One of the lesser known characters of the show was Jerri Jewell who inspired me to do stand-up comedy and later got to perform with her. She played Blair's cousin with cerebral palsy.
The character of Geri was supposed to be Blaire's cousin. She wasnt a key person on the show. She was only in a handful of episodes. You never saw her again once they left the school
Toward the end, the show was simply running out of plots, and the girls had now become too old to be living like dormitory residents, complete with a housemother watching over them.
There was a reunion episode in 86 where the characters Sue Anne, Cindy, and Nancy come by for a slumber party, and Jo feels left out. But if you watch past episodes it is implied that Jo knew them pretty well when they all attended Eastland together.
Calpurnia L I’m not quite sure what you are saying. This show was on when I was a kid and I made a simple comment about how much I loved it. I wasn’t trying to make a conspiracy theory. I am an accountant with a minor in marketing. I know how ratings work, I just don’t understand how your comment is related to mine. I’m not trying to be negative or disrespectful in any way. I’m just confused.
The writers they hired for season 2 had previously written 'One Day at a Time' they would only agree to work on the show if they tackled more serious issues, stopped having the girls wear short shorts and take Tootie off the skates....Bringing in Jo came to them from the film 'Little Darlings' a hit film at the time with Tatum O'Neal and Kristie MacNicol- where a street wise girl takes on a rich snob at summer camp.
the reason Tootie was on skates to begin with is that she was so short (young) they had to do something to get her up to the level of the other girls. it gave her a 2 inch boost immediately
@@darskicutler1894 I know- she was about 3 years younger than all the other girls, but the new writers thought it was dumb...especially when they had Tootie going up and down stairs in them.
That never bothered me. Not being "Mr Creepo" I wasn't watching to gawk at girls in shorts,I just never put it together that they are up by Buffalo during The Winter why are they wearing shorts? The same thing Tootie being on skates but I TOTALLY get why they thought that was offensive.
@@renafan3333 the school was supposed to be in Peekskill, about 50 miles north of NYC and 350 miles South East of Buffalo...but- either way- New York is cold November through March.- 2/3 of the school year.
Blair & Joe respected each other despite their conflicts and that was key to the success of the show; the unexpected substance was what made those girls so appealing 👍👍👍👍
Me too but I loved it even more when they went to Australia in season 8. It was always my dream to visit there and see the sights they saw. Luckily I lived out that dream and always had the soundtrack of the movie playing in my head while visiting Australia. Yes I'm obsessed with this show.
I watched these sitcoms and I loved them. I wish I could go back to the 80s. My favourite was Blair. I thought she was lovely at whatever weight she was. Thank you for another great show.
I loved the first season!! It was funny with all the girl's around.. What was strange it never really explained why everyone left.. Jo was my favourite on the show, I loved how she put Blair in her place.. You forgot one character.. Geri, she had Cerebral palsy.. She was funny and a great actress..
It was explained. Everyone didn't leave, they all were still students there. The setting changed, so you didn't see them around anymore. The 4 girls got into trouble for stealing a van and therefore had to work in the cafeteria and they moved in together above the cafeteria so Mrs Garrett could keep an eye on them. The season 1 girls were still in the dorm from the 1st season. And despite people always talking about how the girls were fired, from season 1, they all, save for Molly, would occasionally pop up in the cafeteria in season 2 and beyond, again, making it realistic and supporting the explanation.
@@carolperry7695 I am not sure she was "out" at that point. While I admire her courage, her character was too one dimensional. Nearly all of her appearances addressed the cerebral palsy issue, and there was only so much the producers could do with that. Gerry apparently insisted that she be given a regular role, especially after the show started adding other characters on a full time basis. She was denied, and her agent instructed her to walk away. She did not part on good company with the show, though she later took part in a reunion interview with other cast members.
@@nassauguy48 I know she had CP but it bothers me why a 16-year-old kid would be bossing around her adult cousin like that. Geri was pretty strong so I'm surprised Mrs. Garrett didn't step in to tell Blair to back off.
That was the first episode, in addition to the pilot. She never appeared again. Charlotte didn't like Dana and thought she would be a bad influence on the other kids on the show.
I still say The Golden Girls was a senior version of Facts Of Life. Dorothy was like Jo (the tough but smart New Yorker whom everyone respected). Blanche was like Blair (pretty, sexy, snobby, and from money, and even their names were similar). Rose was like Tootie (cute and naive). Sophia was like Natalie (wise cracking one liners).
Great observation. I clearly saw the impact of the Golden Girls on subsequent shows, but I never thought to compare Golden Girls to Facts of Life, though the comparison does hold up. Golden Girls very clearly spawned Designing Women, but Living Single, Girlfriends, and eventually Hot in Cleveland would all use the same formula. But I guess you could say that Facts of Life was the OG.
It felt real. Watching this show, things felt like watching the show was like watching something that I could be, or was part of. It made a big difference also, that I wished Mrs. Garret was my family and I watched every show with her there just waiting for her to help me live and not want to slit my wrists. She saved me. I miss her so much.
I think this show was a success bcuz it felt real, ppl young and old could relate to the cast and the characters they played...they struggled w every thing from weight issues to drinking to ppl who dealt w handicapps but were the same and equal to every one else! It also touched base on sexual orientation/situations, this show taught us all its ok to be different on the outside bcuz we're all the same on the inside...ppl bonded w the characters and carried an emotional connection to the facts of life! I loved this program when I was a kid in the 80s!
That and it was funny. And had a great, talented cast, always stayed fresh. And the characters were all very likeable and different, so everyone could identity with or favor one of each of them.
George Clooney always had a reason for being there. He and his dad were carpenters who redesigned the building--transforming Edna's Edibles into the "Over Our Heads" pop culture boutique. During the time he spent working on the place he grew close to the girls--especially Natalie and Tootie who couldn't help but to butt into his personal life. The "George" character never came off as creepy or out of place to me.
The facts of life was terrific sitcom was great all the girls were funny and I really enjoyed the story lines and some episodes were of topics young girls going through hard times of growing up and changing but it was amazing love it 👍🌹🌹🌹🌹
This show was disrespected because it had a female cast and dealt with moral issues in a light hearted way. Critics hate these kind of shows but people love them.
@@kristabrewer9363 They were all young women who didn't know how to negotiate about money and just did what they were told. They said so, they didn't even have their own chairs. They weren't treated like other child actors such as Who's the boss, etc. They were ignored basically. Nancy Mckeon tried to get a commiserate salary and failed. The network liked them but treated them differently.
There were several problems with the show in season 1. 1) the format wasn’t very clear, it was pitched basically with the Charlotte Ray character being the lead and the adult figure, but a female teacher was added, and the headmaster, plus 7 undefined teen girls who didn’t really standout from one another. NBC was in such a hurry to get the show on there was that lack of creative direction. 2) they had writers who didn’t really know how to right female characters. And critics usually know nothing but bring a destructive attitude toward the work of others.
