Did Charlotte already decide to leave the show after Season 6?

[rusty spike]

I haven't read Charlotte Rae's book/memoir so pardon me if this was extensively discussed. I just rewatched the first 3 episodes of Season 7, these are the fire episodes that deal with the end of Edna's Edibles and the transition to the tacky Over Our Heads shop. I paid close attention to these 3 episodes and it seems to me that everyone is "phoning" it in. I am not saying anyone is a bad performer, but the acting is over the top and not believable. I consider myself a fan of this show so please don't think I am attacking FoL.

I am wondering if Charlotte at the end of Season 6 and possibly during the summer of 1985 she decided that she wanted to wind up her portrayal of the enduring Mrs. G. We know that she leaves the show at the beginning of Season 8, but I think that she had already left the show at the end of Season 6.

Did FoL have new writers and showrunners for Season 7? Perhaps that might explain the change as well.

[80s Dude]

Yes, she did. She missed quite a few Season 6 episodes too.

[FOL-FAN-ITA]

She reduced her role in seasons 6 and 7. When they returned for season 7 she made it clear to the show's producers that 1985-86 would have been her last year

[TMC]

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

She reduced her role in seasons 6 and 7. When they returned for season 7 she made it clear to the show's producers that 1985-86 would have been her last year

Here's what she told Entertainment Weekly in 2015:

Towards the end, I felt that I really wasn’t needed that much. The girls seemed to be self-sufficient, and I felt like my part had become… Well, it’s like my friend Jean Stapleton said about her character [Edith Bunker on All in the Family]: She felt like she’d done all of the different areas of the woman’s life, and she really felt like it was about over, that there was nothing more. For Mrs. Garrett, they always kept it in the same mold, but the girls were growing up, and I felt very comfortable about them being strong and powerful. So I left. But I felt good about it, because I knew that the girls were well-loved and the popularity would continue because of them and their connection with the audience.

The producers were shocked when I told them I was leaving. They offered me millions to stay. But I thought it over and said, “What are they gonna do, sprinkle money on my grave?” Because not only was I older than the girls, but I had a pacemaker with a mitral valve. When we came back from France—remember The Facts of Life Goes to Paris?—I had it put in. Over that Labor Day weekend, I had it done, and then I went back to work. We kept it a secret, and all was well, but I just didn’t want to overtax myself. I wanted to have a career and continue to act, because it’s such a privilege and I love it, but I didn’t want to kill myself. So I thought it was time to move on. And they did well without me, didn’t they? They went on for another couple of years.

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by TMC

Here's what she told Entertainment Weekly in 2015:

Wow, that's major surgery. My mother had that done. I find it hard to believe she was able to keep that secret.
I was confused she was leaving at the time. Who would give up such money to be on a hit TV show. But after reading her statement, I completely understand. Her health and how the girls grew up. Her character did not grow up and she was no longer a mentor, protector, or teacher for the girls. I see that now.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

Wow, that's major surgery. My mother had that done. I find it hard to believe she was able to keep that secret.
I was confused she was leaving at the time. Who would give up such money to be on a hit TV show. But after reading her statement, I completely understand. Her health and how the girls grew up. Her character did not grow up and she was no longer a mentor, protector, or teacher for the girls. I see that now.

What good would the money do if she was dead?

[TMC]

Why did Charlotte Rae feel like she had no choice but to leave the classic TV show "The Facts of Life? Was the show able to go on without her? And, what happened next for Charlotte Rae? Watch this video to discover the answers to all of those questions and more.