On a celebratory episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show", the stars of one of Barrymore's favorite TV shows, "The Facts of Life", are reuniting to wish her a happy 49th birthday.

In a preview clip from Thursday's episode (2/22), Barrymore explained what the characters played by Lisa Whelchel, Nancy McKeon, and Mindy Cohn meant to her as a kid.

https://ew.com/drew-barrymore-gushes-over-facts-of-life-cast-during-surprise-reunion-8598400

Can’t wait to watch! Hopefully this puts to rest some of the ideas that Lisa was on the outs… glad to see Nancy on screen again!

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Facts of Life reunion on The Drew Barrymore Show (https://www.reddit.com/r/FactsOfLifeTVShow/comments/1axc88h/facts_of_life_reunion_on_the_drew_barrymore_show/)

Lisa Whelchel, Nancy McKeon, and Mindy Cohn reunite on The Drew Barrymore show (https://www.datalounge.com/thread/34038827-lisa-whelchel-nancy-mckeon-and-mindy-cohn-reunite-on-the-drew-barrymore-show)

I have to say that Lisa Whelchel looks amazing for 60. She could pass for decades younger.

I know 60 year old's in real life who don't look nearly half as good - could barely walk, etc.

It was just a few minutes of short clips but I did like it, even without Tootie. Let us know when the full episode is available anywhere.

One thing I've noticed is that to an extent, actors have to recreate whatever character they did long ago, to remind the audience of why we're paying any attention to them. We're used to that with Lisa and Nancy, but my favorite part was as Drew was talking about her affection for the characters, and Mindy breaks in 'what about me? what about me?'

That's Natalie!

Was there ever any explanation as to why Tootie was not there?

Was there ever any explanation as to why Tootie was not there?

Probably filming "The Upshaws". Her current show.

How Classic Television Still Inspires People – Every Day (http://comforttv.blogspot.com/2024/02/how-classic-television-still-inspires.html)

As I’ve acknowledged before, outside of news and sports I pay very little attention to the current TV landscape. But every so often a current series references the classic TV era in a way that merits notice.

Such a moment happened last week when there was a Facts of Life cast reunion on The Drew Barrymore Show. That alone would not be worth mentioning here, were it not for how Drew paid homage to guests Lisa Whelchel, Nancy McKeon and Mindy Cohn. She didn’t just share fond memories of watching the show – she described how much Blair, Jo and Natalie meant to her, and how they helped to shape her own character.

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Jo, she said, “showed that girls could be strong and tough, and (she) helped take a lot of intimidation away for females." Blair taught her about empathy: "Because you know how popular, beautiful people can scare you sometimes? Blair was like, 'It's not about the outside, it's about the human inside.'” Natalie became a “moral compass” and “a voice of reason.”

She also commented on the impact the series had on young people who didn’t come from a traditional two-parent household, as it depicted four young women growing up with a beloved teacher in a de facto parent role: “You gave me a blueprint that made my life feel better to me in every sense of the word."

They were nice sentiments, and if she felt that way you can be sure other young viewers did as well. We don’t know who they are because they don’t have their own talk shows. But this was a disclosure that summarizes why the shows of the past still maintain such an affectionate hold over us. I think it’s something that can’t be celebrated often enough, so let’s talk about it again.

“If you want to send a message, call Western Union.”

That quote has been attributed in various forms to Humphrey Bogart, Bob Hope and movie producer Sam Goldwyn, all titans of American pop culture from a bygone era. It refers to material that overtly attempts to sway public opinion (or impose that of the writer) on an audience – and why that approach never prospered back then. They didn’t care about sending messages – they wanted stories and characters that would interest the largest possible audience, and put some profits in the studio’s account.

There were certainly “message” episodes in the classic TV era as well. The Facts of Life had several of them, often affectionately mocked by fans as another “very special episode.” Perhaps they did some good, but I’ve always thought that the most blatant messages are rarely the most persuasive.

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That is some comfort in this current and very different era of pop culture, one that engages in what essayist Robert Royal described as “wholesale dismissals of the past as irretrievably evil.” When the message is the fulcrum from which every aspect of the project derives, and is wielded like a blunt force instrument, it risks preaching only to the already converted.

Goldwyn, Hope and Bogie knew that was not a recipe for success. For proof one need only observe how one entertainment brand, once revered and synonymous with the best in family entertainment, switched from fantasy to advocacy, and hasn’t had a hit in years.

But Drew Barrymore's reflections on The Facts of Life illustrates how messages are still being sent by every movie and every episode of every television show. They’re not the colorful tasty frosting on top of the cake, the first thing everyone notices. Instead they’re baked deep inside, awakening our senses to their profundity only after several bites.

Lisa Whelchel on Her Admiration for Steve Martin (https://www.thedrewbarrymoreshow.com/videos/lisa-whelchel-on-her-admiration-for-steve-martin)

April 03, 2024

Lisa Whelchel Joins Drew!

"Collector's Call" host Lisa Whelchel joins Drew to chat about her time on "Facts of Life," motherhood, and more!

Lisa Whelchel on Her Show "Collector's Call" (https://www.thedrewbarrymoreshow.com/videos/lisa-whelchel-on-her-show-collectors-call)

April 03, 2024

Lisa Whelchel Joins Drew! (https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TamJpryZp/)

"Collector's Call" host Lisa Whelchel joins Drew to chat about her time on "Facts of Life," motherhood, and more!

Lisa Whelchel on Her Admiration for Steve Martin (https://www.thedrewbarrymoreshow.com/videos/lisa-whelchel-on-her-admiration-for-steve-martin)



Lisa Whelchel on Her Show "Collector's Call" (https://www.thedrewbarrymoreshow.com/videos/lisa-whelchel-on-her-show-collectors-call)

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"The Facts of Life" Lisa Whelchel sits down with Drew Barrymore to talk about her show, "Collector's Call", why she turned down the role of Rachel in "Friends", and surprises Drew with her own memorabilia!

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"The Facts of Life" Lisa Whelchel sits down with Drew Barrymore to talk about being in each other's orbit, Lisa's love of Steve Martin, and so much more!