Dana Plato was in the first episode of the first season, and George Clooney was hired to rebuild the burnt down shop and became friends with the girls, that why he was hanging around.
Idk, Why so under rated. I loved the show. My wife actually liked the show. She usually gives me a hard time. Why you watch all these old shows. She has said. I loved Jo. Misses Garrett 💜❤ amazing and sweet. I watch Different Strokes and Facts of life daily on cable. These shows are of a simpler time. Do one on Gimmie a Break with Nel Carter.
One of my favorite lines from the first season from the “diet episode” Nancy: “Are you going to go on a diet, Natalie?” Natalie: “ Who wants to be a skinny pencil? I’d rather be a happy magic marker!”😂 Words to live by, Natalie. Words to live by.
The last time that Natalie made fun of herself for being overweight was in the first episode of Season 2. ("All my clothes are flared!") After that, I think the producers and writers got concerned about "fat shaming", and Natalie suddenly became someone who attracted almost as many boy friends as Blair!
Am I the only person who liked the first season? Yeah the smaller cast was better but not by the ridiculously huge amount people make it out to be. I think it started to get hokey after Blair and Joe graduated and Miss Garrett opened that store. It was still good but starting to get hokey. When that girl from Austaralia and Beverly Ann's nephew came is when I checked out.
Me too. I watched the show from the first season until it ended. I was 11 when the show started so I was the perfect age for it. But I always liked that first season the most.
Back before it aired, they would ask audiences all over the country (specifically the age range they aimed the show at) to watch the pilot on these dead cable channels during the afternoon and then they'd call you and ask your opinion of the show. I specifically remember being asked if it was better than Mork and Mindy which as a kid I thought was rude. You can't compare them. I loved them both. You're welcome.
I don't think the first season wasn't that bad. It has it's good parts, but yeah, it did get better with season two. I love this show. I used to watch it all the time.
Yes as we can plainly see First Mrs.Garret took her toll and left feeling she'd done her part helping the girls to grow and then within 2 years the show itself would take its toll too.
No real fan of The Facts of Life thinks the 2nd season is the "Real" Facts of Life. The 1st season was great and the show stayed great with each change. The school is Eastland not Eastville. Norman Lear got Charlotte Rae out of her contract with CBS so she could do Diff'rent Strokes, not The Facts of Life. George Clooney's character was not "weird" on the show...he was a handyman! Not just "some grown man hanging out with teenage girls," as you say. It's also funny that you say Kimberly never made an appearance on the show, and then seconds later, show a clip of Kimberly on the show. First, she was a big part of the pilot for The Facts of Life that aired as an episode of Different Strokes. Next, she was in the 1st series episode of Facts of Life. Characters from FOL also made appearances on Diff'rent Strokes, as did the other Diff'rent Strokes characters appear on Facts of Life. The series finale set up a planned spin-off show with Blair, which, sadly, never happened. I think people who overlook the show, never actually watched it, or were clueless adults who could not fathom the idea of children and girls having brains and being a valid and important audience demographic . It was truly a great, iconic sitcom.
@@Diostillrocks every time you walk into a room full of 10+ people doing things on their own, with your family in tow, do all of those people stop and say hello to you? In the pilot to Facts of Life which aired right before and set up that 1st episode that you're speaking of, it is established that Kimberly is a student there, and she does interact with everyone there. Then, in this next episode, the girls are each busy doing their own thing and Kimberly walks into the large room, with her family, who are visiting her to speak with Mrs Garrett. There was no need for everyone to stop and say hello to her. They probably saw her 5 times already that day. Also, it's obvious they know her because they know her siblings by name and greet them, because, obviously they haven't seen them already that day. Finally, when they leave, Kimberly DOES say goodbye to the girls, and all the girls say goodbye back to her.
@@GalaxyNexus1 the Drummonds were coming into town. Kimberly was with them. She was not there 5 times that day. There was some behind the scenes stuff going on too.
@@Diostillrocks we don't know what happened off screen because it's off screen. You realize people can come into town and and she still can be in and out, right? Kimberly and Mrs Garrett don't even say hello, instead, when Kimberly enters with Mr Drummond and Willis she says "Mrs Garrett, look who's here!" And Mrs Garrett is happy and surprised to see Drummond and Willis, which implies again, Kimberly was already there. And like I said, Kimberly said goodbye to everyone and they said goodbye back...since you're dying for interaction.
Like someone else said he was hired to rebuild the store which became Over Our Heads. So he had a reason to be there at first but after that yea he just wasn't necessary which is why he was written off of the show a season later when he skipped town to go on tour with Cinnamon (Stacey Q).
I loved the first season of this show. I was having such a hard time fitting in at school with other girls my age and I loved that all of these girls were friends. I used to wish I could go to that school like that. Then the second season when it got all revamped ruined it for me. I never liked it quite as much.
I agree that more could have been done in terms of saving the cast members who were dropped. The Brady Bunch had nine characters, and was a smash hit. I actually liked the show up until the season when Mrs. Garrett left Eastland to open up the delicacy shop.
The last episode had Blair buying Eastland, and the school becoming coed, and Blair assuming the role of Mrs Garrett...clearly an attempt to keep it going....but wasn't picked up....
@@pirategamer6630 The school was going to close because attendance was down. Blair bought to school to save it, but the only way to get enough students to attend was to make it coed.
@@edreid7872 No, her father refused the money on the basis that he wanted Blair to make her own financial decisions. So she used her share of the family fortune that she was planning to use to open up her own law firm to purchase the school instead.
I started watching The Facts of Life when it 1st premiered in 1979. I continued watching and when it downsized to 4 girls and got new writers, it was easy to tell they were all women, because the writing had improved tremendously! It was a great show and NONE of the actors became primidonna's nor did it go to their heads! That's just another good compliment to how superb this show was!
it already is in a box set ... www.amazon.com/Facts-Life-Complete-Mindy-Cohn/dp/B00OAIHHRC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CAIYLGYTHA4Z&dchild=1&keywords=the+facts+of+life+complete+series+dvd&qid=1595312624&sprefix=the+facts+of+life%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1
I was going to buy the box set from Amazon, and then I was like...wait a minute, I think I already own some of these...and low and behold, discovered/remembered I already have seasons 1 -5 on dvd. When I got them, there was no box set, so I would buy the individual seasons as soon as they were released. So now, I just need to buy seasons 6 -9 instead of having to shell out for the whole series.
Unless your video is absurdly bad or lazy I will automatically give a LIKE as I figure its deserved for the very effort. Videos as well done as THIS make me wish there was still a Star Rating as this deserves an EXCELLENT Rating.
