The Facts of Life

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The Facts of Life ranks 1,138 out of the 18,229 shows on TV.com.

The 505 users who count themselves as The Facts of Life fans have written a total of 28 reviews.

Status

Premiered

Ended

Genre

Theme

Related Shows

• Square Pegs
• Diff'rent Strokes
• Saved by the Bell
• Head of the Class

The Facts of Life began in August of 1979 and aired on NBC. It was a spin-off to the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes on which Charlotte Rae played Mrs. Garrett, housekeeper to Philip Drummond's household. In The Facts of Life, Mrs. Garrett has become headmistress to an exclusive girls school, Eastland. Although the... more »

The Facts of Life began in August of 1979 and aired on NBC. It was a spin-off to the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes on which Charlotte Rae played Mrs. Garrett, housekeeper to Philip Drummond's household. In The Facts of Life, Mrs. Garrett has become headmistress to an exclusive girls school, Eastland. Although the series had a rocky start, including low ratings and a cast overhaul. The series went on to becomes one of the longest running sitcoms of the 80's.

In the first season the stories revolved around Mrs. Garrett and her adjustment to her new job. The first season also introduced to us seven girls, Nancy, Blair, Sue Ann, Cindy, Molly, Natalie and Tootie. At the beginning of the second season, the cast was trimmed down to Mrs. Garrett and four primary girls, Blair, Tootie, Natalie and a new girl, Jo. These four girls would remain until the end of the series with Mrs. Garrett re-marrying and leaving in 1986 and Cloris Leachman coming in to play Mrs. Garrett's sister, Beverly Ann from 1986-1988.

On November 18, 2001, ABC aired The Facts of Life Reunion, in which Mrs. Garrett, Natalie, Blair and Tootie reunite.

First Telecast: August 24, 1979 Last Telecast: September 10, 1988

Episodes: 209 Color Episodes

Theme Song:

"The Facts of Life" Written by: Alan Thicke, Gloria Loring and Al Burton

Sung by: Charlotte Rae (Season 1) and Gloria Loring (Seasons 2-9)

Spin-off of : Diff'rent Strokes

NBC Broadcast History

August-September 1979----Fridays----8:30 p.m.
March-May 1980----Fridays----8:30 p.m.
June-July 1980----Wednesdays----9:30 p.m.
August-October 1980----Fridays----8:30 p.m.
November 1980-October 1981----Wednesdays----9:30 p.m.
October 1981-August 1985----Wednesdays----9:00 p.m.
September 1985-June 1986----Saturdays----8:30 p.m.
June 1986-May 1987----Saturdays----8:00 p.m.
June-July 1987----Wednesdays----9:00 p.m.
July 1987-September 1988----Saturdays----8:00 p.m.

Nielsen Ratings:
(Top 35 or Better)

#26 in the 1980-1981 Season
#24 in the 1981-1982 Season
#24 in the 1983-1984 Season
#32 in the 1984-1985 Season
#27 in the 1985-1986 Seasonless «

• Fvae episodes

  Rough Housing IQ Dieting Running Dope The New Girl 1 The New Girl 2 Double Standard Gossip Breaking Point Growin...more »

  Rough Housing IQ Dieting Running Dope The New Girl 1 The New Girl 2 Double Standard Gossip Breaking Point Growing Pains Fear Strikes Back Green Eyed Monster The Ameicanization Of Miko The Four Musketeers The Halloween Show The Christmas Show Grand Opening Christmas Baby The Graduate Out Of peekskill 1 Out of Peekskill 2 Post Christmas Card Rites Of Passage 1 Rites Of Passage 2 Down And Out In Mailibu 1 Down And Out In Malibu 2 It's A Wonderful Christmas The Beginning Of the End 1 The Beginning Of the End 2           less «

  tvshowfan Last online Jul 10, 2007
  16 comments, last one Mar 30, 2009 + Add Comment

• Character lines

  Has anyone noticed how each character has there own line. Tootie - "Did I lie?" and "We are in troubllllle." Blair - "I just had another of my brillant ideas." Jo - "Give me a break." Nat - I'm not sure if she had one. I have to check. Can you think of any other lines they said?

  Has anyone noticed how each character has there own line. Tootie - "Did I lie?" and "We are in troubllllle." Blair - "I just had another of my brillant ideas." Jo - "Give me a break." Nat - I'm not sure if she had one. I have to check. Can you think of any other lines they said? less «

  Stargater1 Last online Aug 28, 2008
  2 comments, last one Mar 17, 2009 + Add Comment

• Who's your favorite?

