I am still on Season 6. Recently saw the episode where Jo turns down her bf marriage proposal and insta motherhood.

Season 7...

No more Embassy logos, though I don't know if they were there in the first place.

I like the retrospective style opening credits, with the scenes from past seasons. However, I hate the new theme, and the font used in the credits. And they abandoned the ending theme for a bad synth instrumental? Bad production crew. Bad.

The redesigned living room looks nice. It's brighter, better looking.

Not a big fan of Over Our Heads, though. IMO, Edna's Edibles could have just gotten a makeover to get rid of the wood and brighten the place up.

Amazon has lowered the price to $126.59. That's pretty darn good!

7 more days til this is mine!!! I can't wait!

I hope it arrives in great shape with no broken plastic and no missing discs.

The "Mister Ed" set I ordered from Amazon was a nightmare. EVERY case was broken and 2 discs were missing.

Wow, that's too bad! I read somewhere that Mister Ed's packaging was very flimsy for a box set of that size. My Facts set made it to Canada in mint condition and the outer case is very sturdy so hopefully you won't have any problems.

Yeah my FOL box set came in fine from Shout! I need to see more of it but have been on a Jeffersons marathon and now some Alice episodes.

3 more days!!!!!

Tomorrow's the big day! I hope my mail runs early!

Got my set today! It's in perfect shape! I can't wait to dig into season 6 later tonight!

Got my set today! It's in perfect shape! I can't wait to dig into season 6 later tonight!


Loved your mini countdown to getting it….lol

I am glad you got your copy!!


Enjoy viewing it! I'm on Season 7 or is it 8 already…LOL

Did You Know That The FACTS OF LIFE Mid Show Bumpers That Was Used During Commercial Break From Season Seven And Eight Is Added To The Complete Series DVD Set And Does The Final Season Have The Columbia Pictures Television Torch Lady Logo From 1988 :)

The FACTS OF LIFE Season Seven Commercial Break Bumper 1985 - 1986
It's Been Added To The Complete Series DVD Set I Am So Happy About That
When You Watch Every Season Seven Episode Your Gonna Be Shocked When You See It ! ;)

Did You Know That The FACTS OF LIFE Mid Show Bumpers That Was Used During Commercial Break From Season Seven And Eight Is Added To The Complete Series DVD Set And Does The Final Season Have The Columbia Pictures Television Torch Lady Logo From 1988 :)

I Hope so.

The FACTS OF LIFE Season Seven Commercial Break Bumper 1985 - 1986
It's Been Added To The Complete Series DVD Set I Am So Happy About That
When You Watch Every Season Seven Episode Your Gonna Be Shocked When You See It ! ;)
WXIA 11 Alive...that's the channel I watch out of Atlanta.

I've noticed in Season 4 the closed captions keep misspelling Blair's name as Blaire.

If they had hired ME to close-caption the show (a job I would love as a regular gig), I would've spelled it right! lol

I see in Season 5, the closed captions are ahead of what's being spoken. And Ive tried it in more than one DVD player.

I love that they added the bumpers to those seasons. I'm awaiting my set in the mail.

I guess Shout Factory pulled those eps directly from that Atlanta affiliate's sources.

I guess Shout Factory pulled those eps directly from that Atlanta affiliate's sources.

That is the silliest thing I have ever heard. Shout Factory got these episodes from the copy right holders not some affiliate in Atlanta. Going to an affiliate is not even close to how the DVD companies get their sources. Affiliates only have broadcast rights not distribution rights. That means they can play the show but not do anything else with it.

I noticed the Season 3 episode "Jo's Cousin" still has the edited opening. Missing about a minute of the girls in the lounge. Wonder why this has been edited on all DVD releases. Netflix Canada has the full scene. Poor Tootie's one line in the episode got cut!

I just seen the edited episode on Youtube and i didn't even notice Tootie in the episode at all. What was her line?

Can anybody answer this question for me? There was a deleted scene in the Season 6 episode "Jazzbeau" with Tootie & Jo sharing a private moment together, is this in the Complete Series DVD?

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa9/prettynpetite_2007/Facts%20of%20Life%202_zpsoapuvqht.jpg (http://s203.photobucket.com/user/prettynpetite_2007/media/Facts%20of%20Life%202_zpsoapuvqht.jpg.html)

I think they should have added the full interview of the 2011 Cast Reunion at the TV land Awards: that is the only reunion where all of the core main members were together in the same room.

So, exactly which episodes have defects and/or are edited in this set?

^The only one edited is the one where Tootie sings "Ease on Down the Road".

I got the complete series set today. Picture quality for Rough Housing was decent but the picture quality on the bonus disk with the Different Strokes episode was really poor. No wonder though. They crammed a lot onto that bonus disk.

I am guessing The Facts of Life Goes to Paris should be watched before you start season 4 but The Facts of Life Down Under airs between Cupid's Revenge and 62 Pick-Up from season 8; is that where it should be watched?

Thanks in advance?

I am guessing The Facts of Life Goes to Paris should be watched before you start season 4 but The Facts of Life Down Under airs between Cupid's Revenge and 62 Pick-Up from season 8; is that where it should be watched?

Thanks in advance?


The Facts of Life Down Under is a standalone movie. It has no reference in the show unlike The Facts of Life Goes To Paris. Judging off the hairstyles in Down Under, I do think it was filmed before any of the episodes in season 8 and was supposed to air right after Beverly Ann's introduction.

Many thanks Christopher.

Doesn’t Pippa come from the Kolunga School, where the girls had been visiting in “Down Undah”?

I also have the complete series. One reason I wanted it was to get the original unedited broadcast episodes. Then I realized I haven’t seen enough of the syndicated versions in order to pick out all of the “new material”; I can’t always put my finger on whether I’m seeing a scene that was cut when I watched on Nick at Nite or whatever. What do other complete series owners think? Is everything there?

Speaking of “Up From Down Under”, I watched that and noticed an obvious cut when Beverly Ann says that Mrs. G. told her a lot of things about the house when she left, but she can’t remember them all, then somebody else speaks and Beverly Ann is standing in a different place, as if she had moved while speaking the rest of her line.

Doesn’t Pippa come from the Kolunga School, where the girls had been visiting in “Down Undah”?

Yes, but there's no mention of their visit to Australia in the episode. The Facts of Life Down Under is a standalone story from the series.


I also have the complete series. One reason I wanted it was to get the original unedited broadcast episodes. Then I realized I haven’t seen enough of the syndicated versions in order to pick out all of the “new material”; I can’t always put my finger on whether I’m seeing a scene that was cut when I watched on Nick at Nite or whatever. What do other complete series owners think? Is everything there?

Speaking of “Up From Down Under”, I watched that and noticed an obvious cut when Beverly Ann says that Mrs. G. told her a lot of things about the house when she left, but she can’t remember them all, then somebody else speaks and Beverly Ann is standing in a different place, as if she had moved while speaking the rest of her line.


I love having this box set. It was worth the money. I remember I spent the extra money to get the fastest shipping method and was able to get it a week or two before it was released. I grew up with this show and never get sick of it so it was worth it.

I've seen the syndicated versions from local channels to USA to N@N to TV Land and then Hallmark. There was one time back in early 2012 that I saw one of the Eastland episodes on a cable channel and there was a lot cut out for commercials. Shows before 2000 are best having it on DVD since back then networks allowed half hour sitcoms to be between 24 to 25 minutes.

Shout claims The Graduate is the only edited episode but Bus Stop is too short. There's even scenes in the closing credits that weren't in the episode Shout put on the DVD set. I think that episode is edited.

I have now watched the first two episodes and then jumped to the first episode with Geri. Amazing the cast cull between seasons. The Brady Bunch was a half hour sitcom and managed to give 9 regulars all something to do. Hard to believe that a sitcom about a girls school is now just going to focus on 4 of them. I look forward watching the show for the first time in the not too distant future.

On the Brady Bunch it was 3 boys and 3 girls who were basically in 3 different age groups, so maybe it was easier to manage those stories than it was for 7 girls, most of whom were around the same age, and the only conflict they could find was between Blair and Sue Ann. That didn’t leave much for the other 7 characters to do. Brady Bunch also had B plots to keep other characters busy, something Facts didn’t do much in the beginning.

I have now watched the first two episodes and then jumped to the first episode with Geri. Amazing the cast cull between seasons. The Brady Bunch was a half hour sitcom and managed to give 9 regulars all something to do. Hard to believe that a sitcom about a girls school is now just going to focus on 4 of them. I look forward watching the show for the first time in the not too distant future.

The cast cull is so weird, in retrospect. 'Too many girls" ...in a girls' school? Plenty of shows handled large casts, even in that era.

But do let us know your thoughts as you watch all the episodes.

But do let us know your thoughts as you watch all the episodes.

Thank you for that.

Facts is a show I have never really seen. It was shown in Great Britain by Sky One (a new satallite tv network) in the early 90s from memory. I never watched it but I did really like the theme. If it wasn't for the theme I may not have been so impulsed to buy it. With that said, a complete series boxset of a show I think I might like is always tempting.

Thoughts so far...Mrs G has a strange manner of speaking and delivering her lines in these early episodes. Not sure if that will change in time but she is a little OTT. I think that happens with shows on VT taped in front of an audience. The cast often play the lines a bit hyper to get a reaction from the studio audience IMO.

I hope the extras reveal why they kept the girls they did. Most of them are all a little so-so in their acting abilities but I am guessing as the show progresses and their confidence too that they will improve.

Molly Ringwold I know from the John Hughes movies but in this she isn't too good. Same goes for Tootie but then she is the youngest. I can see why they kept Blair. I think she is the best of them at the moment.

Part of me wonders if they kept Natalie because she was the only black girl and Mindy because she was the only overweight girl? The character of Cindy is kind of what the character of Jo is I am thinking.

The opening credits to the first season with the girls bunched up are a bit poor. And when they lose the female teacher they seem to adopt a swiping motion which also looks poor. And Mrs G; I don't think singing was her strong point. :crazy:

I am enjoying the show and I am looking forward to seeing just how much it changes over the years. It followed the girls for 9 years. They started at a school but at some point end up in a food shop and then a a gift shop and I am curious as to what keeps them all together.

Some good adult subject matters as well such as Blair not wanting to be like her mother who is a bit too flirty.

Also, I never knew the closing theme had some different words.

On the Brady Bunch it was 3 boys and 3 girls who were basically in 3 different age groups, so maybe it was easier to manage those stories than it was for 7 girls, most of whom were around the same age, and the only conflict they could find was between Blair and Sue Ann. That didn’t leave much for the other 7 characters to do. Brady Bunch also had B plots to keep other characters busy, something Facts didn’t do much in the beginning.

Probably true. Perhaps with Facts they should have made a more diverse bunch of girls to start with.

Regarding the picture quality...season 1 is not too bad so far but I popped in a season 9 disk to listen to the theme tune and the picture quality is very poor. Reminds me of when you record something on to a recordable dvd and select the speed that allows you to record 6 hours onto the disk rather than 1 which compromises the picture quality badly.

Thank you for that.

Facts is a show I have never really seen. It was shown in Great Britain by Sky One (a new satallite tv network) in the early 90s from memory. I never watched it but I did really like the theme. If it wasn't for the theme I may not have been so impulsed to buy it. With that said, a complete series boxset of a show I think I might like is always tempting.

Thoughts so far...Mrs G has a strange manner of speaking and delivering her lines in these early episodes. Not sure if that will change in time but she is a little OTT. I think that happens with shows on VT taped in front of an audience. The cast often play the lines a bit hyper to get a reaction from the studio audience IMO.

I hope the extras reveal why they kept the girls they did. Most of them are all a little so-so in their acting abilities but I am guessing as the show progresses and their confidence too that they will improve.

Molly Ringwold I know from the John Hughes movies but in this she isn't too good. Same goes for Tootie but then she is the youngest. I can see why they kept Blair. I think she is the best of them at the moment.

Part of me wonders if they kept Natalie because she was the only black girl and Mindy because she was the only overweight girl? The character of Cindy is kind of what the character of Jo is I am thinking.

The opening credits to the first season with the girls bunched up are a bit poor. And when they lose the female teacher they seem to adopt a swiping motion which also looks poor. And Mrs G; I don't think singing was her strong point. :crazy:

I am enjoying the show and I am looking forward to seeing just how much it changes over the years. It followed the girls for 9 years. They started at a school but at some point end up in a food shop and then a a gift shop and I am curious as to what keeps them all together.

Some good adult subject matters as well such as Blair not wanting to be like her mother who is a bit too flirty.

Also, I never knew the closing theme had some different words.

Thanks for the reactions, Bachu. It was interesting to read reactions from someone who hadn't really followed the show before.

Mrs. Garrett definitely was a little OTT on Diff'rent Strokes, and later during the first few seasons of FOL. I actually like it, because it feels more like a play, to me.

I agree that Lisa Whelchel (Blair) was probably the best actress out of the original group, but I also think Felice Schachter (Nancy) and Julie Anne Haddock (Cindy) turned in strong performances that first year. I hate the Cast Purge, and feel like it was a dumb idea, with a poor excuse: "too many girls" at a... school for girls?

Don't worry: Blair's mother won't stay flirty. :lol:

And Cindy will indeed be "replaced" by Jo, although there is a lot to Cindy that won't be transferred to Jo.

I am not familiar with all the names yet.

I liked Cindy and to me it was strange that the first episode of a new comedy series about girls in a boarding school opened with a storyline that almost implied that Cindy was a lesbian. It would have been a bold move if the show have kept that character though I have yet to see how she will turn out.

All I followed about the show before was the very catchy theme tune...You take the good...

I am not familiar with all the names yet.

I liked Cindy and to me it was strange that the first episode of a new comedy series about girls in a boarding school opened with a storyline that almost implied that Cindy was a lesbian. It would have been a bold move if the show have kept that character though I have yet to see how she will turn out.

All I followed about the show before was the very catchy theme tune...You take the good...

Cindy is Cindy of the Brady Bunch. Blonde hair and pig tails, but much more of a Tomboy (so she is like Greg too). Blair is Marsha. Nancy O. is Jan, including her own version of George Glass. Molly looks like Bobby, hair style and more. Tootie is Cindy since she likes to tattle.

Mrs. Garrett definitely was a little OTT on Diff'rent Strokes, and later during the first few seasons of FOL. I actually like it, because it feels more like a play, to me.