I remember that episode. It was actually an episode of Different Strokes, and was very different. Blair was a coldhearted wisecracker, and was smoking cigarettes. (She was toned down a bit when the show was picked up). Cindy (one of the girls dropped after Season 1) and Natalie were not even there. Of course, Jo did not appear until Season 2. There was actually another girl who was part of the crowd, but she was not picked up after the pilot.
One of my fave shows at the time. Was a fan of Diffnrent Strokes so I naturally clicked with Facts of Life. I liked the first season, never forgot it. Was disappointed with the decision to reduce the number of girls at first. I liked many of the characters. (Couldn't stand Molly Ringwald's character or her at the time but liked her as a movie actress). When Mrs Garrett left the series for good I was annoyed by the addition of Cloris Leachman. I understood all the changes over the years but didn't like many of them at the time. Especially the transition from season 1 to season 2. It was the best thing for the show, but as a fan of the show I didn't like it at first. I am glad the show continued to have so many fun seasons later.
I had the same reaction as you to the cast reduction at the beginning of season 2. Of course, I had no idea the show needed to be revamped due do the ratings, as I was only in 4th or 5th grade when that occurred. All the kids I knew watched Different Strokes and Facts of Life, so I assumed both shows were huge hits. Though the revamp turned out to be the right decision, it was pretty surprising to tune into a significantly different show at the beginning of season 2.
I always find the episode where Cindy, SueAnn, and Nancy come by to see the girls, but they "don't know" Jo, when they had many interactions with each other during the second season! I wonder if it was the writers' error and if the cast members forgot or remembered their character's interaction with each other.
If in 1979 someone said to you "a few years from now one of these girls will be a major star, America's sweetheart" the obvious guess would have been Lisa Whelchel. Who would have ever guessed Molly Ringwald. Probably the best thing for her career was getting canned after the first season.
The casting director and producers saw something special in all of them, that's why they hired them. I don't think any of them would have been surprised.
I remember watching The Facts Of Life as youngster I watch it from the the beginning till the end I also saw a live taping of the show at Universal Studios in the early 80’s
This show covered every topic from racism to human trafficking. I can not think of a topic that they never covered. This show was my childhood. I watched it from the very beginning.
@@Diostillrocks your right! That was a subject they never covered. I'm surprised because every show back then covered that subject. Now that I am thinking back, my didnt cover any STD
@@NCCU1995 they did cover menstruation, even if it was for about a minute and they used a code word. They also covered lesbianism, though again using code words.
I watched the entire original run and then in syndication repeats. I had no idea it was still popular when it finally came to an end. Thanks for the info.
I never missed an episode. I still remember, during that last season, on Saturday night, even if I wasn't in my own home, we would be at the tv watching it!
My new favourite channel! Just a correction- Dana Plato actually did appear in the first episode of The Facts of Life with the other Different Strokes characters.
Fact 1 At the time The Cosby show was credited with saving NBC. Fact 2 George Clooneys' character was added as a handy man. He wasn't just hanging around with a bunch of teenaged girls Fact 3 Charlotte Rae and Cloris Leachman were roommates in college.
I loved this show and would always sing along with the intro song and then would watch reruns of the prior episodes during the summer which would run two episodes back to back at 12 noon after watching back to back episodes 3s company.
AND I CAN'T SAY WHY THIS SHOW IS OVERLOOKED IN THE LEGACY US TELEVISION?! BECAUSE THE SHOW IS TRULY GREAT ENTERTAINMENT AND DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS EVER,,, AMEN🙏🙏🙏!!! AND I HOPE "THE FACTS OF LIFE" DOES EVENTUALLY GET THE RECOGNITION THE SHOW SO RIGHTFULLY DESERVES ONE DAY SOON... MY CHILDHOOD AND THAT OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN THE NINETEEN EIGHTIES, WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT THIS MEDIA MASTERPIECE!!!
You did miss one very important fact. Lisa Whelchel , Molly Ringwald, and Julie Piekarski from season one; were all apart of the 1977 version of the Mickey Mouse Club, before starting on the Facts of Life
NBC was in the dumps for SO long that at one point they began to run with it! I remember Joe Piscopo doing a bit on SNL where he jokes 'the bad news is we are still distant 3rd to ABC & CBS... the good news is we're still beating the piss outa radio!'. Remember as a kid when they whittled down the cast & being very confused! Always wondered how you could have a show about a school... & only focus on FOUR students!?! (Sorta the 'Welcome Back Kotter' conundrum!)
Why is it overlooked? Who knows. One could say they were young girls, it wasn't kitschy, no one did much outside of the show while it was on or after it ended that made them mega stars????? I thinks it's dismal 1st season made critics never want to accept the show as a real comedy.. with all of that said, it was one of the greatest sitcoms of all time and beloved by so many to this day
Thank you for the video. In the video, you say that Dana never appeared in an episode. However, she appeared in the very first episode. In fact, you rolled some footage of her moving around in the background along with the other cast. LOL. However, I am liking this video so far.
You missed the point. What's uncommon is a non actor, not auditioning for a role and not even looking to be in a show, to have a series regular main character role written in for them.
I LOVED The Facts of Life !!!! And would run home from Wednesday night Youth Group to see the latest episode! I loved Lisa Whelchel as Blair.. As a Christian teen,, she was such a role model!!!
You honestly want to know why it isn't considered one of the greats despite the highest ratings? It is because it is about women, written by women and we still live in a patriarchal society
I Loved the Facts of Life show. Edna Garrett was awesome. Too bad Geri Jewell wasn't in all or most of the episodes. She was a great asset to that show when she was.
Season 9 definitely didnt feel like it deserves to be called the best but if what they said about Mindy and Nancy wanting out is true, then it would explain the rushed feel of tying everything up. The first half of the season felt normal for the most part, but the second half felt like storytelling went on fast forward with Jo getting engaged to Rick, Blair buying Eastland, Tootie going on to have her acting career and Natalie living in Soho plus everyone discussing walking away from Over Our Heads. It would have been interesting to see what Season 9 would have been like if they chose to stay and what season 10 would have become, hell we may have even had the spinoff with Blair taking over Eastland if the leadup would have been properly done instead of a rushed Series finale for S9
Season 8 definitely had that proper wrapped up feeling. Season 9 could have been handled so much better. I almost wish that they would have still done the 10th season so that they really could have wrapped up everything properly. In a perfect world, They could have had Natalie and Jo still depart in season 9 and then have season 10 go along the storyline of Blair adapting to being Head Mistress of Eastland and Tootie being offered the role she got in the finale but do a wedding for her and Jeff to signal her departure. They could have spent a few episodes on the actual closing of Over Our Heads, bring Charlotte Rae (under the idea of taking a break from the Peace Corps as its was almost 2 years since she left, bring her back for that as she was part owner and give better closure to her departure other than the rushed marriage to Bruce and leaving for the Peace Corps so fast, lastly put the focus on Beverly Ann and Andy settling into a more normal life together as mother and son. Thats how I would have handled the situation, they wanted to do that 10th season and I think even without Jo and Natalie being active characters the viewership would have still remained if they handled season 9 in a much better way over the rush job they did.
