The Facts Of Life (The Lady Who Came To Dinner S7/E20 Full Episode)

[James28]

Originally Posted by MiracleHand

It's not a personal favorite but even without Nat and Mrs. G it at least feels like a FOL episode which is more tthan I can say about a lot of season 9. It is explained that Natalie is traveling a lot in season 7 so I'm surprised she wasn't absent more than she was

If I was an NBC exec, I wouldn't want any Natalie absences at all, so I wouldn't have cared. I would've added such a clause in Mindy Cohn's TFoL contract. Short cameos/one-scene appearances, maybe, but complete absences from episodes would've been a big no-no. You'd have to really despise the Natalie character if you wanted her to miss more episodes.

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

The two shows always had separate audiences. Different Strokes was more family friendly with lots of corny jokes that had parents feel it was a good show to watch with kids no matter what ages. Facts of Life was geared toward teens and young adults with more mature themes and language. Just take a look at how the two shows took a different approach to the birds and the bees. Mrs. Garrett was on both. We never heard about Kimberly's hormones being triggered or Mr. Drummond's kinky panties.

True, but DS did do an episode about how Willis and Charlene almost went all the way but decide not to so in the end, Willis tells Arnold that he needs a cold shower.

[MiracleHand]

Originally Posted by James28

If I was an NBC exec, I wouldn't want any Natalie absences at all, so I wouldn't have cared. I would've added such a clause in Mindy Cohn's TFoL contract. Short cameos/one-scene appearances, maybe, but complete absences from episodes would've been a big no-no. You'd have to really despise the Natalie character if you wanted her to miss more episodes.

Natalie is actually my second fave besides Blair but if Jo and Blair missed episodes (Nancy over contract negotiations and Lisa over religious beliefs), one Nat free episode isnt the end of the world.

As a Natalie fan you should be more annoyed at how she was treated in the series finale. That still annoys me to this day how she was relegated to a brief phone cameo and how Tootie hangs up on her best friend with the writers knowing this would be the last time we saw these characters (well until 2001)

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by MiracleHand

Natalie is actually my second fave besides Blair but if Jo and Blair missed episodes (Nancy over contract negotiations and Lisa over religious beliefs), one Nat free episode isnt the end of the world.

As a Natalie fan you should be more annoyed at how she was treated in the series finale. That still annoys me to this day how she was relegated to a brief phone cameo and how Tootie hangs up on her best friend with the writers knowing this would be the last time we saw these characters (well until 2001)

Kim, Mindy, and Lisa all missed just one episode each in the entire series run. Nancy M. missed a couple after she joined the show during her contract holdout.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by MiracleHand

As a Natalie fan you should be more annoyed at how she was treated in the series finale. That still annoys me to this day how she was relegated to a brief phone cameo and how Tootie hangs up on her best friend with the writers knowing this would be the last time we saw these characters (well until 2001)

I suspect the writers didn't have much choice; Mindy was not renewing her contract, and was clearly ready to move on; she was acting on other TV series that spring. I mean, you're right: they should have ended the conversation with a nice final bonding moment between Tootie and Natalie, but during that final season, the writers didn't seem to get the memo that these characters were supposed to be friends.

[WriterChick78]

Originally Posted by DJM77

Good thing that I didn't see "The Bicycle Man" two parter until I was around 22 or 23. If it had showed up when I was watching Diff'rent Strokes regularly in syndication when I was 10 and 11 then I would've had nightmares for sure! Same thing goes for "The Hitchhiker's" and "Sam's Missing."

Don't forget the Jackson/Drummonds were also present at a bank robbery (Kim guested as Tootie in that episode), and I remember them being held up in their own penthouse, too, but I can't remember the circumstances.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by WriterChick78

Don't forget the Jackson/Drummonds were also present at a bank robbery (Kim guested as Tootie in that episode), and I remember them being held up in their own penthouse, too, but I can't remember the circumstances.

The Drummonds sure had a lot of adventures!

[DJM77]

Originally Posted by WriterChick78

Don't forget the Jackson/Drummonds were also present at a bank robbery (Kim guested as Tootie in that episode), and I remember them being held up in their own penthouse, too, but I can't remember the circumstances.

