# Fame (1982)

> Students and faculty at New York's High School for the Performing Arts chase stardom through dance, music and drama across six seasons.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1697

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 136
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, music
- Created by: Christopher Gore
- Network: NBC, Syndication
- Cast: Debbie Allen, Lee Curreri, Cynthia Gibb, Gene Anthony Ray, Carlo Imperato, Nia Peeples, Jesse Borrego, Lori Singer
- TMDB rating: 7.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083412/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: hopeful, earnest, energetic, gritty, bittersweet

## What critics say

Audiences broadly regard the series as a mixed but warmly remembered musical drama about young performers at a New York arts high school.

## Synopsis

Fame (1982-1987) is an American scripted drama created by Christopher Gore for NBC, with syndication extending its reach. Set at a fictional version of New York City's High School for the Performing Arts, the series follows a rotating ensemble of teenage dancers, actors and musicians, anchored by demanding dance teacher Lydia Grant (Debbie Allen) and students such as aspiring musician Bruno Martelli (Lee Curreri) and ambitious dancer Coco Hernandez (Erica Gimpel). Each episode pairs the students' rehearsals, auditions and classroom struggles with their personal lives, from money worries and family pressure to romance and rejection, while the stage performances give the drama its musical lift. Running six seasons and roughly 136 episodes, it works as an episodic ensemble saga with a continuing thread of student growth. Its hopeful, earnest and sometimes raw register captures the cost of chasing a dream in the 1980s New York arts scene, with a gritty urban backdrop and a strong sense of youthful determination. Fans of Glee and the 1980 film Fame will find resonance in its blend of teen drama, music and the bruising path toward stardom.

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- [All American: Homecoming (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/116511)
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