The obvious reason that MGM and 20th Century Fox have put out the Fame: Seasons 1 & 2 DVD set (available starting today, September 15, 2009) is to help promote the forthcoming feature film based on the property. But it has an additional side benefit they may not have considered.
Fame was a precursor to the type of show Glee is aiming to be. Mixing a strong dose of music and dance with high school drama, Fame was able to go strong for two years on NBC, and four more in syndication! With Glee now hoping to hit the right mark with modern audiences, there couldn’t be a better time to look at this trailblazing early ’80s phenomenon.I mention the early ’80s because the show is very much a product of its time. But do a show about teens and their culture, and it can’t be helped. The costuming, dialogue and even the slightly stilted acting are all reminiscent of a much more innocent time on television. Though the line “I’m not inviting you to an orgy,” from the pilot does stand out. Edgy from the start, Fame!
Despite the dust around the edges, Fame holds up pretty well. Change the slang, and these kids are dealing with the exact same things as every other kid who’s ever been to high school. I know they wanted it to help promote the film, and it will, but I think it’s an even better tool to promote Glee.
Dance and music and singing can be cool. A lot of cool people do it. In fact, a lot of kids want to grow up and be the cool people doing it. So why isn’t it cool to do it when you’re in high school? At least on Fame, that was the point of the school. These kids were going to be stars, and Debbie Allen and the faculty of the school were going to slap them into shape to realize their dreams.
EXTRAS
But what about the extras, you say? 38 full-screen formatted episodes is great and all, but we buy DVD sets for director and actor commentaries, special features, behind-the-scenes shorts and all those little extras that immerse us in the filmmaking process. What does this set give us?
At the tail end of the last disc is a three-and-a-half minute video: Fame: Then & Now. It features Debbie Allen talking about how the point of the movie has changed over the years. Back then it was “how do you inspire and touch people?” Today it is “these are the steps you must take to succeed here.” I like the first point better.
She then spotlights the choreographer for the new film, Marguerite Derricks, who got her start as a background dancer on the series twenty-five years ago. So … um … there’s that. And that’s it. A three-and-a-half video that’s 90% commercial for the new movie and we’re out.
I refuse to believe they couldn’t have convinced Debbie Allen or anyone else involved with the show to give us some commentary. If anybody involved in this has ever watched So You Think You Can Dance, they know that “Honey,” Debbie Allen loves to talk.
Clacked by Jason Hughes 
on Sep 16, 2009 @ 10:05 EST5EDT
