The Facts of Life (TV series): Difference between revisions
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{{tropelist}}
* [[Absentee Actor]]: All the cast (except Kim Fields) at one time or another, most notably in "The First Time"—the script originally called for Blair to lose her virginity, but Lisa Whelchel refused to be involved on religious grounds (see [[Hollywood Atheist]] below). As a result—in addition to this being the only episode of the entire series in which Blair/Lisa doesn't appear—it was rewritten so that the Eastland girl to become a woman was
* [[Attempted Rape]]: Jo & Natalie.
* [[Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other]]: Blair and Jo have many of these moments when they stop sniping. Blair nearly punches out a guy who assaulted Jo. Blair secretly helps Jo get a scholarship so that she can stay in school. Jo replaces a childhood toy of Blair's after it is ruined. Jo jumps to her defense after a disgruntled wife accuses Blair of sleeping with her husband. Blair skips a ski trip to spend Christmas with Jo, etc
* [[Biker Babe]]: Jo, right down to the [[Samus Is a Girl]] moment when she pulls off her helmet to reveal that she is, in fact, a girl.
* [[Boarding School]]: Eastland is a boarding school for girls, and the first half of the series takes place there.
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* [[Date Rape Averted]]: Jo, who managed to fight her way out in the nick of time.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Jo and Natalie.
* [[Do-It-Yourself Theme Tune]]: Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Garrett) provided vocals for the
* [[Don't You Dare Pity Me!]]: Jo reacts with hostility every time someone attempts to take pity on her due to her poor upbringing.
* [[Chick Magnet|Dude Magnet]]: Natalie in particular tended to have a ''lot'' of boyfriends during the show's run.
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* [[Lampshade Hanging]]: Done in a late season episode when Tootie digs up and shows off the rollerskates that were her trademark in the first season. It also occurs in the reunion movie when Natalie's fiance expresses doubt that Mrs. Garrett can pull Thanksgiving dinner together:
{{quote|'''Natalie:''' Mrs. G. can do anything.
'''Tootie/Dorothy:''' Didn't you watch our show?
* [[Lawyer-Friendly Cameo]]: A balloon resembling [[Dai Sentai Goggle Five|Goggle Red]] briefly appeared in the beginning of the episode "Reunion".
* [[Lonely Rich Kid]]: Blair, whose snotty behavior tends to cover up her deep seated [[Parental Abandonment]] issues. She has few real friends outside of the main cast.
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* [[Not Blood Siblings]]: Blair and her former stepsister (portrayed by Eve Plumb) are not actually related but treat each other as genuine siblings.
* [[Not Even Bothering with the Accent]]: Jo, Blair, and Natalie all hailed from New York City, but only Jo actually sounded like it (Lisa Whelchel had a Texas twang and Mindy Cohn had a California accent). Conversely, Kim Fields had a New York accent, but Tootie was supposed to be a D.C. native.
* [[Only Known by Their Nickname]]: Joanne "Jo" Polniaczek, Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey
* [[Parental Substitute]]: Mrs. Garrett serves as this to most of the girls. Her sister Beverly Ann fills this role when Mrs. Garrett leaves the show, but to a lesser extent.
* [[Perpetual Poverty]]: Much is made of Jo's poverty for most of the show.
** When a later episode attempted to give the Polniacseks an incredible financial windfall, Nancy Mckeon nearly quit over the idea that Jo would suddenly become rich. The writers decided to make it just a temporary situation, so that by the end of the episode everything was back to normal
* [[Poorly-Disguised Pilot]]: Several, including one featuring Tootie's aunt and uncle, and another at the end of the series setting up Blair as the new headmistress of the school. In addition, the show itself started as a [[Poorly-Disguised Pilot]].
** In fact, there were no fewer than ''six'' attempted spinoffs over the course of the show: beyond the aforementioned ones featuring Tootie's mixed-marriage aunt and uncle ("Brian and Sylvia") and Blair as a headmistress ("The Beginning of the End"), there was "The Academy" (about four military academy guys who were pretty much the girls' male alter egos), "Jo's Cousin" (which is self-explanatory), "Rumor Has It" (featuring Blair's law professor), and "Big Apple Blues" (in which Natalie joins up with a bunch of wacky twentysomethings trying to make it in New York City). Not a single one of these turned into a series.
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* [[Prince Charming]]: Blair's steady boyfriend Cliff is a modern version of this, but she ends up falling out of love with him for an unknown reason and calls the relationship off.
* [[Promotion to Parent]]: Blair acts as a surrogate parent to her little sister, who is born when Blair is 20-something. Also acted as birth coach for her mother.
* [[The Quincy Punk]]: In "The Americanization of Miko
** Also, when troublemaker Kelly enters the cast, she claims to be a member of the (fake) local gang [[White Gang-Bangers|the Lords of Discipline]], who specialize in vandalizing Edna's Edibles and dress like the guys in the "Beat It" video.
* [[Religious Russian Roulette]]
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* [[Shoot the Money]]
* [[Shout-Out]]: In a nod to George Clooney, the reunion movie stated that George the handyman left to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.
* [[Smoking Is Cool]]: Although several episodes had [[An Aesop|Aesops]] relating to smoking, [[Rich Bitch]] Blair can be seen puffing on a cigarette in the pilot episode, "The Girls School
* [[Stalker with a Crush]]: Roy has a crush on Jo, although this is a comedic version of the trope. Still creepy.
* [[The Stool Pigeon]]: This was Tootie's primary function for the early seasons, and she retains it to a lesser extent as an adult. Combine her with Natalie and you get [[Gossipy Hens]].
* [[Suspiciously Similar Substitute]]: Beverly Ann, who replaces Mrs. Garret as the girl's denmother/landlady.
* [[Team Mom]]: Mrs. Garret.
* [[Their First Time]]: One popular episode in a later season involved Natalie choosing to have sex with her boyfriend for the first time.
* [[Token Minority]]: Tootie, who is drowning in a sea of white people. Also Natalie, who seems to be the only Jewish member of the show.
* [[Tomboy and Girly Girl]]: Jo and Blair.
* [[Tomboyish Ponytail]]: Jo.
* [[Troubled but Cute]]: Jo, in a [[Rare Female Example]].
* [[True Companions]]: The main cast is essentially this due to the fact that they seldom see their real families or have trouble at home.
* [[Tsundere]]: Jo reacts with hostility every time she is accused of having a "sensitive side
* [[Very Special Episode]]: A never ending supply of them, really.
* [[Visit by Divorced Dad]]: Jo has a couple of these after he's released from prison. Blair also has one or two.
* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: Jo and Blair spend most of their time sniping at each other, but they are actually best friends and will jump to the
* [[Zany Scheme]]: Well, it ''is'' a sitcom.
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