Why Blossom's Best Friend, Six, Had A Number For Her Name

On the NBC sitcom "Blossom," titular teen Blossom Russo (Mayim Bialik) had a ride-or-die gal pal named Six LeMeure, who was played with infectious enthusiasm by Jenna von Oÿ. A key member of the show's cast of characters, Six was a boy-crazy motormouth best known for her colorful hats and unusual name — which has a curious origin story of its own. 

The subject of Six's moniker first comes up during the pilot episode of the 1991 TV show. After Blossom comments on how "weird" Six's name is, her quirky bestie replies: "My father said that's how many beers it took." Behind the scenes, however, there's a different reason why Six is named after a digit. "She was named Six because my son was going to school with a girl named Seven McDonald," show creator Don Reo explained during a 2017 Entertainment Weekly panel. Interestingly, Seven's father happened to be Woodstock veteran Country Joe McDonald, frontman of the psychedelic rock band Country Joe and the Fish. 

Don Reo initially named the character in his show "Seven," but, out of respect, he wanted to clear it with the kids first. Speaking at the Entertainment Weekly panel, Reo said: "I asked my son, I said, 'Do you think this would be cool with your friend?' and he asked her, and she said, 'Well, no, I'd rather you don't do that.'" Honoring her wishes, Reo had to pivot to another digit, and he had two options. "So it was either 'Eight' or 'Six.' So I went with 'Six.'"

This slight numerical adjustment proved to be a stroke of genius, providing the foundations for a legendary TV friendship. "There was real chemistry between them," Reo reflected on the dynamic between Bialik and von Oÿ. "It was that friendship that you remember the rest of your life. That's what I was after and that's what happened with the two of them. It was just fortuitous."

"Blossom" ran from 1991 to 1995, with Blossom and Six cementing themselves as memorable TV duo of the '90s era — perhaps even paving the way for other iconic female besties on TV, like Amy and Rosa from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" or Lorelai and Rory from "Gilmore Girls."