Fame (1982)

Fame (1982) Information

Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show is based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although fictional, it was based heavily on the actual Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York. Most interior scenes were filmed in Hollywood, California. In all seasons except the 3rd, the show filmed several exterior scenes on location in New York City.

The popularity of the series, particularly in the UK, led to several hit records and live concert tours by the cast. Despite its success, very few of the actors maintained high-profile careers after the series was cancelled. A number of the cast members were seen again briefly in Bring Back...Fame, a reunion special made for UK television in 2008.

Details

The show was produced by MGM Television and was initially broadcast on the NBC television network in the US on January 7, 1982. Despite glowing reviews from critics, ratings were less than impressive, and NBC cancelled it after only two seasons. However, by special arrangement with LBS Communications, MGM revived the series for first-run syndication in the fall of 1983, where it continued for four more seasons, with the last first-run episode airing in the US on May 18, 1987.

Some seasons of the show were produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom, RAI in Italy and Channel 7 in Australia, where later seasons of the show were more popular than in the domestic market, and in order to continue production, they financed the later seasons.

Following its cancellation, two versions of the series were syndicated in reruns: the original hour-long episodes, which usually contained a primary plot, a sub plot and two or more musical numbers; and a second version, stripped of the musical numbers and the sub plot and reduced to 30 minutes in length.

The show's theme song was a pop hit for singer Irene Cara, having been featured in the motion picture. A re-recorded version of the theme, using similar instrumentation to the 1980 track, was used in the TV series and sung by co-star Erica Gimpel, who played Coco Hernandez.

Although Gimpel left the series midway through the third season (after the show moved from NBC to first-run syndication in 1983), her opening vocals were still heard on the show for two more seasons. An updated version of the song, featuring a modern, synthesized hard-rock flavor, was introduced in the fall of 1985 and performed by new cast member Loretta Chandler (Dusty). This version ran for the final two seasons of Fame.

"I Still Believe In Me", from an episode of the series entitled "Passing Grade", was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Original Song. It was performed by Erica Gimpel and Debbie Allen and co-written by Gary Portnoy who would go on to co-write and sing the Theme from Cheers (Where Everybody Knows Your Name). In the UK, two singles credited to The Kids from "Fame", "Hi-Fidelity" and "Starmaker", reached the top ten.

There were four cast members from the original movie that appeared in the television series. Lee Curreri portrayed the character Bruno Martelli, an introverted musical genius.

The second cast member was Gene Anthony Ray who portrayed Leroy Johnson, a tough hood from the projects with a natural talent for dance who muscles his way into an audition and wins. In the film, Leroy is also illiterate, but this was not addressed in the television series.

The third film castmember was Albert Hague who played teacher Benjamin Shorofsky, a German music teacher who constantly battled with Bruno Martelli over music styles.

The final castmember from the film was Debbie Allen who played dance instructor Lydia Grant. Although Allen only appeared briefly in the movie, her character was expanded in the series and she also became the show's original choreographer, in addition to directing several episodes and co-producing one season.

There were also several characters carried over from the movie, played by different actors. The character of Coco Hernandez appeared on the show, played by Erica Gimpel and not Irene Cara, who was offered the role by the show's producers, but politely declined as she wanted to focus on developing her budding singing career. Actor P.R. Paul played Montgomery McNeil in the series, while ER actor Paul McCrane portrayed the gay student in the film. The Montgomery character was changed for TV and was no longer gay. The character Doris Schwartz, played by Valerie Landsburg, was in the series while the character of Doris Finsecker appeared in the film version and was portrayed by Maureen Teefy.

The character of Ralph Garcy metamorphosed into the character of Danny Amatullo for the TV version.

Since 2011, reruns of Fame air in the United States on the arts-focused cable network Ovation.

Awards

See List of Fame (1982 TV series) awards and nominations for more information The series won a number of Emmy awards and in 1983 and 1984 was voted the Golden Globe Awards: Television, Best Series, Musical/Comedy. Actress, director and choreographer Debbie Allen, who had a small role in the motion picture but played a major character in the television version, also won several awards.

