Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

Small Talk: Living Up To Your Dreams

love21

By love21
in The Facts Of Life [V]

Recommended Posts

David T. Cole

David T. Cole

I converted the show request into the Small Talk thread for the show -- a social thread and not generally for specific show discussion.


Please feel free to start new threads for characters, episodes, media mentions, actors, etc.

If you (collectively) would like to change/add the name of the Small Talk thread jokey bit just figure it out amongst yourselves and then email david@previously.tv and he'll change it.

Link to comment
CeeBeeGee

CeeBeeGee

My friend is currently working on a project with Mindy Cohn, so I ordered him over to my place for a carefully curated FOL marathon. I included several episodes from Season 1 for the camp factor, including the infamous pilot ("YOU are STRANGE, Cindy!") and some of my favorites, like:

*Tootie almost getting kidnapped by the pimp (Tammie Lauren does a *fantastic* job in that episode, everything is so subtextual)

*Blair standing up for Jo to her country club jerkass friend (fantastic episode--love the message of girl solidarity and whoever wrote it really nailed how WASPs talk)

*Blair trying to dump her emotionally abusive BF (LOVE this episode. "Of course I want to go!...But I don't--*want*--to want to go...I *don't* want to go.")

*And the one where Mindy makes up a story about an Eastland student who gets an abortion, is threatened with expulsion unless she reveals her source, and then a real life case falls into her lap. (Which I think is the best-written episode in the whole series.)

One of my favorite series ever!

Link to comment
Aurora

Aurora

I'm so glad to see a Facts of Life thread here. It's my all-time favorite sitcom. Season 2 is my favorite. Nancy McKeon is the first celebrity I ever wrote a letter to and the only one who ever bothered to send me a stinkin' autographed photo in reply. I felt terribly smug when I heard the gossip that Lisa Whelchel's divorce was due to her husband being a closet case. I've got no love for her.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
sev

sev

Well, count me in!

This show always held a special place in my TVheart. There something so warm and fuzzy about Blair and Jo's relationship, especially in the later seasons. Besides the humor totally strikes my chord, so many great deliveries.

My hope is that the last seasons be finally released on DVD... *sigh*

Link to comment
Stinger97

Stinger97

(edited)

I grew up watching reruns of the show, I think on USA. Natalie was always my favorite, because she was "chubby" and, more often than not, the comedy relief. But the show, along with a ton of other 80s sitcoms, was comfort food for my TV loving heart. There are still moments in my adult life when I become so frazzled and anxiety-filled, that I have to sit down and watch an episode of FoL to calm my nerves. "Take My Finals, Please," will always be a favorite, especially as I study for law school finals.

Edited by Stinger97
Link to comment
love21

love21

  • Author

My favorite was Jo when I was kid but now it's Natalie. I love how this show brings both the serious, sometimes heartbreaking plots and yet still has tons of comedy. Rewatching it now that I'm older I find myself cracking up at a lot of Natalie's one liners.

Link to comment
sev

sev

(edited)

 "Take My Finals, Please," will always be a favorite, especially as I study for law school finals.

Though not as good as "Take my finals please", have you seen the ones about Blair and law school?

S08 "This is only a test", S09 "Rumor has it", S09 "Peekskill law".

Or S06 "The rich aren't different" where Blair takes Jo to court. This one is really neat.

Edited by sev
Link to comment
spanana

spanana

Facts of Life is being honored at the Paley Center for its 35th Anniversary.  Who ever thought this little show would live to see the day where it gets honored at various events and what not?  It's on September 15th in Beverly Hills.  Last I saw Charlotte, Lisa, Mindy and Nancy were listed as attending.  Kim wasn't on the official list yet, but hopefully she will get on board.  I know there have been points where she hasn't wanted to talk about FOL so much, but considering she just did a tv movie with Lisa, I think that ship has sailed.  No idea if any other actors will be invited.

 

I know some sort of weirdness supposedly went down between Cloris and Charlotte at the TV Land Awards a few years ago.  I remember Cloris talking about it, though I don't entirely remember what happened.  So I'm not sure Cloris will be too keen on reuniting again.  Especially since most of the time people want to talk about the earlier Mrs. G. years anyway.

 

 

  • Love 1
Link to comment
vanillamountain

vanillamountain

(edited)

I know some sort of weirdness supposedly went down between Cloris and Charlotte at the TV Land Awards a few years ago.  I remember Cloris talking about it, though I don't entirely remember what happened.  So I'm not sure Cloris will be too keen on reuniting again.  Especially since most of the time people want to talk about the earlier Mrs. G. years anyway.

 

I'm too lazy to find the link, but if I remember correctly, Charlotte had a drop of mucous coming from her nose. They were just about to do an interview so Chloris tried to wipe it off for her so it didn't look bad. Charlotte got upset, told her "not to fucking touch her" and there was drama - though I don't know if they have spoken since.

 

Charlotte seems a bit senile in some of the interviews I've seen, so maybe it's for the best if she doesn't go to a lot of these reunion events in the future.

Edited by vanillamountain
Link to comment
marsha

marsha

Is anyone else getting the complete series on DVD when it comes out? I, of course, already have Seasons 1-5 on DVD (and probably watch them more frequently than most other series I have on DVD) but, still, I'll be the first one buying the set when it goes on sale. It'll be a hoot to have a complete series marathon and see some of those latter episodes that I haven't seen since their initial airings.

 

I still have some latter season episodes I taped during the original airings that I sometimes still watch. One of my faves was the one where Blair's new boyfriend (played by the same actor who played a mentally slow young man who Blair wanted to date and then after she found out went all 'Annie Sullivan' on him instead in an early FOL episode) turns out to be a cocaine addict and they spend the whole day in 'Edna's Edibles' waiting for his drug dealer to show up. I always loved that episode and thought that for it's 'very special' nature is was well done.