I would agree. These early episodes do feel a bit like plays. They do not play out like a 'real' life event wood such as in the episode I just watched where everyones IQs were revealed. Quite a decent episode.

I would agree. These early episodes do feel a bit like plays. They do not play out like a 'real' life event wood such as in the episode I just watched where everyones IQs were revealed. Quite a decent episode.

Yes. And with the studio audience clapping at the end of every act, it's a very different feel than in, say, season 6.

I like how Miss Mahoney sticks it to Mr. Bradley in the episode.

Since you have just watched Episode 4, "IQ", you may notice already a casting change that was made between episodes 4 and 5: the first of many casting changes over the course of nine years (by the end, only two characters made it from backdoor pilot to finale).

Now onto disk 2 of season 1 as I have been on holiday. The girls are a great bunch though Molly is probably the worst in terms of performance. I have just watched the dieting episode which was quite good though the pony tail on the back of Mrs Garretts hair was a sight to see.

I won't miss the head teacher when he goes. His performance is probably the worst. Too OTT.

Something that does surprise me about the show is that it is quite sexual. Even Tootie has shown an interest in a guys 'butt' which is more specific than saying a guy is cute.

Now onto disk 2 of season 1 as I have been on holiday. The girls are a great bunch though Molly is probably the worst in terms of performance. I have just watched the dieting episode which was quite good though the pony tail on the back of Mrs Garretts hair was a sight to see.

I won't miss the head teacher when he goes. His performance is probably the worst. Too OTT.

Something that does surprise me about the show is that it is quite sexual. Even Tootie has shown an interest in a guys 'butt' which is more specific than saying a guy is cute.

Season 1 seemed to have lots of sexual innuendo in it, especially among the younger girls. They sort of cleaned it up for Season 2, though it had some still in it. I laugh when people call Facts of Life a wholesome show when at the time it debuted, there was parents around who would not allow their kids to watch it. Some people may get the wholesome show idea either because they have selective memories or they saw it in syndication where several episodes were banned or controversial scenes were edited out.

I have noe finished the first season. Overall, I enjoyed it and I will miss the 'lost girls' for sure. I like the main girls the show is known for but the others all added something. With that said, the should did run 8 seasons without them.

I may have a break from the show as I like to watch a season of one show and then flip to another and back again. I might watch the opening two parter for season 2 though as I am curious to know how they explain the changes.

I have noe finished the first season. Overall, I enjoyed it and I will miss the 'lost girls' for sure. I like the main girls the show is known for but the others all added something. With that said, the should did run 8 seasons without them.

I may have a break from the show as I like to watch a season of one show and then flip to another and back again. I might watch the opening two parter for season 2 though as I am curious to know how they explain the changes.

Glad you enjoyed! :wave:

I have noe finished the first season. Overall, I enjoyed it and I will miss the 'lost girls' for sure. I like the main girls the show is known for but the others all added something. With that said, the should did run 8 seasons without them.

I may have a break from the show as I like to watch a season of one show and then flip to another and back again. I might watch the opening two parter for season 2 though as I am curious to know how they explain the changes.

They don't explain the changes. They bring Molly back for the opener and then she is never seen again. They bring back the other lost girls for Gossip and Nancy O. got more airtime than she did in any Season 1 episode, except for IQ. At the end of Gossip, you do see all 7 girls together helping out on a project.

Shows back then never explained big changes like that. We’re kind of supposed to believe the other girls are off in another part of the school, along with all the other students we barely see.

Watched the two part season 2 opener. It explains Blair, Tootie and Natalie along with new girl Jo almost all got expelled but provided they help out in the canteen and now live above it they can stay on which I suppose leaves the viewer to decide that the other girls are still in the dorm. Mollys appearance was nice but also hardly worth it.

Picture quality isn't that good. A tad blocky which is a shame as there are only about 8 episodes on a disk and I have seen other releases with as many episodes and the picture quality has looked good. In fact, the release of Lost in Space in widescreen has 5 51 minutes episodes per disk and they look 100% better than this.

I read in another thread that Jo cries a lot. She cried at the end of part 2. I might note down everytime she cries because I believe that folk believe she was a hard character.

Watched the two part season 2 opener. It explains Blair, Tootie and Natalie along with new girl Jo almost all got expelled but provided they help out in the canteen and now live above it they can stay on which I suppose leaves the viewer to decide that the other girls are still in the dorm. Mollys appearance was nice but also hardly worth it.

Picture quality isn't that good. A tad blocky which is a shame as there are only about 8 episodes on a disk and I have seen other releases with as many episodes and the picture quality has looked good. In fact, the release of Lost in Space in widescreen has 5 51 minutes episodes per disk and they look 100% better than this.

I read in another thread that Jo cries a lot. She cried at the end of part 2. I might note down everytime she cries because I believe that folk believe she was a hard character.

Molly's appearance was interesting to watch her body language (which she learned from the body language book the last season). The lip biting, the classic Molly eye rolls after she said "Let It Go, Margo". She looked like she was so out of that dump as soon as that seen was ove while she was sitting at the table with Margo and couldn't wait to leave. And she never said a word to Jo plus her lines with Natalie (who she was clashing with) was cut.

Molly's appearance was very interesting because it was a major element that helped bridge season 1 and season 2 together.

Molly's appearance was interesting to watch her body language (which she learned from the body language book the last season). The lip biting, the classic Molly eye rolls after she said "Let It Go, Margo". She looked like she was so out of that dump as soon as that seen was ove while she was sitting at the table with Margo and couldn't wait to leave.

I imagine that must have been how they wanted her to act, otherwise the director would have called "cut" and had a talk with her.


And she never said a word to Jo

That has nothing to do with Molly, that's how the writers wrote the script. They knew it was more interesting to the audience to see her talk to a couple of the girls she used to live with.


plus her lines with Natalie (who she was clashing with) was cut.

We don't know they were "clashing". Again, all Molly Ringwald said in that interview when asked "Who was the mean girl on the set?" was, after she had to think about it and forcefully reach for some sort of an answer, the insecure/unsure response, "Mindyyyy???". And all she said she was a little intimidating.

It also makes sense to cut her Natalie interaction because Natalie was at the end of the line. They wouldn't cut Blair and Tootie because they were the 2 hottest stars from season 1. So they'd definitely wanna keep her lines with them (and that's how they lined up the 3 girls after new girl Jo: breakout star Blair first, then second-most popular, Tootie, then Natalie).

Molly's appearance was very interesting because it was a major element that helped bridge season 1 and season 2 together.



I imagine that must have been how they wanted her to act, otherwise the director would have called "cut" and had a talk with her.

Or they figured they had a problem child on hand and wanted to wrap it up quickly. I am not the only one who says this. The Facts on Facts podcast said Molly had an Eff you attitude about her for this episode. We do know that she quit shortly after taping. https://www.buzzsprout.com/197949/957791-the-facts-of-facts-season-2-episodes-1-2-the-new-girl-aka-the-legend-of-calamity-toots

Well we know she was humiliated because of her 1986 interview. But she'd also know she had to "act the part" and "play along".

After watching 'The new girl part 2', i had to admit that MOLLY delivered great lines in the last ever appearance she made and her body language spoke volumes: it said I DON'T WANNA BE HERE ANYMORE AND I FEEL BETRAYED...

Well, if anyone knows anything about body language on this show, it's Molly! :lol:

Well, if anyone knows anything about body language on this show, it's Molly! :lol:

Exactly :D

Well, I have found myself drawn back into the show...

The new premise of the show is holding up well and it makes sense that they are in the cafeteria set so much. It and the impressive kitchen set doesn't feel like a part of the old school though. It is probably a newer building.

Mindy is the weakest of the girls so far IMO. She says a line and looks like she is going to start laughing herself most of the time. Kim impressed me during the 'black' episode in her serious scenes. A very good episode IMO.

Lisa is good as Blair but her performance rarely feels natural. She feels like a sitcom character. And Nancy plays Jo quite nicely.

Well, I have found myself drawn back into the show...

The new premise of the show is holding up well and it makes sense that they are in the cafeteria set so much. It and the impressive kitchen set doesn't feel like a part of the old school though. It is probably a newer building.

I don't think we've ever discussed this, before. The exterior shots still show Harwood Court (representing the girls' dorm), which was built in 1921. The interior of the cafeteria definitely feels more recent than that, so I think you are right.


Mindy is the weakest of the girls so far IMO. She says a line and looks like she is going to start laughing herself most of the time.

Yeah, Mindy definitely cracked herself up. :lol:


Kim impressed me during the 'black' episode in her serious scenes. A very good episode IMO.

I liked that episode, too, and felt like they handled the material well.


Lisa is good as Blair but her performance rarely feels natural. She feels like a sitcom character.

I think that is what they wanted. I mean, they weren't going for realism with Blair Warner.

The Eastland Cafeteria was a common eating place for all schools. The first season they had small dining room in the kitchen which looked like what you would see in a frat or sority house. Not surprising since the original set was a sorority house in Coed Fever.

any fan of the show should get the complete set it's well worth the investment hours of pure facts of life fun and entertainment and u will not be disappointed if u can afford it i highly recommend it !

Well, I have found myself drawn back into the show...

The new premise of the show is holding up well and it makes sense that they are in the cafeteria set so much. It and the impressive kitchen set doesn't feel like a part of the old school though. It is probably a newer building.

Mindy is the weakest of the girls so far IMO. She says a line and looks like she is going to start laughing herself most of the time. Kim impressed me during the 'black' episode in her serious scenes. A very good episode IMO.

Lisa is good as Blair but her performance rarely feels natural. She feels like a sitcom character. And Nancy plays Jo quite nicely.

OMG! Finally someone else here sees it too! Thank you...it's not just me. I call it her "suppressing smile/laugh" because you can see how she's trying so hard not to and failing miserably lol. She does start to lose it by season 6 though, thank God.

Does that qualify as another Loki here? :lol::lol:

OMG! Finally someone else here sees it too! Thank you...it's not just me. I call it her "suppressing smile/laugh" because you can see how she's trying so hard not to and failing miserably lol. She does start to lose it by season 6 though, thank God.

Does that qualify as another Loki here? :lol::lol:


I found MINDY COHN quite good as an actress considering she wasn't even one in the first place, but since we are at it, from range one, out of the 3 girls who got chosen to stay i would say:

1. LISA as BLAIR was the best from season 1 until the end (she was such a natural!)

2. KIM FIELDS as TOOTIE comes as next, but only in the season 1 + 2 (after that she's kind of lousy and lost all her childlike charm)

3. MINDY COHN as NAT comes last: i guess she didn't get so many lines and was still developing on season 1, but in season 2 she improved considerably, and after that she was the most hilarious one out of the core of 4!

PS: in my opinion lol!:D

It cannot be easy either being a child/young adult performing on stage in front of a studio audience. Mindy is likeable and I am guessing that she will improve. She is funny but too often seems like she is trying to suppress a laugh as she is acting in a sitcom. Kim was like this in season one but has already improved a bit. Lisa just seems to have her own style. Kinda performing at a different level to everyone else.

But all the cast are likeable to me and a joy to watch.

I have now finished the first half of season two. Still a lot of sexual innuendo that I am surprised about. I just had the impression it was more wholesome than it is.

It cannot be easy either being a child/young adult performing on stage in front of a studio audience. Mindy is likeable and I am guessing that she will improve. She is funny but too often seems like she is trying to suppress a laugh as she is acting in a sitcom. Kim was like this in season one but has already improved a bit. Lisa just seems to have her own style. Kinda performing at a different level to everyone else.

But all the cast are likeable to me and a joy to watch.

I definitely agree that Lisa was performing at a completely different level.


I have now finished the first half of season two. Still a lot of sexual innuendo that I am surprised about. I just had the impression it was more wholesome than it is.

Wait 'til you get to Season Nine! :bow-chick-a-bow-wow-emoji :lol:

It cannot be easy either being a child/young adult performing on stage in front of a studio audience. Mindy is likeable and I am guessing that she will improve. She is funny but too often seems like she is trying to suppress a laugh as she is acting in a sitcom. Kim was like this in season one but has already improved a bit. Lisa just seems to have her own style. Kinda performing at a different level to everyone else.

But all the cast are likeable to me and a joy to watch.

I have now finished the first half of season two. Still a lot of sexual innuendo that I am surprised about. I just had the impression it was more wholesome than it is.

My parents would not allow my younger siblings watch it during seasons 1 and 2.

Just watched Gossip which I have read various bits about on this board. It was nice to see the lost girls and such a shame they were let go. The show would have been better with them IMO. Must have been strange for fans to watch when this originally went out; about 8 weeks without them and boom, almost all of them are back.

Just watched Gossip which I have read various bits about on this board. It was nice to see the lost girls and such a shame they were let go. The show would have been better with them IMO. Must have been strange for fans to watch when this originally went out; about 8 weeks without them and boom, almost all of them are back.

It is! I really loved seeing them return.

Just watched Gossip which I have read various bits about on this board. It was nice to see the lost girls and such a shame they were let go. The show would have been better with them IMO. Must have been strange for fans to watch when this originally went out; about 8 weeks without them and boom, almost all of them are back.

Like you, I think the show would have been better had they stayed. The show popped with more personalities, and it felt more like a school with a full cast of characters.

Like you, I think the show would have been better had they stayed. The show popped with more personalities, and it felt more like a school with a full cast of characters.


You know i agree 100% with you [B]Retro:[/B they could have still focused the show on the core of 4 as the main ones, but have the LOST GIRLS hang around with them like a normal school.:wave::wave::wave:

Just watched Gossip which I have read various bits about on this board. It was nice to see the lost girls and such a shame they were let go. The show would have been better with them IMO. Must have been strange for fans to watch when this originally went out; about 8 weeks without them and boom, almost all of them are back.

Especially since Nancy O. was a main feature of the plot and she got more lines in Gossip than all but one or two episodes in Season 1.

I picked up a complete series set from eBay a month or so ago. I paid $40 or so for a new set.
I agree with some of the other comments here - the video quality is pretty bad, since the cram 8 episodes on a DVD.
I don't watch the DVDs themselves - I save the video files and then stream through Plex. At first I thought I was Plex, but watching the DVDs on my computer, I see the same issues. Lots of macroblocking.