The cast

Faculty

Debbie Allen as Lydia Grant
Albert Hague as Benjamin Shorofsky
Carol Mayo Jenkins as Elizabeth Sherwood (seasons 1-5)
Ann M. Nelson as Mrs. Gertrude Berg (Seasons 1.07-6)
Ken Swofford as Quentin Morloch (Seasons 3- 5.09)
Graham Jarvis as Principal Bob Dyrenforth (Seasons 5.10- 6)
Morgan Stevens as David Reardon (season 2, recurring seasons 3 & 4)
Eric Pierpoint as Paul Seeger (Season 6.03)
Michael Thoma as Greg Crandall (Season 1.04)

Students

Gene Anthony Ray as Leroy Johnson
Carlo Imperato as Danny Amatullo (Seasons 1.02-6)
Billy Hufsey as Christopher Donlon (seasons 3-6)
Valerie Landsburg as Doris Schwartz (seasons 1-4)
Jesse Borrego as Jesse Velasquez (seasons 4-6)
Lee Curreri as Bruno Martelli (seasons 1-3,recurring Season 6.24)
Cynthia Gibb as Holly Laird (seasons 3-5)
Nia Peeples as Nicole Chapman (seasons 4.02-6.10)
Erica Gimpel as Coco Hernandez (seasons 1-3.08,recurring Seasons 4.19-6.24)
Loretta Chandler as Dusty Tyler (seasons 5-6)
Lori Singer as Julie Miller (seasons 1-2)
Carrie Hamilton as Reggie Higgins (seasons 5.10-6)
Janet Jackson as Cleo Hewitt (season 4)
Michael Cerveris as Ian Ware (season 6)
Elisa Heinsohn as Jillian Beckett (season 6.02)
P. R. Paul as Montgomery MacNeil (season 1, final episode of season 6)
Page Hannah as Kate Riley (season 5.10)
Olivia Barash as Maxie Sharp (season 6.12)

Additional characters

Dick Miller as Lou Mackie (season 6, recurring previously on seasons 4 & 5)
Stephanie E. Williams as Stephanie Harrison (season 2)

Recurring characters

Carmine Caridi as Angelo Martelli (seasons 1–2)
Michael DeLorenzo as Michael (seasons 1–3)
Denny Dillon as Corky (season 6)
David Greenlee as Dwight Mendenhall (seasons 2–5)
Connie Needham as Kelly Hayden (season 2)
Jimmy Osmond as Troy Phillips (season 2)
Robert Romanus as Miltie Horowitz (seasons 5–6)
Carolyn J. Silas as Laura Mackie (season 6)
Sam Slovick as Cassidy (season 4.02)
Bronwyn Thomas as Michelle (season 1–4)
Caryn Ward as Tina Johnson (seasons 5–6)

Episodes

See List of Fame episodes

DVD releases

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first season of Fame on DVD in Region 1 on November 1, 2005. This is now out of print as the home video rights are now owned by 20th Century Fox.

20th Century Fox (under license from (MGM) released the complete first and second seasons of Fame on DVD in Region 1 and Region 2 on September 15, 2009.

DVD Name	Ep #	Release Date
The Complete First Season (Out of Print)	16	November 1, 2005
Seasons 1 & 2	38	September 15, 2009

Bring Back...Fame

On 27 December 2008, Channel 4 TV in the UK screened a 90-minute special titled Bring Back...Fame, which sought out and reunited some of the original cast members of the television series.

Presented by Justin Lee Collins, and apparently filmed the previous summer, the show followed the presenter around the United States as he tracked down actors from the series and then staged a reunion. The programme showed Collins appearing to surprise the former cast members in locations including restaurants, a recording studio, a gym, LAX airport and a cinema, before interviewing them and persuading them to take part in the reunion.

The actors featured in the programme were Debbie Allen, Carol Mayo Jenkins, Lee Curreri, Erica Gimpel, Valerie Landsburg and Carlo Imperato. Also interviewed were Irene Cara, who did not appear in the TV series but sang the theme song and played Coco in the original motion picture, and the mother of the late Gene Anthony Ray. It was not stated whether other actors from the series had also been approached but had declined to take part. Excerpts from the TV series were shown throughout the programme. The final scenes of the programme showed the six principal actors and a number of backing dancers taking part in a recreation of the title sequence of the TV programme.

The programme was made for and broadcast on Channel 4, despite Fame having originally been shown in the UK on the BBC.