*Both shows started off as spin-offs of arguably, NBC's top sitcoms at the time (Diff'rent Strokes and The Cosby Show).

*Both shows had a unique academic setting (i.e. an all girls boarding school and an historically black college).

*Both shows had arguably, unspectacular first seasons (Season 1 of The Facts of Life didn't have Jo and there were four other girls besides Blair, Tootie and Natalie, Season 1 of A Different World focused on Denise Huxtable instead of Whitley and Dwayne, Marisa Tomei was part of the cast, Debbie Allen wasn't overseeing things, and Arthea Franklin's theme song wasn't there) before getting retooled into the show that that we're more familiar with.

There are similarities but not spot on to call it a black version of "The Facts Of Life" although there were lessons to be learned from both shows. Now that I think about it even the titles of the shows dealt with reality. LOL.

*Both shows started off as spin-offs of arguably, NBC's top sitcoms at the time (Diff'rent Strokes and The Cosby Show).

*Both shows had a unique academic setting (i.e. an all girls boarding school and an historically black college).

*Both shows had arguably, unspectacular first seasons (Season 1 of The Facts of Life didn't have Jo and there were four other girls besides Blair, Tootie and Natalie, Season 1 of A Different World focused on Denise Huxtable instead of Whitley and Dwayne, Marisa Tomei was part of the cast, Debbie Allen wasn't overseeing things, and Arthea Franklin's theme song wasn't there) before getting retooled into the show that that we're more familiar with.


ADW had a strong first season in the ratings and was a top 5 show., Facts of life on the otherhand needed retooling since it took 2 years for the show to just land in the top 30

I like both "A Different World" and "The Facts of Life" but never really thought of them as being too similar. Though I can see your points, TMC. Perhaps one of the biggest similarities is that both series started their spinoffs with a daughter going off to school as the main connection. It was originally Kimberly who was going to Eastland in "Diff'rent Strokes", but by the time "The Facts of Life" came around, we didn't see her there any more.
With "A Different World", it was originally about Denise Huxtable moving from the Huxtable home in "The Cosby Show" to go to college at Hillman. And then we didn't see her past the first season.
And then both shows made the focus more on the school and its denizens rather than on those characters who first bridged the gap between the series.

ADW had a strong first season in the ratings and was a top 5 show., Facts of life on the otherhand needed retooling since it took 2 years for the show to just land in the top 30

I certainly helped that ADW if I'm not mistaken, had its parent show, The Cosby Show as its lead-in during the first season.