I picked up a complete series set from eBay a month or so ago. I paid $40 or so for a new set.
I agree with some of the other comments here - the video quality is pretty bad, since the cram 8 episodes on a DVD.
I don't watch the DVDs themselves - I save the video files and then stream through Plex. At first I thought I was Plex, but watching the DVDs on my computer, I see the same issues. Lots of macroblocking.

Oh no, how bad is the picture? I really have my heart set on getting it next month! I have a 42" TV so not too big that it would stretch the picture too much if that's the case. Now i'm hesitant to get it. :eek:

I picked up a complete series set from eBay a month or so ago. I paid $40 or so for a new set.
I agree with some of the other comments here - the video quality is pretty bad, since the cram 8 episodes on a DVD.
I don't watch the DVDs themselves - I save the video files and then stream through Plex. At first I thought I was Plex, but watching the DVDs on my computer, I see the same issues. Lots of macroblocking.

If you paid $40 for it, you more than likely got a bootleg copy which would explain why the video quality is so bad.

Oh no, how bad is the picture? I really have my heart set on getting it next month! I have a 42" TV so not too big that it would stretch the picture too much if that's the case. Now i'm hesitant to get it. :eek:


I got most DVDs on FOL and they are definitely good qualities!
I got them individually in this order: season 1 + 2 as a combo; then season 3, then 4, then 5 and finally 6 and they are DEFINITELY DVD quality (maybe not BLU-RAY but still)!:wave::wave::wave:

I got most DVDs on FOL and they are definitely good qualities!
I got them individually in this order: season 1 + 2 as a combo; then season 3, then 4, then 5 and finally 6 and they are DEFINITELY DVD quality (maybe not BLU-RAY but still)!:wave::wave::wave:

Thanks. But I think the Complete Series set is different from the separate dvd's and has worse quality? I hope others can chime in and say it's not so bad it's unwatchable!

I agree with some of the other comments here - the video quality is pretty bad, since the cram 8 episodes on a DVD.

But most sitcom DVDs have 8 episodes on a disc. And their video is beautiful. I have no sitcom sets that are "bad" video.

But most sitcom DVDs have 8 episodes on a disc. And their video is beautiful. I have no sitcom sets that are "bad" video.

Bewitched has up to 9 episodes on a disc and the picture plays just fine. I prefer when it has that many eps. on a dvd because I can just pop one in to play for hours.

Bewitched has up to 9 episodes on a disc and the picture plays just fine. I prefer when it has that many eps. on a dvd because I can just pop one in to play for hours.

Me too! :clap: I like to pop in a disc and veg out on the couch! :D

Me too! :clap: I like to pop in a disc and veg out on the couch! :D

I did that last night. Antenna TV was playing a silly Murphy Brown marathon <gag>, so I popped Bewitched in for the evening. :)

If you paid $40 for it, you more than likely got a bootleg copy which would explain why the video quality is so bad.

Do you think? It came in the retail box, was sealed, had the dvd boxes, and booklet.

But, when I was copying the DVDs to my computer, i did get a strange pop up message. Something along the lines that the dvds were made with a particular program that could cause time code issues.

Compared to other DVDs that I have saved to my computer, the file sizes for each episode seems small. Some DVDs have file sizes per episode of 900 MB to one gigabyte. Most of the facts of life episodes are around 500 to 600 MB.

Do you think? It came in the retail box, was sealed, had the dvd boxes, and booklet.

But, when I was copying the DVDs to my computer, i did get a strange pop up message. Something along the lines that the dvds were made with a particular program that could cause time code issues.

Compared to other DVDs that I have saved to my computer, the file sizes for each episode seems small. Some DVDs have file sizes per episode of 900 MB to one gigabyte. Most of the facts of life episodes are around 500 to 600 MB.

Maybe if anyone else has saved the files to their computer they could tell me what their file sizes were per episode?

If you paid $40 for it, you more than likely got a bootleg copy which would explain why the video quality is so bad.

Do you think? It came in the retail box, was sealed, had the dvd boxes, and booklet.

But, when I was copying the DVDs to my computer, i did get a strange pop up message. Something along the lines that the dvds were made with a particular program that could cause time code issues.

Compared to other DVDs that I have saved to my computer, the file sizes for each episode seems small. Some DVDs have file sizes per episode of 900 MB to one gigabyte. Most of the facts of life episodes are around 500 to 600 MB.

Do you think? It came in the retail box, was sealed, had the dvd boxes, and booklet.

But, when I was copying the DVDs to my computer, i did get a strange pop up message. Something along the lines that the dvds were made with a particular program that could cause time code issues.

Compared to other DVDs that I have saved to my computer, the file sizes for each episode seems small. Some DVDs have file sizes per episode of 900 MB to one gigabyte. Most of the facts of life episodes are around 500 to 600 MB.


Same exact thing happened to me when I bought The Jeffersons Complete Series on Ebay for $40 bucks and free shipping. I thought I was getting quite the bargain! It came in looking brand new and sealed but every dvd would freeze when it got to the 4th episode and forward.

The first few episodes would play fine, but each dvd towards the end would freeze. I'm convinced it was a bootleg made to look like a brand new set. It even came with the episode booklet too. I believe they know how to duplicate these sets exactly like the real thing.

I was SO pissed and vowed never to buy complete sets when I see them unusually low from retail prices.

Do you think? It came in the retail box, was sealed, had the dvd boxes, and booklet.

But, when I was copying the DVDs to my computer, i did get a strange pop up message. Something along the lines that the dvds were made with a particular program that could cause time code issues.

Compared to other DVDs that I have saved to my computer, the file sizes for each episode seems small. Some DVDs have file sizes per episode of 900 MB to one gigabyte. Most of the facts of life episodes are around 500 to 600 MB.

Check the disc size. The standard disc will be 7.76GB but a bootleg will be something like 4.6GB.

Same exact thing happened to me when I bought The Jeffersons Complete Series on Ebay for $40 bucks and free shipping. I thought I was getting quite the bargain! It came in looking brand new and sealed but every dvd would freeze when it got to the 4th episode and forward.

The first few episodes would play fine, but each dvd towards the end would freeze. I'm convinced it was a bootleg made to look like a brand new set. It even came with the episode booklet too. I believe they know how to duplicate these sets exactly like the real thing.

I was SO pissed and vowed never to buy complete sets when I see them unusually low from retail prices.

I don't trust third party sellers for the most part but there are some you can trust like Deep Discount and blowitoutahere for example. Anything fulfilled by Amazon I assume is legit too and they have a very good return policy.

Check the disc size. The standard disc will be 7.76GB but a bootleg will be something like 4.6GB.

Pretty sure they are bootleg. 8 episodes at 500mb each is about 4gb.

I also requested to return on eBay saying I think they are bootleg, and the seller instantly refunded me.

I see it’s $80 on Amazon, maybe I’ll buy that set. Kind of torn, because I have spent hours copying all of the episodes to my computer. And while the quality is not perfect, it’s watchable. But there’s something about wanting the highest quality episodes.

then stream through Plex. At first I thought I was Plex, but watching the DVDs on my computer, I see the same issues. Lots of macroblocking.

Is Plex the media server where you upload the files online? I tried that once but it was too much of a hassle. I prefer Divx Media Server. It just plays straight from your computer without uploading anything.


Maybe if anyone else has saved the files to their computer they could tell me what their file sizes were per episode?

If you're ripping straight from the DVD, it's going to be close to a gigabyte. I've never had any problems ripping DVDs. I thought I would with Night Court and Alice because I heard they were on DVD-R discs, but they ripped fine. The picture quality is normal like you'd see on a DVD. Since you had problems with the set you bought, it's most likely that's not the official release from Shout and is homemade discs.

As for The Facts of Life, Shout didn't touch up any episodes like Sony did on their releases. The picture quality Sony did on seasons 1 - 3 is A LOT better than the quality on Shout's release. The only problem with Sony is that they edited episodes unlike Shout. If you do the 2-pass high quality compression on your rips like I told you about in the PM, it'll look fine though.

Is Plex the media server where you upload the files online? I tried that once but it was too much of a hassle. I prefer Divx Media Server. It just plays straight from your computer without uploading anything.

I don't think the files upload, they just stream to your tv from your computer. I've been using Plex for a long time, it takes a little bit to figure out, but once you understand how the files need to be named, it's pretty slick.


If you're ripping straight from the DVD, it's going to be close to a gigabyte.

Each file is about 500MB, so pretty sure they are bootleg. They're watchable, just not the highest quality I've experience from other DVD sets. Some of the episodes look like the sharpness is turned all the way up.

I've never had any problems ripping DVDs. I thought I would with Night Court and Alice because I heard they were on DVD-R discs, but they ripped fine. The picture quality is normal like you'd see on a DVD. Since you had problems with the set you bought, it's most likely that's not the official release from Shout and is homemade discs.

I have all of the Alice seasons, they look great!

Is Plex the media server where you upload the files online? I tried that once but it was too much of a hassle. I prefer Divx Media Server. It just plays straight from your computer without uploading anything.




If you're ripping straight from the DVD, it's going to be close to a gigabyte. I've never had any problems ripping DVDs. I thought I would with Night Court and Alice because I heard they were on DVD-R discs, but they ripped fine. The picture quality is normal like you'd see on a DVD. Since you had problems with the set you bought, it's most likely that's not the official release from Shout and is homemade discs.

As for The Facts of Life, Shout didn't touch up any episodes like Sony did on their releases. The picture quality Sony did on seasons 1 - 3 is A LOT better than the quality on Shout's release. The only problem with Sony is that they edited episodes unlike Shout. If you do the 2-pass high quality compression on your rips like I told you about in the PM, it'll look fine though.


I actually got all my DVDs (individually and not the box set) from SHOUT FACTORY and the quality is good!:wave:

I got my set from ebay for about £55 pounds. It looks just like the one in this unboxing video in this link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48HygQx6zkk
I think the picture quality is very mixed. Season 1 is OK but 2 is a little worse and when I popped in a later series it really took a dive. I do not believe that mine is a bootleg copy. This release picture wise has to be the worst one I ever ever seen for poor picture encoding.

Anyway, I have just finished season two. Over all I enjoyed it and after a while I didn't miss the lost girls though I thought they should have stayed. Cannot believe they sneaked in a back door pilot as the final episode though.

Dolls!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uuQ2vb56fI

I got my set from ebay for about £55 pounds. It looks just like the one in this unboxing video in this link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48HygQx6zkk
I think the picture quality is very mixed. Season 1 is OK but 2 is a little worse and when I popped in a later series it really took a dive. I do not believe that mine is a bootleg copy. This release picture wise has to be the worst one I ever ever seen for poor picture encoding.

Anyway, I have just finished season two. Over all I enjoyed it and after a while I didn't miss the lost girls though I thought they should have stayed. Cannot believe they sneaked in a back door pilot as the final episode though.


Thanks for sharing, and i'm surely glad i bought my FOL DVDs separately: i got season 1 + 2 as a combo, then 3, 4, 5 & finally 6! (i never cared much for the later seasons without MRS G as the main one + the USELESS characters that were added lol):p:p:p

Cannot believe they sneaked in a back door pilot as the final episode though.

NBC was desperate for hits.

I've never had any problems ripping DVDs.

How is this possible? I thought you wouldn't be able to rip officially released studio DVDs because they fix it to where you can't? :confused:

NBC was desperate for hits.

Well NBC sure wound up with plenty of hits in 1979 and 1980---Blair got slapped and punched, and Sue Ann and Cindy attacked each other.

;)

Well NBC sure wound up with plenty of hits in 1979 and 1980---Blair got slapped and punched, and Sue Ann and Cindy attacked each other.

;)

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Not only that: Cindy threatened to hit Willis in a crossover episode! :lol:

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Not only that: Cindy threatened to hit Willis in a crossover episode! :lol:


When was that? I don't remember CINDY threatening WILLIS, except for interacting with him on the episode 'Rough housing' asking him what he was doing in a girl's school:lol::lol::lol:

When was that? I don't remember CINDY threatening WILLIS, except for interacting with him on the episode 'Rough housing' asking him what he was doing in a girl's school:lol::lol::lol:

I think that may have been in Slumber Party episode of Different Strokes where Molly, Cindy, Natalie, Tootie, came over to the Drummond household for a Slumber party.

I think that may have been in Slumber Party episode of Different Strokes where Molly, Cindy, Natalie, Tootie, came over to the Drummond household for a Slumber party.


Why was BLAIR not there? Was she not invited at KIMBERLY's? (Probably not, cos if i remember well: they didn't get along on the pilot episode 'The girls school'):confused::confused::confused:

I think that may have been in Slumber Party episode of Different Strokes where Molly, Cindy, Natalie, Tootie, came over to the Drummond household for a Slumber party.

DING DING DING! :wave:

80s Dude, that is the correct answer! Johnny, tell him what he's won!

Why was BLAIR not there? Was she not invited at KIMBERLY's? (Probably not, cos if i remember well: they didn't get along on the pilot episode 'The girls school'):confused::confused::confused:

Blair shows up in a later episode with Natalie.

Why was BLAIR not there? Was she not invited at KIMBERLY's? (Probably not, cos if i remember well: they didn't get along on the pilot episode 'The girls school'):confused::confused::confused:

Blair shows up in a later episode with Natalie.

Since "The Slumber Party" was spring 1980, Blair and Kimberly were probably getting along pretty fine by that point, with Mrs. Garrett's influence in the dorm.

And if you'll notice, it's like an unspoken detail that Kimberly's slumber party is for the younger girls. None of the 3 older girls are there. But that's a little odd, since Kimberly is 15 there. Maybe she likes being the oldest of whoever's around her, lol.

I actually got all my DVDs (individually and not the box set) from SHOUT FACTORY and the quality is good!:wave:

Mine came from Shout too. I paid the extra cash to get it right away when the news of the release was announced. It's the only DVD set I ever paid double digits on for speedy shipping. It paid off though. I got it like two weeks I think before the release date.

The quality is ok but it's nowhere near as good as what Sony did on their releases.


How is this possible? I thought you wouldn't be able to rip officially released studio DVDs because they fix it to where you can't? :confused:

With the right programs, you can rip any DVD. Every TV show DVD I buy, I rip so I don't have to go through disc after disc just to see the episodes. It's also great having backups so you don't put so much wear and tear on the discs. With how much I watch The Facts of Life, my discs would be ruined by now.

