What is the most controversial episode from each season of TFOL?

What is the most controversial episode from each season of TFOL?

Well, I think that it goes without saying that the one (https://theveryspecialblog.com/2015/03/11/the-facts-of-life-the-first-time/) from the final season, where Natalie (https://factsoflife.fandom.com/wiki/Natalie_Green) loses her virginity should be up there simply due to the backstage (https://microsites.ew.com/microsite/longform/facts/#:~:text=Yet%20in%20the%20midst%20of,premiered%20on%20August%2024%2C%201979.) controversies involving Lisa Whelchel's refused (https://www.yahoo.com/video/facts-of-life-star-lisa-whelchel-written-out-of-virginity-episode-180032938.html) participation in that episode.

Well, I think that it goes without saying that the one (https://theveryspecialblog.com/2015/03/11/the-facts-of-life-the-first-time/) from the final season, where Natalie (https://factsoflife.fandom.com/wiki/Natalie_Green) loses her virginity should be up there simply due to the backstage (https://microsites.ew.com/microsite/longform/facts/#:~:text=Yet%20in%20the%20midst%20of,premiered%20on%20August%2024%2C%201979.) controversies involving Lisa Whelchel's refused (https://www.yahoo.com/video/facts-of-life-star-lisa-whelchel-written-out-of-virginity-episode-180032938.html) participation in that episode.

That's probably the most controversial episode for Season 9, but what about Seasons 1 through 8?

That's probably the most controversial episode for Season 9, but what about Seasons 1 through 8?

Season 1 would be Facts of Love or Dope.

Season 2 would be the suicide episode.

Season 3 would be "Fear Strikes Back"

Can't think of any for Season 4.

Season 5 would be "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can".

Not as familiar with later seasons.

Season 1 would be Facts of Love or Dope.

Season 2 would be the suicide episode.

Season 3 would be "Fear Strikes Back"

Can't think of any for Season 4.

Season 5 would be "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can".

Not as familiar with later seasons.

Some good choices, there, for controversial episodes.

I always forget about "I'm Dancing as Fast As I can"; it just doesn't stick in my head.

For Season 4, maybe "The Source"?

For Season 6... I don't know. For Season 7, maybe "Men for All Seasons"?

For Season 8, maybe "The Wedding Day"?

And NBC didn't sensor the controversial episodes during the daytime run like Nick at Night did later on.

And NBC didn't sensor the controversial episodes during the daytime run like Nick at Night did later on.

No, they just ran the episodes. It was a very different time.

Nick showed facts of love, I even recorded it. But they definitely didn’t show Dope, so I would put that one as most controversial

Nick showed facts of love, I even recorded it. But they definitely didn’t show Dope, so I would put that one as most controversial

Do you still have the recording? Reason I ask is that there were many Nick at Nite promos for FOL that still aren't on YouTube, and your recording might contain one or more promos, since they often ran promos for a show during the show.

Since they didn't show Dope, you may be right that Nick considered it the most controversial.

There were quite a few episodes Nick at Night didn't show. The suicide one, The First Time, I am Dancing as Fast as I Can, the one where Natalie was attacked.

There were quite a few episodes Nick at Night didn't show. The suicide one, The First Time, I am Dancing as Fast as I Can, the one where Natalie was attacked.

Yeah, I can see why. Those coconuts would have hurt!

...Just kidding! I know you're talking about "Fear Strikes Back", not "Green-Eyed Monster"! :lol:

Do you still have the recording? Reason I ask is that there were many Nick at Nite promos for FOL that still aren't on YouTube, and your recording might contain one or more promos, since they often ran promos for a show during the show.

Since they didn't show Dope, you may be right that Nick considered it the most controversial.

I’m sure I do somewhere

Season 1: "Dope" - Smoking was a controversial topic back then
Season 2: "Breaking Point" - Death wasn't something new on TV (look at James on "Good Times" for example) but a girl that commits suicide was very controversial
Season 3: "Fear Strikes Back"
Season 4: "Different Drummer" - Even though "Cousin Geri" had alreay been introduced, a mentally handicapped character still was controversial
Season 5: "A Death in the Family"
Season 6: "Taking a Chance on Love"
Season 7: "A New Life"
Season 8: "The Wedding Day"
Season 9: "The First Time"

I don't think the later seasons (from the 6th onward) have that huge amount of "very special episodes" of the earlier years. Seasons 1-5 have a tons of controversial episodes: "The Facts of Love", "Double Standard" "Cousin Geri", "Small But Dangerous", "Teenage Marriage", "Let's Party", "Pretty Babies.....and so on :lol:

Season 1: "Dope" - Smoking was a controversial topic back then
Season 2: "Breaking Point" - Death wasn't something new on TV (look at James on "Good Times" for example) but a girl that commits suicide was very controversial
Season 3: "Fear Strikes Back"
Season 4: "Different Drummer" - Even though "Cousin Geri" had alreay been introduced, a mentally handicapped character still was controversial
Season 5: "A Death in the Family"
Season 6: "Taking a Chance on Love"
Season 7: "A New Life"
Season 8: "The Wedding Day"
Season 9: "The First Time"

Some very good picks! I am going to have to rewatch "A New Life" because I don't even remember it.


I don't think the later seasons (from the 6th onward) have that huge amount of "very special episodes" of the earlier years. Seasons 1-5 have a tons of controversial episodes: "The Facts of Love", "Double Standard" "Cousin Geri", "Small But Dangerous", "Teenage Marriage", "Let's Party", "Pretty Babies.....and so on :lol:

Yeah, definitely more controversy early on. I'm glad Linda and Margie stuck to their guns about "the girl dies" on "Breaking Point".

