▁Jo anna ▁L oud on , ▁on ▁the ▁CBS ▁sit com ▁New hart , ▁which ▁a ired ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁Born ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri , ▁Fran n ▁was ▁a ▁child ▁model ▁and ▁appeared ▁in ▁commer ci als ▁for ▁a ▁local ▁television ▁station ▁while ▁she ▁attended ▁N er inx ▁Hall ▁High ▁School . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 8 , ▁she ▁was ▁voted ▁Missouri ' s ▁" J un ior ▁Miss ". ▁She ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁national ▁title ▁of ▁America ' s ▁Junior ▁Miss ▁and ▁earned ▁a ▁college ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁study ▁drama ▁at ▁North western ▁University . ▁As ▁America ' s ▁Junior ▁Miss , ▁she ▁star red ▁in ▁a ▁Jam ▁Hand y ▁educational ▁film ▁( Prom : ▁It ' s ▁a ▁Ple asure ) ▁ext ol ling ▁the ▁et iqu ette ▁and ▁fun ▁of ▁the ▁high ▁school ▁prom . ▁ ▁While ▁att ending ▁North western , ▁Fran n ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁weather ▁rep orter ▁for ▁the ▁N BC ▁station ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis . ▁After ▁a ▁year , ▁she ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁North western ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Chicago ▁where ▁she ▁co - host ed ▁a ▁morning ▁show ▁on ▁an ▁ABC ▁affili ate . ▁While ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁host , ▁Fran n ▁worked ▁in ▁local ▁theatre ▁produ ctions ▁and ▁began ▁working ▁in ▁television ▁and ▁films . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁Fran n ▁made ▁her ▁television ▁debut ▁in