@@MartinClifford74656 I read somewhere years ago that the storyline of yet another re-do was the reason why Nancy and Mindy wanted to leave. There were plans to have a spin-off with Blair being the head mistress over the CO-ED Eastland, which would break up the four even more. As such, Nancy felt that they did as much as they could do with the series and the roles (taking a cue from Charlotte Rae) and she wanted to pursue other projects (she and Lisa would later audition for "Friends") for fear of being typecast. While Nancy would go on to star in I think two other series.. and Kim would go on to do a Blair-esque role as Regine in "Living Single" none of them could really compare to the work on "Facts" (which originally was to be called "Garrett's Girls"... glad THAT didn't stick). I don't think their announcement to leave came BEFORE season 9 but rather mid-way through as I think the execs were gauging the ratings. I'm with you.. they should have done a better treatment of the series/season; having a one hour finale..bringing back Mrs. Garrett to dissolve the partnership and closing the store, there to meet with the girls one last time, having a look back on their friendship, and all four moving on with their lives separately.. it would have been a lot more organic and would really have given fans some sort of closure... even if season 10 was green lit as a "reboot" or spin off, it would have given "The Facts of Life" the proper send off, in much the same way as it was one on the Golden Girl's with Dorothy's leaving.
I've been obsessed with this show for about 26 years now and this is the first time I've heard that Mindy Cohn didnt want to do the show after season 9. Where is the source for this? I know Nancy didnt want to return but Mindy? I thought Big Apple Blues was a spin off attempt for Mindy to go onto her own series? I thought the new series would be Blair's new Eastland School but it never got picked up by any networks. Thus Facts of Life was robbed of a proper good bye. It's like no one really knew what was about to happen and it just went away.
Mindy wanted to do movies, but the producers wouldn't let her, so she wanted to branch out from the show. Plus she found the show less realistic in the later years with the 4 girls still living together after all those years and all of them still being virgins.
One of the lesser known characters of the show was Jerri Jewell who inspired me to do stand-up comedy and later got to perform with her. She played Blair's cousin with cerebral palsy.
Love Geri!
That's amazing, I saw Jerri on a documentary about Fact's and she was kind off let go from the show.
The character of Geri was supposed to be Blaire's cousin. She wasnt a key person on the show. She was only in a handful of episodes. You never saw her again once they left the school
Jerri is iconic. Definitely not "lesser known" to fans of the show. She even makes an appearance on Family Guy.
She bugged me.
JO: You can't go to the Halloween party as Jane Fonda!!
BLAIR: Why not?
JO: Because I'm going as Peter Fonda!
I'll never forget that.
*Fun fact: Alan Thicke (late father of Robin Thicke and played TV dad Jason Seaver on Growing Pains), co-wrote the theme song for The Facts of Life.*
And his then wife Gloria Loring sang it.Gloriawas also a star of Days of our Lives in the 80s
He wrote several theme songs, including the theme for Different Strokes
The Facts of Life started when I was 11 and ended when I was 20. It was great having this show to grow up with.
Toward the end, the show was simply running out of plots, and the girls had now become too old to be living like dormitory residents, complete with a housemother watching over them.
George had to come around the store to get his newspaper
There was a reunion episode in 86 where the characters Sue Anne, Cindy, and Nancy come by for a slumber party, and Jo feels left out. But if you watch past episodes it is implied that Jo knew them pretty well when they all attended Eastland together.
I loved this show so much! I wanted to go to Eastland
Hello Mimi how are you doing. I believe you are safe and in good health, have a nice weekend. OK
Calpurnia L I’m not quite sure what you are saying. This show was on when I was a kid and I made a simple comment about how much I loved it. I wasn’t trying to make a conspiracy theory. I am an accountant with a minor in marketing. I know how ratings work, I just don’t understand how your comment is related to mine. I’m not trying to be negative or disrespectful in any way. I’m just confused.
The writers they hired for season 2 had previously written 'One Day at a Time' they would only agree to work on the show if they tackled more serious issues, stopped having the girls wear short shorts and take Tootie off the skates....Bringing in Jo came to them from the film 'Little Darlings' a hit film at the time with Tatum O'Neal and Kristie MacNicol- where a street wise girl takes on a rich snob at summer camp.
the reason Tootie was on skates to begin with is that she was so short (young) they had to do something to get her up to the level of the other girls. it gave her a 2 inch boost immediately
@@darskicutler1894 I know- she was about 3 years younger than all the other girls, but the new writers thought it was dumb...especially when they had Tootie going up and down stairs in them.
That never bothered me. Not being "Mr Creepo" I wasn't watching to gawk at girls in shorts,I just never put it together that they are up by Buffalo during The Winter why are they wearing shorts? The same thing Tootie being on skates but I TOTALLY get why they thought that was offensive.
@@renafan3333 the school was supposed to be in Peekskill, about 50 miles north of NYC and 350 miles South East of Buffalo...but- either way- New York is cold November through March.- 2/3 of the school year.
@@aagold76 it wasn't dumb, it was actually brilliant. By the 2nd season she had grown, so it wasn't necessary.
Blair & Joe respected each other despite their conflicts and that was key to the success of the show; the unexpected substance was what made those girls so appealing 👍👍👍👍
it's Jo, not Joe
I loved when they went to Paris...😊😊😊
I remember that.
Me too but I loved it even more when they went to Australia in season 8. It was always my dream to visit there and see the sights they saw. Luckily I lived out that dream and always had the soundtrack of the movie playing in my head while visiting Australia. Yes I'm obsessed with this show.
My all-time favorite episode is the one where they cram all night for their final exams. I still want Nat's "brain wave conductor" hat! :D
"Take my finals, please" perfect episode to showcase all the dynamics between the charcters and an absolute hoot xD
Nowadays, Edna's Edibles would mean something in the canabis category.
😂
Nowadays, it would mean something to Mrs Garrett.
I watched these sitcoms and I loved them. I wish I could go back to the 80s. My favourite was Blair. I thought she was lovely at whatever weight she was. Thank you for another great show.
I loved the first season!! It was funny with all the girl's around.. What was strange it never really explained why everyone left.. Jo was my favourite on the show, I loved how she put Blair in her place.. You forgot one character.. Geri, she had Cerebral palsy.. She was funny and a great actress..
