Where Are They Now?
Exclusive: Remember Their Names? The Stars of TV’s Fame 30 Years Later
For any kid who ever dreamed of making it as a performer, or who felt the struggle to fit in at high school, this show, which ran from 1982 to 1987, is an icon. All those dramatic story lines intercut with full-production song-and-dance numbers felt authentic because so many of the kids really were aspiring musicians and dancers. They may not have been perfect, but we loved them for it. Let’s look back at the show 30 years later... By Nina Hämmerling Smith
Debbie Allen as Lydia Grant on Fame
Then: One of the few cast members who was in both the 1980 movie version and the TV series, Allen played the cane-tapping taskmaster dance instructor Lydia Grant, whose quote “fame costs, and right here is where you start paying—in sweat” is the stuff of TV legend.
May 31, 2022 at 8:56 am, Here’s How ‘Fame’ Created the TV Musical Drama | NEWS BLAZE said:
[…] How could Fame not be iconic? It was the first of its kind in the musical television space and did so in a way that appealed to audiences of all ages. The show was gritty and honest about the reality of a performing arts high school, but it also had some amazing musical performances that felt light and fun. The combination of these two opposing emotions and themes was blended so perfectly in the story of the show and felt authentic. Nothing ever felt placed solely for controversy or to stir the pot; the themes discussed in the show could be dark, but the whole point was to blend them in the grand scheme of Fame. In a world where musicals were often candy-colored and happy, Fame carved out its own gritty, iconoclastic existence long before gritty TV show reboots were all the rage. […]
May 31, 2022 at 8:56 am, Here’s How ‘Fame’ Created the TV Musical Drama – Film Streaming Portal said:
[…] How could Fame not be iconic? It was the first of its kind in the musical television space and did so in a way that appealed to audiences of all ages. The show was gritty and honest about the reality of a performing arts high school, but it also had some amazing musical performances that felt light and fun. The combination of these two opposing emotions and themes was blended so perfectly in the story of the show and felt authentic. Nothing ever felt placed solely for controversy or to stir the pot; the themes discussed in the show could be dark, but the whole point was to blend them in the grand scheme of Fame. In a world where musicals were often candy-colored and happy, Fame carved out its own gritty, iconoclastic existence long before gritty TV show reboots were all the rage. […]
May 31, 2022 at 2:37 pm, Here's How Fame Created the TV Musical Drama said:
[…] how can fame not reputable? It was the first of its kind in the musical television space and did so in a way that would appeal to audiences of all ages. The show was gritty and honest about the reality of a performing arts high school, but it also had some amazing musical performances that felt light and fun. The combination of these two opposing sentiments and themes blended perfectly into the story of the show and felt authentic. Never felt anything that was put in place merely for the sake of contention or to stir the pot; The themes discussed in the show may be dark, but the whole point was to mix them in the grand scheme of fame, In a world where music was often candy colored and happy, fame The gritty, symbolic existence of its own was carved out long before the gritty TV show reboot. […]