"The Facts of Life" Episode Writer Database

['80sSitcoms]

I thought it would be neat to put together a FOL database grouping the episodes by writer. This way maybe we can get an idea of what writers liked to write for certain characters or situations, and what seasons they were actively writing.

For those not familiar with writing, when episodes say "story" and "teleplay" instead of just "written by", "story" is who came up with the plot for the episode, and "teleplay" is for who took that story and wrote it out into a script. If a credit here says "with" so-and-so, it means those two both wrote the episode together. And the ampersand, or "and sign"---&---denotes the two people connected by that are writing partners.

The database will be listed in order of writing credit. So I took the writer for the first episode and listed all their episodes in order, then the same for writer of the second episode, and so on.

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"The Facts of Life" Writers

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Brad Rider

• "Rough Housing" - season 1 (teleplay solo, story with Glenn Padnick)

Glenn Padnick

• "Rough Housing" - season 1 (story only, with Brad Rider)
• -
• "Next Door" - season 5 (with Milt Rosen)

Jerry Mayer

• "Like Mother, Like Daughter" - season 1
• "Overachieving" - season 1
• "The Facts of Love" a.k.a. "Sex Education" - season 1 (with Rowland Barber)
• "Flash Flood" - season 1
• "Dope" - season 1
• -
• "The New Girl: Part 1" - season 2
• "Teenage Marriage: Part 1" - season 2*
• "Teenage Marriage: Part 2" - season 2*
• "The Secret" - season 2 (teleplay solo, story with Robyn Knapton)
• -
• "From Russia With Love" - season 3 (teleplay solo, story with Emily Mayer)
• "Kids Can Be Cruel" - season 3
• "The Academy" - season 3
• -
• "The Facts of Life Goes to Paris" - season 4 (Jerry Mayer & Jack Elinson, Linda Marsh & Margie Peters, Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert)
• "The Big Fight" - season 4
• "A Royal Pain" - season 4
• "Let's Party" - season 4
• "Help From Home" - season 4
• -
• "The Halloween Show" - season 5
• "The Christmas Show" - season 5
• "Dream Marriage" - season 5
• "Mother and Daughter" - season 5
• "The Way We Were" - season 5
• -
• "A Slice of Life" a.k.a. "Slices of Life" - season 6
• "Christmas in the Big House" - season 6
• "It's Lonely at the Top" - season 6

*note - usually you see two-parters written by two different writers or two different teams of writers, so it's very interesting Jerry Mayer wrote the entirety of these two episodes



Stan Dreben

• Emily Dickinson

Robyn Knapton

• "The Secret" - season 2 (story only, with Jerry Mayer)

Martin A. Ragaway

• "The Return of Mr. Garrett" - season 1
• "Dieting" - season 1

Jane Gould & Shelly Landau

• "I.Q." - season 1

Rowland Barber

• "The Facts of Love" a.k.a. "Sex Education" (with Jerry Mayer)

Migdea Chinea-Varela

• "Adoption" - season 1
• -
• "The Affair" - season 3

Warren Murray

• "Running" - season 1

Albert Lewin

• "Molly's Holiday" - season 1 (teleplay solo, story with Skip Usen)

Skip Usen

• "Molly's Holiday" - season 1 (story only, with Albert Lewin)

Jack Elinson

• "The New Girl: Part 2" - season 2
• "Brian and Sylvia" - season 2
• -
• "The Facts of Life Goes to Paris" - season 4 (Jerry Mayer & Jack Elinson, Linda Marsh & Margie Peters, Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert)
• -
• "The Agent" - season 7