It was explained. Everyone didn't leave, they all were still students there. The setting changed, so you didn't see them around anymore. The 4 girls got into trouble for stealing a van and therefore had to work in the cafeteria and they moved in together above the cafeteria so Mrs Garrett could keep an eye on them. The season 1 girls were still in the dorm from the 1st season. And despite people always talking about how the girls were fired, from season 1, they all, save for Molly, would occasionally pop up in the cafeteria in season 2 and beyond, again, making it realistic and supporting the explanation.
After the first season they had more believable stories such as Blair’s cousin Gerry with cerebral palsy and the girls destroyed the school van.
She DID have cerebral palsy. I loved Gerry, I don't know why they couldn't have kept her on more!
@@kristabrewer9363 Nobody said she didn't.
@@kristabrewer9363 The actress playing Gerry was gay. The others felt uncomfortable. The jokes about CP fell flat.
@@carolperry7695 I am not sure she was "out" at that point. While I admire her courage, her character was too one dimensional. Nearly all of her appearances addressed the cerebral palsy issue, and there was only so much the producers could do with that. Gerry apparently insisted that she be given a regular role, especially after the show started adding other characters on a full time basis. She was denied, and her agent instructed her to walk away. She did not part on good company with the show, though she later took part in a reunion interview with other cast members.
@@nassauguy48 I know she had CP but it bothers me why a 16-year-old kid would be bossing around her adult cousin like that. Geri was pretty strong so I'm surprised Mrs. Garrett didn't step in to tell Blair to back off.
Dana Plato actually appeared in the pilot episode for FOL along with her DS cast mates.
That was the first episode, in addition to the pilot. She never appeared again. Charlotte didn't like Dana and thought she would be a bad influence on the other kids on the show.
I loved the first season
I love this show. The writing was excellent. Everyone was funny. Excellent cast
Why it's overlooked - it's a female cast. Weirdly, that is slowly going away, but slowly. It's great that this show did well.
I said the same thing because it is the truth and boy do you get the trolls after you when you tell the truth.
I still say The Golden Girls was a senior version of Facts Of Life. Dorothy was like Jo (the tough but smart New Yorker whom everyone respected). Blanche was like Blair (pretty, sexy, snobby, and from money, and even their names were similar). Rose was like Tootie (cute and naive). Sophia was like Natalie (wise cracking one liners).
Never thought of that, 🤔
Great observation. I clearly saw the impact of the Golden Girls on subsequent shows, but I never thought to compare Golden Girls to Facts of Life, though the comparison does hold up. Golden Girls very clearly spawned Designing Women, but Living Single, Girlfriends, and eventually Hot in Cleveland would all use the same formula. But I guess you could say that Facts of Life was the OG.
GG was TFOL 50 years later.
@@Tes7000 Living Single was nothing like Golden Girls. But Friends used the formula of Living Single.
I never thought of it like that it makes sense, overall great show
It felt real.
Watching this show, things felt like watching the show was like watching something that I could be, or was part of.
It made a big difference also, that I wished Mrs. Garret was my family and I watched every show with her there just waiting for her to help me live and not want to slit my wrists.
She saved me. I miss her so much.
Jr high-school ... this was a must watch show. The 80’s were cheesy good fun - to a point.
I think this show was a success bcuz it felt real, ppl young and old could relate to the cast and the characters they played...they struggled w every thing from weight issues to drinking to ppl who dealt w handicapps but were the same and equal to every one else! It also touched base on sexual orientation/situations, this show taught us all its ok to be different on the outside bcuz we're all the same on the inside...ppl bonded w the characters and carried an emotional connection to the facts of life! I loved this program when I was a kid in the 80s!
That and it was funny. And had a great, talented cast, always stayed fresh. And the characters were all very likeable and different, so everyone could identity with or favor one of each of them.
George Clooney always had a reason for being there. He and his dad were carpenters who redesigned the building--transforming Edna's Edibles into the "Over Our Heads" pop culture boutique. During the time he spent working on the place he grew close to the girls--especially Natalie and Tootie who couldn't help but to butt into his personal life. The "George" character never came off as creepy or out of place to me.
EXACTLY
I love ❤️ the 80s💋👼🏻🕊👼🏽🦋🦋🌈
I was born in the early 70's, but the 80's were the best ear EVER for TV show!
The facts of life was terrific sitcom was great all the girls were funny and I really enjoyed the story lines and some episodes were of topics young girls going through hard times of growing up and changing but it was amazing love it 👍🌹🌹🌹🌹
This show was disrespected because it had a female cast and dealt with moral issues in a light hearted way. Critics hate these kind of shows but people love them.
What did a female cast have to do with it? this was the 80's
@@kristabrewer9363 They were all young women who didn't know how to negotiate about money and just did what they were told. They said so, they didn't even have their own chairs. They weren't treated like other child actors such as Who's the boss, etc. They were ignored basically. Nancy Mckeon tried to get a commiserate salary and failed. The network liked them but treated them differently.
@cindy pruitt
*Commensurate*.
@@MrTommyboots you are a troll
There were several problems with the show in season 1.
1) the format wasn’t very clear, it was pitched basically with the Charlotte Ray character being the lead and the adult figure, but a female teacher was added, and the headmaster, plus 7 undefined teen girls who didn’t really standout from one another.
NBC was in such a hurry to get the show on there was that lack of creative direction.
2) they had writers who didn’t really know how to right female characters.
And critics usually know nothing but bring a destructive attitude toward the work of others.
Dana Plato was in the first episode of the first season, and George Clooney was hired to rebuild the burnt down shop and became friends with the girls, that why he was hanging around.
Good points 😌
Also, George's dad owned the hardware store on the same street where George also worked. He was sort of the neighbor every sitcom has.
I grew up watching all those shows ..the world was good then ...
Amen
Some shows can never be rebooted
As did I, and yes the world was good then.
So the Cold War, the AIDS epidemic, the crack epidemic , famine in Ethiopia etc. were just pimples on the face of history.
@@shawndemetrios7899 when I was 12, the world was good... didn't know bout all you mentioned...I was 12...
Idk, Why so under rated. I loved the show. My wife actually liked the show. She usually gives me a hard time. Why you watch all these old shows. She has said. I loved Jo. Misses Garrett 💜❤ amazing and sweet. I watch Different Strokes and Facts of life daily on cable. These shows are of a simpler time.
Do one on Gimmie a Break with Nel Carter.
What channel are they currently on, on cable?
I grew up watching The Facts of Life. The showlived up to it's name.
Im from Mexico and I love Facts of Life, asieSza
Muy bien!!🦋🦋
One of my favorite lines from the first season from the “diet episode”
Nancy: “Are you going to go on a diet, Natalie?”
Natalie: “ Who wants to be a skinny pencil? I’d rather be a happy magic marker!”😂
Words to live by, Natalie. Words to live by.
