Mayim Bialik Remembers ‘Blossom’ 25 Years Later
Blossom, the show that turned Mayim Bialik into a sitcom star as a teenager, turns 25 Sunday. As ABC reported, Blossom debuted July 5, 1990 and was on the air for five seasons. Bialik told ABC that the experience was positive and safe for a child actor.
“We were each other’s social group. We were each other’s junior high and high school. It was very positive experience and I’m grateful for a clean set where we didn’t see drugs and alcohol and grew up as normally as we could.”
The show was one of the few at the time that revolved around a female character — Bialik mentions Clarissa Explains It All, which was not on a major network — and tackled serious issues such as sex. In the program, Blossom lived with her father and two brothers, one of whom was a recovering addict.
Today also marked the anniversary by posting a series of pictures of Bialik as Blossom, noting the character’s outlandish outfits.
The cast of Blossom reunited last year, and Bialik posted a memento to social media.
#blossomreunion thanks to @HubTVNetwork in effect! pic.twitter.com/izBDrKQuLw
— Mayim Bialik (@missmayim) June 16, 2014
In the opening credits for Season 1 of Blossom, Mayim is seen doing the 1990s version of the “selfie.” She films herself doing a little dance in front of a video camera. One viewing of this opening and fans of The Big Bang Theory who don’t know Blossom can certainly see this character was the polar opposite of Amy Farrah-Fowler.
Bialik’s young sons had their own Blossom experience when she gave them a doll of the character to play with.
“They’ve seen the doll and that’s freaky enough! My older son when he first saw it when he was three and he just called it a ‘Mama doll.’ He thought everyone had a doll that was their mom.”
Bialik worked regularly as a child actor. She played a young Bette Midler in the movie Beaches. In 1990, she appeared alongside Jennifer Aniston in the series Molloy. Bialik attached a “throwback” picture to this Tweet from February 2014 in which the future Friends star is almost unrecognizable.
for #tbt here’s another of me & jennifer aniston from “molloy.” you can tell how much she liked me, right?! heehee pic.twitter.com/eifVdJ18Vb
— Mayim Bialik (@missmayim) February 13, 2014
Molloy went to air the same summer as Blossom. The show only lasted for seven episodes.
Bialik did some guest spots on television and voice over work when Blossom ended. She went to university, eventually earning a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She has been on The Big Bang Theory since 2010.
[Photo: Disney Enterprises via ABC]
