premiering on Friday, August 24, 1979 through September 14, 1979 as a mid-season
replacement for the short lived sitcom "Hello Larry". In the first part of the next year, March
14, 1980, still in its first season, it was to the air another nine great episodes. That was just the
beginning of another popular show that surprised everyone at NBC. In its nine years of weekly
comedy routines, bringing numerous guest stars, comedians, music and television celebrities,
each character had their own unique problem or situation to work out. There was always
something going on at the Eastland Academy, all girls school. Every character was different in
their own way. Something that everyone who watched could relate too.
This durable sitcom, spun off from "Diff'rent Strokes", went through several changes of
format during its nine seasons; only three regulars stayed with the series for its entire run. Lisa
Whelchel as the wealthy, self infatuated Blair Warner; Mindy Cohn as the chubby Natalie
Green; Kim Fields as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey, the black kid. Also, it starred
Charlotte Rae (1979-1986) as Mrs. Edna Garrett, who left the Drummonds' employ on
"Diff'rent Strokes" to become a housemother at the Eastland School, a prestigious girls
boarding academy near Peekskill, New York. Also, John Lawlor (1979-1980) as Steven
Bradley, the headmaster; Jenny O'Hara (1979) as Miss Mahoney, one of the teachers;
Felice Schachter (1979-1980) as Nancy Olson; Julie Piekarski (1979-1980) as Sue Ann
Weaver; Julie Anne Haddock (1979-1980) as Cindy Webster; and Molly Ringwald
(1979-1980) as Molly Parker.
In the fall of 1980, at the start of the second season, the show begun to air on Wednesdays,
which would remain until its last few seasons. This season also marked the shows first major
change in format. The second season, the cast was trimmed down to include just Charlotte
Rae, three original girls and one new character. This newcomer, Nancy McKeon, was
suggested by a NBC chief Fred Silverman after he had seen the coming of age movie "Little
Darlings". She was brought in as Jo Polniazek, a street-wise kid attending Eastland School
on a scholarship. The other three original girls were Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn, and Kim
Fields.
From 1981 to 1984 comedienne Geri Jewell, who had cerebral palsy was occasionally seen
as Blair's cousin, Jeri Tyler. She was one of the few disabled persons ever to have a regular
role on a Television series.
At the end of the forth season Blair and Jo graduated from Eastland. That fall Mrs. Garrett
left the school and opened Edna's Edibles, a gourmet food shop in Peekskill; Blair and Jo,
now enrolled at nearby Langley College, lived above the store and worked there part-time,
as did Tootie and Natalie.
In the fall of 1985 Edna's Edibles burned to the ground, and Mrs. Garrett opened a new
store. This time a novelty shop called Over Our Heads. Again all of the four girls continued to
worked there. Pam Segall was featured during the 1983 - 1984 season as Kelly Alfonato.
Added to the cast was George Clooney (1985 - 1986) as handyman George Burnett and
MacKenzie Astin (1985 - 1988) as delivery boy Andy Moffett.
In the fall of 1986 the show was NBC's oldest prime time series in history. Mrs Garrett
remarried and moved to Africa with her new husband. Cloris Leachman came aboard as her
sister, Beverly Ann Stickle, who took over the store. By the spring of 1987 all of the four
girls were ready to leave the nest. Tootie pursued an acting career. Jo had a job offer in
California and later got married. Blair planned to go to law school and eventually bought the
Eastland Academy School for girls. And Natalie hoped to become a writer. Over Our
Heads closed its doors in the fall of 1987. Joining the cast for the series last and farewell final
season were Sherrie Krenn as Pippa McKenna, an Australian exchange student, Paul
Provenza as Casey Clark, Robert Romanus as Natalie's boyfriend, "Snake" Robinson,
Todd Hollowell as Tootie's fiance, Jeff Williams and Scott Bryce as the musician Rick
Bonner who later married Jo.