I did see both of those episodes when I was a kid, but I don't think they freaked me out as much as those three episodes that I mentioned would've if I had seen them when I was a kid. However I will say that I remember seeing the "Who's To Blame" episode of Webster during its original run and it totally traumatized me! The episode involved two boys from Webster's school coming into his house with ski masks on while Webster was home alone and robbing the place. I remember being scared to watch Webster for a little while after that because I was afraid that it would be that episode again.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by DJM77

I did see both of those episodes when I was a kid, but I don't think they freaked me out as much as those three episodes that I mentioned would've if I had seen them when I was a kid. However I will say that I remember seeing the "Who's To Blame" episode of Webster during its original run and it totally traumatized me! The episode involved two boys from Webster's school coming into his house with ski masks on while Webster was home alone and robbing the place. I remember being scared to watch Webster for a little while after that because I was afraid that it would be that episode again.

The only Webster episode I remember scaring me was the episode where Webster burns down the apartment.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

The only Webster episode I remember scaring me was the episode where Webster burns down the apartment.

You don't remember the doll in the rocking chair with the open window?!

(or did it just not scare you? )

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

You don't remember the doll in the rocking chair with the open window?!

(or did it just not scare you? )

That one I don't remember. Maybe I never saw it. We regarded Webster as "Fake Arnold without Willis" (black kid gets adopted by white family, hi-jinx ensue), and didn't watch as often. The secret passages in the house were cool, though.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

That one I don't remember. Maybe I never saw it. We regarded Webster as "Fake Arnold without Willis" (black kid gets adopted by white family, hi-jinx ensue), and didn't watch as often. The secret passages in the house were cool, though.

Oh, I loved Webster. It didn't "date" as much within the '80s did since DS had more of a '70s set and feel. They were pretty different shows too. Webster tended toward younger "kid stuff" hijinks, but at the same time tackling heavy subjects (the lead woman having a miscarriage on-screen??--!!!), which made it a very different mix. Most people today remember it as "cutesie" but forget the heavy stuff. I loved spending Friday nights with Webster and Mr. Belvedere.

I don't remember watching DS in its first run at all. You'd think I would have since it went to '86? Maybe I did see it some, I dunno. All my DS memories are of daily summer syndicated reruns at my grandparents along with FOL, Sesame Street, and other favorite childhood shows.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Oh, I loved Webster. It didn't "date" as much within the '80s did since DS had more of a '70s set and feel. They were pretty different shows too. Webster tended toward younger "kid stuff" hijinks, but at the same time tackling heavy subjects (the lead woman having a miscarriage on-screen??--!!!), which made it a very different mix. Most people today remember it as "cutesie" but forget the heavy stuff. I loved spending Friday nights with Webster and Mr. Belvedere.

I remember watching Mr. Belvedere, but I think we must have been watching something "on another network" at the time Webster aired... at least for several seasons. I know I saw quite a few episodes, but I definitely didn't see many of them.

I don't remember watching DS in its first run at all. You'd think I would have since it went to '86? Maybe I did see it some, I dunno. All my DS memories are of daily summer syndicated reruns at my grandparents along with FOL, Sesame Street, and other favorite childhood shows.

Those daily summer syndicated memories are strong in my memories, too. For whatever reason, we both have very good, happy memories of those summer days in front of the TV at our (respective) grandparents' houses, watching on those old wooden consoles!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Those daily summer syndicated memories are strong in my memories, too. For whatever reason, we both have very good, happy memories of those summer days in front of the TV at our (respective) grandparents' houses, watching on those old wooden consoles!

Yes! Kids of the times!

[James28]

Originally Posted by MiracleHand

Natalie is actually my second fave besides Blair but if Jo and Blair missed episodes (Nancy over contract negotiations and Lisa over religious beliefs), one Nat free episode isnt the end of the world.

As a Natalie fan you should be more annoyed at how she was treated in the series finale. That still annoys me to this day how she was relegated to a brief phone cameo and how Tootie hangs up on her best friend with the writers knowing this would be the last time we saw these characters (well until 2001)

Yes, it is, because it was a mistake, and it just ruined the whole series for me.

If you had been Mindy Cohn's agent back in '86, I would have to say, "I'm sorry. No More Natalie Absences. End Of Discussion."