"The Facts of Life" (1979) TV series 1979-1988

Creators:

Dick Clair
Jenna McMahon

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Release Date:

24 August 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life...

Plot:

A group of girls attending a boarding school experience the joys and the trials of adolescence under the guiding hand of housemother Edna Garrett...

Plot Keywords:

Housemother | Boarding School | Tolerance | Uniform | Bad Girl

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 6 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Lisa Whelchel	...	Blair Warner (200 episodes, 1979-1988)
Kim Fields	...	Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey (200 episodes, 1979-1988)
Mindy Cohn	...	Natalie Green (200 episodes, 1979-1988)
Nancy McKeon	...	Joanne 'Jo' Polniaczek / ... (186 episodes, 1980-1988)
Charlotte Rae	...	Edna Garrett (145 episodes, 1979-1986)

Also Known As:

Garrett's Girls (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (209 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Embassy Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The character of Blair was originally conceived as a down-home charming Texas girl. However, during her audition for the role Lisa Whelchel read several of Blair's lines sarcastically. Producers were so impressed by Whelchel's audition that the rewrote the character to be that of a self involved New York blue blooded socialite.

Quotes:

Blair: Y-you mean H-harrison asked you out on a d-d-d-d...
Tootie Ramsey: DATE, Blair; we call it a DATE!
Jo Polniaczek: Yeah, to some wing-ding Friday night.
Natalie Green: Could that be YOUR wing-ding, Blair?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Night of 100 Stars II (1985) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Facts of Life

Great sitcom about growing-up in the 80s!

The Facts of Life premiered when I was already about 21. So I was past the issues that confront adolescents during their school years. But this show was so good, it could be enjoyed by those of all ages. It was warm, funny, and showed teenage girls in a positive light. Each episode had a moral to it, without being too preachy.

The characters really were '80s'-types; meaning that they reflected the increasingly conservative mood of the country during the run of the show. In other words, they were more serious-minded, focused, and had a bit more faith in their teachers, than we who were teens in the 70s seemed to. When I was a teen in the early through mid 70s, kids seemed to be wilder (more inclined towards partying, drug-use, drinking, and casual sex). But then, I was a teen before the conservative Reagan-era of the 80s. Teens of the early-80s were entering a new era, where they were beginning to buckling-down, and take their futures seriously. And the characters in the The Facts of Life certainly did so. Of course, they had their basic insecurities, and conflicts, like all teens do.

The Jo Polniaczek character was an especially positive role model for girls, since she seemed to be the most strong-willed and intelligent of the bunch. Mrs. Garrett was also excellent as the stern, yet understanding housemother/confidant/guardian for the characters. I do agree with some of the others who commented on the show, regarding how it was best during the first couple of years or so. It was still okay to watch when Mrs. Garrett left the show, but Cloris Leachman just didn't seem to cut it as their new 'mother-figure'. I would definitely recommend this show, both for the 80s nostalgia-factor, and the excellent characters. Just be aware that the first few seasons of the show are the best.