Linda Marsh & Margie Peters

• "Double Standard" - season 2
• "Who Am I?" - season 2
• "Breaking Point" - season 2
• "Sex Symbol - season 2 (teleplay with Ann Gibbs & Joel Kimmel, story by Sally Sussman)
• "Bought and Sold" - season 2 (teleplay together, story by Linda Marsh & Margie Peters, and Susan Haven & Philip Ross)
• -
• "Growing Pains" - season 3
• "A Friend in Deed" - season 3
• "Give and Take" - season 3
• "Sweet Sorrow" - season 3
• "Green-Eyed Monster" - season 3 (teleplay together, story by Bill Shinkai)
• "Jo's Cousin" - season 3
• -
• "The Facts of Life Goes to Paris" - season 4 (Jerry Mayer & Jack Elinson, Linda Marsh & Margie Peters, Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert)
• "Magnificent Obsession" - season 4
• "Best Sister: Part 1" - season 4
• "Best Sister: Part 2" - season 4
• "Graduation" - season 4 (together, with Kimberly Hill)
• -
• "Brave New World" - season 5
• "The Second Time Around" - season 5
• "A Death in the Family" - season 5
• "Big Fish/Little Fish" - season 5
• "Seems Like Old Times" - season 5
• -
• "The Summer of '84" - season 6
• "Smile" - season 6 (teleplay together, story by Mark Miller)
• "Working It Out" - season 6

Ann Gibbs & Joel Kimmel

• "Cousin Geri" - season 2
• "Sex Symbol - season 2 (teleplay with Linda Marsh & Peters, story by Sally Sussman)
• "Pretty Babies" - season 2
• "Free Spirit" - season 2
• -
• "Cousin Geri Returns" - season 3

Sally Sussman

• "Shoplifting" - season 2
• "Sex Symbol - season 2 (story only, teleplay by Linda Marsh & Peters, and Ann Gibbs & Joel Kimmel)

Paul L. Friedman & Gayle MacDonald

• "Gossip" - season 2

Susan Haven & Philip Ross

• "Bought and Sold" - season 2 (story with Linda Marsh & Margie Peters, teleplay by Linda Marsh & Margie Peters)

Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert

• "Fear Strikes Back" - season 3
• "A Baby in the House" - season 3 (teleplay with Jerry Winnick, story by Jerry Winnick)
• "Legacy" - season 3
• "Starstruck" - season 3 (teleplay with Marvin Braverman, story by Marvin Braverman)
• "The Four Musketeers" - season 3
• "Read No Evil" - season 3 (teleplay together, story by Hendrik Van Leuven)
• -
• "The Facts of Life Goes to Paris" - season 4 (Jerry Mayer & Jack Elinson, Linda Marsh & Margie Peters, Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert)
• "Dearest Mommie" - season 4
• "Teacher's Pet" - season 4
• "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" - season 4
• "Take My Finals, Please" - season 4
• -
• "Dear Apple" - season 6 (teleplay together, story by Paul Haggis)
• "With a Little Help From My Friends" - season 6
• "The Interview Show" - season 6
• -
• "Into the Frying Pan" - season 7
• "We Get Letters" - season 7 (story together, teleplay by Susan Beavers)
• "Ballroom Dance" - season 7 (teleplay together, story by Carlo Allen)

Stuart Wolpert separate from writing partner Deidre Fay

• "The Last Drive-In" - season 6 (with Paul Haggis and Kimberly Hill)
• -
• "Tootie Drives" - season 7 (story only, with Paul Haggis, teleplay by Paul Haggis)

Jerry Winnick

• "A Baby in the House" - season 4 (story solo, teleplay with Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert)

Mike Mayer & Larry Swimer

• "Front Page" - season 3

Emily Mayer

• "From Russia With Love" - season 3 (story only, with Jerry Mayer, teleplay by Jerry Mayer)

Lloyd Turner & Howard Leibling

• "Dear Me" - season 3

Bill Shinkai

• "Green-Eyed Monster" - season 3 (story only, teleplay by Linda Marsh & Margie Peters)
• "The Americanizaiton of Miko" - season 3 (with Stephen W. Spears)

Stephen W. Spears

• "The Americanizaiton of Miko" - season 3 (with Bill Shinkai)

Mitch Markowitz

• "The Marriage Brokers" - season 3

Marvin Braverman

• "Starstruck" - season 4 (story alone, teleplay with Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert)

Bernard Burnell Mack

• "Runaway" - season 3

Peter Noah

• "New York, New York" - season 3
• -
• "The Source" - season 4

Jerry Jacobius

• "Mind Your Own Business" - season 3 (with Steven Gore)
• -
• "For the Asking" - season 4 (with Nick Gore)

