Facts of life Reboot

[mango]

Could we see Scott Bryce?

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FOL is one of my guiltiest pleasures. I could probably recite the episode where they stay up studying all night word for word. The show just makes me so happy.

[Khan]

My favorites are "Cruisin'," when the girls spend the night, well, cruising (the only episode taped w/o a studio audience or laugh-track, btw); "The Last Drive-In," when they spend their last night at the Blue Dell (the one where Natalie tries (in vain) to save the place, Tootie tries (in vain) to watch the ONE Bette Davis she hasn't watched before, and Blair tries (in vain) to avoid getting the [!@#$%^&*] kicked out of her by Frank Zappa's daughter); and "3-2-1," when Jo handcuffs herself to Blair in order to force her to read an editorial during a newscast on Langley's campus TV station (and they send a crew to Over Our Heads for a live remote).

 

Oh, and "Tootie Drives," in which Tootie, well, drives.  Some HUGE laughs in that one.

 

 

ODAAT is not a reboot.  Okay?  It's just a new series w/ a familiar name (and a character also named "Dwayne Schneider").

[Khan]

 

Unfortunately, not only can we count on Kim Fields NOT being involved (she's never made peace with the fact that the world will always remember her as Tootie), but I doubt Nancy McKeon will want to get involved either.  She wouldn't even do the reunion movie, which I think doomed the enterprise from the start.

[mango]

 

"Look to the left, look to the right" 

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I think you've listed all of my favourite episodes, Khan, along with 'Take My Finals, Please'. An honourable mention to the Debarge episode (the name escapes me), mostly due to Blair whipping out the Julie Andrews and those quintessential 80s outfits. There aren't too many post-Edna's Edibles episodes that I care for though.

 

Sorry for derailing the thread. I now want to get my DVDs out and watch again.

[Soaplovers]

I loved New York, New York.. where Jo and Blair went back to their old haunts before they went to Eastland.. and the two discovering how much they had changed compared to their old friends (and the start of Jo liking Blair despite her best efforts), and I loved Aint miss beholden where Jo's hatred of Blair almost cost her being able to go to Eastland... but Blair secretly submitted Jo's application for a scholarship..  Blair was always much nicer than Jo was.. imho

 

And Nancy Mckeon, I think was filming her Lifetime tv show 'The Division' at the same time as the FOL reunion movie was being filmed... but Jo's absenced in the reunion movie was noticeable.. Blair was lost without her comedy partner (still love the chase scene in the Facts of Life Down Under movie).

[Khan]

 

Deidre Fay and Stuart Wolpert didn't last long as EP/show runners, but the work they did in making the show livelier (their word) was phenomenal -- and IMO, helped extend the lifespan of the show for several more seasons.

 

Actually, mango, I think changing the setting from a gourmet shop to a novelty store was a smart idea.  A store like Over Our Heads lent itself more to visual/gag humor, whereas with Edna's Edibles...well, it's tough, IMO, to make quiche and croissants funny.  

 

(You can even see the seeds of where Fay/Wolpert were heading in that episode from the latter part of the Edna's Edibles era where Natalie and Tootie do a brief bit with a watch that plays "Stayin' Alive."  You'd never see something like that under Linda Marsh and Margie Peters.)

[SoapDope]

I loved Facts Of Life growing up and have the entire series on DVD. I just can't get behind a reboot. They all come across as desperate and usually have no connection to the original. 

 

The original show did seem to have several different reboots. The first season in 1979-1980 really didn't click and they trimmed the fat by getting rid of half the cast. Season 2 really was the shot in the arm with the arrival of Nancy McKeon as Jo. The Edna's edibles phase was good too, but I never really got into the Over Our Heads era too much. I rarely watch those seasons. The episode listed above are some of my favorites too. 

 

One of my least favorite episodes was the episode "Starstruck" when Tootie goes ape over Jermaine Jackson and how she freaks out on Mrs. Garrett. Mrs. G. pretty much had her in a head lock to calm her down. I saw that episode when I was like 4/5 when it came out and it freaked me out. 

[mango]

 

That's a great point. The store grew up, as the girls grew up. One scene that stands out to me is after the fire; Jo buys Blair the stuffed green frog to replace the one that was disfigured in the blaze. Edna's Edibles was destroyed, everything was burnt, and yet there was this coloured stuff animal that opened the door to the next chapter of the show.

[Wendy]

 

Well, I'm sure Molly Ringwald didn't cry about it.  :-)

[SoapDope]

 

I say not. Originally I read that Felice Schacter's Nancy was supposed to be the main focus, but Lisa Whelchel's Blair stole the show. If you notice most of the first seasons episode revolve around Blair. 

[Khan]

 

That episode always cracks me up.  ("Girl, please, it's JERMAINE, not MICHAEL!")

[SoapDope]

I bet they couldn't get Michael and settled......LOL

[Khan]

Nancy's entire character was defined by one fact: she really loved Roger.  A lot.  

 

Linda Marsh and Margie Peters wanted Molly Ringwald to be part of the reconfigured cast.  However, Molly was tied up with other projects, I think, and she was no longer available.

 

 

And specifically, around her rivalry with Sue Ann, which didn't pack nearly the same wallop that her rivalry with Jo would.

[ReddFoxx]

This is something that I thought too, lol. Jermaine was undoubtedly cheaper than Michael.

[Khan]

But imagine if even Jermaine was too expensive for them.  Then, you would've had Tootie losing her s**t for Tito.