I grew up when TFOL first aired on NBC, so I remember a lot of the episodes when they originally ran. I recently watched all nine seasons on DVD - every episode, except "Brian and Sylvia," and have some questions. Hopefully I can get some help...

* What happened in the production and writing from S2 to ~S6? The early seasons (outside S1) dealt with some major topics - death, divorce, race, physical disabilities and other big issues. Then, once the girls "grew up" a bit, we went to all this light fare that really didn't feel challenging to the cast.

* About S7, Natalie seemed to take on more Jewish stereotypes. She talked about how "your mother wouldn't like that" and some other things, that I did not notice in earlier seasons.

* In the S7 episode "We Get Letters," Mrs. Garrett has short hair... just for that episode. Was it just styled different, or was it a wig, or something else?

* Charlotte Rae did not appear in several episodes mid-series, with the excuse of being traveling. Was that her decision, the network, the producers? I read that she was already considering leaving the show at that point, so why didn't the writers work to keep her involved more?

* In S9, the opening credits, Blair has a black dress on, standing at the door. I never saw that scene in an episode... did I miss it?

* When Cloris Leachman came on, the girls seemed somewhat resentful to her. It improved, but they still acted rude to her... especially when CL would talk about Appleton, WI or something from home. Why was this roughness part of the show, when before it was a much kinder relationship with Mrs. Garrett?

* The Andy/adoption thing bugged me. He had a family, including a grandmother, then suddenly he's a foster kid. What the??

* Why did the girls and Mrs. Garrett open "Over Our Heads," and then suddenly never work there? Natalie doesn't go to college, but works other jobs... but we barely see them in the store again. And when the girls take off for summer vacation, so one seemed to notice that they weren't working in the shop they all owned. Very odd...

* The S9 episode where Blair is in the car accident and gets the cut on her head... Whelchel's acting was tops there.

Overall I really enjoyed the series, but sometimes things just didn't seem "right" to me. The last couple of seasons had writing that simply felt off... the continuation of the stories just wasn't there. But, I'm glad to own the DVDs and will definitely watch again...

* What happened in the production and writing from S2 to ~S6? The early seasons (outside S1) dealt with some major topics - death, divorce, race, physical disabilities and other big issues. Then, once the girls "grew up" a bit, we went to all this light fare that really didn't feel challenging to the cast.

I quite agree. For me, only the Eastland Years are the real FOL. All those later episodes are from a spin-off that happened to have the same title, but a different setting, some different characters, and very different writing. (I do allow a few Eastland-centric episodes from later years into the canon).

The show moved from dramatic episodes with comedy to... almost farce. Episodes like "Seven Little Indians" had more in common with Three's Company than with The Facts of Life. Don't get me wrong: Three's Company was a fine, slapstick comedy... but it was no Facts of Life.

By the end, even The Facts of Life was no Facts of Life.


In the S7 episode "We Get Letters," Mrs. Garrett has short hair... just for that episode. Was it just styled different, or was it a wig, or something else?

I think she wore a wig, certainly during the first season of DS, for the first season of FOL, and maybe later, too.


* Charlotte Rae did not appear in several episodes mid-series, with the excuse of being traveling. Was that her decision, the network, the producers? I read that she was already considering leaving the show at that point, so why didn't the writers work to keep her involved more?

Charlotte has also said, in her book, that she had developed some health issues. So that might have been why she was absent. But after the Eastland years, Mrs. G started... fading away, as the writers began focusing on Kelly and Andy and George and a dozen other random characters which had nothing to do with the original show.

The Andy/adoption thing bugged me. He had a family, including a grandmother, then suddenly he's a foster kid. What the??

By this point, the show had become a farce. The later seasons just make no sense.

Why did the girls and Mrs. Garrett open "Over Our Heads," and then suddenly never work there? Natalie doesn't go to college, but works other jobs... but we barely see them in the store again. And when the girls take off for summer vacation, so one seemed to notice that they weren't working in the shop they all owned. Very odd...

YEP!

I quite agree. For me, only the Eastland Years are the real FOL. All those later episodes are from a spin-off that happened to have the same title, but a different setting, some different characters, and very different writing. (I do allow a few Eastland-centric episodes from later years into the canon).

