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Fame
"You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying in sweat."
Overview
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.
Status
Ended
Created By
Christopher Gore
Network
NBC, Syndication
Seasons & Episodes
Season 3
Episodes
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.
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.
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.
The Kids from Fame in Israel
This episode features the cast of "Fame," billed as "The Kids from Fame," along with the season three regular dancers in a special concert performance taped while on tour in Tel Aviv, Israel. The concert features performances by the cast, of songs from the television series. The concert took place in an indoor stadium in Tel Aviv before a live capacity audience. Along with the concert, the cast from "Fame" are shown visiting historical landmarks within the city during the 35th birthday celebration of the nation.
Knockout
When Christopher is challenged to a boxing match by Keach Howard, the last man he defeated, and refuses to fight, Keach beats up Dwight in an effort to make Donlan change his mind. Meanwhile, Leroy becomes a mentor to Billy Hall, a fellow dancer in Miss Grant's class in whom Leroy sees a lot of himself.
Rules
Love is in the air as Bruno unwittingly falls for Lisa Connors, a student-teacher for Mr. Shorofsky, and Morloch expresses a romantic interest in Ms. Sherwood.
Consequences
When Mr. Morloch announces that all students participating in any school production must have a minimum C average, Ms. Sherwood, despite Morloch's objections, assigns Leroy and Danny the responsibility of teacher, leaving Danny forced to make a tough decision when he suspects a friend has cheated.
Break Dance
Danny enlists Christopher and Michael to coach rival gangs in a "break dance" competition. Meanwhile, Doris has trouble ridding herself of "Snake," a gang member who has a crush on her, and Coco, inspired by Bruno's life out of school, contemplates leaving the School of the Arts to pursue her career.
Secrets
When Dwight shows up to school with severe bruises on his body, Danny appoints himself as Dwight's bodyguard when he, along with the rest of the school, believe Dwight is a victim of bullying. Meanwhile, Miss Grant is not pleased when rumored drug trafficking brings an undercover cop to the School of the Arts, posing as a dance student.
Equals
Holly falls for Billy Christiansen, a new piano player who plays at "Caruso's." Upon getting ready to ask him out, she learns that he is a physically handicapped, wheelchair bound, paraplegic. Mr. Morloch tries to get Miss Grant to give his friend and former baseball star, "Lefty" Rogers, in pursuit of a career in recording jingles for television commercials, singing and dancing lessons.
Fame Looks at Music '83
This special features the cast of "Fame," billed as "The Kids from Fame," along with the season three regular dancers in their first concert in the U.S. which takes a look back at popular music in the year 1983. The concert took place on December 27, 1983 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium before a live capacity audience. Among other musical performances, this particular episode featured a medley of songs from motion pictures and a special tribute to Michael Jackson.
Appearances
While working on a scene together, Holly and Christopher are prompted by their friends to try going out with each other. Danny falls for Marya, a student hoping to be admitted into the School of the Arts.
Bottle of Blues
When Doris' ex-boyfriend, Sandy Gordon, who was expelled for his drinking problem, is allowed readmission into the School of the Arts, she's overjoyed until she learns that he was hiding his continuing battle with alcoholism from her.
Lisa's Song
When Doris tries to get her classmates to do a production of the reputedly haunted play, "The Gypsy Queen," she and Miss Grant are convinced that they have seen a ghost. While trying to obtain a better understanding of the occult, they discover that Mrs. Berg is a "spirit medium."
A Way of Winning
When Morloch learns about Leroy's previous track success, he tries to persuade him to go for a college track scholarship, much to Lydia's dismay. Meanwhile, while doing character research for a role as an elderly woman in her acting class, Doris finds an older man falling for her.
Stages
When Holly's mother moves in with her, she finds that her mom is getting in the way of things. Meanwhile, when Danny tries to hypnotize Leroy and Christopher, Mr. Morloch is inadvertently put under a post-hypnotic spell, leading Ms. Sherwood to have some fun with it.
Sheer Will
When the kids discover that Danny has leukemia, Doris makes her biggest effort to convince him to listen to his doctor and fight the disease. Meanwhile, Lydia decides to show the kids how to make a non-dancer look good in a dance number.
Catch a Falling Star
A former night club performer, and close friend to Leroy's uncle, Eddie Macon, is discovered by Ms. Sherwood hiding out in a closet in her classroom. Now homeless and alcohol dependent, Leroy and Mr. Reardon attempt to help him while casting him in a school production. Meanwhile, Holly helps Doris with make-up in an attempt to impress a boy she's interested in.
A Friend in Need
Blind substitute teacher Jim Hamilton returns to the School of the Arts and expresses a romantic interest in Lydia.
The Deal
Caruso's landlord threatens to turn the coffee house into a parking lot unless Bruno gets his young opera singer friend accepted into the School of the Arts. Meanwhile, Mr Shorofsky has a secret meeting with Mrs Berg.
Home Again
A substitute teacher filling in for Ms. Sherwood tries to keep her past as a singer a secret, but Dwight remembers her from his childhood and is determined to find out why she stopped singing, enlisting Mr. Shorofsky's help when he learns the truth.
Signs
While showing off for a girl in class, Christopher back flips and hits his head, resulting in a loss of his hearing, and a forced transfer to a school for deaf students. Meanwhile, Miss Grant and Mr. Shorofsky try mixing singers and dancers in the same production.
Heritage
Mr. Shorofsky is disappointed with Doris rejecting her heritage when she turns down the opportunity to perform at a Holocaust Survivors benefit. Meanwhile, Lydia is hired to teach dance to a basketball team.
The Home Front
With his father unemployed, Christopher is forced to take on the role of a parent to his young siblings, which ends up effecting his performance in school. Meanwhile, when the students fall behind in their efforts in class, Mr. Morloch holds a class on a Saturday.
Top Cast
Debbie Allen
Lydia Grant
Gene Anthony Ray
Leroy Johnson
Carlo Imperato
Danny Amatullo
Nia Peeples
Nicole Chapman
Jesse Borrego
Jesse Velasquez
Billy Hufsey
Christopher Donlon
Ann Nelson
Mrs. Berg
Carrie Hamilton
Reggie Higgins
Eric Pierpoint
Paul Seeger
Albert Hague
Benjamin Shorofsky
Michael Cerveris
Ian Ware
Loretta Chandler
Dusty Tyler
