The Facts of Life (TV series): Difference between revisions

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[[File:~~facts_season2_8720~~.jpg|frame|The cast in Season Two. Clockwise from top right: Jo, Tootie, Mrs. Garrett, Natalie, and Blair.]]

[[File:facts season2 8720.jpg|frame|The cast in Season Two. Clockwise from top right: Jo, Tootie, Mrs. Garrett, Natalie, and Blair.]]

{{quote|''You take the good, you take the bad, you take 'em both and there you have... The Facts of Life.''|'''Opening theme'''}}

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Long-running [[Sitcom]] and [[Teen Drama]] (1979-1988) about the heartwarming adventures of a group of female students. Initially they were students at a boarding school. In later seasons, they went to college and beyond, but kept living together under the watchful eye of Mrs. Garrett, formerly of ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'' (and, in later seasons, her [[Suspiciously Similar Substitute]] sister, played by Cloris Leachman).

During its first season, the show had a large ensemble of girls, including a very young Molly Ringwald. Starting with its second season, though, the show was [[~~Retool|retooled~~]]. The mob was [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome|thinned down]] to four "core" girls, and almost nothing was ever seen again of their schoolmates.

During its first season, the show had a large ensemble of girls, including a very young Molly Ringwald. Starting with its second season, though, the show was [[retool]]ed. The mob was [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome|thinned down]] to four "core" girls, and almost nothing was ever seen again of their schoolmates.

'''<big>The central girls after the first season were:</big>'''

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* Tootie, the baby (who lost her trademark rollerskates as part of the retool)

The show aired long enough to use just about every [[Sitcom]] trope in existence, including Blair's [[Inspirationally Disadvantaged]] cousin Gerri, who had cerebral palsy, and many [[Very Special Episode~~|Very Special Episodes~~]]. A [[Reunion Show|reunion movie]], featuring the entire cast except for Nancy McKeon's Jo, aired in 2001.

The show aired long enough to use just about every [[Sitcom]] trope in existence, including Blair's [[Inspirationally Disadvantaged]] cousin Gerri, who had cerebral palsy, and many [[Very Special Episode]]s. A [[Reunion Show|reunion movie]], featuring the entire cast except for Nancy McKeon's Jo, aired in 2001.

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* [[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 {{spoiler|Natalie}}.

* [[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 {{spoiler|Natalie}}.

* [[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., etc.

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* [[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.

* [[The Movie]]: ''The Facts of Life Goes to Paris''; ''The Facts of Life Down Under'' ~~-- both~~ made for TV.

* [[The Movie]]: ''The Facts of Life Goes to Paris''; ''The Facts of Life Down Under''—both made for TV.

* [[New Transfer Student]]: Pippa, who is from Australia. Also Alex, the princess of something-in-Europe. Miko was a temporary Japanese exchange student.

* [[Not Blood Siblings]]: Blair and her former stepsister (portrayed by Eve Plumb) are not actually related but treat each other as genuine siblings.

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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," the writers demonstrated total ignorance about the Stray Cats. Based on the characters' ~~dialogue--specifically~~, the adults' horror about this crazy new music and the girls' references to wild concerts wherein Brian Setzer evidently ate his ~~guitar--the~~ writers seemed to think the band put out earsplitting punk tunes rather than what really amounted to ''old-time rockabilly.''

* [[The Quincy Punk]]: In "The Americanization of Miko," the writers demonstrated total ignorance about the Stray Cats. Based on the characters' dialogue—specifically, the adults' horror about this crazy new music and the girls' references to wild concerts wherein Brian Setzer evidently ate his guitar—the writers seemed to think the band put out earsplitting punk tunes rather than what really amounted to ''old-time rockabilly.''

** 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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[[Category:The Facts of Life]]

[[Category:TV Series]]

[[Category:Kid Com]]