For me personally, while I do own all 9 seasons, the first 6 are truly canon to me. I adore the gem of season one, and consider the "classic cafeteria years" of seasons 2-4 to be the apex of Facts of Life, in all its top form glory. And because I am a staunch supporter of Mrs. Garrett and her dreams, I heartily give her seasons 5 and 6 with Edna's Edibles to continue her journey with her girls. But the first 4 seasons are the most nostalgic, entertaining, and fun to watch (regardless of Lisa Whelchel's passive-aggressive near-preference for the later slapstick seasons); and it is seasons 2-4 that should be put in a time capsule to represent FOL (and season 1 if there's room, lol).

I grew up when TFOL first aired on NBC, so I remember a lot of the episodes when they originally ran. I recently watched all nine seasons on DVD - every episode, except "Brian and Sylvia," and have some questions. Hopefully I can get some help...

Well now I have a question: why did you not watch "Brian and Sylvia"? That episode is dear to me. Many "Facts" fans decry it, but I love it. Part of it is the nostalgia because that is one of the episodes that stands out in memory as me watching it at my grandparents' house in summer reruns on their big dinosaur TV with me on the floor right in front of it, and part of it is because even though there are times where Jo and Blair have outings together, here we have Natalie and Tootie the girls at center stage on a trip.


* About S7, Natalie seemed to take on more Jewish stereotypes. She talked about how "your mother wouldn't like that" and some other things, that I did not notice in earlier seasons.

I never noticed this.


* In S9, the opening credits, Blair has a black dress on, standing at the door. I never saw that scene in an episode... did I miss it?


Yes. Maybe? lol...I don't actually know, sorry, but maybe someone else can answer this (or one of us, when we go back through the later years on DVD)


* When Cloris Leachman came on, the girls seemed somewhat resentful to her. It improved, but they still acted rude to her... especially when CL would talk about Appleton, WI or something from home. Why was this roughness part of the show, when before it was a much kinder relationship with Mrs. Garrett?

No one knows, except perhaps the writers and the director. Perhaps they felt a little tension/conflict there was entertaining or helped define character?


* The S9 episode where Blair is in the car accident and gets the cut on her head... Whelchel's acting was tops there.

Maybe, but that's the episode out of all 9 seasons I least want to watch again. It just doesn't feel right, especially among all the farce of those last years.

I remember Brian and Sylvia as just not enjoyable... have seen it a couple times over the years, and tried to watch it this round. It wasn't for me.

From my original post... if someone could name the episodes seen at 0:30 (full group) and 0:35 (Blair in black), I would appreciate it!

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For me personally, while I do own all 9 seasons, the first 6 are truly canon to me. I adore the gem of season one, and consider the "classic cafeteria years" of seasons 2-4 to be the apex of Facts of Life, in all its top form glory. And because I am a staunch supporter of Mrs. Garrett and her dreams, I heartily give her seasons 5 and 6 with Edna's Edibles to continue her journey with her girls. But the first 4 seasons are the most nostalgic, entertaining, and fun to watch (regardless of Lisa Whelchel's passive-aggressive near-preference for the later slapstick seasons); and it is seasons 2-4 that should be put in a time capsule to represent FOL (and season 1 if there's room, lol).

You are right that the cafeteria years are the apex of the series, but I love the dorm year, too.

I can see why someone would like the Edna's Edibles spin-off, with its homey bakery and often sharp writing. But the later spin-offs, where they start some tacky '80s shop, and everyone gets huge hair... That's not FOL to me.

The only post-Eastland episodes I consider canon are episodes 5-01, 5-02, 5-25, 5-26, 6-12, 8-08, 9-23, and 9-24: an abbreviated "fifth season" to wrap things up.

Why these girls would want to live with Mrs. Garrett's sister and some random orphans is beyond me. It just made no sense. After Charlotte Rae left, they should have moved the timeline up a year, with the older girls graduated, and Tootie attending college, and all of them sharing an apartment in NYC.

I remember Brian and Sylvia as just not enjoyable... have seen it a couple times over the years, and tried to watch it this round. It wasn't for me.

As I'm sure you must have guessed, it was a planned backdoor pilot that never materialized. I don't think you missed much by skipping it.

Why these girls would want to live with Mrs. Garrett's sister and some random orphans is beyond me. It just made no sense.

I totally agree. They even kept living behind the shop, but at some point, they lost all interest in running the shop.


After Charlotte Rae left, they should have moved the timeline up a year, with the older girls graduated, and Tootie attending college, and all of them sharing an apartment in NYC.

Now that could have been interesting. Something similar to Friends, I guess? Only with an actual black person in NYC.