Steven Gore

• "Mind Your Own Business" - season 3 (with Jerry Jacobius)

Nick Gore

• "For the Asking" - season 4 (with Jerry Jacobius)

Stephen Neigher

• "Ain't Miss Beholden" - season 4

Kimberly Hill

• "The Sound of Silence" - season 4
• "Who's on First" - season 4
• "Graduation" - season 4 (with Linda Marsh & Margie Peters)
• "Gone With the Wind: Part 1" - season 6
• "Gone With the Wind: Part 2" - season 6
• "The Last Drive-In" - season 6 (with Paul Haggis and Stuart Wolpert)
• "Bus Stop" - season 6 (teleplay only, story by Brian Pollack & Rick Shaw)

John Markus

• "The Oldest Living Graduate" - season 4

Dianne Messina & Lou Messina

• "Different Drummer" - season 4
• -
• "Just My Bill" - season 5

David Chambers

• "A Woman's Place" - season 4 (teleplay alone, story with Ruth Bennett)

Ruth Bennett

• "A Woman's Place" - season 4 (story only, with David Chambers, teleplay by David Chambers)

Howard Meyers

• "Daddy's Girl" - season 4 (with Paul Haggis)
• -
• "Store Games" - season 5 (story with Andy Borowitz, teleplay by Andy Borowitz)

Paul Haggis

• "Daddy's Girl" - season 4 (with Howard Meyers)
• -
• "Crusin' " - season 6
• "Dear Apple" - season 6 (teleplay alone, story by Dedire Fay & Stuart Wolpert)
• "Me & Elenaor" - season 6
• "Two Guys From Appleton" - season 6
• "Man in the Attic" - season 6
• "The Last Drive-In" - season 6 (with Kimberly Hill and Stuart Wolpert)
• -
• "Out of the Fire..." - season 7
• "3, 2, 1" - season 7
• "Tootie Drives" - season 7 (teleplay alone, story with Stuart Wolpert)
• "Atlantic City" - season 7
• -
• "Out of Peekskill" - season 8 (with Michael Maurer and Richard Gurman)

Bob Peete

• "September Song" - season 4

Sandra Kay Siegel

• "Under Pressure" - season 4

George Tricker & Neil Rosen

• "Gamma Gamma or Bust" - season 5 (story together, teleplay with Andy Borowitz)

Andy Borowitz

• "Gamma Gamma or Bust" - season 5 (teleplay with George Tricker & Neil Rosen, story by George Tricker & Neil Rosen)
• "Small But Dangerous" - season 5
• "Store Games" - season 5 (teleplay alone, story with Howard Meyers)
• "Crossing the Line" - season 5
• "Star at Langley" - season 5

Alan Spencer

• "What Price Glory?" - season 5

Bob Meyer & Bob Young

• "Advance Placement" - season 5
• "The Chain Letter" - season 5
• "All or Nothing" - season 5
• "All by Herself" - season 5 (teleplay together, story with Cheri Eichen & Bill Steinkeliner)
• "Joint Custody" - season 5
• -
• "Love at First Byte" - season 6
• "My Boyfriend's Back" - season 6
• "Talk, Talk, Talk" - season 6
• "Sisters" - season 6
• -
• "Big Time Charlie" - season 7

Jim Geoghan

• "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can" - season 5

Milt Rosen

• "Next Door" - season 5 (story only, with Glenn Padnick)

Cheri Eichen & Bill Steinkeliner

• "All by Herself" - season 5 (story only, teleplay by Bob Meyer & Bob Young)
• -
• "Teacher, Teacher" - season 7 (story together, teleplay by Bruce Ferber & David Lerner)

Gail Honigberg

• "Taking a Chance on Love" - season 7

Janis Hirsch

• "E.G.O.C. (Edna Garrett on Campus)" - season 6

Mark Miller

• "Smile" - season 6 (teleplay alone, story by Linda Marsh & Margie Peters)

