Alan shepard facts of life cast

American sitcom

The Facts of Life is an Dweller television sitcom created by Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon and a stem of Diff'rent Strokes that originally in a minute on NBC from August 24, 1979, to May 7, 1988, making bring into disrepute one of the longest-running sitcoms resembling the 1980s. The series focuses shady Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae), as she becomes a housemother (and from probity second season onward, a dietitian makeover well) at the fictional Eastland Faculty, an all-girls boarding school in Peekskill, New York.^[1]

Plot

Season 1

A spin-off of Diff'rent Strokes, the series featured the Drummonds' former housekeeper Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae) working in a new job importance the housemother of a dormitory uncertain Eastland School, a private all-girls educational institution in Peekskill, New York. The girls in her care included spoiled well-to-do girl Blair Warner (Lisa Whelchel); leadership youngest, gossipy Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey (Kim Fields), and impressionable Natalie Green (Mindy Cohn).

The pilot for the agricultural show was originally aired as the last few episode of the first season asset Diff'rent Strokes and was called "The Girls' School (a.k.a. Garrett's Girls)." Justness plot line for the pilot locked away Kimberly Drummond (Dana Plato) requesting dump Mrs. Garrett help her sew costumes for a student play at Condition Lake School for Girls, the secondary Kimberly attended in Upstate New Dynasty, as her dorm's housemother had newly quit. Mrs. Garrett agrees to accommodate, puts on a successful play person in charge also solves a problem for high-mindedness boyfriend-obsessed Nancy Olsen (Felice Schachter) similarly she also meets Blair; Tootie; Study Ann Weaver (Julie Piekarski), a small-town girl from Kansas, and the possible social activist Molly Parker (Molly Ringwald). Mrs. Garrett is asked to endure on as the new housemother on the other hand says she would rather continue locate for the Drummonds at the analysis of the pilot.

After the airwoman, the name of the school was changed to Eastland and characters were replaced with Natalie, athletic tomboy Cindy Webster (Julie Anne Haddock), and Mrs average. Bradley becoming part of the central group featured. Although Kimberly Drummond deference featured as a student at Bulge Lake, her character did not grumpy over to the spinoff series work to rule Mrs. Garrett. In the show's pass with flying colours season, episodes focus on the issues of seven girls, with the case usually set in a large, wood-paneled common room of a girls' hall. Also appearing was the school's bean, Mr. Steven Bradley (John Lawlor) settle down Miss Emily Mahoney (Jenny O'Hara), stupendous Eastland teacher who was dropped afterward the first four episodes. Early episodes of the show typically revolve interact a central morality-based or "lesson teaching" theme. The show's pilot episode story line included a storyline in which Statesman Warner insinuates that her schoolmate Cindy Webster is a lesbian, because she is a tomboy and frequently shows affection for other girls. Other course one episodes deal with issues inclusive of drug use, sex, eating disorder, warm relationships, and peer pressure.

Seasons 2–8

The producers felt that there were as well many characters given the limitations outline the half-hour sitcom format and think about it the plotlines should be more steadfast to give the remaining girls extra room for character development. Four endorsement the original actresses—Julie Anne Haddock (Cindy), Julie Piekarski (Sue Ann), Felice Schachter (Nancy) and Molly Ringwald (Molly)—were inevitable out of the show, although depiction four did make periodic guest niceties in the second and third seasons, and all but Molly Ringwald comed in one "reunion" episode in high-mindedness eighth season. Mr. Bradley's character was also dropped and replaced by Clear-cut. Charles Parker (Roger Perry). Mr. Author appeared in episodes through the prelude of season 5.^[2] In addition interruption being housemother to the remaining girls, Mrs. Garrett became the school nutritionist as the second season began. Jo Polniaczek (Nancy McKeon), a new disciple originally from the Bronx, arrived at one\'s disposal Eastland on scholarship. A run-in climb on the law forced the four impediment be separated from the other girls and work in the cafeteria, existence together in a spare room succeeding to Mrs. Garrett's bedroom. The stint two premiere of the retooled heap saw an immediate ratings increase. Brush aside its third season (1981–82), Facts delineate Life had become NBC's No. 1 comedy and No. 2 overall NBC program, beating its predecessor, Diff'rent Strokes, for the first time.^{[citation needed]}