As I'm sure you must have guessed, it was a planned backdoor pilot that never materialized. I don't think you missed much by skipping it.

Yep... Richard Dean Anderson went on to another show... wonder if it was any good. Ha!!

Yep... Richard Dean Anderson went on to another show... wonder if it was any good. Ha!!
Haha! I loved MacGyver as a kid. (I didn't like the reboot).

First season was my least favorite. Even the last season of Diff'rent Strokes was better to me than the first season of FOL. The other girls just weren't as likeable to me. They needed to get rid of them and bring in Jo. She was much better. I actually liked the later ones as well. I liked seeing the girls interactions with Beverly Ann and Andy, although Pippa was kind of strange. There were also some strange dream sequence episodes in the later seasons that just felt out of place to me. The one where Natalie is writing a story in a truck stop and envisions the rest of the crew as some odd characters, the one where Tootie has a dream about the girls all being killed one by one by a mysterious killer who turns out to be Blair, the one where they are in the 60s and wearing strange outfits and singing, and the one where they envision themselves as old people (Bill Macy from Maude was in that one). Nevertheless, I don't believe in skipping episodes, so I watch all episodes in order. I don't know which era was my favorite. I liked them all. I liked the Eastland episodes, and I liked the Edna's Edibles and Over Our Heads episodes as well. The finale was good too. I just wish Mrs. Garrett could have come back for it. But overall, this is one of my favorite shows from the 80s.

I've liked the show since I was a kid in the 80s. I've been watching the DVDs straight through for some time now- am currently in the middle of Season 7. The Eastland years are the best, no doubt. But, the Edna's Edible years also have their charm.

I can see why they revamped it with Over Our Heads- also updating the theme song in the process- but some of the specialness got lost amidst all of that (though, I can't remember which show off-hand, Mrs. Garrett still had a couple moments of that classic Mrs. G advice). And then Jo's hair changed, which I was/am not that fond of. :)

Charlotte Rae had grown tired of playing Mrs. G by the fifth season- in her book, she said she would cry when it was time to go to work. She missed 10 episodes in season 7, which was twice as many as she missed in season six. She also said they offered her loads of money to stay on for season 8, but she felt she had exhausted all there was to do with the character.

I remember Brian and Sylvia as just not enjoyable... have seen it a couple times over the years, and tried to watch it this round. It wasn't for me.

As I'm sure you must have guessed, it was a planned backdoor pilot that never materialized. I don't think you missed much by skipping it.
"Brian and Sylvia" is one of my favorite of the series' multiple spin-off attempts due to my nostalgic/character reasons mentioned above (and I enjoy Ja'net Duboi's fun appearance near the end a lot). I think my least favorite of the spin-off attempts is "The Academy". A boys' version might be fun to see, but the military school aspect just doesn't appeal to me.

"Brian and Sylvia" is one of my favorite of the series' multiple spin-off attempts due to my nostalgic/character reasons mentioned above (and I enjoy Ja'net Duboi's fun appearance near the end a lot). I think my least favorite of the spin-off attempts is "The Academy". A boys' version might be fun to see, but the military school aspect just doesn't appeal to me.

Oh, I agree on the military school aspect. I wouldn't want to watch seven seasons of saluting and barked orders. Maybe if the characters had been more appealing, it would have been okay...? Actually, no. I just can't believe that. :lol:

From my original post... if someone could name the episodes seen at 0:30 (full group) and 0:35 (Blair in black), I would appreciate it!



Full group is from Where's Poppa and Blair in black is from A Thousand Frowns. These scenes were re-shot though before airing.

Full group is from Where's Poppa and Blair in black is from A Thousand Frowns. These scenes were re-shot though before airing.

So these scenes aren't in the actual episodes?

* What happened in the production and writing from S2 to ~S6? The early seasons (outside S1) dealt with some major topics - death, divorce, race, physical disabilities and other big issues. Then, once the girls "grew up" a bit, we went to all this light fare that really didn't feel challenging to the cast.

Season 6 was the start of a different show. Seasons 2 - 5 were the dark seasons. Season 6 had these fun episodes of the girls enjoying each others company and doing adventures with each other. I do think it's weird their issues became fluffier as they got older compared to when they were kids. You would think they would show life gets harder as you get older. It's not all fun times and laughs.