  I always liked Jo - I'm a fan of Nancy McKeon.

  I always liked Jo - I'm a fan of Nancy McKeon.less «

  SistersP3 Last online Jun 21, 2009
  37 comments, last one Dec 30, 2008 + Add Comment

•  

  6.5 Fair

  The annoying blond episodes hide « show »

  I loved this show. Watching Natalie blow up like an Oompa Loompa was priceless. Tuti getting hamburger meat caught in her braces was gross but hilarious. Jo and Blair going at each other all day as if there were things going on behind the scenes that No one was aware of. It rhymes with huff and what you do when you jump off the springy thing attached to your pool. I hated the episodes with Natalies snobby friend Kelle. She strutted around in the house as if her you know what didnt stink. She had a different guy in every episode. She was always complaining that her jaw hurt too. Whats up with that? She did look hot but in a " look but dont touch" kind of way. All the guys she brought to the set knew the difference between prada and gucci handbags, whatever that meant. She thought she was funny and oh my god, she laughed all the time. It made me want to barf. If they had just kept that **** off the show, it would have lasted forever.

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  danagirl1980 Added Dec 18, 2008 All my reviews
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  9 Superb

  man i loved dis show even though i only watched 4 episodes. hide « show »

  i wish dat they were younger so they could make more episodes.the facts of life has been a good show even though it's a spin-off of different strokes.these sort of shows always encourage you to try your best don't jugde things or people and always do the right things even if you lie or cheat.the 1980s and 1990s were the best time for these shows before all the trash tv came along.you take the good you take the bad you take them both and there you have the facts!and I love their theme song the most in the beggining and end.

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  kb55592 Added Jul 2, 2008 All my reviews
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  10 Perfect

  I love this show. hide « show »

  I never would have watched The Facts of Life, if not for my mother who told me about this show. I instantly fell in love with this show an its' characters. The Facts of Life was a great show, the charaters were so funny, there was: Blair, Jo, Natilie, tootie, and of course Mrs. Garret. The situations that the girls would get themselves into and how they were always there for each, it taught me some great lessons in life, I guess that is why they call it The Facts of Life. I hope that this show goes down as one of the best show in history.

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  Animefan91tx Added Jan 23, 2008 All my reviews
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  8 Great

  I'm giving it an 8 and an "unoriginal" rating classification because - well it is unoriginal. Sub-classification that matters to *me* most though is - "Guilty Pleasure". hide « show »

  Ok so this guilty pleasure of mine comes only because of Nickelodeon (the channel that is). I watched the show *after* its glory days when it was "new and hot" on TV. I loved it to be quite honest, but I have to be honest - it's not very original at all. I mean, it's teens (girls to be specific) at an all girls school. So what? There's a lot of teen shows with kids at a high school, whether it's an all girls private school or not. "Saved By the Bell" anyone? I mean seriously, though. The idea may not have been entirely original, but it *was* funny, and some episodes did have *very* good messages. How about the one(s) with the cousin who had MS? *Very* famous and good episodes - and such a good message!
  I loved 'Jo', and Mindy Cohen seemed like such a sweetie in real life I just loved to watch her in *any* scene. Cloris Leachman's always been a fave actress of mine, so I enjoyed watching those eps. And *then* when George Clooney came on I drooled away - seeing as I was in my "Clooney phase" in those days, too. I also enjoyed seeing a young Mackenzie Astin, though I'm really a Sean fan - but he was a cutie and a good young actor, too.
  Over all, the show was really fun to watch and funny, too, but the *low* rating is just because of the fact that there are so many teens in High School 80's shows that - well it was just so "been there, done that".
  But I still like it anyway.

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  ubhfs Added Jan 13, 2008 All my reviews
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  9.1 Superb

  you take the good you take the bad you take them both and there you have the facts of life hide « show »

  this was a great show all though at times it played a little like an after school special it was great for what it was and still is today it showed that women could hold there own in a show as it was the longest running show with all female leads it was also very funny a ahead of its time in dealing with isssuse you can not help watch the show and whjo does not know the song I watch this again on dvd and my kids have fell in love with this show to and I love it also

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  mammalazz Added Mar 26, 2007 All my reviews