The last time that Natalie made fun of herself for being overweight was in the first episode of Season 2. ("All my clothes are flared!") After that, I think the producers and writers got concerned about "fat shaming", and Natalie suddenly became someone who attracted almost as many boy friends as Blair!
Am I the only person who liked the first season? Yeah the smaller cast was better but not by the ridiculously huge amount people make it out to be. I think it started to get hokey after Blair and Joe graduated and Miss Garrett opened that store. It was still good but starting to get hokey. When that girl from Austaralia and Beverly Ann's nephew came is when I checked out.
Me too. I watched the show from the first season until it ended. I was 11 when the show started so I was the perfect age for it. But I always liked that first season the most.
Me too and just got finished watching the entire series again!
I loved the first season.
I loved the larger cast and the earlier seasons.
I agree with you
George Clooney was a contractor to fix the shop after it burned.
I am probably the only one but the first season was my favorite.
I liked the first season. The girls they got rid of I would have kept and get rid of the one that are on now.
Back before it aired, they would ask audiences all over the country (specifically the age range they aimed the show at) to watch the pilot on these dead cable channels during the afternoon and then they'd call you and ask your opinion of the show. I specifically remember being asked if it was better than Mork and Mindy which as a kid I thought was rude. You can't compare them. I loved them both. You're welcome.
I remember watching the Home Improvement pilot after they called us. My parents though it was a joke at first. We didn’t really watch much tv.
This show shouldn't never be forgotten..
Dana Plato did appear in an episode. Get your facts right. Get it, "Facts." You even show Dana in the first episode.
I don't think the first season wasn't that bad. It has it's good parts, but yeah, it did get better with season two. I love this show. I used to watch it all the time.
I actually prefer season 1 to a lot of the other seasons.
@@CloroxDoll I enjoy season one over other seasons as well.
Yes as we can plainly see First Mrs.Garret took her toll and left feeling she'd done her part helping the girls to grow and then within 2 years the show itself would take its toll too.
The kid who played Andy during later seasons was Mackenzie Astin Patty Duke's son and brother of Sean Astin..
He made several good movies....
Charlotte Rae was on Different strokes on NBC not CBS.
Love this show. Watching in reruns now and my son finds it hilarious.
Didn't Alan Thicke write the theme to the Facts of Life? I swear I heard that somewhere.
Yes, along with his then wife Gloria Loring (who sang it) and producer Al Burton.
No real fan of The Facts of Life thinks the 2nd season is the "Real" Facts of Life. The 1st season was great and the show stayed great with each change. The school is Eastland not Eastville. Norman Lear got Charlotte Rae out of her contract with CBS so she could do Diff'rent Strokes, not The Facts of Life. George Clooney's character was not "weird" on the show...he was a handyman! Not just "some grown man hanging out with teenage girls," as you say. It's also funny that you say Kimberly never made an appearance on the show, and then seconds later, show a clip of Kimberly on the show. First, she was a big part of the pilot for The Facts of Life that aired as an episode of Different Strokes. Next, she was in the 1st series episode of Facts of Life. Characters from FOL also made appearances on Diff'rent Strokes, as did the other Diff'rent Strokes characters appear on Facts of Life. The series finale set up a planned spin-off show with Blair, which, sadly, never happened. I think people who overlook the show, never actually watched it, or were clueless adults who could not fathom the idea of children and girls having brains and being a valid and important audience demographic . It was truly a great, iconic sitcom.
Kimberly was on the first show and none of the girls came over to greet her or even say "Hello" to her.
@@Diostillrocks every time you walk into a room full of 10+ people doing things on their own, with your family in tow, do all of those people stop and say hello to you? In the pilot to Facts of Life which aired right before and set up that 1st episode that you're speaking of, it is established that Kimberly is a student there, and she does interact with everyone there. Then, in this next episode, the girls are each busy doing their own thing and Kimberly walks into the large room, with her family, who are visiting her to speak with Mrs Garrett. There was no need for everyone to stop and say hello to her. They probably saw her 5 times already that day. Also, it's obvious they know her because they know her siblings by name and greet them, because, obviously they haven't seen them already that day. Finally, when they leave, Kimberly DOES say goodbye to the girls, and all the girls say goodbye back to her.
@@GalaxyNexus1 the Drummonds were coming into town. Kimberly was with them. She was not there 5 times that day. There was some behind the scenes stuff going on too.
@@Diostillrocks we don't know what happened off screen because it's off screen. You realize people can come into town and and she still can be in and out, right? Kimberly and Mrs Garrett don't even say hello, instead, when Kimberly enters with Mr Drummond and Willis she says "Mrs Garrett, look who's here!" And Mrs Garrett is happy and surprised to see Drummond and Willis, which implies again, Kimberly was already there. And like I said, Kimberly said goodbye to everyone and they said goodbye back...since you're dying for interaction.
I liked the comment about George Clooney hanging around. I never noticed that.
Like someone else said he was hired to rebuild the store which became Over Our Heads. So he had a reason to be there at first but after that yea he just wasn't necessary which is why he was written off of the show a season later when he skipped town to go on tour with Cinnamon (Stacey Q).
@@CloroxDoll since when is a handyman for a business never necessary? smh
I loved the first season of this show. I was having such a hard time fitting in at school with other girls my age and I loved that all of these girls were friends. I used to wish I could go to that school like that. Then the second season when it got all revamped ruined it for me. I never liked it quite as much.
I agree that more could have been done in terms of saving the cast members who were dropped. The Brady Bunch had nine characters, and was a smash hit. I actually liked the show up until the season when Mrs. Garrett left Eastland to open up the delicacy shop.
I loved that show. I was in a private girls school in the 80 's
The last episode had Blair buying Eastland, and the school becoming coed, and Blair assuming the role of Mrs Garrett...clearly an attempt to keep it going....but wasn't picked up....
Blair bought Eastland?
Pretty sure her dad fronted the money...the coed cast included very young Seth Green and Juliette Lewis..
@@edreid7872 Oh..suprsed they made something like that coed..
@@pirategamer6630 The school was going to close because attendance was down. Blair bought to school to save it, but the only way to get enough students to attend was to make it coed.
@@edreid7872 No, her father refused the money on the basis that he wanted Blair to make her own financial decisions. So she used her share of the family fortune that she was planning to use to open up her own law firm to purchase the school instead.
Ah, Nancy Mckeon. She was IT!
Nancy McKeon was the sister of Phillip McKeon who played Tommy on the TV show, Alice.
I started watching The Facts of Life when it 1st premiered in 1979. I continued watching and when it downsized to 4 girls and got new writers, it was easy to tell they were all women, because the writing had improved tremendously! It was a great show and NONE of the actors became primidonna's nor did it go to their heads! That's just another good compliment to how superb this show was!