* When Cloris Leachman came on, the girls seemed somewhat resentful to her. It improved, but they still acted rude to her... especially when CL would talk about Appleton, WI or something from home. Why was this roughness part of the show, when before it was a much kinder relationship with Mrs. Garrett?

In Out of Peekskill, Tootie referred to Beverly Ann coming as the devil to smite an angel. They didn't want her to replace Mrs. Garrett. Not to mention when Beverly Ann showed up, she ran over the minister ruining Mrs. Garrett's wedding. As for the stories, it's a resemblance to The Golden Girls with Rose and her stories. They're irritating to listen to.

* The Andy/adoption thing bugged me. He had a family, including a grandmother, then suddenly he's a foster kid. What the??

Andy didn't receive much character development to know his full story. It is odd they wait until the adoption episode to mention he's in foster homes.


* Why did the girls and Mrs. Garrett open "Over Our Heads," and then suddenly never work there? Natalie doesn't go to college, but works other jobs... but we barely see them in the store again. And when the girls take off for summer vacation, so one seemed to notice that they weren't working in the shop they all owned. Very odd...

That bugged me too. The store is only seen once in season 9 and that's in the episode Something In Common to discuss closing the store. I think it was cheap for them to have the store be a big deal for years to just making it disappear without a closing episode.

* The S9 episode where Blair is in the car accident and gets the cut on her head... Whelchel's acting was tops there.

This episode makes no sense for the series. They state Blair will always have a scar, yet she doesn't in the episodes after this. There was no consistency with this series in the later years.

So these scenes aren't in the actual episodes?


No, but that's where they were shot from. There's a thread on this board discussing this for the episode Where's Poppa. From what I remember, they basically reshot the scene a different way. The original scene was kept for the credits though.

No, but that's where they were shot from. There's a thread on this board discussing this for the episode Where's Poppa. From what I remember, they basically reshot the scene a different way. The original scene was kept for the credits though.

Got it. Thank you for clarifying.

There is a similar scene in The Golden Girls intro - Blanche is sitting on the couch, and pulls her hand/fist inside the sleeve of her top. It's from the "Break In" episode, but the shot doesn't appear in the actual episode.

Charlotte Rae had grown tired of playing Mrs. G by the fifth season- in her book, she said she would cry when it was time to go to work. She missed 10 episodes in season 7, which was twice as many as she missed in season six. She also said they offered her loads of money to stay on for season 8, but she felt she had exhausted all there was to do with the character.


She also mentioned in one of the behind the scenes specials for the show that her health wasn't the best. She mentioned her pacemaker and being tired most of the time. Her memory sure is good though. Has anyone seen the cast reunion from 2014? Charlotte remembers the pizza episode 'A Slice of Life' unlike Mindy, Lisa, and Nancy. I thought it was mean Lisa and Nancy, who obviously forgotten the episode, said to go with it and that senior moments are sad as Charlotte was talking how much fun the episode was.

Season 6 was the start of a different show. Seasons 2 - 5 were the dark seasons. Season 6 had these fun episodes of the girls enjoying each others company and doing adventures with each other. I do think it's weird their issues became fluffier as they got older compared to when they were kids. You would think they would show life gets harder as you get older. It's not all fun times and laughs.

It makes sense to me, because adolescence is so much harder than adulthood. At least in terms of being yourself, liking yourself, dating/sexuality, "fitting in" with your peers, etc. (I've often heard actors well in adulthood say they couldn't be paid enough to go back and relive their youth)

I don't think the series had any "dark seasons". If anything, seasons 2-4 are the classic seasons (with season 1 a definite cult classic). Some dark episodes, yes, but not done in a way as to feel "dark".



As for the stories, it's a resemblance to The Golden Girls with Rose and her stories. They're irritating to listen to.

Not to me, they're very entertaining and funny to listen to. That's how I feel about Beverly Ann's and especially Rose's stories. I know what you're saying though, I mean sure the other characters are exasperated, which in itself I found odd/unrealistic as a kid because the stories are so damn fun and funny, lol. Rose's stories are still some of the best laughs of GG.

It makes sense to me, because adolescence is so much harder than adulthood. At least in terms of being yourself, liking yourself, dating/sexuality, "fitting in" with your peers, etc. (I've often heard actors well in adulthood say they couldn't be paid enough to go back and relive their youth)

I don't think the series had any "dark seasons". If anything, seasons 2-4 are the classic seasons (with season 1 a definite cult classic). Some dark episodes, yes, but not done in a way as to feel "dark".


