Customer Reviews

Fame: Season 1 [DVD] [1982]

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Fame" the TV series based on the 1980 Alan Parker film was a smash hit in the 80s,particularly in the UK,its fans helping to bring it back from its axing after two series.

Viewers tuned in,each week to watch the "School of The Arts" drama and dance students of New York,deal with a show problem or a personal one,usually ending in a big production at the end of the episode.

Lee Curreri recreated his film role as Bruno Martelli,the musical genius playing away on his synthesiser while his cabby father tries to pay for all the expensive equipment.

After having only a tiny part in the "Fame" movie,Debbie Allen had a very large role as dance teacher Lydia,the feisty but caring dance teacher,Miss Allen also the dancing boss,behind the scenes too.

The late Albert Hague was great as Professor Shrofosky and his scenes with Bruno were some of the special ones in the show.

The real star of the TV series as in the film,was the late,great Gene Anthony Ray as Leroy Johnson,the street kid with a fantastic dancing ability,whose problems with his other school work,caused him to be at loggerheads with English teacher,Miss Sherwood,a very strong performance from Carol Mayo Jenkins.

Valerie Landsburg was very funny and endearing as the plump Doris,always fighting the weight problem but very funny too,one of the highlights of season 1 is Miss Landsberg belting out "High Fidelity" in a music shop,the song becoming a big hit in the UK,as indeed,did the whole "Kids From Fame" album,leading to several "Fame"tours in Europe but usually without Miss Landsberg.

Strangely Montgommery,gay in the movie,was suddenly straight in the TV series,actor P.R.Paul not really making much of an impression and he didn't return in the 2nd season.

Erica Gimpel took the very important role of Coco(played by Irene Cara in the movie)and although her singing isn't a patch on Irene Cara's,her acting held up and she caught Coco's hunger for fame ,to a tea,indeed Erica Gimpel is still performing away,to this day.

Lori Singer is "goody two shoes" Julie,the one we meet in the pilot,one of the best episodes is when Julie falls in love with a temp teacher,who turns out to be a rat and Julie sings "It's Gonna Be a Long Night",a lovely song but Lori Singer isn't the greatest of singers but it all works somehow.

Carlo Imperato is wisecracking Danny and he is a very likeable character and one episode,deals with his awkwardness with his father and Danny's drug problem,very well written and acted.

So get your leg warmers on and sit and enjoy this great show!

Hard to believe that this series was a must see for us teenagers back in 1982 (not 1980 as stated). The series was little short of a phenomonem back then and spawned a number of successful albums and a UK tour by the cast. It ran for 6 years but the first two or three were the best.
Apart from 4 episodes recorded to VHS back then it's been a long wait to see the series again and reacquaint myself with Coco, Leroy, Bruno, Julie, Doris and of course Danny. With sterling performances by the 'supporting cast' of teachers the episodes crafted a great tale every week with a good moral lesson and one or two great tracks thrown in for good measure.
If you remember their names then it's a must see.

All those 80s folk who enjoyed this series will still do so - the DVD quality is good and the episodes are light entertainment with a feel-good factor

Enjoy and hope the next season DVD comes out sooner than the time it took this one to reach us.

I loved this series (and still love it now). Surprised at how many websites (including Amazon) say this is a 4 disc set. Mine has 5 !! The fifth disc is a CD, "Ultimate Fame", with 19 tracks:

1. Fame
2. Out here on my own
3. Starmaker
4. Hi-Fidelity
5. Desdemona
6. I can do anything better than you can
7. I still believe in me
8. Life is a Celebration
9. It's Gonna be a Long Night
10. Be my music
11. Mannequin
12. Dancing Endlessly
13. Let's play a love scene
14. Dancin' on the sidewalk
15. Think of Meryl Streep
16. Bring on Tomorrow
17. Friday Night (Live)
18. Murphy Blues
19. False Alarm

I don't know if there are two versions of this box out there (one without this CD extra disc) but it is definitely worth seeking out.

The last time I watched Fame, I was about 8 years old. I was a bit nervous 20 years on that it would be rubbish. But it is absolutely brilliant. The singing and dancing are of course really well done, but what I hadn't really remembered was the lovely storylines in each episode. They highlight some really interesting issues and deal with them in a non-patronising way.

What I need to know now is.... when is series 2 out?

I had fond memories of this TV series but hadn't seen it for over 20 years. It's as good as I remembered, if not better. The characters are endearing - the casting was spot on and I love the songs. The whole thing lived up to and exceeded my expectations.

As other reviewers have pointed out, as soon as Lydia Grant asks "You want Fame?" I was instantly transported to happy Saturday afternoons as an awestruck 5year old who was uterally convinced that the New York School of the Arts was a truthful representation of a southern county Senior School.

Watching it again as a less niave 30+ yr old, I was of course struck by the 80tastic aspect (hair, clothes, music and dance) as well as Bruno's obsession with synths. None of this detracts from the show as it does in many programs from my childhood, but rather sets the show in that particular era.

Storywise, the content surprised me... stories of teen prostitition, drug addiction, inapropriate student/teacher relationships as well as the transitory and tenuous nature of fame are sensibly and subtely dealt with. Music/dance wise the cast may not reach the perfection I remember from my younger days but they put their all into it and with only one or two exceptions (mostly on the part of Julie Miller, and less frequently Danny Amatullo) manage to convincince of their talents in singing and dancing (although to be fair Julie was a celloist and Danny a comedian so outstanding vocals/dancing could be overlooked.)

All in all a welcome reminder of my childhood.

I bought this as a christmas present for myself. I was a HUGE fan of the show in the 80s, dancing in our attic in my leg warmers! I was worried about watching it - as many of the shows I watched way back when . . . have now aged. I was not disappointed - I was as gripped to the stories now as I was in the 80s, add to that a huge dose of nostalgia. Fabulous.

My children who are 8 and 6 also LOVE it. To quote "This is LOADS better than Brittania High".

After I bought this, I also recently saw Justin Lee Colins with "Bring Back Fame". Another must show for any Fame fans. What an insight - Debbie Allen was the actual choreographer for the show and her nickname was "ballbreaker". Bruno Martrelli did actually compose many of the songs!! Leroy's character was v similar off-screen. Sadly he has died.

Fame - FABULOUS!

Fame - the series finally on DVD. Fame the movie has been available for ages, but it's not a great example of what the show was about, so this comes as a timely reminder. Obviously it hasn't aged as well as one would like, but it's a great nostalgia trip. Seeing the likes of Leroy, Coco et al reminds me of why this was such a big hit back in its day.
On the downside, it's as corny and cheesy as you might fear, but that really is to be expected, and once you get used to it, it simply adds to the charm.
A fine purchase.

What with all the talent shows on the TV at the moment with quite talentless bores on I thought I would get this for the kids so they could see what a proper "song and dance" show was all about. They loved it - and I loved the nostalgia.

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