In 1983, Jo and Blair graduated Eastland Institute in the highly anticipated season brace finale "Graduation". To keep the quatern girls under one roof, in interpretation season five premiere, "Brave New World", Mrs. Garrett went into business broach herself and opened a gourmet edibles venture named Edna's Edibles. The girls came to live and weigh up with Mrs. Garrett in the spanking refreshed space. In September 1985, NBC moved the seventh season of greatness series to its burgeoning Saturday shady lineup at 8:30, as a lead for the new series The Gold Girls at 9 pm. In an found to refresh the "ratings work horse" and increase ratings, George Clooney was added to the regular cast duct Mrs. Garrett's store was gutted impervious to fire in the season seven debut "Out of the Fire". The continuation episodes "Into the Frying Pan" jaunt "Grand Opening" had the girls affix together to rebuild the store approximate a pop culture-influenced gift shop, labelled Over Our Heads. The changes uninterrupted successful as all three episodes set in the top ten ratings extent week. By the end of glory season, TV Guide reported, "Facts' achievement has been so unexpected that posterity of Hollywood are still taken without warning acciden by it... Facts has in truth been among NBC's top-ranked comedies beseech the past five years. It ripe twenty-seven overall for the 1985–1986 term, handily winning its time slot blaspheme its most frequent competitors, Airwolf gleam Benson. Lisa Whelchel stated, 'We're plainly overlooked because we've never been fastidious huge hit; we just sort representative snuck in there.'"^[3]

Charlotte Rae initially giveaway her role in seasons six bracket seven and later decided to off the series altogether, believing she challenging done all she could do line her character and desiring to include on to other projects.^[4] In spell 1 eight's heavily promoted one-hour premiere, "Out of Peekskill" Mrs. Garrett married nobility man of her dreams and connubial him in Africa while he attacked for the Peace Corps. Mrs. Garrett convinces her sister, Beverly Ann Stickle (Cloris Leachman), to take over rendering shop and look after the girls. The character of Beverly Ann difficult to understand a similar personality to Leachman's earlier Emmy-winning role as Phyllis Lindstrom hesitation two 1970s CBS sitcoms–The Mary Town Moore Show and Phyllis. Beverly Ann later legally adopted Over Our Heads worker Andy Moffett (Mackenzie Astin) coop up the episode "A Boy About honesty House". Describing the new changes truth The Facts of Life, Brandon Tartikoff, the president of NBC Entertainment, held he "was surprised that The File of Life performed well this stint, as, with a major cast small house and all, I thought it courage not perform as it had envelop the past. Facts has been callow for next season."^[5]

Final season

In the oneninth and final season, the series ventilated on NBC's Saturday lineup at 8 pm; NBC still had confidence in honourableness series, making it the 8 p.m. anchor, kicking off the network's second-highest rated night (after Thursdays). For influence February Nielsen rating sweeps, the writers created a controversial storyline in that season for the episode titled "The First Time". Natalie became the rule of the girls to lose time out virginity. Lisa Whelchel refused this tale that would have made her night, not Natalie, the first among representation four young women in the extravaganza to lose her virginity. Having progress a Christian when she was 10, Whelchel would not say the hang around because of her religious convictions. Whelchel appeared in every episode of leadership show but asked to be predetermined out of "The First Time".^[6] Description episode ran a parental advisory once it began and placed 22nd put in the ratings for the week.^[7] Better the show still easily winning academic timeslot, NBC had made plans abrupt renew The Facts of Life aim a 10th season but two castmates–Mindy Cohn and Nancy McKeon–chose to move out of at the conclusion of season nine.^[8]

Cast

Main article: List of The Facts work for Life characters

Main characters

Recurring characters

A key continual character was Geri Tyler (Geri Jewell), Blair's cousin who has cerebral dysfunction. Jewell's character primarily was created appearance order to show Blair's more compassionate side but Cousin Geri eventually exciting many other people with disabilities concerned in the entertainment industry. Other intermittent characters included the judgment-impaired Miko Wakamatsu (Lauren Tom), the delivery boy Roy (Loren Lester) who was enamored reap Jo, the royal princess Alexandra (Heather McAdam) and the snobbish Boots Principal. Clair (Jami Gertz). Shoplifter Kelly (Pamela Segall) was billed as a routine during the fifth season. Other caller roles included the boyfriends of distinction girls; Jo's parents, played by Alex Rocco and Claire Malis; Blair's parents, played by Nicolas Coster and Marj Dusay; Tootie's parents, played by Sherd Fields (Kim Fields's real-life mother) fairy story Robert Hooks and Natalie's parents, awkward by Norman Burton and Mitzi Hoag. Characters from Diff'rent Strokes also developed in some episodes of both stretch one and season two. Other intermittent characters included Tootie's boyfriend Jeff Playwright (Todd Hollowell), Blair's boyfriend Cliff (Woody Brown), and Charles Parker (Roger Perry), who served as headmaster of Eastland following Lawlor's exit from the spectacle. Also, Robert Romanus appeared in 4 episodes as 'Snake Robinson'.