Life still continues to be challenging into your adult years. It doesn't just stop. Granted this show took the easy way out of displaying adulthood by having them be roommates and being able to take jobs that don't pay well. In the real world though trying to make it on your own is not always that simple. There's a lot of adult issues the show could have shown if they had taken the chance to instead of going pure comedy in the later years.

I consider Season 5 a dark season for the show. There was so much drama that year with Natalie's dad dying, Natalie distancing herself from others, introducing Jeff as a character who couldn't read, Natalie feeling awkward for dating a black guy, Kelly threatening Blair stealing from the store, the latchkey kid who could have died if the gas line blew, Jo's issue in All or Nothing (this is the only episode I have trouble following because it's boring), Eddie coming back married and breaking Jo's heart, and other issues. There's very few comical episodes from that year. Seasons 3 and 4 have just as many, if not more, dark episodes overshadowing the whole season. The Facts of Life was more dramedy than comedy the first 5 years. Season 6 really began a new direction for how the show was going to be. Even Lisa herself states the later years they were able to loosen up and have fun. It wasn't doom and gloom like the early years.

Seasons 3 and 4 have just as many, if not more, dark episodes overshadowing the whole season. The Facts of Life was more dramedy than comedy the first 5 years. Season 6 really began a new direction for how the show was going to be. Even Lisa herself states the later years they were able to loosen up and have fun. It wasn't doom and gloom like the early years.

I've seen Lisa say that in interviews as well, but I always think in response, "But Lisa, most fans don't like the later seasons more; they prefer the earlier seasons." Many fans don't see those earlier years as "doom and gloom", but as the "classic" years. Yes they are dramedy, but the in these shows the comedy is such wonderful enjoyable comedy that it balances the show out really well so it never feels "dark" (at least to fans like me). The only episode that stands out to me as uncharacteristically dark is "Breaking Point", with Cynthia's suicide*. That one does feel like an "outsider" episode. But the others from the cafeteria years all feel like well-balanced comfort TV Facts of Life.

*(next would be "Less Than Perfect" with Blair's wreck in the later years, but I don't consider that canon for my own Facts universe, and I don't care to watch it)

I've seen Lisa say that in interviews as well, but I always think in response, "But Lisa, most fans don't like the later seasons more; they prefer the earlier seasons." Many fans don't see those earlier years as "doom and gloom", but as the "classic" years. Yes they are dramedy, but the in these shows the comedy is such wonderful enjoyable comedy that it balances the show out really well so it never feels "dark" (at least to fans like me). The only episode that stands out to me as uncharacteristically dark is "Breaking Point", with Cynthia's suicide*. That one does feel like an "outsider" episode. But the others from the cafeteria years all feel like well-balanced comfort TV Facts of Life.

*(next would be "Less Than Perfect" with Blair's wreck in the later years, but I don't consider that canon for my own Facts universe, and I don't care to watch it)


There's nothing wrong with the show being dark though. It makes it a classic like the Norman Lear shows. I agree Breaking Point is probably their darkest episode next to Natalie getting attacked and almost raped. But you know it was probably that episode (Breaking Point) that caused them to realize they can be dark and still have an audience. I think they pushed the envelope so much with their issues. Like the teenage girl who is a prostitute. She was given the chance to go with Tootie and change her life, but she stayed with her pimp. The show wouldn't always provide a happy ending to a lot of their special episodes. That's true life situations right there. Some do get a happy ending and some don't. That makes The Facts of Life different than other sitcoms. It was a Norman Lear type show. It was like All in The Family where you didn't know if you'd be left laughing or crying by the end of the episode. I wish this show was more appreciated by critics. It did accomplish quite a bit in their run. Hell it started the trend for all female cast shows. As the longest running female cast show, this show should be acknowledged every now and then.

Less Than Perfect is alright. It's a great Blair / Jo episode. They just lack the knowledge of Blair's scar she's supposed to have afterwards.

Ok first off let me say im a HUGE FAN of FOL i have all the complete series set and have the seperate seasons on dvd and taped all the episodes when it was on nick at nite. That being said i love the whole series seasons 1-9 and i actually love the later years they are charming in a different way and the dream episodes are fun and quirky to watch and less than perfect is one of my favorite later season episodes mainly due to lisa whelchel's peerformance i love the eastland years and edna's edibles even the first season is good i appreciate the charm each season brings just wanted to throw in my 2 cents.