J.P. Duffy

• "The Rich Aren't Different" - season 6

Rick Lombardo & Patrick Cleary

• "Jazzbeau" - season 6

Patrick Cleary separate from writing partner Rick Lombardo

• "The Lady Who Came to Dinner" - season 7 (story only, teleplay by Bart Lindsay & Robert Billson)

Brian Pollack & Rick Shaw

• "Bus Stop" - season 5 (story together, teleplay by Kimberly Hill)

Bob Bendetson & Howard Bendetson

• "Grand Opening" - season 7
• "Doo-Wah" - season 7

Bruce Ferber & David Lerner

• "Teacher, Teacher" - season 7 (teleplay together, story by Cheri Eichen & Bill Steinkliner)
• "Christmas Baby" - season 7 [credited as "David Lerner & Bruce Ferber"]

Fredi Towbin & Larry Strauss*

• "Men for All Seasons" - season 7

*note - Larry Strauss is Charlotte Rae's son


Linda Elstad

• "A New Life" - season 7

Michael Maurer

• "Come Back to the Truck Stop, Natalie Green, Natalie Green" - season 7
• "The Candidate" - season 7
• -
• "Out of Peekskill" - season 8 (with Richard Gurman and Paul Haggis)
• "Another Room" - season 8 (teleplay with Martha Williamson, story by Katherine Green)
• "Fast Food" - season 8
• "Ex Marks the Spot" - season 8 (telaplay with Michael Poryes, story by Katherine Green & Richard Gurman)

Bob Brush

• "Born Too Late" - season 7

Susan Beavers

• "We Get Letters" - season 7 (teleplay only, story by Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert)

Carlo Allen

• "Ballroom Dance" - season 7 (story only, teleplay by Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert)

Jake Weinberger & Michael Weinberger

• "Stake-Out Blues" - season 7

Racelle Friedman

• "The Reunion" - season 7
• -
• "Rites of Passage: Part 1" - season 8 (with Matt Geller)

Martha Williamson

• "Concentration" - season 7
• -
• "Another Room" - season 8 (teleplay with Michael Maurer, story by Katherine Green)
• "Off-Broadway Baby" - season 8
• "A Star is Torn" - season 8
• "This Is Only a Test" - season 8 (with Ross Brown)
• -
• "Down and Out in Malibu: Part 1" - season 9
• "Less Than Perfect" - season 9
• "Big Apple Blues" - season 9

Bart Lindsay & Robert Billson

• "The Lady Who Came to Dinner" - season 7 (teleplay together, story by Patrick Cleary)

Barry Vigon

• "The Graduate" - season 7

Jane Anderson

• "The Apartment" - season 7
• -
• "Ready or Not" - season 8
• "Write & Wrong" - season 8 (with Ross Brown)

Richard Gurman

• "Out of Peekskill" - season 8 (with Michael Maurer and Paul Haggis)
• "Ex Marks the Spot" - season 8 (story with Katherine Green, teleplay by Michael Maurer & Michael Poryes)

Katherine Green

• "Another Room" - season 8 (story alone, teleplay by Michael Maurer & Martha Williamson)
• "Ex Marks the Spot" - season 8 (story with Richard Gurman, teleplay by Michael Maurer & Michael Poryes)

Phil Doran & Douglas Arango

• "The Little Chill" - season 8
• "Where's Poppa?" - season 8 (with Micki Raton and Irma Kalish)
• "62 Pick-Up" - season 8
• -
• "Sweet Charity" - season 9
• "Let's Face the Music" - season 9

Ross Brown

• "The Ratings Game" - season 8
• "The Wedding Day" - season 8 (teleplay with Michael Poryes, story by Shirley Brown)
• "Write & Wrong" - season 8 (with Jane Anderson)
• "This Is Only a Test" - season 8 (with Martha Williamson)
• -
• "Down and Out in Malibu: Part 2" - season 9
• "The First Time" - season 9
• "Till Marriage Do Us Part" - season 9

Shirley Brown

• "The Wedding Day" - season 8 (story only, teleplay by Ross Brown & Michael Poryes)

