I'm a little confused on how Mrs. Garrett left. We know that the pilot episode for "Facts of Life", titled "Garrett's Girls" played at the end of "Diff'rent Strokes"' first season in the spring of 1979. The first four episodes of FOL aired in August 1979, and in the first, Mrs. Garrett and Mr. Drummond (making a guest appearance) talk about how her new position as a housemother at Eastland is temporary and as soon as the school can find a permanent replacement, she'll return to the Drummonds.

Mrs. Garrett was then in a good number of DS episodes during the early part of season 2 in the fall of 1979 (FOL was on hiatus until the spring of 1980). Did they explain why she returned to the Drummonds? And did they have another episode explaining when she left for good during season 2?

see i wondered that too.. i never saw DS before this so don't talk to me about it.. but if ANYONE knows ANYTHIGN please speak up cuz i was very confused by this too... cuz they always say that she will be back and she promises and everythign bu thtey never said about how she decided to stay at eastland instead.. they DEFINATLEY should have made an episode on the facts of life where they found a replacment or something and the drummonds came to pick her up and bring her "home" or somethign like that and the girls are all liek begging her to stay and then mr. bradley is like well we were gonna offer you a full time permanent position to stay at eastland and then she decides to and she appolagizes to kimberly, mr. drummond, and the boys and she stays.. now wouldn't that have just made a lot mroe sense?? i mean and episode along the lines where they offer mrs. garrett to stay at eastland permanently.. right??

I don't think they ever explained why she came back, she of course did double duty because they didn't know if FOL was going to continue past those first 13 episodes. I read somewhere that the final 9 episodes of season 1 of FOL were filmed in the fall of 1979.

There was no goodbye episode either when she left the 2nd time.

>>I read somewhere that the final 9 episodes of season 1 of FOL were filmed in the fall of 1979.<<

I'd definately buy that. Blair, Natalie, Tootie and Mrs. G all looked like a good year had passed from the end of season 1 to "The New Girl"

Not only them. Did you see Molly? Boy did she grow!

all episodes of The facts of life were taped in late 1979 or early 1980 (very early.. like jaunuary) but the shows all ran THROUGH liek October of 1980 and then in November seaosn 1 started.. so for allt he girls AND Charlotte to loose so much weight, at least half (or almost the entire) year had to have passed...

Originally posted by FOL85NatandMrsGRock:
all episodes of The facts of life were taped in late 1979 or early 1980 (very early.. like jaunuary) but the shows all ran THROUGH liek October of 1980 and then in November seaosn 1 started.. so for allt he girls AND Charlotte to loose so much weight, at least half (or almost the entire) year had to have passed...

That sounds just about right. I too noticed how Molly grew.

I vaguely recall how Mrs. Garrett comes to Eastland. Seems that Kimberley attended Eastland and invites Mrs. Garrett up for a visit. While Mrs. Garrett is visiting, turmoil and confusion erupts as the then-current housemother quits. When Mrs. Garrett discovers Blair smoking behind the couch, she decides to stay temporarily to help straighten things out.

There was a 6 month difference between the the taping of last Season 1 episode of the Facts of Life (April 1980) to the taping of the New Girl episodes (October 1980).

The Facts of Life first 4 shows were taped in the spring of 1979. The last 9 were taped from December 1979 to April 1980. You can definitely see the change in height of Molly from the first 4 episodes to the last 9. Kim also grew in some of during the break in Season 1.