Hail To The Chief

On a rainy night a normal school production blows up out of all proportion when the President of the United States suddenly decides that as the sports event he was attending is cancelled he will visit the school. This all comes about because Dwight has written him a letter inviting him to visit. Straight away this causes problems for the kids and the teachers as they struggle with what is acceptable in the show and whether they should be forced to change the show to please the authorities.

This is one of my all time favourite episodes.

I tend to prefer the ones that take place over shorter period of time rather than the ones that supposedly take place over weeks or months. Some how I feel there’s more realism to the ones taking place over a day or a few hours.

I also prefer the episodes that are more ensembles as opposed to one character being the main focus. This one gives the whole cast including David, Michelle and Dwight something to do. No one is the star it's just a really great group effort.

For me there are many interesting layers to this episode and it’s not just about he President coming to the show but it touches on politics which is something Fame rarely did. Not only politics in general where we find out the political views of a number of Characters, particularly Morloch who is very patriotic and how Leroy is against the current administration. Leroy is someone I wouldn’t normally expect to have any kind of interest in politics. Then also there is all the internal politics of the school.

There is all the pressure not just from Morloch and the other teachers to make the show more acceptable but also from some of the students. It’s interesting to see the characters struggle with what is deemed acceptable and see them decide to either sell out or to comply with that.

It’s interesting that particularly David and Danny refuse to comply with the demands of authority by the end of the episode.

It’s also interesting to hear about Miss Sherwood’s past and see how speaking out for what a person feels is right can make that person seem like a security risk, in the eyes of others. In the future we learn that Lydia’s past is similar to Sherwood’s and that she was connected to sit ins and protests in the 60s too so I’m very surprised that Lydia isn’t a security risk either. Although I suppose if we went down that line half the cast would be a security risk.

There is a lot of great humour and one liners in this episode. Lydia’s comment that Morloch’s Mother probably needs a new flea collar and then her inappropriate gyrations are great.

The bag lady’s comment “I love his rice” when Leroy mentions his Uncle Ben always makes me smile. As does Morloch’s “I bet I was the only one who voted for him” comment at the end.

The icing on the cake for this episode is two really great songs which I’ve always enjoyed. The producers/writers obviously thought it was time to show us that the new cast members Cynthia and Billy can sing too.

“Drive Me Wild” is a great sensual duet for Coco and Holly. The routine with the blinds all being in different positions on the stage and the two using them as props would be impossible to pull off in a real setting but the song is so good that I suspend belief as to what’s going on and just enjoy it.

“Makin It” is one of my Favourite songs from the whole series and a great anthem for the show. It leaves you with that feel good, get up and dance feeling that the series had in it’s first year.

My only criticism of the episode is the weak writing to get Bruno back into the school by taking coffee over. Plus then he stays there, giving advice to Shorofsky and Dwight and then watches the whole show with them. Although these scenes are good, Doesn’t Bruno have to be back at work? Isn’t he worried about being fired?

I was always a little confused as to what exactly was supposed to be in the case that Sherwood seemed horrified about. I assume it was something to do with the red button the president would press to start a nuclear attack but it never seemed entirely clear to me.  

Original  air date in U.S.A 29th October 1983

Original  air date  in U.K. 7th March 1984,  Repeated on The Children's Channel  Autumn 1992

Original air date in Italy 31st  March 1985

Original air date in Belgium  21st April 1988  

Original  air date in France 8th October 1988