Tootie

[Stepperry40]

In the 1st season Tootie was 11 or 12. wWas actually play big a 10 year old?Which Season did get Divers License and graduated? In the show where she was dorm monitor and got drunk on wine that Blair had to illegally drink with older girls she is 13 and wants treated like a teenager the others. Blair and Jo are the age and Nat is a year younger then. are they Blair & Jo 16 and Nat 15. How would really treat a 13 even one who is friend? Realistically would see as a kid even if a teen.
How old was Tootie in the last season? Kim Fields was actually a couple of younger the role she was playing or am I wrong about that? The Facts of Life ended in 1988. When was the last show filmed?

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Stepperry40

In the 1st season Tootie was 11 or 12. wWas actually play big a 10 year old?

Kim was actually 9 when she landed the role, though she turned 10 soon after. Kim was born May 12th, 1969, and "The Girls' School" episode of Diff'rent Strokes aired on May 4, 1979. She was playing a 12-year-old, so they put her on roller skates to make her look taller.

Which Season did get Divers License and graduated?

Season 7.

How old was Tootie in the last season? Kim Fields was actually a couple of younger the role she was playing or am I wrong about that?

You are right. If Tootie was 12 in May 1979 then she would have been 21 nine years later, in May 1988. But Tootie was still 12 in May 1980, so she was stuck at Age 12 for over a year.

The Facts of Life ended in 1988. When was the last show filmed?

The production guide states that The Facts of Life's last episode was taped on March 2, 1988.

[valentina warner]

TOOTIE was 12 for three years in a row lol!

I think the writers messed up the girls age during season 1 and 2: TOOTIE should have been 11 years old when FOL began, NATALIE and MOLLY 12, CINDY 14 and BLAIR 15, SUE ANN + NANCY 15 years of age.

[valentina warner]

PS: although i'd say CINDY could have been 13 and a half maybe? (she seemed closer to NATALIE's age)

['80sSitcoms]

Tootie was allegedly 12 years old for a period of two years and two months -- in May 1979, March 1980, and March 1981. But if starting age for Eastland is age 12, then ostensibly she would also have been 12 in August 1978.

Cindy states in "Rough Housing" that she is 14 years old. Although there is the possibility she was just shortly shy of turning 13, because you remember how kids/teens were back in their youth, often claiming they were a certain age before their birthday had actually hit yet, lol. But I still like to think of her as 14, and a new transfer to Eastland.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Tootie was allegedly 12 years old for a period of two years and two months -- in May 1979, March 1980, and March 1981. But if starting age for Eastland is age 12, then ostensibly she would also have been 12 in August 1978.

There are so many contradictions with Tootie's age that it might be best to "look the other way", because there will never be a satisfying answer.

For example, if Tootie is 12 in "The Girls' School", then she is 19 when she graduates from Eastland. But most people graduate when they are 17-18, not 18-19. Still, that's a small obstacle in comparison to the 2-3 years she's 12.

Cindy states in "Rough Housing" that she is 14 years old. Although there is the possibility she was just shortly shy of turning 13, because you remember how kids/teens were back in their youth, often claiming they were a certain age before their birthday had actually hit yet, lol. But I still like to think of her as 14, and a new transfer to Eastland.

I also believe Cindy is 14, but a "young 14": just turned 14 over the summer. She thus could still have been 18 if she graduated in 1984, and could have been 19 if she graduated in 1985 with Natalie's class (if Tootie can graduate at 19, "so can Cindy!").

[valentina warner]

Why does everyone assume that CINDY had just arrived at 'Eastland' from season 1? I know she wasn't on the Pilot, but neither was NATALIE, nevertheless no one thinks of her as the new girl?

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

Why does everyone assume that CINDY had just arrived at 'Eastland' from season 1? I know she wasn't on the Pilot, but neither was NATALIE, nevertheless no one thinks of her as the new girl?

I do believe both Natalie and Cindy were new to the school. Otherwise, why does Cindy say, "that first year" in 1986, when talking about the 1979-1980 school year? And why do we not see Cindy or Natalie in May 1979? We see plenty of other girls, including Tootie, Molly, Nancy, Blair, Sue Ann, Jennifer, and Laura.

And it's not as if students can't enroll later on, and must enroll when they're 12: we see Jo, Alexandra, and Cynthia all enroll later on.

Plus, we (and the girls) learn Natalie was adopted in 1980; wouldn't that have all come out previously if the girls knew her very well? Instead, Cindy is flabbergasted: "Adopted?!" The girls know Blair's family is rich. They know Sue Ann is from Kansas City, Kansas. But they're shocked when Natalie reveals details about herself, as if they've just gotten to know her.

