Series synopsis
The Facts of Life is an American drama comedy television series that premiered on NBC on August 24, 1979. It ended on May 7, 1988. It was created by Dick Clair, Norman Lear, Jenna McMahon. It stars Charlotte Rae, Cloris Leachman, Lisa Whelchel and Kim Fields.
Mrs. Edna Garrett, housemother and dietitian at the Eastland School, teaches a group of girls in her charge how to solve those problems that every teenager has to face.
Premise
Mrs. Edna Garrett, housemother and dietitian at the Eastland School, teaches a group of girls in her charge how to solve those problems that every teenager has to face.
Premise: You take the good, you take the bad...
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Charlotte Rae as Edna Garrett
- Cloris Leachman as Beverly Ann Stickle
- Lisa Whelchel as Blair Warner
- Kim Fields as Tootie Ramsey
- Mindy Cohn as Natalie Green
- Jenny O'Hara as Miss Emily Mahoney
- John Lawlor as Steven Bradley
- Nancy McKeon as Joanne Jo Polniaczek
Supporting cast
- Felice Schachter as Nancy Olson
- Mackenzie Astin as Andy Moffett
- Molly Ringwald as Molly Parker
- Julie Piekarski as Sue Ann Weaver
- Sherrié Austin as Pippa McKenna
- George Clooney as George Burnett
- Julie Anne Haddock as Cindy Webster
- Pamela Adlon as Kelly Affinado
- Norman Burton
- Donald May
- Helen Hunt as Emily
- Holly Gagnier
Guest cast
- Norman Burton
- Donald May
- Helen Hunt as Emily
- Holly Gagnier
- Robert Alda
- Dick O'Neill
- David Coburn as Carl
- Bill Dana
- Richard Dean Anderson
- Robert Hooks as Mr. Ramsey
- Molly Picon
- Norman Alden
Episodes
This series spans 3 seasons with 36 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 7 | September 25, 1982 | June 4, 2011 |
| Season 1 | 13 | August 24, 1979 | June 11, 1980 |
| Season 2 | 16 | November 19, 1980 | March 25, 1981 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Facts of Life Goes To Paris The girls and Mrs. Garrett head to Paris. The girls are going to spend sometime in the French counterpart of their school while Mrs. Garrett attends a cooking school. The girls were hoping to spend some time in Paris but find themselves stuck in the school but during the last week of their stay when they go to Paris, so they decide to bolt. Jo decides to go to Le Mans and meets a French boy. Blair try to hook up with a French guy. Natalie and Tootie run into a writer who's been struggling whom they decide to help do his assignment. And Mrs. Garrett has a hard time trying to impress the French Chef in charge of the class. |
September 25, 1982 |
| 2 |
The Facts of Life Down Under Blair, Tootie, Natalie, Jo, Beverly Ann, and Andy visit the land down under. Blair and Jo are warned of a planned jewel heist; Beverly Ann visits a beau from many years ago; Natalie is stranded in the outback; and Tootie meets a Yale student who pretends to be a young Aborigine. |
February 15, 1987 |
| 3 |
The Facts of Life Reunion A widowed Mrs. Garrett is heading back to America on a cruise ship, ready for a new life and also looking forward to seeing her "girls" again, all of whom have grown into successful, independent women: Blair owns Warner Enterprises, which includes a stable of hotels, and is married to Tad Warner, without children. Natalie now serves as a behind-the-scenes producer at CNN juggling an active love life with a frenetic work schedule that takes her all over the world. Tootie, now preferring to be called by her real name, Dorothy, is a Hollywood-based talk show host and the mother of a 10-year-old girl, Tisha. Jo, now a police officer, is still married to Rick Bonner and they have a daughter, Jamie. Natalie has talked all the girls and Mrs. Garrett into spending the Thanksgiving holiday together back in Peekskill, NY. When Jo is unable to attend the reunion because of work, her teenage daughter, Jamie, comes instead in her absence. Trouble soon starts when Natalie receives two different marriage proposals, so it's up to the girls to help solve Natalie's predicament. Over the course of the holiday, the girls reveal to one another the personal troubles they face in their adult years and discover that, despite the time that has passed, they need each other's friendship more than ever. |
November 18, 2001 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Rough Housing The series opens with the Drummonds (from Diff'rent Strokes) visiting Eastland to see Mrs. Garrett (their ex-housekeeper). They arrive right in the middle of the Harvest Queen competition and Blair is sure she's going to win. So when Cindy considers running, Blair makes some snide comments about Cindy's femininity. |
August 24, 1979 |
| 2 |
Like Mother, Like Daughter It's Parent's Night at Eastland and Blair's sophisticated mother arrives bringing with her, her flirtatious tendancies which prompt rumors when she becomes ""friendly"" with a married man. |
August 31, 1979 |
| 3 |
The Return of Mr. Garrett Mrs. Garrett is surprised by a visit from her ex-husband, Roger, who wants the two of them to remarry. However, his gambling ways rub off on the girls who begin gambling on poker games and loosing what little money they have.. |
September 7, 1979 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The New Girl (1) Streetsmart Bronx native, Jo Polniaczeck arrives at Eastland. |
November 19, 1980 |
| 2 |
The New Girl (2) Mrs. Garrett bails the girls out of jail and announces that they all have been expelled from Eastland. However, they can stay if they move in with Mrs. Garrett and work in the cafeteria. This prompts Jo's want to leave to become even stronger. |
November 26, 1980 |
| 3 |
Double Standard Blair is sure that an old friend of hers', Harrison Andrews is going to invite her to a cotillion, however she is thrown for a loop when he invites Jo. |
December 10, 1980 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | NBC |
|---|---|
| First aired | August 24, 1979 |
| Last aired | May 7, 1988 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Saturday at 20:00:00 |