But imagine if Margie and Linda had been writing during the first season:

Blair: Sue Ann, I brought your favorite... rice pudding! Sue Ann? Sue Ann? Sue Ann!

or:

Mrs. Garrett: Oh, I hope Cindy didn't go down into that flooded basement to get her spikes! She could be electrizified!

Some very good picks! I am going to have to rewatch "A New Life" because I don't even remember it.



Yeah, definitely more controversy early on. I'm glad Linda and Margie stuck to their guns about "the girl dies" on "Breaking Point".

But imagine if Margie and Linda had been writing during the first season:

Blair: Sue Ann, I brought your favorite... rice pudding! Sue Ann? Sue Ann? Sue Ann!

or:

Mrs. Garrett: Oh, I hope Cindy didn't go down into that flooded basement to get her spikes! She could be electrizified!

I am going to start a thread of what would have happened if Margie and Linda wrote for Season 1.

I am going to start a thread of what would have happened if Margie and Linda wrote for Season 1.

Awesome!

Well, obviously the most controversial S1 episode is "Like Mother, Like Daughter".

It's the episode that Cindy has the least amount of lines in. So naturally it's the most controversial.

;)

Well, obviously the most controversial S1 episode is "Like Mother, Like Daughter".

It's the episode that Cindy has the least amount of lines in. So naturally it's the most controversial.

;)

:lol:

:lol: :p

Some very good picks! I am going to have to rewatch "A New Life" because I don't even remember it.


It's the episode where Monica tells Blair she's pregnant. I think it was controversial just like Maude's abortion a decade earlier

It's the episode where Monica tells Blair she's pregnant. I think it was controversial just like Maude's abortion a decade earlier

Oh, no, it wasn't at all. Nothing on FOL was anywhere near that controversial.

Affiliates never refused to air a FOL episode in its original run.

Affiliates never refused to air a FOL episode in its original run.

Even "The First Time"?

Even "The First Time"?

Nope! As far as I know no station refused to air that. They just put up a disclaimer before the episode started saying something about the subject matter was very sensitive and that parents may want to watch with their children (something like that).

Season 1: "Dope" - Smoking was a controversial topic back then
Season 2: "Breaking Point" - Death wasn't something new on TV (look at James on "Good Times" for example) but a girl that commits suicide was very controversial
Season 3: "Fear Strikes Back"
Season 4: "Different Drummer" - Even though "Cousin Geri" had alreay been introduced, a mentally handicapped character still was controversial
Season 5: "A Death in the Family"
Season 6: "Taking a Chance on Love"
Season 7: "A New Life"
Season 8: "The Wedding Day"
Season 9: "The First Time"

I don't think the later seasons (from the 6th onward) have that huge amount of "very special episodes" of the earlier years. Seasons 1-5 have a tons of controversial episodes: "The Facts of Love", "Double Standard" "Cousin Geri", "Small But Dangerous", "Teenage Marriage", "Let's Party", "Pretty Babies.....and so on :lol:

I don't know if it was considered really controversial at the time, but the episode ("Legacy" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0575371/)) where Blair finds out that her grandfather was a racist and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Mrs. Garrett's attitude towards the whole situation is really sickening (of course, not as sickening as Blair's grandpa's behavior) especially in a modern context.

Mrs. Garrett pretty much tells Blair to look past the fact that her grandfather was someone who among other horrific things, used his power to deny rights to Blacks and just remember him for the way he treated her. In other words, Blair should overlook the fact that her grandpa was an overall vile and horrible human simple because he was nice to her.

Come to think of it, I actually wonder how Tootie would think of such a thing.

the character Mrs Garrett was obviously a precinct captain for Wallace's campaign in 1968...

I don't know if it was considered really controversial at the time, but the episode ("Legacy" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0575371/)) where Blair finds out that her grandfather was a racist and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Mrs. Garrett's attitude towards the whole situation is really sickening (of course, not as sickening as Blair's grandpa's behavior) especially in a modern context.

Mrs. Garrett pretty much tells Blair to look past the fact that her grandfather was someone who among other horrific things, used his power to deny rights to Blacks and just remember him for the way he treated her. In other words, Blair should overlook the fact that her grandpa was an overall vile and horrible human simple because he was nice to her.

Come to think of it, I actually wonder how Tootie would think of such a thing.

Interesting, I never thought of that. Mrs. Garrett was zeroing in on Blair's personal struggle to "disown" her grandfather, and the possible loss of the Eastland library. I think that's what she was being sensitive to, a teenage girl torn over "disowning" her grandfather whom she loved, and hated to see her disown him completely, and the potential loss of a haven of knowledge and learning. Mrs. Garrett did point out in the final scene that he spent his whole life promoting ignorance.

It is very interesting to ponder though...

Mrs. Garrett: "GIRLS! I cannot see through my sheet!"

Yeah, that's what Edna was doing. Family members have opposing views/opinions about things often. Some may be more reprehensible views/opinions than others, but you sometimes overlook them because they are family. Plus, Blair's grandfather was no longer living, so Edna was telling her to remember the things about him that she found good. She never experienced the racist man he was.

I hate that trope: unless it's about undisputed despots, we bend over back wards to praise dead people even if they were reviled/did hideous things in life. It's claimed that "it's cowardly" to attack the dead, but i suspect the real reason is much simpler: we fear attacking the dead because we are on the whole, afraid of death itself. Might the Grim Reaper himself take notice of us rejoicing in the Hated One's demise and decide to give us a taste of our own medicine?