Fame (1982 TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fame

"Fame" Season 1 DVD Cover
Format Drama
Created by Christopher Gore
Starring Debbie Allen
Albert Hague
Carol Mayo Jenkins
Lee Curreri
Erica Gimpel
Carlo Imperato
Valerie Landsburg
Gene Anthony Ray
Lori Singer
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of seasons 6
No. of episodes 136 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time 60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel NBC (1982-1983) & Syndication (1983-1987)
Original run January 7, 1982 – May 18, 1987
External links
IMDb profile

Fame is an American television series that ran from 1982 to 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name that tells the stories of the students and faculty at the "New York City High School for the Performing Arts."

The show was produced by MGM Television and was first broadcast on the NBC television network in the US, the BBC in the United Kingdom and Channel 7 in Australia. After NBC cancelled the series, the show continued for an additional four seasons in first run syndication. The popularity of the film and television productions was such that its cast members went on the road to perform live concerts, even after the show's 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. The second version was stripped of the musical numbers and the sub plot and was a half-hour in length.

The show's theme song was a pop hit for singer Irene Cara, having been featured in the motion picture. "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.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, which held the distribution rights for all post-1985 MGM television series until May 31, 2006 (including Fame, which was in production prior to 1985), released the first season of Fame on DVD on November 1, 2005. [1]. Future releases will be handled by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment through a new deal made by MGM.

Contents

[edit] Awards

It 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.

[edit] The cast

[edit] Faculty

  • Debbie Allen as Lydia Grant
  • Albert Hague as Benjamin Shorofsky
  • Graham Jarvis as Principal Bob Dyrenforth (episodes 98-136)
  • Carol Mayo Jenkins as Elizabeth Sherwood (seasons 1-5)
  • Ann Nelson as Mrs. Gertrude Berg (episode 66-136, recurring previously)
  • Eric Pierpoint as Paul Seeger (episodes 115-136)
  • Morgan Stevens as David Reardon (season 2, recurring seasons 3 & 4)
  • Ken Swofford as Quentin Morloch (episodes 40-97)
  • Michael Thoma as Greg Crandall (recurring season 1)

[edit] Students

[edit] Additional characters

  • Dick Miller as Lou Mackie (season 6, recurring previously on seasons 4 & 5)

[edit] Recurring characters

[edit] Episodes

[edit] DVD releases

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first season of Fame on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time on November 1, 2005.

DVD Name Ep # Release Date
The Complete First Season 16 November 1, 2005

[edit] See also


Preceded by
Fame, Original Soundtrack by Various Artists		 UK Albums Chart (Kids from Fame) number one album
August 07, 1982 - October 01, 1982		 Succeeded by
Love Over Gold by Dire Straits

[edit] External links