Loved that show growing up it was amazing time I wish they can put it on a box set 😍😍😍
it already is in a box set ... www.amazon.com/Facts-Life-Complete-Mindy-Cohn/dp/B00OAIHHRC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CAIYLGYTHA4Z&dchild=1&keywords=the+facts+of+life+complete+series+dvd&qid=1595312624&sprefix=the+facts+of+life%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1
It is. I've had it for years.
I was going to buy the box set from Amazon, and then I was like...wait a minute, I think I already own some of these...and low and behold, discovered/remembered I already have seasons 1 -5 on dvd. When I got them, there was no box set, so I would buy the individual seasons as soon as they were released. So now, I just need to buy seasons 6 -9 instead of having to shell out for the whole series.
Unless your video is absurdly bad or lazy I will automatically give a LIKE as I figure its deserved for the very effort. Videos as well done as THIS make me wish there was still a Star Rating as this deserves an EXCELLENT Rating.
1:23 I love how you did that!! lol!!
Very informative video, thank you for posting. I watched the show in the 80''s; it was a different world then.
Thank you for tuning-in!
I loved the first season with a lot more characters
I guess I'm one of the few people that like the first season.
I loved the first season
George was the handyman -- He rebuilt the store!! Do your research
Dana Plato was in the Pilot episode of The Facts of Life......
Maybe if Dans Plato had been given a role on F.O.L. her life would have gone in a different direction.
So sad...
I remember that episode. It was actually an episode of Different Strokes, and was very different. Blair was a coldhearted wisecracker, and was smoking cigarettes. (She was toned down a bit when the show was picked up). Cindy (one of the girls dropped after Season 1) and Natalie were not even there. Of course, Jo did not appear until Season 2. There was actually another girl who was part of the crowd, but she was not picked up after the pilot.
She was also in the 1st series episode of Facts of Life
Kimberly makes a brief appearance in the very first episode of The Facts of Life
She's also heavily featured in the Pilot.
One of my fave shows at the time. Was a fan of Diffnrent Strokes so I naturally clicked with Facts of Life. I liked the first season, never forgot it. Was disappointed with the decision to reduce the number of girls at first. I liked many of the characters. (Couldn't stand Molly Ringwald's character or her at the time but liked her as a movie actress). When Mrs Garrett left the series for good I was annoyed by the addition of Cloris Leachman. I understood all the changes over the years but didn't like many of them at the time. Especially the transition from season 1 to season 2. It was the best thing for the show, but as a fan of the show I didn't like it at first. I am glad the show continued to have so many fun seasons later.
I had the same reaction as you to the cast reduction at the beginning of season 2. Of course, I had no idea the show needed to be revamped due do the ratings, as I was only in 4th or 5th grade when that occurred. All the kids I knew watched Different Strokes and Facts of Life, so I assumed both shows were huge hits. Though the revamp turned out to be the right decision, it was pretty surprising to tune into a significantly different show at the beginning of season 2.
Because of the all female cast !! I still think it's a Great show and we need more shows luke it
I had a crush on both Tootie and Natalie especially in seasons 5-9.
My crush was on Tootie and Blair. 😁
I always find the episode where Cindy, SueAnn, and Nancy come by to see the girls, but they "don't know" Jo, when they had many interactions with each other during the second season! I wonder if it was the writers' error and if the cast members forgot or remembered their character's interaction with each other.
If in 1979 someone said to you "a few years from now one of these girls will be a major star, America's sweetheart" the obvious guess would have been Lisa Whelchel. Who would have ever guessed Molly Ringwald. Probably the best thing for her career was getting canned after the first season.
The casting director and producers saw something special in all of them, that's why they hired them. I don't think any of them would have been surprised.
Molly Ringwald was the most successful from the first season and so was George Clooney.
I remember watching The Facts Of Life as youngster I watch it from the the beginning till the end I also saw a live taping of the show at Universal Studios in the early 80’s
cool
I loved the episode where Blair wanted to remain pure and wholesome for her marriage to her husband. Blair's boyfriend then puts it up her brown eye
This was my favourite show growing up and Jo was my idol.
This show covered every topic from racism to human trafficking. I can not think of a topic that they never covered. This show was my childhood. I watched it from the very beginning.
AIDS. They got away from the sensitive topics later in the series.
@@Diostillrocks your right! That was a subject they never covered. I'm surprised because every show back then covered that subject. Now that I am thinking back, my didnt cover any STD
@@NCCU1995 they did cover menstruation, even if it was for about a minute and they used a code word. They also covered lesbianism, though again using code words.
It's MRS. Garrett, not MISS. In the story they refer to her as a divorcié. They even call her MRS. in "Different Strokes".
Narrator refers to the school as Eastville once also.
I watched the entire original run and then in syndication repeats. I had no idea it was still popular when it finally came to an end. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for tuning-in Alan!
I never missed an episode. I still remember, during that last season, on Saturday night, even if I wasn't in my own home, we would be at the tv watching it!
7:07 you said many of those were not spent here at Eastville.... I think you meant Eastland?
I caught that too....
Major mistake. Which made me question a lot of what was said in this video. If there's anything I know it's Facts of Life history
My new favourite channel!
Just a correction- Dana Plato actually did appear in the first episode of The Facts of Life with the other Different Strokes characters.
Thank you for pointing this out. 😊
@@DYR no probs. Looking forward to more great content 😃
I knew all of this but you did a great job on this. One thing.. you called eastland eastville lol
Thanks Gregory!
Fact 1 At the time The Cosby show was credited with saving NBC.
Fact 2 George Clooneys' character was added as a handy man. He wasn't just hanging around with a bunch of teenaged girls
Fact 3 Charlotte Rae and Cloris Leachman were roommates in college.
Love this show 💕 Also all the girls 😍😍
I loved this show and would always sing along with the intro song and then would watch reruns of the prior episodes during the summer which would run two episodes back to back at 12 noon after watching back to back episodes 3s company.
You got something wrong. Kimberly did appear twice
I fell in love with Ms. Garrett as a child. Good, warm times.
THOSE WERE THE BEST FACTS OF LIFE ERA.... A.K.A E R A
AND I CAN'T SAY WHY THIS SHOW IS OVERLOOKED IN THE LEGACY US TELEVISION?!
BECAUSE THE SHOW IS TRULY GREAT ENTERTAINMENT AND DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS EVER,,, AMEN🙏🙏🙏!!!
AND I HOPE "THE FACTS OF LIFE" DOES EVENTUALLY GET THE RECOGNITION THE SHOW SO RIGHTFULLY DESERVES ONE DAY SOON...
MY CHILDHOOD AND THAT OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN THE NINETEEN EIGHTIES, WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT THIS MEDIA MASTERPIECE!!!
