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

Creators:

Dick Clair
Jenna McMahon
(more)

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)

Series Directed by
John Bowab		(91 episodes, 1980-1988)
Asaad Kelada		(77 episodes, 1980-1985)
Valentine Mayer		(6 episodes, 1986-1988)
Bob Claver		(4 episodes, 1980-1981)
Lee Lochhead		(4 episodes, 1980-1981)
Jim Drake		(3 episodes, 1979)
Judi Elterman		(3 episodes, 1982-1985)
Marian Deaton		(3 episodes, 1986-1988)

Series Writing credits
Howard Leeds		(201 episodes, 1979-1988)
Jerry Mayer		(201 episodes, 1979-1988)
Ben Starr		(201 episodes, 1979-1988)
Linda Marsh		(24 episodes, 1980-1985)
Margie Peters		(24 episodes, 1980-1985)
Stuart Wolpert		(18 episodes, 1981-1985)
Deidre Fay		(16 episodes, 1981-1985)
Paul Haggis		(13 episodes, 1982-1986)
Bob Myer		(10 episodes, 1983-1986)
Bob Young		(10 episodes, 1983-1986)
Martha Williamson		(8 episodes, 1986-1988)
Kimberly Hill		(7 episodes, 1982-1985)
Ross Brown		(7 episodes, 1986-1988)
Ann Gibbs		(5 episodes, 1980-1981)
Joel Kimmel		(5 episodes, 1980-1981)
Andy Borowitz		(5 episodes, 1983-1984)
Michael Maurer		(5 episodes, 1985-1987)
Michael Poryes		(5 episodes, 1986-1988)
Dick Clair		(4 episodes, 1979-1982)
Jenna McMahon		(4 episodes, 1979-1982)
Douglas Arango		(4 episodes, 1986-1988)
Phil Doran		(4 episodes, 1986-1988)
Austin Kalish		(4 episodes, 1987-1988)
Irma Kalish		(4 episodes, 1987-1988)
Jack Elinson		(3 episodes, 1980-1986)
Katherine Green		(3 episodes, 1986-1987)
Richard Gurman		(3 episodes, 1986-1987)
Jane Anderson		(3 episodes, 1986)
John Boni		(3 episodes, 1987-1988)
Mark Tuttle		(3 episodes, 1987-1988)
Glenn Padnick		(2 episodes, 1979-1984)
Martin Ragaway		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Migdia Chinea-Varela		(2 episodes, 1980-1982)
Sally Sussman Morina		(2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Lou Messina		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Howard Meyers		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Diane Messina Stanley		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Jerry Jacobius		(2 episodes, 1982)
Peter Noah		(2 episodes, 1982)
Bill Shinkai		(2 episodes, 1982)
Bill Steinkellner		(2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Cherie Steinkellner		(2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Gail Honigberg		(2 episodes, 1984)
Patrick Cleary		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bob Bendetson		(2 episodes, 1985)
Howard Bendetson		(2 episodes, 1985)
Bruce Ferber		(2 episodes, 1985)
David Lerner		(2 episodes, 1985)
Racelle Friedman		(2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Bob Colleary		(2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Matt Geller		(2 episodes, 1987)
Lawrence H. Levy		(2 episodes, 1987)

Series Produced by
Linda Marsh	....	producer / executive producer (50 episodes, 1981-1983)
Margie Peters	....	producer / executive producer (50 episodes, 1981-1983)
Irma Kalish	....	executive producer (48 episodes, 1986-1988)
Jerry Mayer	....	producer / executive producer (35 episodes, 1979-1984)
Deidre Fay	....	executive producer (28 episodes, 1984-1985)
Stuart Wolpert	....	executive producer (28 episodes, 1984-1985)
Kimberly Hill	....	producer (26 episodes, 1984-1985)
Bruce Ferber	....	producer (24 episodes, 1985-1986)
David Lerner	....	producer (24 episodes, 1985-1986)
Douglas Arango	....	producer (24 episodes, 1986-1987)
Phil Doran	....	producer (24 episodes, 1986-1987)
Paul Haggis	....	producer (22 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bob Myer	....	producer (22 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bob Young	....	producer (22 episodes, 1985-1986)
Rita Dillon	....	associate producer / co-producer / ... (13 episodes, 1981-1985)
Jack Elinson	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 1981-1983)
John Maxwell Anderson	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1979)

Series Original Music by
Ray Colcord		(72 episodes, 1985-1988)

Series Cinematography by
Mark J. Levin		(9 episodes, 1988)
John C. Zak		(2 episodes, 1983)

Series Film Editing by
Barry A. Cohen		(5 episodes, 1982-1984)

Series Casting by
Eve Brandstein		(2 episodes, 1979)

Series Production Design by
Chuck Murawski		(1 episode, 1984)

Series Art Direction by
Scott Heineman		(49 episodes, 1984-1988)
Chuck Murawski		(9 episodes, 1979-1983)

Series Set Decoration by
Scott Heineman		(3 episodes, 1983)

