Description

“There was a sense of discovery about what this series was going to be about. It was going to be about young people -- with all of their shenanigans, and the maneuvering, and all the silliness that takes place with that. But it was also going to be about growing up. These five people, and the fabric that holds them together.”  -- Asaad Kelada - producer/director, The Facts of Life

Susan and Sharon welcome legendary Director Asaad Kelada. In a career spanning four decades, Asaad Kelada has directed over 340 episodes of television, including Rhoda, Phyllis, The Tony Randall Show, Benson, WKRP in Cincinnati, One Day at a Time, Night Court, Valerie, Who’s the Boss and The Office -- as well as four seasons of The Facts of Life. In Part 1 of this wide-ranging interview, we touch on Asaad’s relationship to the young actors on Facts of Life; learning to trust them -- and himself; and his beginnings as the lead singer in Egypt’s first ever Rock ‘n’ Roll Boy Band!  

THE CONVERSATION

• WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO IS DIRECT! - How getting accepted to the Yale School of Drama taught Asaad which side of the stage he really wanted to be on.
• THE 5-YEAR DIRECTING SCHOOL: Observing all the MTM shows from the bleachers, for five years, got Asaad ready for his first TV job: Directing Valerie Harper in Rhoda!
• DAY ONE: On his first day directing The Facts of Life, the only person he recognized that he had worked with before was… Tootie (Kim Fields)!
• DOUBLE STANDARD: In this early episode of The Facts of Life, Asaad realized the potential of the show: “It was just like being in the theater, like working on a play --  with substance, with humor, with intelligence -- and yet they were young girls. This was television in a new form.
• RUNAWAY TRAIN: Asaad describes the increasing tension and hi-stakes artistry of a show as it speeds thru its season -- and how he learned to not fall off!
• ON CHARLOTTE RAE: “She and I were the grownups in the room. She was the centerpiece in a show about four girls.”
• STORY CONFERENCE -- WITH THE CAST: “After the table read, we’d just talk -- talk about what the episode is dealing with, what it’s about, how it all ties together.”
• FACTS OF LIFE GOES TO PARIS: “It was a trial by fire. Every single shot, every single frame was filmed on location. We were at Notre Dame, the Champs Elysee… How can this be called a job?”

So join Susan and Sharon -- and Asaad -- as they talk George Clooney, The Bob Newhart Show, Grant Tinker, Geri Jewel, speaking French, Bill Haley & the Comets, Nancy McKeon -- and being ready when your opportunity finally comes!


GET READY FOR PART 2 -- NEXT EPISODE! Don't miss more Facts of Life stories, plus Family Ties and Who's The Boss!!

AUDIO-OGRAPHY
Find out more about Asaad Kelada at IMDB.
STILL IN FLUX: Watch Season 2 and 3 of The Facts of Life for free on Tubi.
Season 1 and 3 are available for sale on Amazon Prime.
Buy the complete season on DVD at Ebay. Check YouTube for other episodes.

VITAL READING
Get Handbook for A Post-Roe America by Robin Marty at Bookshop.org.
Check out Men In Dark Times by Hannah Ahrendt at Bookshop.org.
Read Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson at Bookshop.org.

CONNECT
Visit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts.
Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.
Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON. 

This year is the 45th anniversary of President Carter's Crisis of Confidence speech. Get Susan’s new play about it: Confidence (and the Speech) at Broadway Licensing.