Hard to believe all those girls are well into their 50's now.
Lisa whelchel who played Blair, is actually a grandmother.
Kimberly actually made a brief appearance in the first episode
The facts of life was a spin-off from the TV show, diff'rent strokes.
You did miss one very important fact. Lisa Whelchel , Molly Ringwald, and Julie Piekarski from season one; were all apart of the 1977 version of the Mickey Mouse Club, before starting on the Facts of Life
Molly wasn't.
Molly was just a guest artist in her father's band for one show. Not a mousekateer.
Molly Ringwald was never in the Mickey Mouse club. The facts of life with her very first acting job.
@@mikeinva8 she was a guest as part of the Bob Ringwald Band.
Molly wasn't, but Shante Northcutte, one of the Mousekateers was guest on two episodes of the Fact of Life.
NBC was in the dumps for SO long that at one point they began to run with it! I remember Joe Piscopo doing a bit on SNL where he jokes 'the bad news is we are still distant 3rd to ABC & CBS... the good news is we're still beating the piss outa radio!'.
Remember as a kid when they whittled down the cast & being very confused! Always wondered how you could have a show about a school... & only focus on FOUR students!?! (Sorta the 'Welcome Back Kotter' conundrum!)
Jo might have been one of my first crushes. LOL I know I'm not the only guy who says that. I still get the shivers when I see her name appear
Why is it overlooked? Who knows. One could say they were young girls, it wasn't kitschy, no one did much outside of the show while it was on or after it ended that made them mega stars????? I thinks it's dismal 1st season made critics never want to accept the show as a real comedy.. with all of that said, it was one of the greatest sitcoms of all time and beloved by so many to this day
Thank you for the video. In the video, you say that Dana never appeared in an episode. However, she appeared in the very first episode. In fact, you rolled some footage of her moving around in the background along with the other cast. LOL. However, I am liking this video so far.
The character write-in is not uncommon. Robert Hedges originally auditioned for the role of Barbarino. They made up a character for him too.
You missed the point. What's uncommon is a non actor, not auditioning for a role and not even looking to be in a show, to have a series regular main character role written in for them.
@@GalaxyNexus1 I understand. That happened to Tony Bow, except the the part was. But from what a read, he just there to watch.
I liked the first season better. Those original 4 were great.
I had an infatuation with Tootie and wanted a GF like her. We are almost the same age so watching the show we grew up together.
I still have a crush on Joe
@@hoosierhiver it's Jo, not Joe
Was Jo as close as you could get to putting a lesbian on tv in the 80s?
I LOVED The Facts of Life !!!! And would run home from Wednesday night Youth Group to see the latest episode! I loved Lisa Whelchel as Blair.. As a Christian teen,, she was such a role model!!!
Even when Blair promoted pre-marital sex and took Mrs. G. to a male strip show?
This wasn’t a sitcom but one very successful show NBC had was Little House on the Prairie.
You honestly want to know why it isn't considered one of the greats despite the highest ratings?
It is because it is about women, written by women and we still live in a patriarchal society
I Loved the Facts of Life show. Edna Garrett was awesome. Too bad Geri Jewell wasn't in all or most of the episodes. She was a great asset to that show when she was.
Oh me too facts was awesome I love it very funny
Season 9 definitely didnt feel like it deserves to be called the best but if what they said about Mindy and Nancy wanting out is true, then it would explain the rushed feel of tying everything up. The first half of the season felt normal for the most part, but the second half felt like storytelling went on fast forward with Jo getting engaged to Rick, Blair buying Eastland, Tootie going on to have her acting career and Natalie living in Soho plus everyone discussing walking away from Over Our Heads. It would have been interesting to see what Season 9 would have been like if they chose to stay and what season 10 would have become, hell we may have even had the spinoff with Blair taking over Eastland if the leadup would have been properly done instead of a rushed Series finale for S9
Season 8 definitely had that proper wrapped up feeling. Season 9 could have been handled so much better. I almost wish that they would have still done the 10th season so that they really could have wrapped up everything properly.
In a perfect world, They could have had Natalie and Jo still depart in season 9 and then have season 10 go along the storyline of Blair adapting to being Head Mistress of Eastland and Tootie being offered the role she got in the finale but do a wedding for her and Jeff to signal her departure. They could have spent a few episodes on the actual closing of Over Our Heads, bring Charlotte Rae (under the idea of taking a break from the Peace Corps as its was almost 2 years since she left, bring her back for that as she was part owner and give better closure to her departure other than the rushed marriage to Bruce and leaving for the Peace Corps so fast, lastly put the focus on Beverly Ann and Andy settling into a more normal life together as mother and son.
Thats how I would have handled the situation, they wanted to do that 10th season and I think even without Jo and Natalie being active characters the viewership would have still remained if they handled season 9 in a much better way over the rush job they did.
@@MartinClifford74656 I read somewhere years ago that the storyline of yet another re-do was the reason why Nancy and Mindy wanted to leave. There were plans to have a spin-off with Blair being the head mistress over the CO-ED Eastland, which would break up the four even more. As such, Nancy felt that they did as much as they could do with the series and the roles (taking a cue from Charlotte Rae) and she wanted to pursue other projects (she and Lisa would later audition for "Friends") for fear of being typecast. While Nancy would go on to star in I think two other series.. and Kim would go on to do a Blair-esque role as Regine in "Living Single" none of them could really compare to the work on "Facts" (which originally was to be called "Garrett's Girls"... glad THAT didn't stick).
I don't think their announcement to leave came BEFORE season 9 but rather mid-way through as I think the execs were gauging the ratings. I'm with you.. they should have done a better treatment of the series/season; having a one hour finale..bringing back Mrs. Garrett to dissolve the partnership and closing the store, there to meet with the girls one last time, having a look back on their friendship, and all four moving on with their lives separately.. it would have been a lot more organic and would really have given fans some sort of closure... even if season 10 was green lit as a "reboot" or spin off, it would have given "The Facts of Life" the proper send off, in much the same way as it was one on the Golden Girl's with Dorothy's leaving.
1rst season was the best. Those original 4 girls were the best.
Loved this show
💕
I've been obsessed with this show for about 26 years now and this is the first time I've heard that Mindy Cohn didnt want to do the show after season 9. Where is the source for this? I know Nancy didnt want to return but Mindy? I thought Big Apple Blues was a spin off attempt for Mindy to go onto her own series? I thought the new series would be Blair's new Eastland School but it never got picked up by any networks. Thus Facts of Life was robbed of a proper good bye. It's like no one really knew what was about to happen and it just went away.
Mindy wanted to do movies, but the producers wouldn't let her, so she wanted to branch out from the show. Plus she found the show less realistic in the later years with the 4 girls still living together after all those years and all of them still being virgins.