If Cindy was around in 1978-1979, why wasn't she hanging around her bestie, Sue Ann? She could have stood up for Sue Ann when Blair made that remark about "blue bloods". similarly, why wasn't Natalie hanging around Tootie? She could have stopped Tootie from skating into the play decor.

Plus, Blair bullies Cindy as if she doesn't know her very well: she doesn't like it when Cindy takes her hand. But if she had known Cindy for a year, would she really have made that "strange" comment?

[valentina warner]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I do believe both Natalie and Cindy were new to the school. Otherwise, why does Cindy say, "that first year" in 1986, when talking about the 1979-1980 school year? And why do we not see Cindy or Natalie in May 1979? We see plenty of other girls, including Tootie, Molly, Nancy, Blair, Sue Ann, Jennifer, and Laura.

And it's not as if students can't enroll later on, and must enroll when they're 12: we see Jo, Alexandra, and Cynthia all enroll later on.

Plus, we (and the girls) learn Natalie was adopted in 1980; wouldn't that have all come out previously if the girls knew her very well? Instead, Cindy is flabbergasted: "Adopted?!" The girls know Blair's family is rich. They know Sue Ann is from Kansas City, Kansas. But they're shocked when Natalie reveals details about herself, as if they've just gotten to know her.

If Cindy was around in 1978-1979, why wasn't she hanging around her bestie, Sue Ann? She could have stood up for Sue Ann when Blair made that remark about "blue bloods". similarly, why wasn't Natalie hanging around Tootie? She could have stopped Tootie from skating into the play decor.

Plus, Blair bullies Cindy as if she doesn't know her very well: she doesn't like it when Cindy takes her hand. But if she had known Cindy for a year, would she really have made that "strange" comment?

Those are very clever point of views you are making Retro!

Both CINDY and NAT weren't at all during the Pilot 'The girls school' indeed, and you are absolutely right about BLAIR: she would have never bullied and called CINDY strange had she known her.
BLAIR has a tendency to be rude and snobbish when she doesn't know a person very well, or just that she had just met (like she was towards MRS G on the Pilot): to me it looks like some sort of protection/disguise to prevent herself to truly open up to someone until she can really trust that person? Does that make sense?
You know i will always be passionate about the character BLAIR, but that's because i see so much potential in her and view/interpret things differently than others....

Nice chatting to you as usual!

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Tootie was allegedly 12 years old for a period of two years and two months -- in May 1979, March 1980, and March 1981. But if starting age for Eastland is age 12, then ostensibly she would also have been 12 in August 1978.

Cindy states in "Rough Housing" that she is 14 years old. Although there is the possibility she was just shortly shy of turning 13, because you remember how kids/teens were back in their youth, often claiming they were a certain age before their birthday had actually hit yet, lol. But I still like to think of her as 14, and a new transfer to Eastland.

Cindy probably just turned 14 when Rough Housing was filmed just like Julie Anne Haddock did.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

TOOTIE was 12 for three years in a row lol!

I think the writers messed up the girls age during season 1 and 2: TOOTIE should have been 11 years old when FOL began, NATALIE and MOLLY 12, CINDY 14 and BLAIR 15, SUE ANN + NANCY 15 years of age.

Natalie was 13, just like Mindy. Except Natalie was born 4 months later than Mindy.

[80s Dude]

Kim dealt with a lot of adult topics for her young age. Drugs, bongs, suicide, getting drunk, creepy fashion photographers.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Kim dealt with a lot of adult topics for her young age. Drugs, bongs, suicide, getting drunk, creepy fashion photographers.

AND Jermaine Jackson, no less!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by valentina warner

Those are very clever point of views you are making Retro!

Both CINDY and NAT weren't at all during the Pilot 'The girls school' indeed, and you are absolutely right about BLAIR: she would have never bullied and called CINDY strange had she known her.
BLAIR has a tendency to be rude and snobbish when she doesn't know a person very well, or just that she had just met (like she was towards MRS G on the Pilot): to me it looks like some sort of protection/disguise to prevent herself to truly open up to someone until she can really trust that person? Does that make sense?

Yes. I think when Blair doesn't know someone, she puts on a facade. And at times, that facade has even been rude. But nothing was more mean than when Blair implied Cindy was a lesbian.

But if Blair was putting on a facade, it was because she didn't know Cindy very well. Thus, I am forced to conclude that Cindy was new to the school.

[paul.austin]

As TvTropes pointed out. Jackson’s bodyguards did the right thing to TooTie. It Did NOT matter that Tootie was “only” 13. John Bardo was a young teenager when he was stalking Samantha Reed Smith, and he was still a teen when he murdered Rebecca Schaefer. Christina Grimmie murdered by a stalker more recently.