The Facts of Life

If you want to see another example of why the 80's were the greatest decade of the 20th century, here's a prime example. Although I was a male, me and my brothers loved this show. I don't why, I guess it was a "what were we thinking" kind of deal. I guess as fans of "Diff'rent Strokes", we would watch the spin-offs. Granted, no one in the cast of females would cause the S Club 7 girls to lose sleep in the beauty department (sorry Lisa), but the character development was superb. Natalie Green, Jo Polnochek, Tootie Ramsey, Blair Warner, and the young girls that would come and go were all so appealing. You cared about them all. Charlotte Rae's Mrs. Garrett was the kind of women we all wish we could have known and befriended. Heck, I even miss Pippa, she was a cute, headstrong kind of girl. The acting was always good, it felt like it was real life instead of an act. I would like to check this show out again, just to see why I watched it. Oh, and Mrs. Garrett, Oingo Boingo's music is still very cool.

Although the begining of this show takes place in the 70's, this show is so 80's it hurts. I love this show! This was and still is one of my favorite sitcoms from the 80's. However,I must say I agree with the other reviews in saying that the show was just wonderful until about 1985, when Edna'a Edibles burns down and they remodel the store. Then they add some corny testosterone in the form of two characters; a whiney, conceided 12 year old boy and not even George Clooney's early talent could make up for his lame character either. The show is still, however watchable and even enjoyable, after all this (including Mrs. G leaving), in just wanting to find out what happens to the other girls, especially Jo and Natalie, who are two of the greatest and most real characters in a sitcom. Natalie and Jo were also my favorite characters. The reason why is because they were not glammed-up susperstars with unreal problems. They were down to earth and I could really identify with them and so did many others my age, we being children of the 80's. It's a shame today that sitcoms have become so obsessed with sex, violence and vanity, that many of the children of today feel they must identify with these ideas instead of the show identifying with them. I actually really liked all of the girls. Blair was fun too, but she needed the balance of Jo's character to tame her down a bit. Tootie was a good friend to Natalie. And they both needed each other. They all fit together and the four make for one of the greatest casts in TV history. However, some of my most favorite episodes, focused on Natalie and Jo. Like the one when Natalie doesn't get a job at the Peekskill Press and she needs to learn to share her feelings with her boyfriend (one of my old faves, Casey Siemaszko made an early appearance here) I also love the episode where Jo runs a late night radio station and all the girls come and help her out. I am forever greatful to Nick at Nite for re-running this charming sitcom.

I LOVE this show! It's dramatic and funny simaltaneously. The Facts of Life focuses on serious issues that teens have to face and it also has a humorous twist.

Mrs. Garret, who is played by the very talented Charlotte Rae, is a housekeeper turned housemother turned dietician. She watches out for four girls, Blair (Lisa Whelchel), Jo (Nancy McKeon), Tootie (Kim Fields) and Natalie (Mindy Cohn). She plays the peacemaker and always tries to resolve problems that the girls are dealing with. She calls them "her girls" and is always there for them when they need her.

The episodes with Mrs. Garret are the best. However, the ones later on into the show where she is gone and her sister Beverly Ann is around are horrible. And the cast additions that took place in the last two years of the show, Makenzie Astin as Andy and Sherry Krenn as Pippa, totally ruined The Facts of Life.

I suggest that you watch the episodes that are from the first several years of this show because they feature an excellent cast. But don't watch the last two years of this show because the new cast was horrible, with the exception of the four original girls that remained on The Facts of Life from the very beginning.

I remember back in 1979 when The Facts Of Life debuted it was a nice show, but lucky it got a second chance when it got retooled and revamped and streamlined. When it first debuted there were about six blond teen girls plus two other, a young black girl played by Kim Fields and a stout young girl who was Mindy Cohn. The rest were a group you could barely tell apart.

The following year this show about a girl's boarding school underwent a huge makeover. All the anonymous blond teens went, save one played by Lisa Whelchel. She stood out somewhat because of her character as a rich teen débutante who avoided serious subjects like the plague and thought her money fixed all. Over the years Whelchel's character grew somewhat.

But the show needed a contrasting bite and it got it when Nancy McKeon joined the cast. When she rode in on that motorcycle, bad girl in the making what it made was the show. Now you had potential for real conflict on the episodes.

Whelchel, Fields, Cohn, and McKeon pulled a real nasty prank on that first episode and were put in some kind of permanent probation living with school counselor Charlotte Rae. She became a strict but loving den mother to the four of them as they went through puberty learning The Facts Of Life.

With a few tight scrapes they learned them well. If the show wasn't completely realistic it wasn't exactly the Fifties either. The kids had some real issues, but it was all done PG.

It was also good entertainment.

The Facts of Life ran on network TV during my early years but I have seen it in syndication and I really, really like what I have seen. The series is intensely entertaining to say the least. My favorite character is none other than Jo Polniaczek, portrayed by the ever-gorgeous Nancy McKeon. From the way I look at it, the series' best episodes are those that revolve around the Jo character. The other cast members are also terrific but McKeon will always be my top favorite from the classic NBC show.

I really hope that entire Facts of Life series gets released on DVD eventually. Hopefully, when this finally happens, retail stores will be able to keep the boxed sets in stock. Also, I really hope that the first two seasons get released as one set, as those two were only half-seasons. I am very anxious to view this incredible show again!