Fame: The Complete Seasons 1 & 2

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You want Fame? Timing is everything, and thanks no doubt to the 2009 feature-film remake, this high-spirited 1982 TV series is back in the spotlight where it belongs. Not as gritty as the 1980 cult classic, this more family-friendly Fame shares the original movie's lets-put-on-a-show exuberance and thrill of performance. It also shares some key original cast members, principally Emmy and Golden Globe-winner Debbie Allen as Lydia Grant, the demanding dance teacher at New York's prestigious School of the Arts. Albert Hague reprises his screen role as curmudgeonly music teacher Benjamin Shorofsky, as do the late Gene Anthony Ray as untrained dance sensation Leroy Johnson and Lee Curreri as musical prodigy Bruno Martelli. Though Zac and Miley-like fame eluded most of the cast members, their fledgling talents still shine. The most well-known is Lori Singer (Footloose) as new student Julie. Standouts in the ensemble include Erica Gimpel as diva Coco Hernandez (played by Irene Cara in the original film), Carlo Imperato as aspiring stand-up comedian Danny, Valerie Landsburg as spunky, wisecracking Doris Schwartz, and Carol Mayo Jenkins as the tough but compassionate English teacher Elizabeth Sherwood. This set contains all 16 episodes from season 1 and 22 of 23 episodes from season 2 (the episode "The Kids from Fame in Concert" is missing in action). Fame is an irresistible mix of show-stopping musical numbers and After School Special issue-oriented melodrama. Episodes tackle such subjects as the Holocaust, death, divorce, censorship, and pre-marital sex. One of the benchmark episodes in this set is the four-time Emmy-nominated "Not in Kansas Anymore," a cleverly staged homage to The Wizard of Oz, complete with black-and-white prologue. Three show-business troupers are in their element here. Gwen Verdon guest stars in "Come One, Come All" as a faded musical star who takes over the school's Parents' Night show much to the displeasure of her resentful son. Art Carney adds stature to "A Big Finish" as the school janitor, a former Broadway hoofer, who is secretly hiding his homeless best friend (Ray Walston). Whether you're a child of the '80s or a contemporary fan of High School Musical, the release of Fame should fill you with Glee. --Donald Liebenson