^---Ahh, interesting---good to know! :idea:

I have now started season 3. A little so-so. The banter is starting to seem a liitle familiar. Blair will shake her head and smile and make some comment about 'rich' things, Jo will threaten to punch her lights out, Natalie will will say something funny, nod her head and try not to laugh.

I have just watched the Jermaine Jackson episode which I thought was very good. Kim gave a great performance as a hysterical Tootie. And good on Jermaine as the episode presented what a let down it can be meeting your hero.

I have now started season 3. A little so-so. The banter is starting to seem a liitle familiar. Blair will shake her head and smile and make some comment about 'rich' things, Jo will threaten to punch her lights out, Natalie will will say something funny, nod her head and try not to laugh.

I have just watched the Jermaine Jackson episode which I thought was very good. Kim gave a great performance as a hysterical Tootie. And good on Jermaine as the episode presented what a let down it can be meeting your hero.




I know what you mean about season 3: i hated JO then, cos she was always aggressive towards BLAIR (i like her more in season 2 and all the others, except 3):meangya::meangya::meangya::meangya::meangya::meangya::meangya:

Season 3 seemed like they ran out of plot ideas after the cast reduction. They clumsily brought in the Miko character for a couple of episodes. They rehashed the "Overachieving" plot for "The Americanization of Milko." They did have some good original episodes like "Runaway" and "New York, New York" and we saw the last of the Lost Girls until 5 years later.

It has been nice to see the lost girls this season. Such a shame they have hardly anything to do but so nice to see them.

Part of me wonders whether I would enjoy the episodes more if the picture quality wasn't so poor. This is the worst release I have ever seen in terms of compressing the image. It is very blocky. I am convinced this isn't a bootleg set as the box it is house in is the sturdiest I have ever seen. The dvd sleeves are of a high quality and all the menus are animated etc. The only way I would know for sure would be to buy a single season set and compare.

It has been nice to see the lost girls this season. Such a shame they have hardly anything to do but so nice to see them.

Part of me wonders whether I would enjoy the episodes more if the picture quality wasn't so poor. This is the worst release I have ever seen in terms of compressing the image. It is very blocky. I am convinced this isn't a bootleg set as the box it is house in is the sturdiest I have ever seen. The dvd sleeves are of a high quality and all the menus are animated etc. The only way I would know for sure would be to buy a single season set and compare.



I bought of my FOL DVDs separately (except for the combo 1 & 2) and they are all in perfect condition!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Season 3 seemed like they ran out of plot ideas after the cast reduction. They clumsily brought in the Miko character for a couple of episodes. They rehashed the "Overachieving" plot for "The Americanization of Milko." They did have some good original episodes like "Runaway" and "New York, New York" and we saw the last of the Lost Girls until 5 years later.




Season 3 has some good episodes (although it's not as good as season 1 & 2) such as 'The 4 musketeers', 'New York, New York' and 'Growing pains', but you're right: the MIKO's episodes suck!!!!!:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

Season 3 seemed like they ran out of plot ideas after the cast reduction. They clumsily brought in the Miko character for a couple of episodes. They rehashed the "Overachieving" plot for "The Americanization of Milko." They did have some good original episodes like "Runaway" and "New York, New York" and we saw the last of the Lost Girls until 5 years later.

Watched Runaway last night. A very good episode indeed with some good performances from the guest cast. For me, the show is stronger when they split the girls up so you do not get the usual patter between them which can seem repetative.

It has been nice to see the lost girls this season. Such a shame they have hardly anything to do but so nice to see them.

Yeah, it feels like a nice bit of continuity, to have them back for seasons 2 and 3. I wish that had continued into seasons 4 and even 5/6, with Nat and Tootie bringing in Cindy and Molly over to study at Edna's Edibles. But, alas, that wasn't in the cards...


Part of me wonders whether I would enjoy the episodes more if the picture quality wasn't so poor. This is the worst release I have ever seen in terms of compressing the image. It is very blocky. I am convinced this isn't a bootleg set as the box it is house in is the sturdiest I have ever seen. The dvd sleeves are of a high quality and all the menus are animated etc. The only way I would know for sure would be to buy a single season set and compare.

I didn't notice bad image compression on my S3 DVDs.

Part of me wonders whether I would enjoy the episodes more if the picture quality wasn't so poor. This is the worst release I have ever seen in terms of compressing the image. It is very blocky. I am convinced this isn't a bootleg set as the box it is house in is the sturdiest I have ever seen. The dvd sleeves are of a high quality and all the menus are animated etc. The only way I would know for sure would be to buy a single season set and compare.


I know what you're talking about. The episode from season 3 that stands out with the worst quality is Front Page. Some scenes are blurry like the classroom scene where Gideon goes over the acronym for F.A.C.T. Season 9 is probably the next season in the set that has the worst picture quality. It's very grainy and sometimes hard on the eyes. Shout did not do any touch ups at all. One of the main problems is putting so many episodes on a disc. If they would have made the season sets 4 discs with 6 episodes on a disc instead, I think the quality would have been better.

I didn't notice bad image compression on my S3 DVDs.

That's because Sony released season 3. They remastered the episodes so it was higher quality. Shout didn't bother touching up the picture quality when they released the show.

I know what you're talking about. The episode from season 3 that stands out with the worst quality is Front Page. Some scenes are blurry like the classroom scene where Gideon goes over the acronym for F.A.C.T. Season 9 is probably the next season in the set that has the worst picture quality. It's very grainy and sometimes hard on the eyes. Shout did not do any touch ups at all. One of the main problems is putting so many episodes on a disc. If they would have made the season sets 4 discs with 6 episodes on a disc instead, I think the quality would have been better.



That's because Sony released season 3. They remastered the episodes so it was higher quality. Shout didn't bother touching up the picture quality when they released the show.




Now you're getting me worried: i just bought season 9 on Ebay (on its own and probably from SHOUT FACTORY).
The quality from season 8 is good though and it's from SHOUT FACTORY (i just stared watching the DVDs)
Season 3 on the other hand was from SONY, so the quality is superbe!popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:

The Affair was very good. These 'very special' type episodes tend to be from what I have seen so far. Mindy Cohn as Natalie did a great good with the dramatic parts are managed to rarely look like she was going to crack up.

Season 3 has some good episodes (although it's not as good as season 1 & 2) such as 'The 4 musketeers', 'New York, New York' and 'Growing pains'

I have just watched New York, New York.' That makes 3 very good episodes in a row. Jo felt like she had a chance to shine rather than just trade insults with Blair. In fact both characters felt refreshed as it wasn't the usual back and forth banter between the 5 characters that can start to feel samey. I hope they keep pairing/splitting characters up to give them chances to grow.

I have just watched New York, New York.' That makes 3 very good episodes in a row. Jo felt like she had a chance to shine rather than just trade insults with Blair. In fact both characters felt refreshed as it wasn't the usual back and forth banter between the 5 characters that can start to feel samey. I hope they keep pairing/splitting characters up to give them chances to grow.

New York, New York is one of my favorites of the whole series. I agree that both Jo & Blair really shine in that episode and I think this is the first time we see their friendship grow towards a new level of respect for each other.

I love the very end where Jo helps Blair with her bags. :heart:

New York, New York is one of my favorites of the whole series. I agree that both Jo & Blair really shine in that episode and I think this is the first time we see their friendship grow towards a new level of respect for each other.

I love the very end where Jo helps Blair with her bags. :heart:



I love the New York, New York episode too: it's the only appearance from DINAH BECKER (from Friday the 13th part 3) remember????:rofl::rofl::rofl:

And yes: the ending between JO and BLAIR is very heart warming.....:love::love::love:

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

More good episode. Kids Can Be Cruel was an episode with a message but nicely played. I am glad Mrs G. called out the bullies for the their behaviour.

Mind Your Own Business was also pretty decent.

The Academy was also quite good even though it felt like a back door pilot.

More good episode. Kids Can Be Cruel was an episode with a message but nicely played. I am glad Mrs G. called out the bullies for the their behaviour.

Mind Your Own Business was also pretty decent.

The Academy was also quite good even though it felt like a back door pilot.

"Kids Can Be Cruel" is the episode where Mindy, who's supposed to be conveying Natalie's hurt and anger towards Blair, shouts "This is WAR Blair!" and then runs off the stage stifling her laughter. :lol:

Polished season 3 off. Read No Evil about censorship was very good. Seems quite relevant today what with people wanting to almost hide certain parts of history.

Jo's Cousin was another very good episode though it also felt like a back door pilot about a girl becoming a woman with two over protective brothers and a father played by the excellent late Donnelly Rhodes. It was very funny.

I don't see how 'The academy' and 'Jo's cousin' could be a DOOR PILOT at all? Those 2 episodes seem so irrelevant to me (especially the cousin who had absolutely nothing to do with FOL)?????

I don't see how 'The academy' and 'Jo's cousin' could be a DOOR PILOT at all? Those 2 episodes seem so irrelevant to me (especially the cousin who had absolutely nothing to do with FOL)?????

FOL was a back door pilot on Different Strokes. The link being Kimberley went to the school in question. With Academy, our girls went there to attend a social function but the guest stars were really fleshed out and took up almost more screentime than the girls did.

Jo was the link in Jo's Cousin. Most of the episode centered on Jo's cousin and her family. A big scene early on only had Jo come in halfway through. During the dinner scene, Jo, our FOL regular character sat with her back to the camera and all the guest stars got the lions share of the dialogue. Normally on shows like this the story centres on our characters where hoepfully they learn something and the guest characters are a way of that happening. Jo wasn't that important to the story.

When the LOST girls appear on FOL they tend to appear in minor roles to support the main story being told. In both of these stories, the guest characters are driving the story.

The fact that you believe both episodes to be so irrelevant supports my view IMO; a back door pilot will use some or all of a shows main characters to introduce and allow the set up of the new show and give the lions share of the action to the guest stars.

When Blair and Jo saw their old friends in New York, the two guest characters were used to highlight how much Jo and Blair had changed but Jo and Blair were the major players.

I have no idea if these were intended as back door pilots to create another spin of show but they feel like it to me.

EDIt - I thought I would check wikipedia and that actually confirms my musings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Facts_of_Life_(TV_series)#Attempted_spin-offs

Attempted spin-offs
The various attempts at spin-offs were backdoor pilots, which were shown as episodes of The Facts of Life.
"The Academy" — A season three episode set at Stone Academy, an all-boys military school that was near Eastland. In this episode, the girls at Eastland attended a dance with the boys from the military school. The boys included actors Jimmy Baio, Ben Marley, David Ackroyd, Peter Frechette, and John P. Navin, Jr.
"Jo's Cousin" — Another season three episode, in which Jo visits her family in the Bronx, including her cousin Terry, a fourteen-year-old girl (played by Megan Follows) going through adolescence in a family full of men. The family included actors Grant Cramer, John Mengatti, Donnelly Rhodes, and D.W. Brown.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_pilot#Backdoor_pilot

FOL was a back door pilot on Different Strokes. The link being Kimberley went to the school in question. With Academy, our girls went there to attend a social function but the guest stars were really fleshed out and took up almost more screentime than the girls did.

Jo was the link in Jo's Cousin. Most of the episode centered on Jo's cousin and her family. A big scene early on only had Jo come in halfway through. During the dinner scene, Jo, our FOL regular character sat with her back to the camera and all the guest stars got the lions share of the dialogue. Normally on shows like this the story centres on our characters where hoepfully they learn something and the guest characters are a way of that happening. Jo wasn't that important to the story.

When the LOST girls appear on FOL they tend to appear in minor roles to support the main story being told. In both of these stories, the guest characters are driving the story.

The fact that you believe both episodes to be so irrelevant supports my view IMO; a back door pilot will use some or all of a shows main characters to introduce and allow the set up of the new show and give the lions share of the action to the guest stars.

When Blair and Jo saw their old friends in New York, the two guest characters were used to highlight how much Jo and Blair had changed but Jo and Blair were the major players.

I have no idea if these were intended as back door pilots to create another spin of show but they feel like it to me.

EDIt - I thought I would check wikipedia and that actually confirms my musings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Facts_of_Life_(TV_series)#Attempted_spin-offs

Attempted spin-offs
The various attempts at spin-offs were backdoor pilots, which were shown as episodes of The Facts of Life.
"The Academy" — A season three episode set at Stone Academy, an all-boys military school that was near Eastland. In this episode, the girls at Eastland attended a dance with the boys from the military school. The boys included actors Jimmy Baio, Ben Marley, David Ackroyd, Peter Frechette, and John P. Navin, Jr.
"Jo's Cousin" — Another season three episode, in which Jo visits her family in the Bronx, including her cousin Terry, a fourteen-year-old girl (played by Megan Follows) going through adolescence in a family full of men. The family included actors Grant Cramer, John Mengatti, Donnelly Rhodes, and D.W. Brown.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_pilot#Backdoor_pilot



I see your point about THE ACADEMY: they even had a part 2 on season 4, and yes, the boys (especially BLAIR's love interest) had the focus in almost the entire episode....
You're now giving me ideas as a possible Pilot: the main character (BLAIR's love interest i cannot remember his name) vs the bad guy (JO's supposedly date) and their teacher/mentor (MRS G's date) would be something like a guardian/father figure to them!!!! (just like MRS G and her girls!).
Yes!!!! I definitely like it!!!

As for JO's cousin: i remember finding the older brother really handsome, and i suppose the girl could become one of the FOL girls (probably a foil for BLAIR and TOOTIE and NATALIE's best friend as they are closer in age).
She kinds of reminds me of CINDY, so definitely a foil for BLAIR ha ha!!!!

:cheers::cheers::cheers:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:

I thought the 'boy' the 14 year old girl cousin was interested was quite good looking. It isn't made clear in the episode just how old the brothers and their friends are. If the friend was in his early 20s, I could better understand the concerns of the family about the daughter having a keen interest. Mind, it said that the friend seems to date a lot of girls so no doubt the brothers and father were concerned about their sister/daughter becoming a notch on his belt.

I thought the 'boy' the 14 year old girl cousin was interested was quite good looking. It isn't made clear in the episode just how old the brothers and their friends are. If the friend was in his early 20s, I could better understand the concerns of the family about the daughter having a keen interest. Mind, it said that the friend seems to date a lot of girls so no doubt the brothers and father were concerned about their sister/daughter becoming a notch on his belt.