Series Makeup Department
JoAnn Stafford-Chaney	....	hair stylist (9 episodes, 1979-1983)
Chris Brice	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1981-1983)
Jennifer Kaplan	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1979)
Stephanie Cozart Burton	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Production Management
Douglas Wellman	....	unit manager (44 episodes, 1980-1982)
Alan Horn	....	production supervisor (5 episodes, 1979-1981)
Ken Stump	....	in charge of production (5 episodes, 1983-1985)
Glenn Padnick	....	production supervisor (3 episodes, 1984-1985)
Tyna Huebner	....	unit manager (2 episodes, 1979)
Jim Terry	....	production manager / unit manager (2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Al Burton	....	production supervisor (2 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Judi Elterman	....	assistant director / associate director (6 episodes, 1981-1983)

Series Art Department
Artie Contreras	....	scenic artist (48 episodes, 1986-1988)
Robert Devicariis	....	property master (4 episodes, 1983-1984)
George Sayeg	....	property master (2 episodes, 1981-1982)

Series Sound Department
Tamara Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer (167 episodes, 1979-1987)
Marti D. Humphrey	....	sound re-recording mixer (24 episodes, 1987-1988)
Robert Houston	....	audio (3 episodes, 1981-1982)
Ron Worrell	....	audio (2 episodes, 1979)
Rick Wachter	....	audio (2 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Dale Carlson	....	camera operator (97 episodes, 1984-1988)
Ritch Kenney	....	camera operator (24 episodes, 1983-1984)
Ken Schamp	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1979)
Don Morgan	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1981-1982)

Series Casting Department
Eve Brandstein	....	casting / casting executive (7 episodes, 1980-1983)
Jane Murray	....	casting executive / executive in charge of casting (6 episodes, 1979-1982)
Marc Hirschfeld	....	casting (2 episodes, 1983)
Robin Stoltz	....	casting (2 episodes, 1983)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Lou Reinbold	....	costume supervisor (12 episodes, 1979-1980)
Margery Epstein	....	costumes (3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Gina Trikonis	....	costumes (3 episodes, 1983-1984)
Gina Huntington	....	costumes (2 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Editorial Department
Bill Petty	....	editor: video tape (2 episodes, 1979)

Series Music Department
Al Burton	....	composer: theme music (201 episodes, 1979-1988)
Gloria Loring	....	composer: theme music (201 episodes, 1979-1988)
Alan Thicke	....	composer: theme music (201 episodes, 1979-1988)

Series Other crew
Fran McConnell	....	production supervisor / production consultant (199 episodes, 1979-1988)
C.J. Rapp Pittman	....	first stage manager / stage manager (148 episodes, 1982-1988)
Michael Maurer	....	story editor (48 episodes, 1985-1987)
Chris Klausen	....	stage manager (48 episodes, 1986-1988)
Christina Gunderson	....	script supervisor (21 episodes, 1984-1988)
Gene Abravaya	....	stage manager (7 episodes, 1980-1983)
Marian Deaton	....	production associate / script supervisor (6 episodes, 1980-1983)
Glenn Padnick	....	production consultant (5 episodes, 1981-1983)
Al Burton	....	production consultant (4 episodes, 1979-1981)
Martin Ragaway	....	executive story editor / executive story consultant (3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Deidre Fay	....	story editor / executive script consultant (3 episodes, 1981-1983)
Stuart Wolpert	....	story editor / executive script consultant (3 episodes, 1981-1983)
Robert A. Bowen	....	technical director (3 episodes, 1981-1982)
Bob Myer	....	program consultant / executive story editor (3 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jonathan W. Spector	....	production coordinator (3 episodes, 1983-1984)
Bob Young	....	program consultant / executive story editor (3 episodes, 1983-1984)
A. Chisholm Halle	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Stu Goldman	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1979)
Danny Simon	....	executive script consultant (2 episodes, 1979)
Gloria Vinson	....	production associate (2 episodes, 1979)
John Westbrook	....	technical director (2 episodes, 1979)
Richard Draney	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1981-1982)
Linda Marsh	....	executive script consultant / story editor (2 episodes, 1981)
Margie Peters	....	executive script consultant / story editor (2 episodes, 1981)
Andy Borowitz	....	executive story editor (2 episodes, 1983)
Chris Donovan	....	technical director (2 episodes, 1983)
Jack Elinson	....	creative consultant (2 episodes, 1983)

Production Companies

• Embassy Pictures Corporation
• TAT Communications Company

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures Television (USA) (syndication)
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
• Columbia TriStar Television
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1979-1988)
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)

Other Companies

• ShowBiz Enterprises  draperies

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:

Kim Fields was only nine years old when she started playing Tootie, who was supposed to be twelve. In an effort to make her appear taller (and older) her character was always in roller skates for the first year of the show.

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 "Chappelle's Show: Music Jump-Off (#2.15)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

The Facts of Life

I greatly enjoy this classic, durable series.

The Facts of Life ran on network TV during my early years but I have seen it in syndication and I really, really like what I have seen. The series is intensely entertaining to say the least. My favorite character is none other than Jo Polniaczek, portrayed by the ever-gorgeous Nancy McKeon. From the way I look at it, the series' best episodes are those that revolve around the Jo character. The other cast members are also terrific but McKeon will always be my top favorite from the classic NBC show.

I really hope that entire Facts of Life series gets released on DVD eventually. Hopefully, when this finally happens, retail stores will be able to keep the boxed sets in stock. Also, I really hope that the first two seasons get released as one set, as those two were only half-seasons. I am very anxious to view this incredible show again!