Charlotte Rae Interview from 1980

[TJ]

The Bobbie Wygant Archive uploaded an interview with Charlotte Rae from 1980. They put 1981 in the title by mistake. She talks about her weight loss and the upcoming second season. This is a pretty good interview that covers a lot of ground. Maybe they will have some interviews with the other cast members. She mentions that she had met Charlotte before.

[80s Dude]

This sounds like The Interview Show on Facts of Life. Charlotte mention the chef and handy man that never made onto the main show.

[Lorimar Television]

Cool find

[Sitcommania]

I wonder at what point they dropped the handyman and chef. It must have been pretty late in the game. I think the writers strike might have been a factor; that and the fact that the main cast was enough to carry the show. I would assume Hugh Gillin was cast as the handyman (and later the chef). This interview also seems to imply that the younger chef had been cast, too….

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by Sitcommania

I wonder at what point they dropped the handyman and chef. It must have been pretty late in the game. I think the writers strike might have been a factor; that and the fact that the main cast was enough to carry the show. I would assume Hugh Gillin was cast as the handyman (and later the chef). This interview also seems to imply that the younger chef had been cast, too….

Linda Marsh and Margie Peters also had no experience with shows with large casts. They came over from One Day at a Time. A show with 4 cast members. They reduced the cast from Season 1, but adding two adult characters when the focus on the girls doesn't make any sense. Perhaps Charlotte wanted another adult actor as a regular because John Lawlor was her "rocK' who she confided in after the stress of dealing with 7 girls and their families as well as producers and network executives.

[Sitcommania]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Linda Marsh and Margie Peters also had no experience with shows with large casts. They came over from One Day at a Time. A show with 4 cast members. They reduced the cast from Season 1, but adding two adult characters when the focus on the girls doesn't make any sense. Perhaps Charlotte wanted another adult actor as a regular because John Lawlor was her "rocK' who she confided in after the stress of dealing with 7 girls and their families as well as producers and network executives.

It makes sense to want to give her adult counterparts, but ultimately they didn’t need her to have a peer. The handyman concept stuck around until George Clooney showed up. Then they figured out he was unneeded, too.

['80sSitcoms]

Holy cow!! I just went through her channel in October. This is an AMAZING find--can't wait to watch!!