The boy JO's cousin was interested in was also handsome, but not as good looking as the older brother (wow what a dark haired hunk!!!!!):loveya::loveya::loveya:


I'd say the middle brother and JO's cousin 'love interest' were 18 (remember he was still going to school) and the older brother i so much fancy is the one in his early 20 s probably: he's the responsible adult one, remember?:kiss::kiss::kiss:

pickle:pickle:pickle:

Season 3 seemed like they ran out of plot ideas after the cast reduction. They clumsily brought in the Miko character for a couple of episodes. They rehashed the "Overachieving" plot for "The Americanization of Milko."

How do you not see the differences in the story of these episodes? Overachieving is about a parent wanting their child to be like them career wise. It's completely different. Miko's episode is about cultural differences. Miko's father didn't want the best for his daughter like Tootie's dad did. He wanted her to do things of their culture. He didn't like her wearing makeup, wearing blue jeans, listening to American music, and hanging with American kids. He came off very bigoted against America and our ways of living. This is stuff that still happens today. At the school I work at I come across girls from other countries who don't even look men in the eye because they are taught it's a sign of disrespect from where they're from. I recommend looking at the Miko episode for the message they're sending because it's more realistic in today's times than Overachieving is.

How do you not see the differences in the story of these episodes? Overachieving is about a parent wanting their child to be like them career wise. It's completely different. Miko's episode is about cultural differences. Miko's father didn't want the best for his daughter like Tootie's dad did. He wanted her to do things of their culture. He didn't like her wearing makeup, wearing blue jeans, listening to American music, and hanging with American kids. He came off very bigoted against America and our ways of living. This is stuff that still happens today. At the school I work at I come across girls from other countries who don't even look men in the eye because they are taught it's a sign of disrespect from where they're from. I recommend looking at the Miko episode for the message they're sending because it's more realistic in today's times than Overachieving is.

Both were the same basic plot. Dissatisfied father threatens to pull daughter out of school over her objections. Mrs. Garrett comes to the rescue.

Both were the same basic plot. Dissatisfied father threatens to pull daughter out of school over her objections. Mrs. Garrett comes to the rescue.

Mrs. Garrett didn’t come to the rescue in Miko’s episode. It was Jo assuring Miko’s father she wouldn’t lose her heritage staying in an American school. The plot is totally different from Overachieving. This is a realistic problem that everyone from other countries go through.

It would be nice if the Down Under special had been released in the season 8 episodes on DVD.

I watched the Paris special the other night. Strange to see the show on film (looked like a poor 16mm print though) and no laugh track. On the whole I enjoyed it and I how to start my first ever watch of series 4 shortly.

I watched the Paris special the other night. Strange to see the show on film (looked like a poor 16mm print though) and no laugh track. On the whole I enjoyed it and I how to start my first ever watch of series 4 shortly.

The film/tape difference is very noticeable, and of course not having a studio audience makes the jokes feel odd. Still, Paris is the best of the TV movies.

Season 4 is my least favorite of the Eastland years, although I still feel it's better than 5/6. Not having the Lost Girls there makes the show feel less cohesive, less realistic. The side characters they did provide in Season 4 feel less fully formed and feel more one-dimensional.

The film/tape difference is very noticeable, and of course not having a studio audience makes the jokes feel odd. Still, Paris is the best of the TV movies.

Season 4 is my least favorite of the Eastland years, although I still feel it's better than 5/6. Not having the Lost Girls there makes the show feel less cohesive, less realistic. The side characters they did provide in Season 4 feel less fully formed and feel more one-dimensional.




I think the season 1 until season 6 were the best years! (not to mention 7 that was the crappiest!)

I know most people love season 8: i agree it's the best of the later years, but i will ALWAYS prefer the early years lol!

:loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya::loveya:

I have now started season 4. I am enjoying is so far.

Different Drummer was good though of course if it was made today they probably wouldn't be able to use the word ********. The guy playing Leo gave a good performance.

The Source was another good episodedealing with abortion.

I have now started season 4. I am enjoying is so far.

Different Drummer was good though of course if it was made today they probably wouldn't be able to use the word ********. The guy playing Leo gave a good performance.

The Source was another good episodedealing with abortion.

******** probably would not be used today. The actor who played the special needs guy later played one of Blair's boyfriends as a different character.

Yeah, that word would definitely not be used today.

Have just watched Dearest Mommie about Natalie. A very good episode. I also found myself thinking that I lke the scenes in the canteen when they have extras in the background playing students. It just opens the show out more I think.

Have just watched Dearest Mommie about Natalie. A very good episode. I also found myself thinking that I lke the scenes in the canteen when they have extras in the background playing students. It just opens the show out more I think.



I agree: season 4 has got definitely lots of good episodes, and in a way i would say it is slightly better than season 3 lol!

This is how i range FOL from preferences:

1 Season 1 (ALL the girls are still around)
2. Season 2 (introduction to JO, and MRS G is now fully responsible for the 4 troublemakers)
3 Season 4 (The girls are growing and so are their story)
4. Season 5 and season 3 (it's hard to decide between the two, cos even though they are entirely different, they still cover a lot of good stories and heartwarming moments!)
5 Season 6 (MRS G final season as the girls surrogate mother and firm friend)
6. Season 8 (The girls are now young adults, and we get introduced to BEVERLY ANN)
7 Season 9 (The final moment has arrived, and soon the girls we'll each follow their own path)

And lastly season 7! (The crappiest: MRS G has become a shadow of herself, and only in a few episodes does she appear to be back to her old self)

:violin::violin::violin::violin::violin::violin::violin::violin::violin::violin::violin::violin:

4. Season 5 and season 3 (it's hard to decide between the two

Oh, it's not hard at all! Season 3 is at Eastland in the classic cafeteria era, so season 3 FTW! :) :D :woohoo:

Oh, it's not hard at all! Season 3 is at Eastland in the classic cafeteria era, so season 3 FTW! :) :D :woohoo:



It still is hard to decide between the two, cos season 5 is the opening of 'Edna's Edibles' and also the beginning of a new era for the girls, who now live under the same roof as MRS G, and there are a lot of great episodes and adventures on that one!

Season 3 on the other hand is the continuation of the 'Cafeteria years' with new story lines of course, but no new beginnings...

popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:

I have now finished season 4. Did they know they were coming back for a fifth season as it would have made a fitting end to the end of the series what with Jo and Blair leaving for Langley. Natalie was very convincing when she broke down and cried.

I cannot wait to see how they wrote it that all the girls were still living together for season 5.

I have now finished season 4. Did they know they were coming back for a fifth season as it would have made a fitting end to the end of the series what with Jo and Blair leaving for Langley. Natalie was very convincing when she broke down and cried.

They knew they would be back: the fourth season had strong ratings.


I cannot wait to see how they wrote it that all the girls were still living together for season 5.

Enjoy! :wave:

Cheers RetroGuy.

The show must have been popular to feature a season 4 feature length closer and a season 5 feature length opener. Loved Natlie seeing the man in the towel and then desperately looking for his book.

I am looking forward to seeing the back of the overused cafeteria set. It was nice but so overused IMO with hardly any extras to ever fill it out.

Now i see that the show will be set in a shop. I am looking forward to seeing how that will go.

Funny, all the sets changed for season 2 from 1 and now again for season 5 from 4 it would appear.

I have the complete set and believe it to to be genuine as it comes in a very sturdy box and there is a booklet too but I still wish the PQ was better on the dvds I have. It really is the worst PQ I have ever seen and I feel that sometimes it distracts and stops me really connecting with the show.

Cheers RetroGuy.

The show must have been popular to feature a season 4 feature length closer and a season 5 feature length opener.

The show was a Top 20 hit for most of its run, in an era when there were only three networks: CBS, ABC, and NBC. The show hit #1 on the week of August 9, 1981, and the series was frequently viewed by a third of US TV viewers, so it was a big deal in that era.


Loved Natlie seeing the man in the towel and then desperately looking for his book.

I am looking forward to seeing the back of the overused cafeteria set. It was nice but so overused IMO with hardly any extras to ever fill it out.

Now i see that the show will be set in a shop. I am looking forward to seeing how that will go.

Funny, all the sets changed for season 2 from 1 and now again for season 5 from 4 it would appear.

Just wait! :lol:


I have the complete set and believe it to to be genuine as it comes in a very sturdy box and there is a booklet too but I still wish the PQ was better on the dvds I have. It really is the worst PQ I have ever seen and I feel that sometimes it distracts and stops me really connecting with the show.

Sorry to hear that!

Cheers RetroGuy.
I have the complete set and believe it to to be genuine as it comes in a very sturdy box and there is a booklet too but I still wish the PQ was better on the dvds I have. It really is the worst PQ I have ever seen and I feel that sometimes it distracts and stops me really connecting with the show.

I have the complete box set of Shout. What is PQ? Forgive me and my silly question but I'm Italian. Is something related to the image?

I have the complete box set of Shout. What is PQ? Forgive me and my silly question but I'm Italian. Is something related to the image?

Yes. Picture Quality.

The show was a Top 20 hit for most of its run

In some of the weekly ratings, but never in an overall seasonal rating. It was only in the Top 30; which is interesting, considering all these high weekly ratings you're finding.

In some of the weekly ratings, but never in an overall seasonal rating. It was only in the Top 30; which is interesting, considering all these high weekly ratings you're finding.

Yes, the weekly ratings often found TFOL in the top 20, but then the annual ratings would push the series into the 20-40 range.

Of course, if there are roughly 80 TV series in a 1980s-era season, but only ~65 of them air in any given week, the mathematics of that are going to push a lot of series down.

Also, many of TFOL's most-watched episodes were episodes aired over the summer, and those ratings aren't included in the traditional September to April Nielsen Ratings you see in books. (The Season-To-Date ratings in August are a much better measurement, but those ratings are much harder to find).

I have the complete box set of Shout. What is PQ? Forgive me and my silly question but I'm Italian. Is something related to the image?

Hey, you shouldn't be so harsh on yourself. No reason that we should understand something if we have never had it explained to us before.

They cleaned that run down shop and made it real nice awfully quick didn't they? Still, the domestic set and the shop set are nice to look at and not as bright as the cafeteria set.

They cleaned that run down shop and made it real nice awfully quick didn't they?

Sure did! In the real world, I suspect it would take weeks or even months to get a place like that in order.


Still, the domestic set and the shop set are nice to look at and not as bright as the cafeteria set.

The shop is very homey!

'Edna's Edibles' has always reminded me of the set in the season 1 golden era: it felts so homey to me, and MRS G treated those 4 girls as her own flesh and blood (the proof is in the 'Interview show', when she tells the reporter how BLAIR, JO, NATALIE and TOOTIE were family to her, and how she couldn't imagine what would it be like, when they all left)...

Yes. Picture Quality.

Thanks, Retro! :wave:

Hey, you shouldn't be so harsh on yourself. No reason that we should understand something if we have never had it explained to us before.

I really appreciate your words, yuo're very kind.

The quality is good, not on a high resolution level but it's good for a show filmed 40 years ago:wave:

They cleaned that run down shop and made it real nice awfully quick didn't they? Still, the domestic set and the shop set are nice to look at and not as bright as the cafeteria set.

They did that in 2 days :lol::lol:. I have the impression it's just a remodeling of the cafeteria set. I'm 100% sure the girls bedroom is a remodeled version of their room at Eastland

I don't believe the Edna's Edibles set is the cafeteria set. They aren't very similar, and they were in different studios: the first four seasons of The Facts of Life were taped at Metromedia Square on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. Then production moved to Stage 37 at Universal Studios Hollywood (http://www.thestudiotour.com/ush/frontlot/stage37.php) (they were in the same building as The Jeffersons), in Universal City.

I don't believe the Edna's Edibles set is the cafeteria set. They aren't very similar, and they were in different studios: the first four seasons of The Facts of Life were taped at Metromedia Square on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. Then production moved to Stage 37 at Universal Studios Hollywood (http://www.thestudiotour.com/ush/frontlot/stage37.php) (they were in the same building as The Jeffersons), in Universal City.

Nice picture! I'm not sure but I always had the impression the set was remodeled, the girls bedroom is very similar to their previous room at Eastland. Who knows :lol::lol:

Anyway, Kim says in her book that the first three seasons were taped at Metromedia, when the show entered its fourth year they moved to Universal.

Nice picture! I'm not sure but I always had the impression the set was remodeled, the girls bedroom is very similar to their previous room at Eastland. Who knows :lol::lol:

Anyway, Kim says in her book that the first three seasons were taped at Metromedia, when the show entered its fourth year they moved to Universal.



I don't think the girls bedrooms looked anything alike: 'Eastland' bedroom was smaller but brighter, whereas 'Edna's Edibles' was a lot larger but darker....

:wazzup:wazzup:wazzup:wazzup:wazzup:wazzup:wazzup:wazzup:wazzup:wazzup

Shows often recycle sets but i do not believe that the shop or any of the other sets were recyled.

I have now finished the first disk of season 5. The audience for the stripper episode got a two for one; the taping of Facts and a stripper show thrown in! ;)

In recent shows both Jo and Blair have had serious BFs. I wonder if they will return.

Shows often recycle sets but i do not believe that the shop or any of the other sets were recyled.

I have now finished the first disk of season 5. The audience for the stripper episode got a two for one; the taping of Facts and a stripper show thrown in! ;)

In recent shows both Jo and Blair have had serious BFs. I wonder if they will return.




What's BF????

:stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid:

Shows often recycle sets but i do not believe that the shop or any of the other sets were recyled.

I have now finished the first disk of season 5. The audience for the stripper episode got a two for one; the taping of Facts and a stripper show thrown in! ;)

In recent shows both Jo and Blair have had serious BFs. I wonder if they will return.

Eddie returns towards the end of season 5, Cliff in seasons 6 and 8

What's BF????

:stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid::stupid:

I think it means boyfriends

Eddie returns towards the end of season 5, Cliff in seasons 6 and 8



I think it means boyfriends



Oh so it does! Thank you, FOL-FAN-ITA!

:welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome:

Nice picture! I'm not sure but I always had the impression the set was remodeled, the girls bedroom is very similar to their previous room at Eastland. Who knows :lol::lol:

Anyway, Kim says in her book that the first three seasons were taped at Metromedia, when the show entered its fourth year they moved to Universal.

I think Kim is mistaken; the sources I'm seeing mention the move in 1982.

