I always liked DS better than Fol so i wanted to know who's ratings is better.

The best ratings that DS had in it's run was at #19, while FOL's best rating was #24. DS slipped in the ratings pretty badly, but FOL stayed in the 20's throughout the series, except for one in the 30's. I think that FOL had better luck. I think that in the last season of DS, the ratings were in the 50's or 60's.

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Andrew Carden

It happened when Maggie and Sam join the cast

both shows had their ups and downs in the ratings. DS didn't really begin to fall until Maggie and Sam were added, and FOL didn't really begin to fall until Cloris replaced Charlotte. DS plunged harder because ABC didn't treat the show right at all (in 1985, being up against Dallas AND Miami Vice was a suicide mission) whereas NBC always ttreated FOL well until the final season.

Who knows how long DS may have run had either NBC not sold the rights to ABC, or had Maggie and Sam not joined

I didn't care for Maggie and Sam at all, but I thought that the fact that Arnold was now a big brother was really cool, and I liked Gary better then some of the past seasons.

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Andrew Carden

In the last season, DS was at #75, which was really bad. FOL was at #37 when it was cancelled. The highest FOL was at #24, and DS at #17. The Ratings I know of are in order:

Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1985 NBC, 1985-6 ABC)
1st:27, 2nd:26, 3rd:17, 7th:42, 8th:75

The Facts of Life (1979-1988 NBC)
1st:74, 2nd:26, 3rd:24, 4th:32, 5th:24, 6th: 34, 7th:27, 8th:31, 9th:37

FOL stayed pretty much in the same area, while DS went up and crashed down

FOL isn't "better" than Diff'rent Strokes, but I think since it was a spin off, everyone wanted to see what happened on FOL. If there was a spin off from FOL (besides Social Studies) wouldn't you want to see what happened there? I know that Diff'rent strokes had many seasons after the spin off, but a spin off is a spin off!
PS I think Maggie was cool! Sam was just annoying!

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~*~Allison~*~
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Dixie Carter rocks!
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Designing Women
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JULIA: Please, if you really want to feel like crying try being one of those women who hold down a job, raise a family on the side, watch their legal rights erode year after year, and are still being told that women's liberation went to far. That ought to make you feel like crying. Hhhoooo!
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Julia and Carlene are talking about a poll on the Flinstones sexuality that was in the newspaper...
ALLISON: I can't believe you two are talking about cartoon character's sexuality. They're two dementinal.
CARLENE: Well gee, Allison. So are you.