Fame (1982 TV series)

infobox television
show_name = Fame


caption = "Fame" Season 1 DVD Cover
format = Drama
runtime = 60 minutes
creator = Christopher Gore
starring = Debbie Allen
Albert Hague
Carol Mayo Jenkins
Lee Curreri
Erica Gimpel
Carlo Imperato
Valerie Landsburg
Gene Anthony Ray
Lori Singer
country = USA
network = NBC (1982-1983) & Syndication (1983-1987)
first_aired = January 7, 1982
last_aired = May 18, 1987
num_seasons = 6
num_episodes = 136
list_episodes = List of Fame (1982 TV series) episodes
imdb_id = 0083412|

"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. 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 as 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.

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. [http://tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=4122] . Future releases will be handled by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment through a new deal made by MGM.

Awards

The series won a number of Emmy awards and in 1983 and 1984 was voted the . 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
*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)

tudents

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

Additional characters

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

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)
*Robert Romanus as Miltie Horowitz (seasons 5–6)
*Carolyn J. Silas as Laura Mackie (season 6)
*Sam Slovick as Cassidy (season 4)
*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 for the very first time on November 1, 2005.

ee also

* The Kids from "Fame" - an article on the recording group.
* Un Paso Adelante (TV series) "(Spanish series based on "Fame")"

External links

* [http://hulu.com/fame Fame] at Hulu
*imdb title|id=0083412|title=Fame
*Tv.com show|id=2060|title=Fame