Yes, BF for boyfriend though I suppose it could also mean Best Friend as I think BFF stands for Best Friends Forever.

The girls bedroom set in the first series didn't have a raised area at the back though did it. This one does I think though I think I have only seen it the once. Sometimes shows can reuse a whole set and give it a paint job or just take certain parts of it and combine it with something else.

Thanks with regards to updating about the boyfriends.

Oh so it does! Thank you, FOL-FAN-ITA!

:welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome:

:wave:

Thanks with regards to updating about the boyfriends.

My pleasure :wave:

I think Kim is mistaken; the sources I'm seeing mention the move in 1982.

I just checked and found the answer in the closing credits :lol::lol:

The picture with Blair comes from the season 3 episode "Read No Evil"

The picture with Blair and Jo comes from the season 4 premiere

You're right about 1982, the show moves between the 3rd and 4th seasons :wave:

I just checked and found the answer in the closing credits :lol::lol:

The picture with Blair comes from the season 3 episode "Read No Evil"

The picture with Blair and Jo comes from the season 4 premiere

You're right about 1982, the show moves between the 3rd and 4th seasons :wave:

Thanks for the screenshots, ITA! So it was between S3 and S4 that the move occurred.

Thanks for the screenshots, ITA! So it was between S3 and S4 that the move occurred.

:wave:
DS moved from Metromedia to Universal that same year

:wave:
DS moved from Metromedia to Universal that same year

Makes sense. If your shows are set in the same universe, it only makes sense to have them taping at the same studio... although FOL/DS crossovers were uncommon after 1981.

I love the end credit showing BLAIR & JO: it was at the end of the episode 'Ain't Miss Beholden'! (Great episode that shows BLAIR's 'heart of gold', when she helps JO get that scholarship without informing her, by simply posting the letter)

I am about half way through season 5 and I am enjoying it. I have just watched the Christmas episode.

I noticed on another episode that a new character is in the opening credits played by Pamela Segall. What do folk make of her? Personally, I do like her.

Question - I assume Edna runs the shop by herself most of the time when the girls are at school/college though you would think the girls worked there full time.

I am about half way through season 5 and I am enjoying it. I have just watched the Christmas episode.

I noticed on another episode that a new character is in the opening credits played by Pamela Segall. What do folk make of her? Personally, I do like her.

Question - I assume Edna runs the shop by herself most of the time when the girls are at school/college though you would think the girls worked there full time.

Many people don't like the character of Kelly. Pamela Segall certainly has lots to say about her time on the Facts of Life and indicating one of the girls helped sabotaged her character so the character was portrayed as unlikable.

I am about half way through season 5 and I am enjoying it. I have just watched the Christmas episode.

I noticed on another episode that a new character is in the opening credits played by Pamela Segall. What do folk make of her? Personally, I do like her.

I'm not a fan. She was like a weird Jo stalker. It was like the writers were so in love with Jo that they created a character who was secretly in love with Jo. In retrospect, it reminds me of the film Single White Female.


Question - I assume Edna runs the shop by herself most of the time when the girls are at school/college though you would think the girls worked there full time.

I never felt as though the girls were working full-time at Edna's Edibles. We very often see all the girls come in from school, put on aprons, and begin their shifts. I felt like it was a fair depiction. We even frequently see Blair and Jo's life at Langley College. It's sad, though, that we see almost nothing of Tootie and Natalie's Eastland life.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=pamela+adlon+facts+of+life&docid=608033856576686514&mid=750DDF4B3C1FCFA98531750DDF4B3C1FCFA98531&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Found this at 7:30.

I am about half way through season 5 and I am enjoying it. I have just watched the Christmas episode.

I noticed on another episode that a new character is in the opening credits played by Pamela Segall. What do folk make of her? Personally, I do like her.

Question - I assume Edna runs the shop by herself most of the time when the girls are at school/college though you would think the girls worked there full time.


Hey i'm glad you're enjoying season 5: it's a favourite one for me too (although not the favourite of them all) and there is a big change from when ALL the girls were still at 'Eastland'.

As for the KELLY character: you and i are on the minority cos i also like her too (although not as much as BOOTSIE), but unfortunately the writers wrote her very clumsily, and she was soon made very unlikable






























































































































































































































































:typing::typing::typing::typing::typing::typing::typing::typing::typing::typing::typing::typing:




























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































o


f

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=pamela+adlon+facts+of+life&docid=608033856576686514&mid=750DDF4B3C1FCFA98531750DDF4B3C1FCFA98531&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Found this at 7:30.

Great find! Thanks for sharing that!

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=pamela+adlon+facts+of+life&docid=608033856576686514&mid=750DDF4B3C1FCFA98531750DDF4B3C1FCFA98531&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Found this at 7:30.

Thanks for sharing:wave:

Kelly is a short lived character, she appeared in 7 or 8 episodes that season but they never gave her a proper storyline. She was a Jo clone and clone characters never have success.

Anyway, I don't like how Nancy treated her, it's not her fault. I give Pamela credit, it must not have been easy for her working on a show where several cast members don't want you there

Thanks for sharing:wave:

Kelly is a short lived character, she appeared in 7 or 8 episodes that season but they never gave her a proper storyline. She was a Jo clone and clone characters never have success.

Anyway, I don't like how Nancy treated her, it's not her fault. I give Pamela credit, it must not have been easy for her working on a show where several cast members don't want you there

I agree with everything you wrote. It's really a shame the writers couldn't come up with anything better for her, but it wasn't Pamela's fault. It was unfortunate that Pamela was made to feel unwelcome.

And Pamela incidentally also verifies Lisa's story about no-one liking Lisa reading Christian books while on the set. :lol:

Thanks for the screenshots, ITA! So it was between S3 and S4 that the move occurred.

Shhhh! No it didn't! Don't shatter the illusion!

[sticks fingers in ears]

Lalalalaaaaaa, lalalalaaaaaa!

:)

Shhhh! No it didn't! Don't shatter the illusion!

[sticks fingers in ears]

Lalalalaaaaaa, lalalalaaaaaa!

:)

You don't want the set moved between seasons 3 and 4? Why? :lol:

You don't want the set moved between seasons 3 and 4? Why? :lol:

Of course not!

I like my shows' roots. I like comfortable, familiar establishment. I like bestowed territory. I don't like the thought of them moving everything and setting it up all over again. :lol:

But, it's a "fact of life"---even Sesame Street moved studios in the 1970s! And you know how immense that set is! :eek:

Valentina, can you edit your post to remove the blank lines on your last post in this thread? On my computer, I can scroll pretty quickly, but on my phone, it takes ages to scroll down past all those blank lines.

Of course not!

I like my shows' roots. I like comfortable, familiar establishment. I like bestowed territory. I don't like the thought of them moving everything and setting it up all over again. :lol:

But, it's a "fact of life"---even Sesame Street moved studios in the 1970s! And you know how immense that set is! :eek:

I can't even imagine trying to move the huge pieces of that set! An entire street of houses! :eek:

I agree with everything you wrote. It's really a shame the writers couldn't come up with anything better for her, but it wasn't Pamela's fault. It was unfortunate that Pamela was made to feel unwelcome.

And Pamela incidentally also verifies Lisa's story about no-one liking Lisa reading Christian books while on the set. :lol:


I'm not surprised, they couldn't come up with anything even for the star of the show :lol:

Valentina, can you edit your post to remove the blank lines on your last post in this thread? On my computer, I can scroll pretty quickly, but on my phone, it takes ages to scroll down past all those blank lines.


This message was directed to Bachu:

Hey i'm glad you're enjoying season 5: it's a favourite one for me too (although not the favourite of them all) and there is a big change from when ALL the girls were still at 'Eastland'.

As for the KELLY character: you and i are on the minority cos i also like her too (although not as much as BOOTSIE), but unfortunately the writers wrote her very clumsily, and she was soon made very unlikable.

PS: hi Retro! This is what i wrote last night, but as usual my computer likes to play tricks on me!

:rotflmao::rotflmao::rotflmao::rotflmao::rotflmao::rotflmao::rotflmao::rotflmao:

I'm not surprised, they couldn't come up with anything even for the star of the show :lol:

Ha! It's true! :lol: With Mrs. Garrett's role declining, what made them think they would be able to handle another character?

The thing is, a competent writing staff should be able to balance six characters. And the majority of this writing team had managed five in the past. But it just felt like Kelly was mishandled. As Pamela says, she robbed Edna's Edibles... was the plan for her to have to do restitution, much like the girls in "The New Girl"? If you're going to have a Jo clone, why also clone the plot?

I do feel bad for Pamela because she said it was a dream come true to be on the show, and clearly, that dream didn't last long. I imagine we would all feel bad in the same situation.

Ha! It's true! :lol: With Mrs. Garrett's role declining, what made them think they would be able to handle another character?

The thing is, a competent writing staff should be able to balance six characters. And the majority of this writing team had managed five in the past. But it just felt like Kelly was mishandled. As Pamela says, she robbed Edna's Edibles... was the plan for her to have to do restitution, much like the girls in "The New Girl"? If you're going to have a Jo clone, why also clone the plot?

I do feel bad for Pamela because she said it was a dream come true to be on the show, and clearly, that dream didn't last long. I imagine we would all feel bad in the same situation.

I guess vandalizing Edna's Edibles was something irredeemable for the character. Poor Pamela, at least she has had a great career in voice over works

It must be hard for anyone coming into a show as a newbie when it has been running for a few years. Also, she was a child. Of course it is one persons word against another and no one likes to think badly of the stars of a show they know and love.

At the minute, I feel like I like Natalie and Tootie the best and all the others second. Natalie gets some very good lines though it is a shame the actress corpses a lot. Having said that, perhaps that is why I like her.

I like the frosty relationship between Blair and Jo. They get on each others nerves but they consider each other family. I watched the seaosn 5 Christmas episode the other day and the ending with Jo and Blair was very good.

Considering how religious Lisa is, I am surprised she allowed Blair to be so boy crazy and for taking Mrs G to see some male strippers. Doesn't it say in the bible, thou shall not watch men girating in fig leaves??? ;)

I find it odd that they still have all 4 grls share a room. It makes for better group scenes but they could have had 2 rooms next to each other and the girls completing a scene and then saying good night as they went to their own room.

It must be hard for anyone coming into a show as a newbie when it has been running for a few years. Also, she was a child. Of course it is one persons word against another and no one likes to think badly of the stars of a show they know and love.

I'm not sure anyone has really disputed anything Pamela has said, though.


At the minute, I feel like I like Natalie and Tootie the best and all the others second. Natalie gets some very good lines though it is a shame the actress corpses a lot. Having said that, perhaps that is why I like her.

What do you mean by "corpses"?

Edit: Oh, I see it is a British term (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpsing) for unintentionally laughing during a serious scene. Yeah, I have seen that.


I like the frosty relationship between Blair and Jo. They get on each others nerves but they consider each other family. I watched the seaosn 5 Christmas episode the other day and the ending with Jo and Blair was very good.

The Blair/Jo dynamic was very, very good, although I wish the writers had been able to focus on other relationships as well. We rarely, for example, got a Tootie/Blair episode.


Considering how religious Lisa is, I am surprised she allowed Blair to be so boy crazy and for taking Mrs G to see some male strippers. Doesn't it say in the bible, thou shall not watch men girating in fig leaves??? ;)

:lol::lol::lol::lol:


I find it odd that they still have all 4 grls share a room. It makes for better group scenes but they could have had 2 rooms next to each other and the girls completing a scene and then saying good night as they went to their own room.

It took them ages to figure that out.

Ha! It's true! :lol: With Mrs. Garrett's role declining, what made them think they would be able to handle another character?

The thing is, a competent writing staff should be able to balance six characters. And the majority of this writing team had managed five in the past. But it just felt like Kelly was mishandled. As Pamela says, she robbed Edna's Edibles... was the plan for her to have to do restitution, much like the girls in "The New Girl"? If you're going to have a Jo clone, why also clone the plot?

I do feel bad for Pamela because she said it was a dream come true to be on the show, and clearly, that dream didn't last long. I imagine we would all feel bad in the same situation.



MRS G's role started to really decline in season 7 not before (although she was absent a lot during season 6), and PAMELA was given exactly the same treatment as the 'LOST GIRLS': she simply got dismissed...

:notworthy:notworthy:notworthy:notworthy:notworthy:notworthy:notworthy:notworthy

It must be hard for anyone coming into a show as a newbie when it has been running for a few years. Also, she was a child. Of course it is one persons word against another and no one likes to think badly of the stars of a show they know and love.

At the minute, I feel like I like Natalie and Tootie the best and all the others second. Natalie gets some very good lines though it is a shame the actress corpses a lot. Having said that, perhaps that is why I like her.

I like the frosty relationship between Blair and Jo. They get on each others nerves but they consider each other family. I watched the seaosn 5 Christmas episode the other day and the ending with Jo and Blair was very good.

Considering how religious Lisa is, I am surprised she allowed Blair to be so boy crazy and for taking Mrs G to see some male strippers. Doesn't it say in the bible, thou shall not watch men girating in fig leaves??? ;)

I find it odd that they still have all 4 grls share a room. It makes for better group scenes but they could have had 2 rooms next to each other and the girls completing a scene and then saying good night as they went to their own room.



I wouldn't say that JO & BLAIR had a frosty relationship: they deeply cared about each other, and simply behaved like grumpy married couples or sisters.
When one refers as frosty relationship, it means they don't care/give a damn about each other, and that was certainly NOT the case in BLAIR & JO lol!

:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::

I find it odd that they still have all 4 grls share a room. It makes for better group scenes but they could have had 2 rooms next to each other and the girls completing a scene and then saying good night as they went to their own room.

Especially after Blair and Jo go to Langly. Do they really need to room with high school students?

Aplogies if I misused the word frosty.

And regarding Segal, my comment came from a place of believing that often, folk side with the people they like and not those they don't insituations when you hear of cast issues etc.

I think I have read on this board that another girl who joined the show in a later season was generally disliked by fans???

Do most folk generally like Andy, the Clooney character and the Leachman character?

We had a show in Britain about kids going to a comprehensive school and it followed the kids from their first year onwards. After a couple of years the show introduced new first year characters and the original kids where phased out and the show continued like that for 30 years. Imagine if from the start, Facts added a couple of new younger characters every year and lost the older ones who would have graduated so the longest a young cast member could be on the show would be about 5 years. The show could have run forever. Or, better still, if it were a cartoon, none of the characters would age. :)

We rarely, for example, got a Tootie/Blair episode.