 

Anyhoo, happy holidays everyone! I mean, hey, at least were not stuck in Peekskill with Mrs. Garrett ... oops! Christmas eve cheeseburgers for everyone!

  • Love 1
Link to comment
marsha

marsha

Just got my COMPLETE SERIES box set today! I was being a complete FOL nerd at HMV when I brought it to the cash. I told the young woman there (indicating the box set) "Dreams do come true!". She, to her credit, laughed. I asked her if she knew the show and said she didn't. She was maybe ... 25 or so (hey, she could have been 18 or 30; i can never tell). 

 

I'm just glad to finally have it. FOL Marathon, here I come!

  • Love 2
Link to comment
discorules

discorules

Just got my complete series set. I realize I've never even seen the majority of these episodes so I'm in for a treat. I was in college and starting my career when the series originally ran (1979-1988) so I only watched it sporadically. I just wish the set were closed captioned. I watched the bonus featurette. I wonder why Nancy didn't participate. Hard to believe THAT is already 9 years old (2006). I was a Blair and Jo fan. I came to like Tootie and Natalie but I remember not liking the way Tootie talked (delivered her lines) or the way Natalie laughed at her own jokes. I realize after watching the featurette that she had zero acting experience when she got the part. Also never knew Tootie always wore roller skates in season 1 to make her taller; nothing minstrel show about it. Not that I would ever have originally thought that until another poster mentioned it.

  • Love 2
Link to comment
marsha

marsha

Thanks for sharing discorules. If you check the last DVD is has the 2014 Cast Reunion At The Paley Center that features Nancy, Mindy, Lisa, Charlotte and, towards the end, Geri. Kim is the no-show this time around. It seems it's impossible to get them all together in the same room at the same time. It's a shame as this is probably the last time is was going to happen as now that the complete series DVD is out, I'm not sure what else they'll do a 'reunion' for.

 

I know there was a big article in EW a while back (I'm not sure if it was in the magazine or only online) and both Mindy and Kim declined to take part in it. They both sent statements that said something like (I'm paraphrasing, of course) that they feel they've said/shared everything they have to say/share about FOL. Oh well. I always wonder why some take part in these things and some don't. I'm assuming that they don't get paid to do this stuff and considering what kind of contracts actors (especially young actors) had in those days I'm not even sure they get residuals or a 'cut' of the DVD sales.

 

The one thing I wish the DVDs had was a commentary track or two for certain episodes. I love well done commentary tracks (but bad ones are, well, really bad) and it would have been nice to have one with all four girls for 'Take My Finals, Please' and a few others.

Link to comment
ByaNose

ByaNose

I'm actually amazed that Nancy likes to talk about FOL. Of course, I think a lot of it has to do with her working & personal relationship with Lisa. I always thought Nancy would have the most sitcom potential (but Kim had it) and, just wasn't lucky enough with Can't Hurry Love. She reminded me a lot of Valerie Bertnaeli who tried a couple of sitcoms that didn't work after One Day at a Time. I know Nancy did a cop series but I hope she gets one more crack at a comedy. I had a major crush on her first season. Then I was into Lisa for the rest of the run. There was something about Nancy in her first season that caught my attention. After that, for whatever reason, I didn't find her as attractive. I have no idea why that is/was.

Link to comment
marsha

marsha

Well, the story goes that it was down to Courtney Cox and Nancy McKeon for the part of 'Monica Gellar' on 'Friends'. It's hard to imagine anyone but Courtney as 'Monica' (and I always felt she was underrated for her work in 'Friends') but that would have been wonderful to have had Nancy on such a big, hit show (wasn't it on for 10 seasons?).

Link to comment
ByaNose

ByaNose

I think I read an article where Nancy even said Courtney was the right actress for the role. They both have a similar style in acting. At last, in a half hour comedy format. IMO! Maybe, Courtney had a little edge in the age department since she is two years older. Also, they were probably going for more unknowns for Friends. They were both on successful shows lasting over 9 years but Friends was such a huge juggernaut.

Link to comment
marsha

marsha

That's true about using mostly 'unknowns' for 'Friends'. If Nancy had been cast as Monica many people would still think of her as 'Jo' coming to the series. That's not always an issue, though. I mean Mary Tyler Moore became famous playing 'Laura Petrie' and, just four years after 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' ended, she was 'reborn' as 'Mary Richards'. On the other hand, years later when Ron Silver began popping up in drama series and films, my first thought was always "What's 'Gary' from 'Rhoda' doing in this show?".

 

Also, isn't Charlotte supposed to be writing a memoir? That's a book I'd love to read as not only will there be lots of good backstage FOL stuff but (not gossipy, I'm sure, but just what it was like to be the star of a series) also the years where she, Cloris Leachman and Paul Lynde were all classmates together in college (Northwestern, I believe).

 

I've got to tell you folks that I'm so grateful for this site/forum. There is nobody else, and I mean nobody, I can talk about FOL with. Thanks!

  • Love 1
Link to comment
psychoticstate

psychoticstate

I'm so glad to see a Facts of Life thread here. It's my all-time favorite sitcom. Season 2 is my favorite. Nancy McKeon is the first celebrity I ever wrote a letter to and the only one who ever bothered to send me a stinkin' autographed photo in reply. I felt terribly smug when I heard the gossip that Lisa Whelchel's divorce was due to her husband being a closet case. I've got no love for her.

 

Many years ago I read one of Lisa's books and as I recall, she and her husband had been just friends when they married with the assumption they would fall in love after marriage.  To each his own but I would want and expect to be in love with my spouse BEFORE marriage. 

Link to comment
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...