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KING: How long since you were all together, Alan, how long since?
ALAN THICKE: When we did the wraparound, the intros, et cetera for the DVD we all got together. They treated us to dinner and a little barbecue and a lot of reminiscing and that was, what, maybe six months ago?
JOANNA KERNS: Six months and before that the reunion.
THICKE: Then we did two reunion movies, yes.
KING: Joanna, when you saw the script what were you doing, what did you think of this?
KERNS: I was -- I was one of those actresses that was out auditioning for every pilot out there and I -- I really, really liked the script but I actually auditioned and tested twice for this, once with many, many Jasons and then the second time with only two and it was with Mr. Thicke over there and we started the next day.
KING: Did you think it would be a hit?
KERNS: I had no idea. I prayed it would be a hit but I didn't know. I mean I was terrified. I was about to get divorced at that time. We were both going through divorces at that time.
THICKE: But you told me you were already divorced.
KING: Jeremy, you were the youngest?
JEREMY MILLER: Yes, I was, eight years old.
KING: How did they -- were you a child actor?
MILLER: Yes, I had started acting when I was about five and did a few guest spots on different -- different TV shows, "Charles in Charge" and "Diff'rent Strokes" and a lot of the -- lot of the different sitcoms back then.
KING: How did you get this one?
MILLER: They said they gave it to me because of my dolphin calls but we went in and it was a big audition, probably 300 or 400 kids and went in and just sat there and really talked to them. I don't even remember if we got to rehearsing the lines. I just went in and started telling jokes, just kind of being myself and they thought it would work.
KING: Tracey Gold, what were you doing?
TRACEY GOLD: Well, mine's a little complicated because I auditioned for "Growing Pains" when, you know, the pilot was being shot and I didn't get it. They cast somebody else. So, I kind of like knew that everybody was doing the pilot and had heard about "Growing Pains" and I knew that I had auditioned, hadn't gotten it.
And then probably about two months later I heard that they were going to recast the part of Carol Seaver and they called and asked if I would come back in and read for it and I'm like, no, you already saw me and didn't like me.
KING: We're showing the original Carol now.
GOLD: Oh, there she is, yes.
KING: Who was she?
GOLD: Elizabeth Ward, Elizabeth Ward and she was the original Carol Seaver. And, we were in Chicago kind of vacationing and they were like, well can you -- my dad was going to come back early and they're like, "Well, can you take her back with you and she'll audition?" I'm like "I don't want to go back."
So, I finally ended up going back and I auditioned because I was like, well I'm not going to get it. They saw me. They didn't like me. But I went back and auditioned. I auditioned with Kirk. I went to network and it was a long process and then I eventually got it and I was really glad because I remember like reading about it in the paper and going, "That's one I would have liked to have done."
KING: Kirk, did you like it right away?
KIRK CAMERON: Yes, I did. I almost didn't get the part of Mike because I didn't want to go to the audition. I was 14 years old and I was wanting to hang out with my friends and play basketball, so I was dragging my feet. I was late for the audition, ran up, knocked on the door and said "Please let me in."
I did an audition and then I asked the producer "Now is this a comedy or what?" And he looked at John Pasquin, the director, and said "He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I think this could work," and came back and got the part.
KING: And, Alan, how did it come to you?
THICKE: I was just coming off one of the great failures in the history of talk shows, thanks for bringing it up, Larry, and that was "Thicke of the Night" and I was just so thrilled to -- I didn't care if the script was any good. I was just happy to have something to do for a week.
And, in fact, I was in doing what I had started my career doing and that was as a writer. I was in pitching a show to ABC and they were developing it. They liked the idea and they said, you know, "By the way, we have this other show that we haven't found a male lead for yet" and they could maybe like use an Alan Thicke type. And, I said, "Well, I happen to be available."
KING: You're a perfect Alan Thicke type.
THICKE: Otherwise, I was going to be driving the Zamboni for the Kings that year, so I was very happy to get the call. And I remember when I finally got the part bursting into tears in the parking lot and phoning my two young boys...
KING: Really?
THICKE: ...instantly and basically feeling that now I'd be able to take care of them.
KING: You also write (INAUDIBLE) right?
THICKE: I do. In fact, I was admiring your tie which says, I believe, show me that smile again. That was so nice of you to wear that for us.
KING: I can't read it (INAUDIBLE). But you wrote the themes for "Diff'rent Strokes," "Facts of Life" and "Wheel of Fortune."
THICKE: I did, yes. Yes, I did.
KING: So you get money all the time.
THICKE: We get a little taste every time those things appear on Nick at Nite, yes.
KING: "Wheel of Fortune" you get every night right?
THICKE: No, no because I wrote the original theme that ran for eight years on NBC and then when it went into syndication Merv Griffin, who owns the show wanted to buy the rest of the Bahamas, he replaced my music with his own but I was privileged to be on that for several years.(End)
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