A Big Finish

When Doris' allergy to dogs is set off, Sherwood becomes suspicious that the school janitor Mr O'Banyan is keeping a dog in the school. It turns out that Mr O'banyan used to be a big time musical star but now he's older and unable to dance for a living, money is an issue. His former rival Birdie Whelam has the same problem, especially after a hip problem and he is living in the school basement with his dog. When Doris and the gang discover the truth they plan to put on a benefit. However run the risk of being expelled for breaking the rules of giving money to a school employee. 

Meanwhile Shorofsky has set up a table tennis table Lydia's dance class. 

This is my 2nd least favourite episode of season one.

The episode is okay but features guest stars that I wasn't really familiar with. I always find it a little confusing when the show had lots of older guest stars because the show was aimed at a younger audience and watching it at age 14, in the U.K., I didn’t know who these people were. Thankfully the guest stars in this episode don’t take over completely like in other episodes.

Erica is now missing and we don't see her again this season, which is a great shame as she is such an important part of the early episodes. I believe at the time she was back at the real High School for the Performing Arts graduating. This however confuses me, as the real school obviously didn’t have the same rule about students working professionally while still being enrolled at the school.

Anyway there is some very convenient writing in this episode which I find quite irritating. Doris has suddenly developed this allergy to dogs and she sits all the way through the English class with streaming eyes and nose. The dog wasn’t even in the room he just passed by in the corridor. Sherwood came into contact with the dog but has changed clothes since then and has possibly had a shower too. I can’t imagine she would jog to work and then spend the day all sweaty and smelly! It's weird because Montgomery has to point out to Miss Sherwood that something is wrong with Doris, then when Sherwood starts talking to to her, Doris is constantly sneezing very loudly. Wouldn't Sherwood have noticed the problem before Montgomery pointed it out , if Doris had been like that all lesson? 

Anyway later when Doris actually goes down to the room where the dog lives there is not a sniffle or sneeze in sight. The same happens when she visits again with Julie and Leroy. Later still she seems to be the guardian of the dog for the evening of the show. That doesn’t sound like a very good idea when a dog just passing a room can set off your allergies. She does manage one sneeze towards the end of the performance, just to show the writers hadn’t completely forgotten about what happened at the start of the episode but it’s not enough to make the story credible.

Even more infuriating is the lack of continuity in season 2’s “Not In Kansas Anymore”, there she is looking after a dog (Toto) and taking it to school with her, holding it under her arm close to her face and she doesn’t get the slightest sniffle!

Also people being able to hear through the heating/air conditioning vents crops up again. This is also very annoying as I find it impossible that anyone down in the basement would be able to hear clearly what is being said between 2 people in one room in the school, when there are dozens of rooms some with full orchestras playing and choirs singing and dance routines going on, with people yelling, laughing and chattering. This kind of poor writing really bugs, lets make up any old rubbish to serve the story rather than think of a logical way to do what they want to do. I actually find it insulting as it's like the writers think that viewers are stupid and will swallow anything that they come up with.

Suddenly the kids might be expelled from the school if they take part in the show for giving money to a school employee. So they have to come up with a plan to give the money to Clumpy the dog. All this is thrown in to up the drama but what is the point? The money is actually for Birdie to buy his trailer and he isn't employed by the school!

You’re the real music is an okay song but there is very little in this episode that has the same energy as most of the other episodes in this season and doesn’t hold much interest for me. 

Original  air date in U.S.A. 15th April 1982

Original  air date in U.K. 08th Sept 1982,  BBC repeat 11th  August 1986,  The Children's Channel  Autumn 1992,

Now 80s 9th & 13th January 2022  

Original air date  in France 05th June 1982

Original Air date in Australia (Melbourne)  25th July 1982

Original air date in The Netherlands 11th March 1983       

Original air date in Italy 02nd April 1983

Original air date in Spain 22nd May 1983 

Original  air date in West Germany 27th March 1985

Original air date in Belgium 15th October 1987