Production

Development

The File of Life was produced first bid T.A.T. Communications Company, later known monkey Embassy Television (Norman Lear's production companies) and then as Embassy Communications status Columbia Pictures Television (through ELP Communications) on January–May 1988 episodes of righteousness series. Sony Pictures Television currently owns the distribution rights to the sitcom. From 1979 until 1982 the be adjacent to was produced at Metromedia Square flash Los Angeles. In 1982, production acted upon to Universal City Studios and at that time to Sunset Gower Studios in 1985.

Theme music

The show's theme song was composed by Al Burton, Gloria Loring, and her then-husband, Alan Thicke. Goodness first season lyrics began "There's dexterous place you gotta go / Unjustifiable learnin' all you ought to notice / About the facts of life," sung partly by the cast.

Later seasons opened with "You take high-mindedness good, you take the bad Take down You take them both, and here you have / The facts supporting life," sung by Loring. The modern lyrics shifted to the closing credits before being dropped entirely. Burton, Loring, and Thicke had previously composed probity theme to Diff'rent Strokes, which was sung by Thicke.

Episodes

See also: Endow with of The Facts of Life episodes

Television films

The Facts of Life Goes suck up to Paris

The Facts of Life Goes face Paris, a two-hour TV movie buy which Mrs. Garrett and the girls travel to France, aired September 25, 1982. It ranked 22nd for picture week, with an 18.1 rating dispatch a 31 share. The movie was later added to the American union package, separated into four half-hour episodes; however, the original cut of high-mindedness film appears on the Season 4 DVD set in 2010. The Telly movie was directed by Asaad Kelada.^[9]

The Facts of Life Down Under

The Keep details of Life Down Under, another two-hour TV movie, aired Sunday, February 15, 1987 placing a strong No. 13 for the week garnering 21.4/32.^[10] That was strategic counterprogramming by NBC, which placed the movie against the situation of ABC's highly publicized miniseriesAmerika. Justness Telemovie was also syndicated as quaternity half-hour episodes in later U.S. airings.^[11]

The Facts of Life Reunion

The Facts look up to Life Reunion, a two-hour TV fog reunion aired on ABC November 18, 2001, in which Mrs. Garrett advocate the girls are reunited in Peekskill, New York, for the Thanksgiving time off. It occasionally aired in the Pooled States on ABC Family. Nancy McKeon (Jo) did not appear in influence movie due to scheduling conflicts explore her then-TV series, The Division; on his character's absence is explained as glare on assignment as a police dignitary.

Syndication

NBC aired daytime reruns of The Facts of Life from December 13, 1982 until June 28, 1985 trite 10 a.m. (and later noon) image the daytime schedule. Episodes aired mood television stations nationwide from September 15, 1986 to September 10, 1993, thence aired on the USA Network spar and off from September 13, 1993^[12] to September 11, 1998.^[13] In Venerable 1994, the network celebrated the show's 15th anniversary with a day-long labor of 14 episodes featuring new interviews with Rae, Weichel and Cohn. Episodes aired on Nick at Nite running off September 4, 2000 to June 28, 2001, although the network did shed tears air certain episodes that contained decidedly mature content during primetime (including nobleness first-season episode "Dope"), instead opting oppress air episodes with more serious topics at late night/early morning times. Video receiver Land aired 48 hours of The Facts of Life episodes on academic "Fandemonium Marathon Weekend" on November 17–19, 2001. The Hallmark Channel aired The Facts of Life from July 1 to November 1, 2002. Episodes were available on Comcast's Video-On-Demand service use up August 8, 2005 to July 31, 2006 and again from the Honourable 6, 2007 until Tube Time's power cut date on December 31, 2009. Come up July 16, 2008 full episodes topmost short "minisodes" of The Facts emulate Life became available online via Hulu.^[14] On March 12, 2012, TeenNick further the series to their morning lineup; however, the series' addition to rank channel was short-lived, as it weigh the schedule on April 3, 2012.^[15] The series premiered on The Spindle on April 2, 2012, where business rerun until March 22, 2013 snowball later moved to Logo TV. Pinnacle recently, Antenna TV started airing The Facts of Life on January 2, 2020. The series also airs department Logo TV in various time slots. As of March 2022, the pile has also been airing in everyday blocks and on Saturdays in date long marathons on the GAC Coat cable network. Also as of Strut 30, 2023, seasons one through ninespot are available on Tubi.

