Elaine Prescott What Fame Means To Me

What Fame Means to me by Elaine Prescott:

"Fame" meant a lot to me almost from the start of the first series shown over here in the UK in 1982.  It was a show that had a quality of its own and at the time, I couldn't quite work out how a series like that could have so many different, fabulous stories every week, that included music and dancing as well!

I also play the piano, so that was an added connection

My favourite members of the cast at the beginning were Lee and Valerie, although as the years went on, I began to see Erica in a whole different light and was amazed at her endless energy and her lovely singing voice.

On a really personal level, I think my favourite episodes were those that featured Lee a lot (!), but more seriously the two that Jimmy Osmond appeared in as Troy Phillips will always mean a lot to me.  As I use a wheelchair myself, I was really pleased that the subject of disabilities of all kinds could be used in such a powerful way in a very popular show.

I had the opportunity to see the "Kids" live when they came to London at Easter 1983 and that was a very special evening to me, as I was seeing all these wonderful people, who made the characters so believable LIVE!  Although Carlo came and sat quite near to where I was sitting, I wasn't able to get his autograph. 

However, in 1999 when I became in Internet user, I found Pam's web-page and "Yahoo group" and at the time, thought I was the only person who was still really enthusiastic about the show!  How wrong I was!!

Through Sue Hinds, who is a member of Pam's "Yahoo Group" I (and a few others) had the chance to meet Valerie when she came to London in April 2001.  It was an amazing evening and as Sue picked me up in her car first, then went to get Val and her daughter,  I was sitting there, just listening to them chatting and I kept thinking of the scene in "Winners" when Doris made herself ill when she wanted to be like Coco.  It was a surreal experience, as I could remember Doris lying on the bed, when Miss Sherwood went to see how she was and offer some advice, yet at the same time thinking, "This fabulous actress is sitting right behind me now!!"  My only regret of the meeting was that I was a bit too "starstruck" and hardly spoke to her all evening, but when she was standing behind me for photos, I remember clinging on to her hands for dear life!!  It was a very memorable evening and I'll be forever grateful to Sue for giving me that chance to meet Val.

These are my thoughts of a fabulous TV programme that still means as much to me as it did when it was first on the BBC all those years ago, and it will always be special to me.