Michael Poryes

• "The Wedding Day" - season 8 (teleplay with Ross Brown, story by Shirley Brown)
• "Ex Marks the Spot" - season 8 (teleplay with Michael Maurer, story by Katherine Green & Richard Gurman)
• "Rites of Passage Part Too" - season 8
• -
• "Rumor Has It" - season 9
• "Something In Common" - season 9

Micki Raton

• "Where's Poppa?" - season 8 (with Irma Kalish, and Phil Doran & Douglas Arango)

Irma Kalish alone

• "Where's Poppa?" - season 8 (with Micki Raton, and Phil Doran & Douglas Arango)

Austin and Irma Kalish

• "Boy About the House" - season 8
• -
• "Up From Down Under" - season 9
• "The Beginning of the End" - season 9
• "The Beginning of the Beginning" - season 9

John Boni

• "Seven Little Indians" - season 8
• "Cupid's Revenge" - season 8
• "Golden Oldies" - season 9

Sara V. Finney & Vida Spears

• "The Greek Connection" - season 8

Matt Gellar

• "Post-Christmas Card" - season 8

Bob Underwood

• "A Winter's Tale" - season 8

Gordon Cotler

• "The Facts of Life Down Under" - season 8 - [originally written as "The Facts of Life Goes to Venice"]

Lawrence H. Levy

• "Younger Than Springtime" - season 8
• "The More the Marrier" - season 9

Matt Geller

• "Rites of Passage: Part 1" - season 8 (with Racell Friedman)

R.J. Colleary

• "Before the Fall" - season 9
• "On the Edge" - season 9

Mark Tuttle

• "A Rose by Any Other Age" - season 9 (with Barbara Berkowitz)
• "Peekskill Law" - season 9
• "A House Divided" - season 9

Barbara Berkowitz

• "A Rose by Any Other Age" - season 9 (with Mark Tuttle)

Jeff Barchilon

• "Adventures in Baileysitting" - season 9 (teleplay alone, story with Michele Gendelman)

Michele Gendelman

• "Adventures in Baileysitting" - season 9 (story with Jeff Barchilon, teleplay by Jeff Barchilon)

Marilyn Anderson & Renee Orin

• "It's a Wonderful Christmas" - season 9

Harvey Weitzman and David DiGregorio and Arnie Wess

• "A Thousand Frowns" - season 9

Kathy Lette

• "Present Imperfect" - season 9

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Max Enscoe & Annie De Young

• "The Facts of Life Reunion"

[Lorimar Television]

Wow thats an amazing list! Thanks so much, Eights.

[RetroGuy2000]

What a list! That must have been a lot of work. Thanks for compiling it, '80s!

I can see already that Deidre Fay, Stuart Wolpert, and Jerry Meyer are some of my favorite writers. And that Paul Haggis is one of my least-favorite writers.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

What a list! That must have been a lot of work.

IT.

WAS.

And I did it all in one sitting!! So if anyone catches an error, feel free to let me know (I saw a few formatting things as I glanced over it, but I think I got everything).

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Thanks for compiling it, '80s!

Thank you for thanking me! See above!!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I can see already that Deidre Fay, Stuart Wolpert, and Jerry Meyer are some of my favorite writers. And that Paul Haggis is one of my least-favorite writers.

THANK YOU FOR USING THIS ALREADY, lol....#VALIDATED!!!

One of my first thoughts was, jeez, look at all the writers cluttering up seasons 1 and 9---no wonder those seasons didn't have a coherent "voice". They had 12 writers working on the 13-episode season 1!

Although Jerry Mayer himself did write 6 season 1 episodes, which I never realized before.

Actually, I never realized how many episodes Jerry wrote before, and I always assumed Linda & Margie wrote more (I guess because in the "cafeteria years" and such you always see their names in the credits for script consultants or what-have-you).

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

IT.

WAS.

And I did it all in one sitting!! So if anyone catches an error, feel free to let me know (I saw a few formatting things as I glanced over it, but I think I got everything).

There's a few typos; nothing major.

'80s, I know how exhausting this must have been.

In fact... I was considering doing a similar project, myself. I found a way to get the Nielsen ratings for nearly every FOL episode, but it's very time-consuming work to do 200+ episodes, so I've been avoiding sitting down and just doing it.