At least we got pretty much a Tootie/Blair episode with "Emily Dickinson". In 8 years we never got a Tootie/Jo episode---scenes, yes, but no episode. Come on, writers.

Do most folk generally like Andy, the Clooney character and the Leachman character?

Yes, particularly those who grew up knowing that era of the show first. I myself enjoy Beverly Ann, but don't care for Andy.

And regarding Segal, my comment came from a place of believing that often, folk side with the people they like and not those they don't insituations when you hear of cast issues etc.

I think we'd be crazy not to recognize, by this point, that the producers treated four young ladies very well, while other cast members clearly got short shrift. We've seen the interviews from enough cast members who departed, whether that be Jenny O'Hara, John Lawlor, Geri Jewell, Felice Schachter, George Clooney, Molly Ringwald, etc. Not everyone had a positive experience, and it's okay, as a fan of the show, to acknowledge that.


I think I have read on this board that another girl who joined the show in a later season was generally disliked by fans???

Yeah. No fault of the actress, either.


Do most folk generally like Andy, the Clooney character and the Leachman character?

Depends who you ask.


We had a show in Britain about kids going to a comprehensive school and it followed the kids from their first year onwards. After a couple of years the show introduced new first year characters and the original kids where phased out and the show continued like that for 30 years. Imagine if from the start, Facts added a couple of new younger characters every year and lost the older ones who would have graduated so the longest a young cast member could be on the show would be about 5 years. The show could have run forever. Or, better still, if it were a cartoon, none of the characters would age. :)

I'd love a cartoon version of The Facts of Life. But in the 1980s, in the US, you couldn't have a cartoon spin-off without some stupid magical creature being an add-on character. :lol:

Depends who you ask.

He said "generally", which is why I said yes, although I missed him say Clooney. He may be more debatable for a generalization, lol.

At least we got pretty much a Tootie/Blair episode with "Emily Dickinson". In 8 years we never got a Tootie/Jo episode---scenes, yes, but no episode. Come on, writers.

Oh, yeah, early on, there was ED. I would call that a Tootie/Blair episode. But in 200+ episodes, they sure didn't do that often. Yet there were soooo many Blair/Jo episodes. It was like the writers had this strange tunnel vision, where they couldn't see past Blair/Jo.

Oh, yeah, early on, there was ED. I would call that a Tootie/Blair episode. But in 200+ episodes, they sure didn't do that often. Yet there were soooo many Blair/Jo episodes. It was like the writers had this strange tunnel vision, where they couldn't see past Blair/Jo.

And Natalie/Tootie (at least as far as "paired up", if not sole episodes).

That's what make it feel so odd when in season 3 or 4 we have a Blair/Natalie episode, then a different one, and then another Blair/Natalie episode! lol ("Mind Your Own Business" and I believe "Kids Can Be Cruel")

I like the Blair/Natalie dynamic in season 2's "Bought and Sold". It feels like a natural development of their interactions from season 1.

And Natalie/Tootie (at least as far as "paired up", if not sole episodes).

That's what make it feel so odd when in season 3 or 4 we have a Blair/Natalie episode, then a different one, and then another Blair/Natalie episode! lol ("Mind Your Own Business" and I believe "Kids Can Be Cruel")

I like the Blair/Natalie dynamic in season 2's "Bought and Sold". It feels like a natural development of their interactions from season 1.

Agreed on all counts.

Aplogies if I misused the word frosty.

And regarding Segal, my comment came from a place of believing that often, folk side with the people they like and not those they don't insituations when you hear of cast issues etc.

I think I have read on this board that another girl who joined the show in a later season was generally disliked by fans???

Do most folk generally like Andy, the Clooney character and the Leachman character?

We had a show in Britain about kids going to a comprehensive school and it followed the kids from their first year onwards. After a couple of years the show introduced new first year characters and the original kids where phased out and the show continued like that for 30 years. Imagine if from the start, Facts added a couple of new younger characters every year and lost the older ones who would have graduated so the longest a young cast member could be on the show would be about 5 years. The show could have run forever. Or, better still, if it were a cartoon, none of the characters would age. :)




What show in the UK are you talking about, Bachu?

As for ANDY, i never liked his character: he was soo annoying lol!

On the other hand, i found BEVERLY ANN and GEORGE rather funny and enjoyable!

PS: i also liked KELLY (the girl who was disliked by so many fans) but i am often in the minority anyway...

popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:

And Natalie/Tootie (at least as far as "paired up", if not sole episodes).

That's what make it feel so odd when in season 3 or 4 we have a Blair/Natalie episode, then a different one, and then another Blair/Natalie episode! lol ("Mind Your Own Business" and I believe "Kids Can Be Cruel")

I like the Blair/Natalie dynamic in season 2's "Bought and Sold". It feels like a natural development of their interactions from season 1.



Absolutely: the BLAIR vs NATALIE dynamic was rather refreshing and enjoyable! (especially after so many JO vs BLAIR episodes lol!)
Also, those two were always my favourite FOL girls from the 'Core' lol!

:eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes:

PS: BLAIR and TOOTIE had so many moments when they interact together in season 1, and their dynamic was great! (unfortunately, after season 2 began and JO got introduced, we lost all of that)....

LISA and KIM were the best actresses out of all the girls in season 1 lol!

They tended to separate Tootie and Blair more after Jo arrived. I loved how Tootie blackmailed Blair into being her made and gave it back to her in IQ.

Absolutely: the BLAIR vs NATALIE dynamic was rather refreshing and enjoyable! (especially after so many JO vs BLAIR episodes lol!)
Also, those two were always my favourite FOL girls from the 'Core' lol!

:eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes::eyes:

Blair/Nat episodes really were fun. They should have had more.

What show in the UK are you talking about, Bachu?

Can't believe I didn't name the show. Grange Hill. It was a drama.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grange_Hill

Have just watched "Crossing the Line" where Natalie doubts whether she should date Tooties cousin. Quite a good episode looking at racism from a couple of different angles. The final scene with Natalie and Tootie was quite strong. And I felt Tootie made a good point in that often society tends to look at how the white family feel in a mixed relationship and not the black family.

Have just watched "Crossing the Line" where Natalie doubts whether she should date Tooties cousin. Quite a good episode looking at racism from a couple of different angles. The final scene with Natalie and Tootie was quite strong. And I felt Tootie made a good point in that often society tends to look at how the white family feel in a mixed relationship and not the black family.

Yes, that's a good episode with a good "Eastland" feel. Though in my faniverse, it's Molly that dates Tootie's cousin instead.

Can't believe I didn't name the show. Grange Hill. It was a drama.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grange_Hill



Yes of course i remember GRANGE HILL: that was in the 90 s lol! (at least that was when i watched it)

PS: did you ever watch HOME AND AWAY? (that was also a drama, but set in Australia) What about NEIGHBOURS?

:so:so:so:so:so:so:so:so:so:so:so:so:so:so:so

I watched both Neighbours and Home and Away back in the day. Not only were they set in Australia, they were filmed there too. ;) Presently I am watching The Charlene Years dvd set.

I have been watching the G Hill dvd releases which I finished with earlier this year. Just watched the Zammo on drugs series. Just say no, NO! Series 11 & 12 will hopefully be out in Oct.

Also a big fan of E Street which had a DVD release (Collection One) late in 2019 but seems to have stalled sadly.

Have just watched the episode with the funeral. Mindy Cohn gave a very solid performance as Natalie. And Kim was very good too dealing with the akwardness of a funeral.

Have just watched the episode with the funeral. Mindy Cohn gave a very solid performance as Natalie. And Kim was very good too dealing with the akwardness of a funeral.

It's a solid episode, for sure.

Wondered why they never really developed Natalie's family like they did the other girls? We saw more of Molly's father in one season than we did of Natalie's father in 9 seasons.

Wondered why they never really developed Natalie's family like they did the other girls? We saw more of Molly's father in one season than we did of Natalie's father in 9 seasons.

Well we saw him in one ep having an affair before they killed him off. I guess Dr Parker had a bigger role in his one ep than Dr Green did.

Wondered why they never really developed Natalie's family like they did the other girls? We saw more of Molly's father in one season than we did of Natalie's father in 9 seasons.

It was so weird: we got to see Jo and Blair's parents frequently. We even met Jo's cousin, Blair's two siblings, Blair's cousin, Jo's grandparents...

Sure, we met Natalie's grandmother, dad, mom, and sister, but they must not have had a fourth as much screen time as either Blair or Jo's family.

Tootie's dad, mom, and brother also got short shrift.

It was so weird: we got to see Jo and Blair's parents frequently. We even met Jo's cousin, Blair's two siblings, Blair's cousin, Jo's grandparents...

Sure, we met Natalie's grandmother, dad, mom, and sister, but they must not have had a fourth as much screen time as either Blair or Jo's family.

Tootie's dad, mom, and brother also got short shrift.

We also saw Natalie's birth mother. And we never saw her mystery brother who was mentioned in the early script of Molly's Holiday.

We also saw Natalie's birth mother.

No we didn't, we only saw Evie.

We just heard of Ellen Mannheim but we never saw her.

I have now finished season 5. Mostly enjoyable. The added cast member didn't get any kind of proper send off did she which was a shame. Same for cousin Geri/Jeri who I believe will not appear again. I liked the character and it was nice to see someone with CP play a visible role.

Is it me or does the living room set have a lot of doors? ON the left the double doors to the shop. To the right of that the closet door. Up the stairs to the left is a hallway and to the right along the landing another door. Backdown the stairs to the left behind the stairs is a hall leading to the kitchen. We then have patio doors. To the right of that is the front door and past the fireplace is another door leading outside. That gives a lot of scope for comings and goings.

Is it me or does the living room set have a lot of doors? ON the left the double doors to the shop. To the right of that the closet door. Up the stairs to the left is a hallway and to the right along the landing another door. Backdown the stairs to the left behind the stairs is a hall leading to the kitchen. We then have patio doors. To the right of that is the front door and past the fireplace is another door leading outside. That gives a lot of scope for comings and goings.

You aren't the first person here, Bachu, to mention the weird number of doors. The door on the right, on the right-hand side of the fireplace, kills me. There's already a door just 10 or 12 feet away from it, as well as patio door very close to that door, so a further door on that wall makes no architectural sense.

The door halfway up the landing also doesn't feel architecturally sound. It leads to an area above the kitchen, but that would mean the ceiling in the kitchen would be extremely low. The only way it would work is if there were further stars beyond the hallway, but who would do that?

I have now finished season 5. Mostly enjoyable. The added cast member didn't get any kind of proper send off did she which was a shame. Same for cousin Geri/Jeri who I believe will not appear again. I liked the character and it was nice to see someone with CP play a visible role.

No more Geri, no more Kelly. This show wasn't great about explaining where missing characters went, Mrs. Garrett being one exception.

Mind, tv sets were never meant to be studied this way. Often they were built to accommodate being filmed in small studios in front of an audience and all the doors were a way of getting characters in and out of scenes quickly no doubt.

The only way it would work is if there were further stars beyond the hallway, but who would do that?

The same people who put in two front doors on both sides of a fireplace. ;)

The same people who put in two front doors on both sides of a fireplace. ;)

:rotflmao:

I am a few episodes into season 6. Blair still had her BF in the first episode but on others she is clearly dating other men.

Liked the pizza episode. That kitchen fits in a very tiny space doesn't it.

I am a few episodes into season 6. Blair still had her BF in the first episode but on others she is clearly dating other men.

Season 6 is out of production order on the DVDs. Her breakup episode was like the third or fourth episode produced that year but NBC aired it half way into the season.

I am a few episodes into season 6. Blair still had her BF in the first episode but on others she is clearly dating other men.

Liked the pizza episode. That kitchen fits in a very tiny space doesn't it.

That kitchen is like the TARDIS: bigger on the inside than it is on the outside! :lol:

The pizza episode is one of my favorites from that season.

The pizza episode is one of the most boring one to me (along with 'Taking a chance on love'): there is too much focus on JO and very little on the other characters....

That's my opinion.....

The pizza episode is one of the most boring one to me (along with 'Taking a chance on love'): there is too much focus on JO and very little on the other characters....

That's my opinion.....

I'd say "More pizza for me!" but that pizza was BAD! Almost as bad as the Chinese "food"! :lol::lol::lol::lol:

I'd say "More pizza for me!" but that pizza was BAD! Almost as bad as the Chinese "food"! :lol::lol::lol::lol:



Ha ha good one Retro!

The Chinese episode from season 5 ('Gamma Gamma'), was a brilliant one and a lot better than the Pizza one in my opinion too....

popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:popcorn:

It still puzzles me to this day why John Lawlor overemphasizes the word "food" in his season 1 line: "You see, everybody loves Chinese food!" (no one does that!)

It still puzzles me to this day why John Lawlor overemphasizes the word "food" in his season 1 line: "You see, everybody loves Chinese food!" (no one does that!)

Yes!

(And you even got my emphasis! Nice catch!)

Chinese "food". Guess he was seeing into the future, when the girls would be catering the Gamma Gamma gathering, cooking up some Chinese... "food"! :lol::lol::lol::lol:

Season 6 is out of production order on the DVDs. Her breakup episode was like the third or fourth episode produced that year but NBC aired it half way into the season.

Cheers. I did print something out to watch it in production order but I found the way they did the dates confusing so I gave up. In broadcast order I guess Blair comes across as a cheater. :lol:

Are the episodes on the dvds generally in production then?

Nice avatar by the way. DS is a very good show.

I have just watched the 'Crusin' episode which was filmed all at night and on location. I quite enjoyed it. Looks like Shout did well to clear all those songs. I wonder if there is a directors cut showing the behinds of the mooners? :D

I have found myself thinking, a reason I was not clear on the cafeteria set is because there was no need for them to be there all the time. Poor Mrs G. She had a bedroom over the kitchen where she worked but no private living room that she and the girls could use. At least Ednas shop has the living room space and it makes sense for them to be there.

Cheers. I did print something out to watch it in production order but I found the way they did the dates confusing so I gave up. In broadcast order I guess Blair comes across as a cheater. :lol:

Are the episodes on the dvds generally in production then?

