Series synopsis
Fame is an American drama television series that premiered on NBC on January 7, 1982. It ended on May 18, 1987. It was created by Christopher Gore. It stars Debbie Allen, Lee Curreri, Cynthia Gibb and Gene Anthony Ray.
An American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show is based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. With 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, and in all seasons but th ...
Premise
An American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show is based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. With 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, and in all seasons but the third, several exterior scenes were shot 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 British television in 2008.
Premise: You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying in sweat.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Debbie Allen as Lydia Grant
- Lee Curreri as Bruno Martelli
- Cynthia Gibb as Holly Laird
- Gene Anthony Ray as Leroy Johnson
- Carlo Imperato as Danny Amatullo
- Nia Peeples as Nicole Chapman
- Jesse Borrego as Jesse Velasquez
- Lori Singer as Julie Miller
Supporting cast
- Erica Gimpel as Coco Hernandez
- Billy Hufsey as Christopher Donlon
- Carol Mayo Jenkins as Elizabeth Sherwood
- Ann Nelson as Mrs. Berg
- Valerie Landsburg as Doris Schwartz
- Carrie Hamilton as Reggie Higgins
- Eric Pierpoint as Paul Seeger
- Albert Hague as Benjamin Shorofsky
- P.R. Paul as Montgomery MacNeil
- Michael Cerveris as Ian Ware
- Loretta Chandler as Dusty Tyler
- Graham Jarvis as Principal Dyrenforth
Guest cast
Episodes
This series spans 6 seasons with 136 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 16 | January 7, 1982 | May 6, 1982 |
| Season 2 | 23 | September 30, 1982 | April 7, 1983 |
| Season 3 | 24 | October 15, 1983 | May 27, 1984 |
| Season 4 | 25 | September 29, 1984 | May 25, 1985 |
| Season 5 | 24 | October 12, 1985 | May 24, 1986 |
| Season 6 | 24 | October 6, 1986 | May 18, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Metamorphosis This fun and footloose series begins when Julie tries her best to fit in at the New York School for the Performing Arts, with a little bit of help from Doris and Montgomery. |
January 7, 1982 |
| 2 |
Passing Grade Coco and Lydia vie for a part in a show. Danny wants to meet Johnny Carson and becomes a waiter. |
January 14, 1982 |
| 3 |
Tomorrow's Farewell The School Board orders the School of the Arts to have a Gym because of the mandatory P.E. class that students have to take. It takes a dance off between Lydia's class and a bunch of football players for the school board to see her point. Meanwhile, Leroy tries to save his brother Willard from a life of crime. |
January 21, 1982 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
And the Winner Is... Bruno's script is chosen to be produced by the school and he is given the chance to be a voice in the audition process. Unfortunately he can't make up his mind who is better and if someone isn't as good he (with his soft heart) feels the need to let the person try again, to give them that extra chance to get it right. All his friends are excited that he can choose who will star in it, because of course, they want it to be them. Things start to heat up after everyone finds out that Bruno cast himself in the lead. After which he enlists the help of Doris to teach him to ""act"". Doris begins to fall in love with Bruno. |
September 30, 1982 |
| 2 |
Your Own Song Coco tries to get long with a learning disabled student. |
October 7, 1982 |
| 3 |
Feelings Julie's dad is getting remarried, and Julie does not like it one bit. Also, Leroy tries out for a touring dance troupe. |
October 14, 1982 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Gonna Learn How to Fly (1) Changes abound with the start of the new school year: Bruno, with no means of funding his schooling after his father dies, is forced to drop out; Coco, Danny and Doris find out that even though her mother still lives in New York City, Julie is married and now living in Texas; new students Christopher Donlan, a dance major, and Holly Laird, a drama major, find difficulty in being accepted, most notably by their more seasoned competition, Leroy and Doris, and new vice-principal, Quentin Morloch, intends on ruling with an iron fist. |
October 15, 1983 |
| 2 |
Gonna Learn How to Fly (2) Mr. Shorofsky finds Bruno a job as a waiter at "Caruso's," a coffee house where he is free to play his music. After settling their feud with a fist fight, Leroy works with Christopher to improve Chris' dancing skills after Miss Grant decides to downgrade him to a different class. |
October 22, 1983 |
| 3 |
Hail to the Chief When Morloch and the rest of the school find out the President plans to attend the school's fundraiser performance, certain elements of the show are reevaluated, including a monologue by Danny, while Leroy refuses to perform, and Ms. Sherwood is considered a security risk by the Secret Service. |
October 29, 1983 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Indian Summer Doris and Danny console each other over sour flings; Love holds surprise for both Sherwood and Leroy; Holly sets her sights on an older man. |
September 29, 1984 |
| 2 |
Czech Mate Christopher falls hard for a visiting Czech student; Leroy tries to avoid a new admirer; Doris runs for student-body president. |
October 6, 1984 |
| 3 |
Spontaneous Combustion Staff and students fight back after Sherwood is accidentally injured by kids dancing in the hallway, and the board of education responds by issuing a directive placing a ban on all singing and dancing in non-designated areas. |
October 13, 1984 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Place to Belong New student, Dusty joins the school and feels particularly out of place. Leroy becomes Miss Grant's dance assistant. Chris and Danny prepare to play female roles in drama class. |
October 12, 1985 |
| 2 |
Leroy and the Kid Leroy's eight year old niece causes trouble when she imposes on her uncle and the faculty at the School of the Arts. Danny has trouble getting actors' equity when he finds out another Danny Amatullo is registered. Christopher struggles with the role of Hamlet. |
October 19, 1985 |
| 3 |
Bronco Bob Rides Again Danny meets his hero Bronco Bob from the old western movies. When he finds that Bronco is down on his luck and on the verge of losing his prized horse Prince the Miracle Horse to repossession by a spiteful rival, Danny may be the one to give Bronco the courage to prevail and win his horse back. |
October 26, 1985 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Back to Something New As the new school year beings, a few changes have taken place; Christopher has graduated and is moving on to unknown future, Miss Sherwood has finally published her novel and has moved to Maine, and Ian Ware has joined as a freshman but is discouraged when Mr. Shorofsky opts to retire. |
October 6, 1986 |
| 2 |
The Last Dance Christopher's cousin is having a wedding with Jesse and Nicole set to dance as a couple. Nicole feels that things have changed and breaks up with Jesse but after getting back together, the two are unsure about where their relationship stands. Danny and Jillian start dating but her over-protective family smothers her. |
October 13, 1986 |
| 3 |
New Faces After being reacquainted with an old actor friend, Paul Seeger, Lydia gets him a job as an acting teacher at the School of the Arts. His toughness isn't received well at first by the kids, but as he opts to leave, they have a change of heart. Danny is asked to give a tour to Hannah Cooper an 11 year-old prodigy who's unwilling to play for anyone. |
October 20, 1986 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | NBC |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 7, 1982 |
| Last aired | May 18, 1987 |
| Runtime | 45 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday at 20:00:00 |