The Facts of Life

I grew up in the 80's, proud to say, and this show never failed to draw me in, even the somewhat trivial early "yup, that's Molly Ringwald" episodes. Of course, the show became a lot more interesting after "Jo" (Nancy McKeon) arrived sporting her motorcycle helmet and her tough-girl personality which almost immediately conflicted with Blair (Lisa Welchel). I love both characters, and it is easy to see Jo and Blair liked each other more than they ever admitted to. In all honesty, I can't put my finger on why this show was, and still is, so addicting! I guess it has something to do with the chemistry between the girls and Mrs. Garret, she was more like a mother to them than their own mothers were, especially because Mrs. Garret always took care of them when their parents could not. I watched episodes many late nights when I was going through hard times, it pulled me through. So for that reason, I am grateful to everyone involved with the show. I still prefer to watch The Facts of Life late at night out of tradition, leading back to Nick At Nite memories. If I had to pick favorite episodes, it would be the Christmas episodes (which appear to be top rated here on imdb). In fact, I think all of the Christmas episodes were interesting and well-produced. They were just so heart-felt. Rest In Peace Charlotte Ray, and thank you for the memories!

I didn't see this show until recently when they started re-running it on Nick-At-Nite. I fell in love with it immediately. While the plots are a bit corny at times, I still love to watch it and get to know the characters. While the later ones aren't as good as the earlier ones when they're in boarding school, I still love this show. And I hope other people will check it out. :o)

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.

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.

This show aired when I was just entering my teens, and I can't think of a better time to have had such a wonderful show to watch. It was as if someone had asked my little-girl imagination what it's dream show would be, and then made it just for me. I've enjoyed the re-runs on USA, but can't quite understand why they never show the earliest episodes from 1979. Observant fans will remember those as the ones with the girls living in the dorm, prior to working in the cafeteria. Those were my favorites, and it seems like they never show them. Please get a clue USA. That's when the show was at it's best!