From Wikipedia:

    The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from August 24, 1979, to May 7, 1988, making it one of the longest-running sitcoms of the 1980s. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series focuses on Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae) as she becomes a housemother (and after the second season, a dietitian as well) at the fictional Eastland School, an all-female boarding school in Peekskill, New York.

    A spin-off of Diff'rent Strokes, the series featured the Drummonds' housekeeper, Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae) as the housemother of a dormitory at Eastland School, a private all-girls school. The girls in her care included spoiled rich girl Blair Warner (Lisa Whelchel); the youngest, gossipy Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey (Kim Fields); and impressionable Natalie Green (Mindy Cohn).

    The pilot for the show originally aired as the last episode of Diff'rent Strokes' first season and was called "The Girls' School (aka Garrett's Girls)." The plotline for the pilot had Kimberly Drummond (Dana Plato) requesting that Mrs. Garrett help her sew costumes for a student play at East Lake School for Girls, the school Kimberly attended in upstate New York, as her dorm's housemother had recently quit. Mrs. Garrett agrees to help, puts on a successful play, and also solves a problem for Nancy. Mrs. Garrett is asked to stay on as the new housemother but states she would rather remain working for the Drummonds at the end of the pilot.

    Following the pilot, the name of the school was changed to Eastland and characters were replaced, with Natalie, Cindy (Julie Anne Haddock), and Mr. Bradley becoming part of the main group featured. Although Kimberly Drummond is featured as a student at East Lake, her character did not cross over to the spinoff series with Mrs. Garrett.

    In the show's first season, episodes focus on the troubles of seven girls, with the action usually set in a large, wood-paneled common room of a girls' dormitory. Also appearing was the school's headmaster, Mr. Steven Bradley (John Lawlor), and Ms. Emily Mahoney (Jenny O'Hara), an Eastland teacher who was dropped after the first four episodes. Early episodes of the show typically revolve around a central morality-based or "lesson teaching" theme. The show's pilot episode plot included a story line in which Blair Warner insinuates that her schoolmate Cindy Webster is a lesbian because she is a tomboy and frequently shows affection for other girls. Other season-one episodes deal with issues including drug use, sex, eating disorders, parental relationships, and peer pressure.

    Thumbnail of Ben Starr

    Ben Starr on spinning off The Facts of Life from Diff'rent Strokes

    02:33
    Thumbnail of Bob Claver

    Bob Claver on directing The Facts of Life

    01:03
    Thumbnail of Asaad Kelada

    Asaad Kelada on working with the cast of The Facts of Life

    03:11
    Thumbnail of Fred Silverman

    Fred Silverman on The Facts of Life

    00:36
    Thumbnail of Irma Kalish

    Irma and Rocky Kalish on The Facts of Life and an episode with Lisa Welch she refused to do

    01:24
    Thumbnail of Charlotte Rae

    Charlotte Rae on her transition from Diff'rent Strokes to the spin-off, The Facts of Life

    05:17

    Bob Claver

    Bob Claver on directing The Facts of Life

    01:03

    Patty Duke

    Patty Duke on her son, Mackenzie Astin appearing in The Facts of Life as a kid and his talent as an actor

    01:32

    Geri Jewell

    Geri Jewell on being the first visible character with a disability on a television series on The Facts of Life

    02:36

    Geri Jewell on being cast on The Facts of Life and having to dance on the first episode on which she appeared ("Cousin Geri")

    04:30

    Geri Jewell on her contribution to her character on The Facts of Life

    00:57

    Geri Jewell on her experiences on The Facts of Life and her challenges navigating the entertainment industry

    10:39

    Geri Jewell on The Facts of Life producer Al Burton advising her when her manager stole her money

    04:13

    Geri Jewell on her relationship with her castmates on The Facts of Life, particularly Lisa Welchel

    01:28

    Geri Jewell on the end of her run on The Facts of Life

    06:32

    Geri Jewell on the impact of her role on The Facts of Life

    06:18

    Irma Kalish

    Irma and Rocky Kalish on The Facts of Life and an episode with Lisa Welch she refused to do

    01:24

    Rocky Kalish

    Irma and Rocky Kalish on The Facts of Life and an episode with Lisa Welch she refused to do

    01:20

    Rocky Kalish with Emerson College

    Rocky and Irma Kalish on writing for The Facts of Life starring Cloris Leachman

    03:03

    Asaad Kelada

    Asaad Kelada on directing The Facts of Life

    28:58

    Asaad Kelada on working with the cast of The Facts of Life

    03:11

    Asaad Kelada on his favorite episode of The Facts of Life

    02:06

    Charlotte Rae

    Charlotte Rae on her transition from Diff'rent Strokes to the spin-off, The Facts of Life

    05:17

    Charlotte Rae on the premise of The Facts of Life, and on how the character of "Edna Garrett" changed from Diff'rent Strokes to The Facts of Life

    02:39

    Charlotte Rae on the original cast of girls on The Facts of Life, and on recommending the producers cast Mindy Cohn as "Natalie Green"

    01:54

    Charlotte Rae on Geri Jewell as "Cousin Geri" on The Facts of Life

    01:14

    Charlotte Rae on developing the role of "Edna Garrett" on The Facts of Life over the years

    02:15

    Charlotte Rae on her personal relationship with the actresses who played the girls on The Facts of Life, and on being recognized from the show

    04:35

    Charlotte Rae on the weight issues of the girls on The Facts of Life, how she felt about the development of her character on the show, and her decision to leave

    05:14

    Charlotte Rae on working with director John Bowab on The Facts of Life

    01:29

    Charlotte Rae on the shooting schedule of The Facts of Life, and on being recognized from the show

    03:06

    Charlotte Rae on being nominated for an Emmy for The Facts of Life, and on leaving the show

    02:14

    Charlotte Rae on the legacy of The Facts of Life, and on her post-Facts of Life roles

    03:19

    Nina Shaw

    Nina Shaw on negotiating talent deals for minors in the 1970s and '80s (on The Facts of Life)

    00:22

    Fred Silverman

    Fred Silverman on The Facts of Life

    00:36

    Ben Starr

    Ben Starr on spinning off The Facts of Life from Diff'rent Strokes

    02:33

    Larry Wilmore

    Larry Wilmore on his first television appearance, on The Facts of Life

    01:14

    Larry Wilmore on changing the lines on The Facts of Life to make them funnier, which led to him doing stand-up full time

    04:37

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