“Remember my name…Fame!”
Fame lyrics
Introduction
Fame was one of the iconic television programmes of the 1980s. A spin-off of the 1980 film of the same name directed by Alan Parker, the series ran from 1982-1987 and was shown on NBC in the USA and the BBC in the UK. Filmed in Hollywood but set in New York, the series followed the students’ lives at New York City’s High School of Performing Arts. With a highly memorable theme tune and opening credits of the characters dancing around the studio and the streets of New York, it depicts the era perfectly. Who can forget Lydia, Coco, Danny, Bruno, Leroy and Professor Shorofsky, amongst others?
A Groundbreaker
Fame wasn’t afraid to deal with big-hitting issues—sexuality, religion and racism. A multicultural cast entwined these hard-hitting topics amongst its mix of dance and music. It was raw, used a cast of unknown actors, and was so popular that it ran for six seasons. Yet when NBC axed the programme in 1987, very few extra-talented cast became highly successful stars. This is a complete contrast to many other American programmes, such as Taxi, Cheers and Friends, where cast members went on to work in television and film. Although Carlo Imperato, who appeared as Danny Amatullo, did ap did appear in several episodes of Friends.
The Curse
Although some of the cast died of old age, some were killed in tragic circumstances. Carrie Hamilton, who played Reggie Higgins, went on to star in Beverly Hills 90210, Murder She Wrote and the film Tokyo Pop. However, in her private life, she was dogged by heavy drug, alcohol and cigarette abuse. Diagnosed with lung cancer, she died at the age of 38 in 2002 due to complications from pneumonia. Darryl Tribble, one of the dancers who first starred in the 1975 film Apple Pie and was a series producer on A Different World, died from AIDS in 1991. Derrick Brice also died from AIDS in 1987. He was only 25. Similarly, Gene Anthony Ray, who played Leroy, contracted HIV and died at age 41 in 2003 after suffering a stroke.
Coco Hernandez, who played Coco in Fame, was a hugely talented dancer and singer. She went on to star in the Clint Eastwood film City Heat and had a string of chart hits, including the Fame song, Breakdance, Flashdance…What a Feeling. She died in 2022, aged 63, from hypertension and high cholesterol.
The Fame Legacy
Fame will be remembered for powerful storylines, punchy music, brilliantly choreography, 80s fashion, striking hair and copious amounts of leotards and leg warmers. Mixing pop music and orchestral compositions, led by the grey fox, Benjamin Shorofsky, the conservative teacher played by Albert Hague. A man who, in real life, fled Germany to escape joining the Hitler Youth. Someone who went on to compose the music for several Broadway musicals. A guide and mentor in the series who was horrified by Bruno Martelli’s electronic keyboard music.
Fame remains a trailblazer in the history of American television. Although cries to bring it back fell on deaf ears, there was a Bring Back…Fame reunion show on Channel Four in 2008, hosted by Justin Lee Collins and a 2009 film remake starring Kelsey Grammer, amongst others. And a musical stage show. Fame encapsulated the 1980s, when power ballads, music and fashion were vital to everyday life. Fame broke down barriers and promoted diversity and inclusion. A tolerant and safe environment of the dance studio where thoughts and frustrations were dispersed and expressed through imaginative dance and music routines and compositions. A programme that will always stick in the memories of those who lived through the Fame era.
