To women of a certain age, the early ’90s NBC sitcom Blossom was an oasis of intelligence. Not only did the show tackle relatable topics like sex, domestic abuse, and addiction, it always respected the thoughts, feelings, and fashion trends of teenage girls—which remains an all-too-rare occurrence these days.
In celebration of Blossom’s revolutionary approach (and sheer greatness), UPROXX put together a fascinating, comprehensive oral history of the show, featuring commentary from Blossom Russo herself, Mayim Bialik, along with her TV dad and older brother (played by Ted Wass and Michael Stoyanov, respectively), best friend Six (Jenna Von Oÿ), and the show’s creator, Don Reo. Heartthrob older brother Joey (Joey Lawrence) wasn’t able to participate, although the cast share plenty of memories about him—including the time when he was bewildered by audience members throwing underwear at him.
Other revelations: Bialik and Von Oÿ were very different from each other—as the latter recalls, “[Mayim] would sit on the set and listen to Elvis Costello and do The New York Times crossword in pen, it was awesome”—but were great pals on set, and took tap dancing lessons together. Von Oÿ confessed to having a “very extreme crush on Joey Lawrence,” but says he was “really so gracious and kind to a smitten and starry-eyed little girl.” Bialik, meanwhile, was over the moon to be interviewed by Sassy magazine, and found it difficult when Stoyanov left to be a writer for Conan O’Brien’s then-nascent show. And nobody’s really sure why Blossom’s never been in wider syndication, although thanks to everyone’s busy schedules, a full-fledged reunion probably isn’t in the cards. Dig out your floppy hat and enjoy.