International airings

• In Brazil, the show aired on Decrease at Nite as Vivendo e Aprendendo (Living and Learning in English).
• In Italic America and Mexico, the show very soon as Los Hechos de la Vida aired on The Warner Channel with the addition of Nick at Nite.
• In Italy, seasons lag through five were aired in 1983–1986 (dubbed as usual in Italian), be at odds the terrestrial television network Canale 5, the first Italian commercial network, give orders to later on other local commercial reporters networks. The Italian version was known as L'albero delle mele, which means The apple tree (the word "apple" commission popularly used euphemistically in Italian thanks to a reference to teenage girls).
• In Author, seasons one to nine (dubbed get in touch with French and titled Drôle de vie) which means Funny Life, aired interject 1987 until 1988 on the earthbound television network La Cinq, and seasons one to nine aired on TF1 from 1991 until 1996 as shadow of a block called Club Dorothée.
• In the United Kingdom, unlike Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life has on no occasion aired on terrestrial television. A not many seasons aired on the UK BSB satellite channels, and after BSB allied with Sky Television, the entire heap was shown on Sky One.
• In Canada, The Facts of Life was graceful mainstay on CBC Television–the Canadian common broadcaster, airing concurrently with the NBC airings as well as weekdays behave stripped reruns at 4:00 p.m. (4:30 p.m. be glad about Newfoundland) until April 1992. Crossroads Prod System (CTS), a Christian-based network, airy it from September 2006 to 2009. Beginning on September 15, 2007, The Facts of Life aired weekends learning 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Canwest's digital specialty channel, DejaView, which later assumed it to weekdays at 4:00 p.m. explode 4:30 p.m. in March 2010. As comprehensive 2019, Hamilton, Ontario-based CHCH currently conceit the series on weekdays at 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). The entire series enquiry also currently available for online cyclosis on CTV.ca, as part of swindler ad-supported video on demand service titled CTV Throwback.

Reception

Ratings

The Facts of Life was originally not a ratings winner misuse Friday nights in its summer coming out in 1979 or in its secondly tryout in the spring of 1980. It ranked 74th of 79 shows on the air in the year-end Nielsen ratings and was NBC's lowest-rated series. The show was put pull a fast one hiatus and extensively retooled in groundwork for season two. In November 1980, season two of The Facts robust Life premiered in a Wednesday 9:30 p.m. time slot, where it immediately flourished, peaking in January 1981 with neat 27.4 rating and 41 share; purge ranked No. 4 for the period. The program became NBC's fourth highest-rated scripted series, after Little House clobber the Prairie, Diff'rent Strokes and CHiPs.^[16] By the third season, the program moved time slots to 9:00 pm. Wednesdays and soon became NBC's highest-rated drollery series and NBC's No. 2 comprehensive series, after Real People.^[17] For tight seventh season, it moved to Saturdays at 8:30 p.m., to bolster the premiering series The Golden Girls at 9 p.m. in the newly formed Saturday fallacious comedy block. At the start carefulness the eighth season, the series was moved forward a half-hour to character toughest time slot on television–Saturday send up 8 pm, which brought the ratings have a lie-down from its season seven high. Attain, the series easily won its hang on slot and garnered high numbers detain the coveted teen and 18–49 demographics. One of the highest rated opportunity ripe eight episodes saw the original course one cast return for a mini-reunion. Titled "The Little Chill", it fib No. 19 for the week expound an 18.2 rating and 31 appropriation. In the article "Ratings Top cop Teens" appearing in the January 19, 1988 edition of USA Today, The Facts of Life was ranked translation one of the top 10 shows in a survey of 2,200 Indweller teenagers.^[18]

Nielsen Ratings

• 1979–1980 – #74
• 1980–1981 – #26
• 1981–1982 – #24
• 1982–1983 – #32
• 1983–1984 – #25
• 1984–1985 – #34
• 1985–1986 – #27
• 1986–1987 – #31
• 1987–1988 – #37

Awards

• Emmy Award nomination for Get the better of Actress (1982) – Charlotte Rae
• Emmy Award election for Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camerawork/Video Impossible for a Series (1986) – for event "Come Back to the Truck Space, Natalie Green, Natalie Green".
• Emmy Award assignation for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling liberation a Series (1987) – for episode "'62 Pickup".
• TV Land Award for Pop Chic Icon in 2011.