THANK YOU FOR USING THIS ALREADY, lol....#VALIDATED!!!

Oh, I'll not only be USING this, I'll be poring over this guide, much like HCH's production date guide.

One of my first thoughts was, jeez, look at all the writers cluttering up seasons 1 and 9---no wonder those seasons didn't have a coherent "voice". They had 12 writers working on the 13-episode season 1!

Although Jerry Mayer himself did write 6 season 1 episodes, which I never realized before.

Actually, I never realized how many episodes Jerry wrote before, and I always assumed Linda & Margie wrote more (I guess because in the "cafeteria years" and such you always see their names in the credits for script consultants or what-have-you).

Yeah, I can see there sure were a lot of writers for those seasons, although Jerry Mayer seems to have done almost half of Season 1 himself.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

There's a few typos; nothing major.

Please share any you find if you like, or I might catch some soon. I'm not looking tonight because after doing this whole list this afternoon, I don't wanna look at again much just yet!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

'80s, I know how exhausting this must have been.

I would not have done this save my LOVE for the show and my LOVE for writing.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

In fact... I was considering doing a similar project, myself. I found a way to get the Nielsen ratings for nearly every FOL episode, but it's very time-consuming work to do 200+ episodes, so I've been avoiding sitting down and just doing it.

Hey, you get the easy part, you just get to list episode-by-episode. THIS was another matter! Of course yeah that will take some time, but this is the perfect time to do it!!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Oh, I'll not only be USING this, I'll be poring over this guide, much like HCH's production date guide.

Yay! (I wish we could sticky his guide, and this, and anything that looks at statistics of the entire series)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yeah, I can see there sure were a lot of writers for those seasons, although Jerry Mayer seems to have done almost half of Season 1 himself.

Yeah it's a funny juxtaposition: Jerry Mayer wrote practically half of the episodes, yet 11 other writers worked on the other 7 episodes!

I never realized before how many "one-time writers" for the show there were. I'm so used to seeing the same "in-house writers" for all the episodes of "Mama's Family" and "The Golden Girls", and the record for this is "Designing Women"---Linda Bloodworth-Thomason wrote MOST of the episodes for the first 4 years, including ALL of season 2!!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Please share any you find if you like, or I might catch some soon. I'm not looking tonight because after doing this whole list this afternoon, I don't wanna look at again much just yet!

No worries. When you have time. There's a typo in "A Royal Pain" and there are no ending quotes. Very minor stuff. I hesitate to even bring it up because I know this was a LOT of work.

I also wonder if you wouldn't mind including unproduced episodes at the very end, just for the sake of completion, with the caveat that they were never produced, but were written.

I would not have done this save my LOVE for the show and my LOVE for writing.

Believe me, I know.

Hey, you get the easy part, you just get to list episode-by-episode. THIS was another matter! Of course yeah that will take some time, but this is the perfect time to do it!!

Given time, I will. I just have lacked the courage to tackle the project...

Yay! (I wish we could sticky his guide, and this, and anything that looks at statistics of the entire series)

I think we can ask the mods to do it, and I'd really, really like that. I've bookmarked HCH's post, myself, but it would be so useful to have it at the top, ready for anyone. This would also be v useful at the top.

Yeah it's a funny juxtaposition: Jerry Mayer wrote practically half of the episodes, yet 11 other writers worked on the other 7 episodes!

I never realized before how many "one-time writers" for the show there were. I'm so used to seeing the same "in-house writers" for all the episodes of "Mama's Family" and "The Golden Girls", and the record for this is "Designing Women"---Linda Bloodworth-Thomason wrote MOST of the episodes for the first 4 years, including ALL of season 2!!

YES! And it isn't until you break it down this way that you notice these things, so I'm so grateful to you and your "love's labour" (hopefully not lost).

What LBT did sounds truly dedicated. I know it's incredibly rare to have a producer do THAT much of the writing herself, with very little help.

[80s Dude]

I saw they had new writers for The Little Chill. That supports the stuff I have read where the Core Four went to the writers (who were new) to complain about the script that Jo hardly knew the Lost Girls and the lack of continuity of the episode. Of course the writers didn't listen to them.

