Beginnings

When Leroy's girlfriend Stephanie doesn't get a part she though she was certain to get, the kids start to think that the ballet teacher may have a problem with black dancers. When they feel no one will listen to them the kids start to rebel.

Meanwhile Shorofsky enrols a young musical genius and assign Bruno to chaperone her. 

This episode was show out of order by the BBC in the U.K. as episode 5 instead of episode 6. This is my favourite season 2 episode and one of my favourites of the whole 6 years of the show. 

I really enjoy how the whole cast is involved in this story, which is the first episode(so far)  this season that this has happened. It’s really interesting how even though the adults don’t believe them, the kids stick together and find a way to protest their point and fight for what is right. It’s great how they all just stand up in silence in the middle of their classes and when I first watched this episode I wanted to be standing up too! I also wished I could do something similar when issues cropped up at my own school.

This was one of the things I’ve always loved about Fame that all the characters seem to believe that everyone should be treated equally regardless of skin colour, race, gender, cultural background etc. The show took a stand on what it viewed to be morally correct on a number of issues and it was always in line with my own thoughts and feelings.

A number of episodes refer to both Lydia and Sherwood protesting injustices when they were in high school or college themselves and I really like how the characters always fought for what they deemed to be right.

For me this is a very nicely crafted episode and rather than bring in a guest star to play Stephanie’s role they use one of the dancers, which for me adds to the believability. We've seen the character before and she won’t just disappear when the story is over. 

Linking her to Leroy as a girlfriend is also a good way to include her into the normal group of characters. Quite often the relationships the kids have to support some of the stories feel forced but not this one. 

It’s also interesting that it’s Leroy’s girlfriend because we don’t often see Leroy in a relationship, where some of the other characters seem to be constantly falling in and out of love. Leroy gets a girlfriend (whom we don’t see) in season 4 who he thinks maybe pregnant. Then he gets a crush on Coco when she returns in season 4 and a crush on Lydia in season 5 but neither relationship really gets off the ground. So there was never much love action going on for Leroy.

Marge Champion playing the ballet teacher is very believable and it’s so nice to have a guest star that doesn't have the whole show revolve around them. it was brave of her to come on to the show to play a negative character.

Danny’s reaction is interesting as for some reason he doesn't believe anyone in the school could be prejudiced! Although it’s very believable that the issue would split the characters. It would have been nice for Danny to have a scene later when it is found that the kids are right about the situation to see how he then reacts.

Mrs Berg is funny trying to spell Hawaii and adds a little humour as always. Albert is also funny when he tells Lydia he doesn't have the legs to be her. I also love how blunt he is with Anne towards the end when he quips “well you are a racist!”

I particularly love Debbie when Lydia realises that the kids were right. There is a great look of horror on her face as realisation dawns on her and even worse that she was actually helping by getting the kids to change their majors. There is a tremendous power in her voice as she threatens “ you've got me to deal with now”. Even though she sounds so tough she is obviously very upset and Sherwood asks if she’s been crying? Her little speech when she tells Sherwood and Reardon what she’s found out is also pretty powerful and gives me shivers down my spine. It's Debbie Allen at her best. The story of this episode is actually based on a real life event for Debbie, where she was turned down for a place at a dance school because of the colour of her skin. 

The Bruno sub plot with the young girl doesn't do much for me until she points out how badly Bruno has been treating her. Although I don't really understand the American education system where people of any age can suddenly join a school part way though a year.

The only real issue I have with this episode is the end comes a little too quickly and it’s a little unrealistic to believe that a song and a dance could change a lifetime of prejudice but apart from that it's a great episode.

“Be You Own Hero” is a classic Erica song which I love and “Heard it Through the Grapevine” was also good. To me it looked like it was actually performed live as opposed to the cast lip-syncing. I also really like “When You Know” which Lee wrote but unfortunately we never find out who is singing it. The credits don’t actually list it and it doesn't sound like any of the regular cast. It would have been great to have Coco, Doris, Julie and Danny perform it. 

Production Number 2731

Filmed Wednesday 1st September to Friday 10th September 1982 (Except Monday 6th which was Labor Day). 

Executive Producer William Blinn. 

Original  air date in U.S.A 04th November 1982

Original  air date  in U.K. 19th May 1983,  Repeated The Children's Channel  Autumn 1992,  Now 80s 06th &  10th February 2022                                               

Original air date in The Netherlands  13th June 1983

Original air date in Italy 22nd December 1983   

Original air date in Belgium  10th  December 1987   

Original  air date in France 12th March 1988