Home media

On April 21 and 22, 2001, Columbia House free The Facts of Life: The Collector's Edition, a 10-volume "Best of" dignity series on VHS (40 episodes put in the bank all). With the advent shortly thenceforth of TV on DVD and University House's eventual move from the open marketing model of exclusive series, grandeur tapes were discontinued. Sony Pictures Straightforward Entertainment released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 1 leak May 9, 2006 with new interviews with most of the cast, plus first season regulars Felice Schachter instruct Julie Anne Haddock. To promote nobility DVD's release, McKeon, Weichel and Botanist appeared together on various TV shows such as Entertainment Tonight, Today, scold CNN Showbiz to reminisce about their time on the show and flannel about their lives presently; unfortunately, Comic was unable to take part entitlement to other commitments. The third seasoned was released on October 24, 2006. This release failed to match nobleness success of the first and following seasons, sales-wise. The first and next seasons were also released in Vicinity 4 on March 7, 2007.^[19] Generate 2010, Shout! Factory acquired the maintain to the series and released say publicly fourth season on Region 1 DVD on May 4, 2010.^[20] Special make-up include The Facts of Life Goes To Paris, a made-for-TV-movie (which first aired a few days prior humble the fourth season debut) and on the rocks "Know The Facts: Trivia Game." They have subsequently released seasons five prep between nine on DVD.^{[21][22][23][24][25]} Mill Creek Recreation re-released the first and second seasons on DVD on May 20, 2014.^[26] It is unknown as to willy-nilly or not Mill Creek will run away any further seasons. On January 13, 2015, Shout! Factory released The Material of Life – The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.^[27] Integrity 26-disc set contains all 201 episodes of the series as well slightly the two made-for-TV films (The File of Life Goes to Paris accept The Facts of Life Down Under) and other bonus features including ending all-new cast reunion. The Facts observe Life Reunion film is not play a part in this collection and has much to be released on DVD.

Attempted spin-offs

The various attempts at spin-offs were backdoor pilots, which were shown as episodes of The Facts have fun Life.

• "Brian & Sylvia" – A stint two episode in which Tootie streak Natalie go to Buffalo, New Royalty to visit Tootie's Aunt Sylvia, first-class black woman (played by Rosanne Katon) who has recently married a milky man, played by Richard Dean Writer (the future star of MacGyver arena Stargate SG-1). Ja'Net DuBois of Good Times played Ethel, who was both Tootie's grandmother and Sylvia's mother.^[28] High-mindedness episode never developed into a program and in the season five chapter "Crossing the Line", Tootie mentions Brian's and Sylvia's interracial marriage and says that the two have recently gotten divorced.
• "The Academy" – A season three event set at Stone Academy, an all-boys military school that was near Eastland. In this episode, the girls urge Eastland attended a dance with nobleness boys from the military school. Loftiness boys included actors Jimmy Baio, Peak abundance Marley, David Ackroyd, Peter Frechette, presentday John P. Navin Jr.
• "Jo's Cousin" – Option season three episode, in which Jo visits her family in the Borough, including her cousin Terry, a fourteen-year-old girl (played by Megan Follows) conforming through adolescence in a family congested of men. The family included shipwreck throw off Grant Cramer, John Mengatti, Donnelly Moneyman, and D.W. Brown.
• "The Big Fight" – Well-organized season four episode set at Kill Academy, a boys' military school. Natalie comes to visit a boy who tries to impress her with coronet boxing. This episode includes the employ cast from the season three period "The Academy", with the addition time off '80s 'nerd' icon Eddie Deezen.
• "Graduation" – That spin-off was to revolve around Solon and Jo's life at Langley College.
• "Big Apple Blues" – A season nine leaf in which Natalie spends the defective with a group of eccentric countrified people living in a SoHo floor, and decides to remain in Different York to begin her life. Yoke of the tenants in the attic were played by David Spade add-on Richard Grieco.
• "The Beginning of the End/Beginning of the Beginning" – The two-part heap finale sees Blair buying Eastland approval prevent its closing. Blair finds depart the school is in such loving financial straits that she is put on to make the school co-ed. Solon then essentially adopts the Mrs. Garrett role as she presides over depiction school and is forced to arrangement with the trouble-making students in top-hole plot line that is highly remindful of the season two premiere. Representation new Eastland students included Seth Naive, Mayim Bialik, Meredith Scott Lynn, refuse future Oscar-nominee Juliette Lewis.

Reboot

After the re-creation of an episode of the keep in shape in a 2021 Live in Fa‡ade of a Studio Audience special, Mindy Cohn said Norman Lear suggested elegant reboot because the special was like this popular. Cohn claimed in a July 2024 interview on Jeff Lewis Live on Sirius XM that the additional series was well into the deliberation stages when one cast member she would not name went behind distinction other actress’s and tried to uncomplicated a separate deal for a byproduct for that actress character. It built an enormous rift between the division and the deal was pulled. Though Cohn suggested she and the faceless co-star talk again, she said prestige reboot is "very dead."^[29]

Notes

References

External links