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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 5
Episodes
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.
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.
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.
Selling Out
Jesse wins a song-writing contest but struggles with remaining true to himself when a couple of big-shots try to re-write his work. Mr. Shorofsky has to decide whether to let a mediocre violinist into the School of the Arts when the hopeful's father offers the school much needed money.
White Light
Christopher falls for a new student, Julie Chandler, who he discovers to be a coke addict. Her persistent use does not only hurts their relationship but may cause Julie an inevitable-and early-demise. After his parents' separation, Danny feels uneasy when his mother, Gina Amatullo (Played by Betty Karlen), starts dating Lou Mackie.
Savage Streets
When violence erupts among neighborhood gang rivals, The Ravens and the Skulls, the Ravens' leader asks Jesse to join their gang. Although unwilling initially, when The Skulls' leader kills Jesse's good friend, he joins the gang to avenge the murder of his friend.
His Majesty Donlon
Prince Freddy of Vatonia visits New York City to make a speech for a United Nations' event. When the prince's life is threatened, Christopher, the prince's perfect look-a-like, is chosen to switch places with the prince. Christopher is willing to go along with the charade until he is attacked by gunmen.
Broadway Danny Amatullo
When Danny finds out that a notable agent regularly attends a local restaurant, him and the gang set out to audition for him right it the restaurant. After a spirited rendition of Prince's "Baby, I'm a Star," the agent sees Danny fit for work as an agent despite Danny's life-long aspirations to be an actor. This puts Danny's acting duties in the school's latest production on the back burner.
Ebenezer Morloch
With Mr. Morloch's strict enforcement of school board regulations, he is seen as a "Scrooge." On Christmas eve, while working on the school's budget, Mr. Morloch falls asleep in his office where he dreams he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come who come to show him the importance of Christmas cheer.
Choices
Mr. Morloch has left the school to coach a semi-pro ball team in Buffalo. Holly is leaving to star in a soap opera being shot in Hollywood. Nicole decides to audition for several roles and when she gets a small role in a Broadway play, new principal Mr. Dyrenforth, tells her she has to choose school or the play. An old neighbor tries to use his connection with Leroy to sway his audition.
The First Time
A series of unlucky events has Mr. Dyrenforth convinced that he is jinxed. When Nicole refuses to have sex with Jesse, the two break-up deciding to date other people for a school dance. Danny and Reggie go to the dance together and find that they share a liking toward each other.
A River to Cross
When the school decides to work on a production of "Huck Finn," Bobby expresses uneasiness with the portrayal of his character Jim. Outraged by the content and lack of disapproval from his fellow Black students and faculty members, he leads a protest to have the play banned from the school.
Such Good Friends
After his niece, Tina, burns down his apartment, Leroy gets Tina to stay with Mrs. Berg while he stays with Miss Grant. Carl, Miss Grant's old boyfriend returns and as they get reacquainted, Tina does all she can to keep them apart in hopes that Leroy and Miss Grant will get married and adopt her.
Holmes Sweet Holmes
After a rehearsal for the school's production of "Sherlock Holmes," a pipe in the dressing room bursts. The school is in need of serious renovation only, the school cannot fund the repair work and plans are made to sell the property. Danny and Christopher try to prove that the janitor, Ralph, is accepting bribe money from a contracting firm seeking to use the property to build parking space.
Double Exposure
Competition between Danny and Jesse for the lead in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" heats up when it is determined that who ever plays the role has to pass the biology midterm. Jesse is caught with the answers to the test after he passes and gets the lead and Danny is determined to make him suffer. The yearbook money has gone missing.
The Inheritance
Lamar, Leroy's brother and Tina's father returns for Tina under the pretense of establishing a life for Tina when he discovers that she has inherited her deceased nanny's $22,000 estate. Leroy is suspicious of his brother's intentions. Dwight is directing a play about the Dewey Decimal System and builds a character around Holly which drives the cast crazy.
The Comedian
When Danny and Chris gain local success with their comedy act, Comedian Sandy Webb, who is running a comedy workshop at the School of the Arts, steals their act and prompts the break up of the pair and Danny's dismissal of comedy. Reggie starts joking around when she realizes that people are taking her portrayal of Lady Macbeth as a joke.
Stagefright
Christopher develops severe stage fright after he makes and early entrance on stage. Jesse attempts the tapping record and Kate asserts that she wants to transfer out of Miss Grant's dance class into Miss Turner's class.
Self-Defense
The School of the Arts is plagued by a series of vandalism attacks by unknown vandals. Jesse is upset when he discovers that Nicole has a secret admirer who keeps sending her flowers. With the vandalism and unwanted flowers, Nicole seeks solace in Miss Grant's karate class.
W.S.O.A.
As the deejay for W.S.O.A., the school's radio station, Jesse receives calls from Roberta, a suicidal sixteen year-old. After being advised by a psychologist for the school board to continue talking with her, he struggles to keep her alive. Mr. Dyrenforth calls on Dwight to help him enforce a new dress code.
Contacts
In an effort to establish contacts, Chris gets a job waiting for Laura, an agent, who mistakenly asks him to read for her. Impressed, she sets up an audition for him but with Chris and Laura getting close, Chris' relationship with Kate is put in jeopardy. The dancers from Miss Grant's class are upset with Leroy when he gets them a job with a summer stock company and turns down the offer when the producer revokes their pay.
To Tilt at Windmills
Mr. William Quigley, an eccentric substitute teacher, fills in for Miss Sherwood who falls ill with a cold and leads a protest against the mandatory I.Q. tests.
Losin' It
Leroy severely injures his knee and is forced to go through an operation and rehabilitation. He recovers but when he returns to the school, he fears injuring himself again instead taking his anger out on Henry Lee, a returning applicant. Miss Grant is determined to push Leroy back into dancing before he gives it up forever. Reggie has a crush on Max.
The Incident
Jesse is hospitalized as he suffers a concussion. He's unconscious and thus unable to testify to what happened. Mr. Dyrenforth, Miss Sherwoord, and Christopher try to get to the bottom of what happened but with conflicting recollections from Mr. Torrence, Nicole, Jesse - through Mrs. Berg who claims she's a medium, and Christopher, they remain unsure about the true events.
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