Nice avatar by the way. DS is a very good show.

I have just watched the 'Crusin' episode which was filmed all at night and on location. I quite enjoyed it. Looks like Shout did well to clear all those songs. I wonder if there is a directors cut showing the behinds of the mooners? :D

I have found myself thinking, a reason I was not clear on the cafeteria set is because there was no need for them to be there all the time. Poor Mrs G. She had a bedroom over the kitchen where she worked but no private living room that she and the girls could use. At least Ednas shop has the living room space and it makes sense for them to be there.




That's why i like the 'Edna's Edibles' years so much: the living room reminded so much of the season 1 Golden era, when they all looked so cozy living together like a real family....

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Cheers. I did print something out to watch it in production order but I found the way they did the dates confusing so I gave up.

LOL. I used this from this site.
https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=287307

I think the dates being next to each other and in the American format is what cause my mind to melt.

I wonder if after watching TFoL, one should watch The Golden Girls and imagine that is the girls about 30-40 years in the future. :D

LOL. I used this from this site.
https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=287307

I think the dates being next to each other and in the American format is what cause my mind to melt.

The DVDs are in broadcast order; the Production Guide is nice for referring to when an episode was taped. Unfortunately, we know it has at least one mistake in it, as we have a ticket for a taping which has a different date.


I wonder if after watching TFoL, one should watch The Golden Girls and imagine that is the girls about 30-40 years in the future. :D

Jo/Blair may match Dorothy/Blanche, but what about Tootie and Natalie?

Jo/Blair may match Dorothy/Blanche, but what about Tootie and Natalie?

I think Tootie and Natalie married the brothers from Diff'rent Strokes and two of the lost girls moved in with Jo and Blair. :)

I think Tootie and Natalie married the brothers from Diff'rent Strokes and two of the lost girls moved in with Jo and Blair. :)

Maybe Sue Ann from the pilot (since she couldn't tell when she'd been insulted).

Cheers. I did print something out to watch it in production order but I found the way they did the dates confusing so I gave up. In broadcast order I guess Blair comes across as a cheater. :lol:

Are the episodes on the dvds generally in production then?

Yes, they are in airdate order than how they were produced. I have digital copies of the show and rearranged the episodes in production order to make sense. There's a couple of episodes I have out of order like Summer of 84 and The More The Marrier because of the story conflicting with an episode after it. Season 9, Pippa is first mention in The More The Marrier that was filmed first but she's not even introduced until Up From Down Under. I played around with it to get them in a great order to make sense.


Nice avatar by the way. DS is a very good show.

Thank you! I love Dark Shadows and the movies made from it. It's an awesome show that was SOOOOOOO expensive to own as it was being released on DVD back in the day :lol:

I have just watched the 'Crusin' episode which was filmed all at night and on location. I quite enjoyed it. Looks like Shout did well to clear all those songs. I wonder if there is a directors cut showing the behinds of the mooners? :D

That would be hilarious if they actually had a scene of guys really mooning them and the girls weren't expecting it. Something similar happened to Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon during the filming of The Banger Sisters. Their characters collected pictures of penises so the production crew replaced pictures of fake penises with pictures of their own. They were not expecting that so the shock look on their faces was real during that scene in the movie. Goldie keeps looking up at the crewmen as her character is looking at the pictures. It makes the scene more comical IMO.

That's why i like the 'Edna's Edibles' years so much: the living room reminded so much of the season 1 Golden era, when they all looked so cozy living together like a real family....

I'm in the middle of my season 6 rewatch. Have you or anyone else notice how much Blair and Jo are always in the spotlight these two years? Natalie and Tootie are like supporting characters in their show. Blair and Jo take up over half of each season about them together or their characters separately. Even Natalie's grief episode in season 5 after her father dies is mainly about Blair jealous of Jo's popularity. Season 6 has Natalie used quite a bit to jump start the spotlight onto them. She's the reason Jo gets into the pizza business, the reason Blair meets the guy of her dreams in Gone With The Wind, the reason Jo and Blair have an episode dedicated to them on computer dating, and so on. Talk, Talk, Talk is another episode where Natalie gets the girls to support Jo in another Jo centered episode. I never realized how the writing was those two years until closely looking at these seasons. Rewatches are so fun of shows you love :)

I'm in the middle of my season 6 rewatch. Have you or anyone else notice how much Blair and Jo are always in the spotlight these two years? Natalie and Tootie are like supporting characters in their show.

YEP. The writers were so fixated on Blair/Jo that they often forgot about Nat, Toot, and even Mrs. Garrett.

YEP. The writers were so fixated on Blair/Jo that they often forgot about Nat, Toot, and even Mrs. Garrett.

The Edna's Edibles seasons are really the Blair / Jo show. It wasn't like this in the Eastland years. Everything was balanced those years so it was equal. Season 7 also isn't like this. There's like 5 episodes that are Jo centered instead of like 10 or 12 in season 5 and again season 6. The OOH years seem to have brought back the balance of making things equal again for all girls. That's another reason I like season 8 so much. It's not a Blair / Jo show. We get a lot of Natalie episodes, Tootie episodes, and a couple of Beverly Ann episodes. It's about all of them instead of just the two show stealers from seasons 5 and 6 :lol:

The Edna's Edibles seasons are really the Blair / Jo show. It wasn't like this in the Eastland years. Everything was balanced those years so it was equal. Season 7 also isn't like this. There's like 5 episodes that are Jo centered instead of like 10 or 12 in season 5 and again season 6. The OOH years seem to have brought back the balance of making things equal again for all girls. That's another reason I like season 8 so much. It's not a Blair / Jo show. We get a lot of Natalie episodes, Tootie episodes, and a couple of Beverly Ann episodes. It's about all of them instead of just the two show stealers from seasons 5 and 6 :lol:

I definitely get your love for Season 8, and I enjoy the first half of it myself.

I don't feel as though OOH balanced everyone again, as Mrs. Garrett became a ghost in her own house.

I don't feel as though OOH balanced everyone again, as Mrs. Garrett became a ghost in her own house.

But that was Charlotte's choice, not the writers or producers. Charlotte stated many times in interviews she wanted to move on. She went on a break in season 6 and again in season 7 before deciding she was permanently done. If an actor / actress wants to quit and goes on breaks from the show, how are they to give that performer equal airtime? :confused: Charlotte caused her character to be a ghost by taking off for half a season in both seasons 6 and 7.

But that was Charlotte's choice, not the writers or producers. Charlotte stated many times in interviews she wanted to move on. She went on a break in season 6 and again in season 7 before deciding she was permanently done. If an actor / actress wants to quit and goes on breaks from the show, how are they to give that performer equal airtime? :confused: Charlotte caused her character to be a ghost by taking off for half a season in both seasons 6 and 7.

It was Charlotte's decision, but I still don't have to like it. They could have at least given Charlotte something to do in the episodes she was in. Flitting in to deliver cookies, then flitting back out, wasn't much of a role, and we know this is one reason why Charlotte wanted to move on. She acted in TV and film for another 30 years, and she wasn't too frail to do multiple series and films in the same year.

Flitting in to deliver cookies, then flitting back out, wasn't much of a role

Oh you're talking about Come Back To The Truck Stop Natalie Green. She only did it that one episode and technically it wasn't even Mrs. Garrett. It was a character in Natalie's story Mrs. Garrett was playing. The rest of the episodes she's there talking to the girls and giving advice like Men For All Seasons, A New Life, or The Christmas Baby. If all she's doing in the episodes you have watched of season 7 is delivering cookies and leaving, then you're watching edited episodes. That's why I'm so glad Shout released this series complete on DVD :rock::banana:

That's why I'm so glad Shout released this series complete on DVD :rock::banana:

I was curious how much I spent on the set back when it was released. I found my receipt in my email. I spent $159.98 when I pre-ordered the set on September 15th 2014. Shipping was $24 bucks because I picked the quickest shipping available. I also had an email confirmation December 1st 2014 letting me know my set was shipped so I must have received it a few days after. Looks like I did the same thing with Maude because I spent $23 bucks for shipping on that set in my pre-order. Shout had a great year in 2014 with releases. Money well worth spending because these shows always get watched on a regular basis in my place :cool:

Oh you're talking about Come Back To The Truck Stop Natalie Green. She only did it that one episode and technically it wasn't even Mrs. Garrett. It was a character in Natalie's story Mrs. Garrett was playing. The rest of the episodes she's there talking to the girls and giving advice like Men For All Seasons, A New Life, or The Christmas Baby.

It wasn't just limited to CBTTTSNG, though. Take, for example, episode 7-07, "Doo-Wah". Mrs. Garrett flits into the shop four times to talk about her college assignment being due. She even mentions the cookies aren't ready, but no-one even responds to that. It's a throwaway line. She's on camera for less than two minutes, altogether, in the whole episode. I suspect she has fewer than ten lines, although I admit I didn't count them. There's no meat to her lines, no feeling that she's in the episode in a meaningful way. She could be edited out of the episode and no-one would notice.

And these aren't the only two episodes where that happens.

(One thing I did like about that episode is the girls singing "My Boyfriend's Back").

It wasn't just limited to CBTTTSNG, though. Take, for example, episode 7-07, "Doo-Wah". Mrs. Garrett flits into the shop four times to talk about her college assignment being due. She even mentions the cookies aren't ready, but no-one even responds to that. It's a throwaway line. She's on camera for less than two minutes, altogether, in the whole episode. I suspect she has fewer than ten lines, although I admit I didn't count them. There's no meat to her lines, no feeling that she's in the episode in a meaningful way. She could be edited out of the episode and no-one would notice.

And these aren't the only two episodes where that happens.

(One thing I did like about that episode is the girls singing "My Boyfriend's Back").

Same can be said for season 6. Cruisin probably matches her screen time in the Come Back episode. Doo-Wah reminds me of how little time she had in My Boyfriend's Back or The Rich Aren't That Different. I guarantee you if you compare Charlotte's screen time in her season 6 episodes to the season 7 episodes, it wouldn't be far off. However, a lot of fans here seem to complain about Charlotte's lack of screen time in season 7 and ignore she is having the same treatment in season 6. From what I have read from those fans, it seems to be the setting of Edna's Edibles that makes it ok. I've always said Charlotte became a background character in season 5 and it got worst with season 6. Season 7 isn't any better, but she does have more than just coming in with cookies and then leaving. She has the same quality as her season 6 episodes.

Oh you're talking about Come Back To The Truck Stop Natalie Green. She only did it that one episode and technically it wasn't even Mrs. Garrett. It was a character in Natalie's story Mrs. Garrett was playing. The rest of the episodes she's there talking to the girls and giving advice like Men For All Seasons, A New Life, or The Christmas Baby. If all she's doing in the episodes you have watched of season 7 is delivering cookies and leaving, then you're watching edited episodes. That's why I'm so glad Shout released this series complete on DVD :banana:




You got me really intrigued now Christopher and i wonder if you're right: season 7 is the only DVD i haven't got from FOL, but now i wonder if i should get it, considering how much praise you give it?

It is true, that there is a few remarkable episodes i really liked in that season, such as 'The Christmas Baby': in it we see BLAIR seek advice from MRS G, and we also see her caring side and how devoted she is to her mother, staying at her side at all times while she is giving birth....:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

The other good episode i also especially like is the one named 'A New Life': it is the only time we see MONICA having a 'heart to heart' talk to MRS G about BLAIR and doubt if she is a good mother at all. In other words, MONICA is also thanking EDNA for taking care of her daughter while she was growing up, all those years she was busy travelling, she is scared of doing the same mistake with BAILEY, and this is when our feisty red head assures her that mothers are not perfect.....
I have always loved that episode particularly, but also found it sad, cos by then her girls were young adults, and she was gonna leave them soon.....:violin::violin::violin:

Season 7 was nearly the departure of CHARLOTTE RAE: you could feel it in the air...

:ufo::ufo::ufo::ufo::ufo::ufo::ufo::ufo:

I'm in the middle of my season 6 rewatch. Have you or anyone else notice how much Blair and Jo are always in the spotlight these two years? Natalie and Tootie are like supporting characters in their show. Blair and Jo take up over half of each season about them together or their characters separately. Even Natalie's grief episode in season 5 after her father dies is mainly about Blair jealous of Jo's popularity. Season 6 has Natalie used quite a bit to jump start the spotlight onto them. She's the reason Jo gets into the pizza business, the reason Blair meets the guy of her dreams in Gone With The Wind, the reason Jo and Blair have an episode dedicated to them on computer dating, and so on. Talk, Talk, Talk is another episode where Natalie gets the girls to support Jo in another Jo centered episode. I never realized how the writing was those two years until closely looking at these seasons. Rewatches are so fun of shows you love :)





Season 6 is really the transition of the relationship between JO and BLAIR: up until now, all they did was quarrel/snap at each other and behaved more like 'frenemies': all of that changed by the opening of season 6 and JO's new hairdo; from then on, you would see BLAIR and JO hanging around, spending most of their time together and enjoying each other's company.
We also see them become more mature and caring: on the episode where NAT is trying to set them up for a date, BLAIR and JO seem especially concerned about MRS G's feeling on how they are going to treat the 2 guys they never met, and when BLAIR says: "i suppose the right thing to do is go out with them..."
MRS G then replies "i'm surely glad you girls still listen to me."

Season 6 highlight the strong friendship between the 'Core of 4', and you're absolutely right Christopher: BLAIR and JO are the main focus, and NAT is definitely used to jump start the spotlight on them as you so nicely described!

:wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave:

Same can be said for season 6. Cruisin probably matches her screen time in the Come Back episode. Doo-Wah reminds me of how little time she had in My Boyfriend's Back or The Rich Aren't That Different. I guarantee you if you compare Charlotte's screen time in her season 6 episodes to the season 7 episodes, it wouldn't be far off. However, a lot of fans here seem to complain about Charlotte's lack of screen time in season 7 and ignore she is having the same treatment in season 6. From what I have read from those fans, it seems to be the setting of Edna's Edibles that makes it ok.

For me, with each season, she waned a little more each season, so it isn't just the change from Edna's Edibles to OOH. And S6 has EGOC; Talk, Talk, Talk; Two Guys from Appleton; and The Interview Show, all of which have nice moments for Mrs. Garrett. S7 has We Get Letters, and that episode is not one I'm fond of. I would have sent a letter, had I watched it on its original airing.