[Impressions]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

What a list! That must have been a lot of work.

Yes, this is very cool.

It takes a lot to get 'em right, when you're learnin' The Facts of Life

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

No worries. When you have time. There's a typo i[SIZE=2]n "A Royal Pain" and there are no ending quotes. Very minor stuff. I hesitate to even bring it up because I know this was a LOT of work.

No no, I love knowing what to fix. I'm a perfectionist about stuff like this, something I feel you can appreciate too.

"A Royal Paint"

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I also wonder if you wouldn't mind including unproduced episodes at the very end, just for the sake of completion, with the caveat that they were never produced, but were written.

UNPRODUCED EPISODES?!?!?

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Given time, I will. I just have lacked the courage to tackle the project...

Yay!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

YES! And it isn't until you break it down this way that you notice these things, so I'm so grateful to you and your "love's labour" (hopefully not lost).

Thanks, and as long as folks get something out of it (a few have so far, yay! lol) then it's nice to know it's not lost!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

What LBT did sounds truly dedicated. I know it's incredibly rare to have a producer do THAT much of the writing herself, with very little help.

Right?? Such an unusual case.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

I saw they had new writers for The Little Chill. That supports the stuff I have read where the Core Four went to the writers (who were new) to complain about the script that Jo hardly knew the Lost Girls and the lack of continuity of the episode. Of course the writers didn't listen to them.

Yeah, I noticed a while back that was the first FOL script for those guys. Guess they must have been big season 1 fans!

I hadn't, however, heard anything about the Cour Four going to the writers over the script.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Impressions

Yes, this is very cool.

It takes a lot to get 'em right, when you're learnin' The Facts of Life

Ha, thanks Impressions!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

No no, I love knowing what to fix. I'm a perfectionist about stuff like this, something I feel you can appreciate too.

"A Royal Paint"

It's a cute typo!

UNPRODUCED EPISODES?!?!?

Yes, nearly every long-running series has some episodes which were written, but never produced. Even "Dungeons and Dragons" had at least one, "Requiem", which was fully written but not produced.

In the case of FOL, there were very likely several (because a series with 200+ episodes is going to end up with a few that got scrapped), but the only complete script for an unproduced episode I've come across is "The Facts of Life Goes to Venice", written by Gordon Cotler in February, 1986 (during Season 7). This was later reconfigured into The Facts of Life Down Under, produced for Season 8, with huge changes.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yes, nearly every long-running series has some episodes which were written, but never produced.

Yeah, but sometimes fans create rumors about such things too. It'd be great if there were some sort of sitcom database for actual unproduced episodes!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Even "Dungeons and Dragons" had at least one, "Requiem", which was fully written but not produced.

But thankfully at least the one was produced, in audio and script format, on the DVD release.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

In the case of FOL, there were very likely several (because a series with 200+ episodes is going to end up with a few that got scrapped), but the only complete script for an unproduced episode I've come across is "The Facts of Life Goes to Venice", written by Gordon Cotler in February, 1986 (during Season 7). This was later reconfigured into The Facts of Life Down Under, produced for Season 8, with huge changes.

Oh, just that Venice thing that became Down Under. I thought you meant you had info of a slew of written episodes that were rejected.

Okay, I went and added the original title as a note to his credit, thanks.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Yeah, but sometimes fans create rumors about such things too.

I know. :/ I hate getting those dead ends.

It'd be great if there were some sort of sitcom database for actual unproduced episodes!

I've never seen anything like that, but I have seen some websites from former TV writers where they blog about scripts they wrote which never made it to production, for various reasons. Some of the stories are fascinating!

But thankfully at least the one was produced, in audio and script format, on the DVD release.

Yes indeed!

Oh, just that Venice thing that became Down Under. I thought you meant you had info of a slew of written episodes that were rejected.

Oh, man. I wish! Other than FOL Goes to Venice and the cold open scripts for FOL's first season, which were apparently never produced (like "Homework"), I haven't found much for FOL. But I'm always on the look-out!

Okay, I went and added the original title as a note to his credit, thanks.

Coolio!