Keith emails:
Hello, Luke.
I came across your website while searching for information on the above-named series, which isn’t exactly plentiful.
I discovered the series in the early 90’s, when CFMT (now OMNI-TV) here in Toronto ran some episodes: first on weekdays, later on Sundays. Though I never got to see more than a couple of dozen episodes out of the 130 Richard Raybourne (Matt Peters) says were produced, I’m inclined to agree with him that it was superior to, say, either DEGRASSI JUNIOR HIGH or DEGRASSI HIGH. I might even say it’s an overlooked video gem — one which may someday achieve cult-classic status. To that end, I E-mailed the Drive-In Classics channel to ask whether they might run it soon (they’re showing STRANGE PARADISE, aren’t they?). I got the following "Out-of-Office Auto-Reply":
Greetings from Drive-In Classics!
Thank you for your interest in our station and for taking the time to write to us. We regret that due to the large volume of e-mails and calls we regularly experience, we may not be able to respond to your message personally. Be assured that your comments, queries and suggestions are taken seriously and individually reviewed.
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Once again, thanks for your input and for tuning into Drive-In Classics.
I might get a personal reply yet; when and if I do, I’ll pass it on to you.
One item in your blog that interested me was that executive producer Mark Feifer (whose daughter Kara played Lisa Greenberg in the series) had died (on May 22, 1995, as I later learned). You mention that he had been a lawyer — but then how did he get involved in TV production? And what other series did he work on?
I checked the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), too, and discovered that, first, not all of the characters are listed there; and second, those that are, are identified by first names only: I’ve made a number of corrections and additions which haven’t yet taken effect. For example, Kara Feifer’s last name is there given as "Feiter," and Evan Taylor’s first name is given as "Even," which is rather ironic since the character was considerably less than balanced. I’ve run into trouble trying to find Karen Petersen, who played James Warren’s twin sister Charlie, listed there. And I can’t find a last name for Mickey…But there’s an interesting trivia item about David Lipper (apparently the son of writer Greg Lipper): "David Lipper, or Kevin [Waters], the ‘rich’ kid, left the show in mid-season after being accepted to Boston’s famous Emerson College." The storyline actually accommodated this, with Kevin preparing to finish his senior year (the kids were apparently all seniors) on an exchange program in the then-Soviet Union!
Richard says: "…TIME OF YOUR LIFE dealt with gays, heroin, suicide, guns, cults, violence toward women, fucked-up dream sequences, porn, rape, abortion, promiscuity, alcoholism, kung-fu, bullying with no stereotypes in 130 episodes…" I’ll tell you my recollections of some of these.
Suicide: Helen Reardon (Lana Higgins) worked as a phone volunteer at a help center, but ironically she was at least as troubled as many of the people whose calls she took. While working at the help center on Christmas Eve, she got into an argument with another girl (Jessie Draygon, I think, whom Shondelle Riley played), who then left; Helen then swallowed a bottle of pills, and her life was narrowly saved.
Porn: James Warren (Scott William Armstrong) was alerted by his best friend Eddie Saunders (Alan Legros) to a men’s-magazine photospread allegedly of the former’s girffriend Christine Hutchison (Ara Carrera). In reality, Christine was a victim of "photoshopping," but she couldn’t convince her father of that (for his part, he’d been alerted to the photospread by a co-worker). The man called her some pretty awful names including "whore," and kicked her out of his house. She then went to the Warrens’ house: Beth Warren, the mother of James and Charlie (and played by an Irish lady whose name escapes me) called up the irate Mr. Hutchison to plead on Christine’s behalf, but got nowhere. Christine prepared to move into her first apartment…
Rape: Charlie worked part-time at Harry’s Place (an in-joke involving Harry Jakobs: this was another bit of trivia I found at the IMDb), a diner serving as the seemingly obligatory hang-out for the kids. One night around closing time, Evan Taylor (Des Gallant), in a bitter, dope-fueled rage, tried to rape her. James, Matt and Jessie arrived just in time to break up the attack (at least James and Matt did that) and send Evan packing. The threesome then escorted Charlie home, where she went to bed and they all fell asleep in the Warrens’ living room. Jessie subsequently woke up and went home to her frantic mother, Roberta Draygon (I think this is whom Shondelle’s real-life mother Claire Riley played), who taught science at the high school the kids all attended. She explained what had happened, saying that she, James and Matt might have been "standing guard duty" at the Warrens’, and adding that she was safe there because "James is Charlie’s brother." "Matt isn’t," pointed out Roberta (who had just mentioned having long known that Evan was trouble), forbidding Jessie to see him again, and earning herself the nickname "Dragon Lady" from him (which might account for Richard thinking that Jessie’s last name was "Dragon" rather than "Draygon," as it actually was).
Abortion: Lisa Greenberg found herself pregnant by Kevin Waters. In a booth at Harry’s Place, she confided her predicament to Laura Moriarty (Francoise Robertson), who in turn showed her some money she’d been saving to buy dope. While Laura was picking up something she’d dropped on the floor, a desperate Lisa stole the money, intending to pay for an abortion with it.
The main-title sequence was quite intriguing, too. The title graphic took the form of a high-school yearbook, which opened itself and turned its own pages. On each "page" was a title card identifying one of the regulars (e.g. "Scott William Armstrong as James Warren," "Ara Carrera as Christine Hutchison," etc.), and bearing a shot of the individual which, in a real yearbook, might have qualified as a "candid." The shot for "David Lipper as Kevin Waters" showed Kevin with, of all things, a pet duck! The sequence was accompanied on the soundtrack by a female francophone, whose name also escapes me, singing (these lyrics are quoted from memory):
"Papa said, ‘Hit those books, kid, or hit the street.’
Mama said, ‘Always be a good girl; don’t be indiscreet.’
They’ve got their problems, I’ve got my problems;
How can I face the world on my own… ?*Tell me you’re having the time of your life,
Tell me you’re having the time of your life,
Tell me you’re having the time of your life,
Tell me you’re having the time of your life… "
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*This line may be wholly or partly wrong.A bit downbeat, don’t you think? But thanks for letting us know that the series hasn’t been forgotten.
