Nancy McKeon and Dana Plato in another movie together

[80s Dude]

Never heard of this movie (School Boy Dad) before. Both Nancy McKeon and Dana Plato are in it. Dana Plato plays a teenage girl who gets pregnant (life imitates art) by a boy played by Rob Lowe (life imitates art). He decides to take care of the baby when the mother could not.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EczBUpenf4I

This was filmed before Nancy M. joined the Facts of Life and was broadcast just a few weeks before Season 2 began.

[FOL-FAN-ITA]

Thanks for sharing! It's a shame we never saw Jo and Kimberly on FOL/DS

[RetroGuy2000]

Good find. Neither Dana nor Rob Lowe seemed to have paid attention to the lessons in this TV movie.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

Thanks for sharing! It's a shame we never saw Jo and Kimberly on FOL/DS

I don't think Charlotte liked Dana much.

[PracTz]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

I don't think Charlotte liked Dana much.

Oddly enough, while Miss Rae would consistently praise Mr. Bridges and Mr. Coleman (even when interviewers tried to get her to shade them) , I can't recall her saying ANYthing about Miss Plato. Also it's odd that, after The Pilot, Miss Plato never was depicted as visiting Eastland nor did Mrs. G. even ask about her when Arnold and/or Willis would visit!

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by PracTz

Oddly enough, while Miss Rae would consistently praise Mr. Bridges and Mr. Coleman (even when interviewers tried to get her to shade them) , I can't recall her saying ANYthing about Miss Plato. Also it's odd that, after The Pilot, Miss Plato never was depicted as visiting Eastland nor did Mrs. G. even ask about her when Arnold and/or Willis would visit!

In an interview on video, Charlotte said Dana was flighty. She also said in her book that Dana was needy and once tried to seduce a male friend of Charlotte that was Charlotte's age. Dana tried to sit on his lap and was trying to flirt with him.

[FOL-FAN-ITA]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

I don't think Charlotte liked Dana much.

I have the same thought

Originally Posted by PracTz

Oddly enough, while Miss Rae would consistently praise Mr. Bridges and Mr. Coleman (even when interviewers tried to get her to shade them) , I can't recall her saying ANYthing about Miss Plato. Also it's odd that, after The Pilot, Miss Plato never was depicted as visiting Eastland nor did Mrs. G. even ask about her when Arnold and/or Willis would visit!

And after a couple of seasons, no more FOL girls on Diff'rent Strokes. It seems that Charlotte didn't want the girls and Dana in the same room. Even in the first episode, Dana never interacted with the other girls.

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

In an interview on video, Charlotte said Dana was flighty. She also said in her book that Dana was needy and once tried to seduce a male friend of Charlotte that was Charlotte's age. Dana tried to sit on his lap and was trying to flirt with him.

I guess after this episode Charlotte didn't want to be with Dana any longer.

[PracTz]

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

I have the same thought



And after a couple of seasons, no more FOL girls on Diff'rent Strokes. It seems that Charlotte didn't want the girls and Dana in the same room. Even in the first episode, Dana never interacted with the other girls.



I guess after this episode Charlotte didn't want to be with Dana any longer.

It's rather sad! BTW, Allison Arngrim (LHOTP Nellie Oleson) said that, in their teens, Miss Plato was frighteningly naive to the point of getting into cars with total strangers JUST because the strangers had suggested that to her! My guess is that Miss Rae didn't know how to begin to deal with all of Miss Plato's issues and perhaps felt if she kept as much distance as possible, there'd be less chance she (Miss Rae) could have added to Miss Plato's problems.

In her Emmy TV Legends interview, Miss Rae recalled that she flatly turned down the role of the mother in 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman' because she'd worked with Louise Lasser on a commercial years before and Miss Lasser had gotten the director SO frazzled over her grandiose ideas that the director not only was extremely stressed but Miss Rae herself decided that she could NEVER work with Miss Lasser again (especially on a regular basis) due to Miss Lasser's . .. intensity (and she reported Dodie Goodman didn't wind up having an easy time with Miss Lasser). So maybe she felt somewhat the same re Miss Plato.

[Lorimar Television]

That’s too bad, Dana really could’ve used an authority figure to give her guidance. She seemed to be crying out for help pretty much.

[FOL-FAN-ITA]

Originally Posted by PracTz

It's rather sad! BTW, Allison Arngrim (LHOTP Nellie Oleson) said that, in their teens, Miss Plato was frighteningly naive to the point of getting into cars with total strangers JUST because the strangers had suggested that to her! My guess is that Miss Rae didn't know how to begin to deal with all of Miss Plato's issues and perhaps felt if she kept as much distance as possible, there'd be less chance she (Miss Rae) could have added to Miss Plato's problems.

In her Emmy TV Legends interview, Miss Rae recalled that she flatly turned down the role of the mother in 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman' because she'd worked with Louise Lasser on a commercial years before and Miss Lasser had gotten the director SO frazzled over her grandiose ideas that the director not only was extremely stressed but Miss Rae herself decided that she could NEVER work with Miss Lasser again (especially on a regular basis) due to Miss Lasser's . .. intensity (and she reported Dodie Goodman didn't wind up having an easy time with Miss Lasser). So maybe she felt somewhat the same re Miss Plato.

Thanks for sharing this interesting story I guess from that point (after Dana had jumped on the lap of Charlotte's friend) Charlotte refused any contact with her.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

Thanks for sharing this interesting story I guess from that point (after Dana had jumped on the lap of Charlotte's friend) Charlotte refused any contact with her.

I don't remember a friend of Charlotte's, but I do remember from her book saying a man was on the set of DS and Dana climbed up in his lap and sitting there affectionately enjoying being there. Maybe it was a friend of Charlotte's? I just don't remember that detail.

[FOL-FAN-ITA]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I don't remember a friend of Charlotte's, but I do remember from her book saying a man was on the set of DS and Dana climbed up in his lap and sitting there affectionately enjoying being there. Maybe it was a friend of Charlotte's? I just don't remember that detail.

The man was one of her friends at the AA club. Facts was in its initial stages of development and she was nervous because she didn't know what to do, if FOL had failed, her role on DS wouldn't have been available anymore. So she called this old friend (TOM was his name but it was a fictional name). As soon as Dana saw him on the set, she jumped on his lap and he was gone for good

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

Facts was in its initial stages of development and she was nervous because she didn't know what to do, if FOL had failed, her role on DS wouldn't have been available anymore.

But that's not true because Charlotte said when Norman approached her about creating a DS spinoff for her, she was hesitant because of fear of failure. That's when he told her her role would still be available for her on DS if FOL didn't work out.

[FOL-FAN-ITA]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

But that's not true because Charlotte said when Norman approached her about creating a DS spinoff for her, she was hesitant because of fear of failure. That's when he told her her role would still be available for her on DS if FOL didn't work out.

I just checked Charlotte's book. She was nervous because some weeks hardly had anything to do and she had the impression she was going to be fired. That's why she called Tom. That was before the spinoff story. My mistake, sorry

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

I just checked Charlotte's book. She was nervous because some weeks hardly had anything to do and she had the impression she was going to be fired. That's why she called Tom. That was before the spinoff story. My mistake, sorry

Haha, no problem amico mio!