, I meant Todd. I was mixing up Jeff Bridges with Todd Bridges

80s Dude · 08-20-2020, 06:02 PM

It was Dana who helped take Todd down the dark path. Not saying she was the only influence of him taking the path, but she was a major instigator.

RetroGuy2000 · 08-20-2020, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Someone told me that on a recent Reelz documentary it was said that the Little House kids were forbidden from visiting the Different Strokes set because of situations there. I don't know if this is true since I never saw either the documentary or the Dana Plato biopsy special.

It's not the Reelz documentary where it's said the Little House kids were banned from talking to the DS kids. It might have been the Dana Plato biography. PM me for a link to the Reelz documentary, if interested.

RetroGuy2000 · 08-20-2020, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Impressions

So I find it amazing that Diff'rent Strokes promotes a very progressive and diverse agenda, but at the same time, they used a very Arynistic hiring practice when they made decisions about who the daughter was going to be. In my opinion, "All American" is basically a tactful and diplomatic way of saying "blonde hair and blue eyes." I understand eye color and hair styles aren't protected classes in the eyes of the law, but this felt like appearance-based discrimination on the part of the casting manager, producers, and showrunner, and I felt like their hiring decision was racially-motivated. I would've been pissed off about this as Felice was (and still is). You don't have to have "blonde hair and blue eyes" to be an offspring of someone with those characteristics. It's a load of BS, and I would have appealed their decision in court. That decision may have flied in the '70s, but if this happened today, I bet it'd be all over the news and social media.

Times were so very different.

I don't think it had anything to do with the casting director; that was Eve Brandstein, who also cast for FOL and other Tandem/Embassy shows. It seems to have come from above her.

RetroGuy2000 · 08-20-2020, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

We'll let 80's Sitcoms answer that one

08-19-2020, 04:54 PM	#1
80s Dude Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 24, 2019 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,820	If Felice got the role of Kimberly Drummond? If Felice got the role of Kimberly Drummond, do you think we would not be talking about the Different Strokes curse to this day? Felice had a good head on her shoulders and her mother was a Hollywood agent who knew about pressures of Hollywood and the troubles it can lead to. I doubt that Felice would have gotten Todd Bridges hooked on drugs and have sex with him. That she would not be on the laps of adult men. But then again, the producers didn't think she was "wholesome enough" and "All-American" enough.

08-19-2020, 05:06 PM	#2
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	Felice says she actually did get the part of Kimberly, but then the producers changed their minds and went with Dana. As you say, Dana wasn't stable; Todd says she introduced him to drugs. Without Dana and Todd involved in drugs, the story would just be "Gary acts out on the set of DS." These would be no "Diff'rent Strokes curse".
	__________________ The Facts of Life's "Lost Girls" Tribute to Julie Piekarski, Eastland Girl Join "The Group", Sitcoms Online's Facts of Life group!

08-19-2020, 11:50 PM	#3
Impressions She died the way she lived Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 08, 2002 Posts: 4,640	Why was Dana hired?

08-20-2020, 07:33 AM	#6
80s Dude Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 24, 2019 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,820	Someone told me that on a recent Reelz documentary it was said that the Little House kids were forbidden from visiting the Different Strokes set because of situations there. I don't know if this is true since I never saw either the documentary or the Dana Plato biopsy special. This may explain why Kimberly only made one appearance on The Facts of Life, the very first episode. All the girls seem to have frozen her out and ignored her. Charlotte may have put her foot down and said she didn't want Dana hanging around "her girls".

08-20-2020, 12:59 PM	#7
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	Felice would have been a much better Kimberly. Aside from the drug issue, I never understood how Dana got that role. She was annoyingly peppy and fake.

08-20-2020, 05:00 PM	#9
Impressions She died the way she lived Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 08, 2002 Posts: 4,640	So I find it amazing that Diff'rent Strokes promotes a very progressive and diverse agenda, but at the same time, they used a very Arynistic hiring practice when they made decisions about who the daughter was going to be. In my opinion, "All American" is basically a tactful and diplomatic way of saying "blonde hair and blue eyes." I understand eye color and hair styles aren't protected classes in the eyes of the law, but this felt like appearance-based discrimination on the part of the casting manager, producers, and showrunner, and I felt like their hiring decision was racially-motivated. I would've been pissed off about this as Felice was (and still is). You don't have to have "blonde hair and blue eyes" to be an offspring of someone with those characteristics. It's a load of BS, and I would have appealed their decision in court. That decision may have flied in the '70s, but if this happened today, I bet it'd be all over the news and social media. As far as speculating what the show may have looked like if Felice was the daughter, it's likely that Gary and Jeff may have had the same fate. Felice may have gotten out of it because of her character and upbringing but Gary and Jeff may have not. I just think, overall that the producers just did a very poor job of handling the problems on set. They could have brought in some protections and intervention to alleviate some of the issues that had been going on. That's why I have very little respect for the producers and showrunner of this show.

08-20-2020, 06:02 PM	#12
80s Dude Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 24, 2019 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,820	It was Dana who helped take Todd down the dark path. Not saying she was the only influence of him taking the path, but she was a major instigator.