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

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

Long-running [[~~Sit Com~~]] 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 ''[[~~Diffrent Strokes|~~Diff'rent Strokes]]'' (and, in later seasons, her [[Suspiciously Similar Substitute]] sister, played by Cloris Leachman).

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.

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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 [[~~Sit Com~~]] 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|Very Special Episodes]]. A [[Reunion Show|reunion movie]], featuring the entire cast except for Nancy McKeon's Jo, aired in 2001.

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* [[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.

* [[Biker Babe]]: Jo, right down to the [[Samus Is a ~~Girl|Samus Is A~~ Girl]] moment when she pulls off her helmet to reveal that she is, in fact, a girl.

* [[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.

* [[The Cast Showoff]]: Lisa Whelchel seems to have been given opportunities to display her talents in everything from singing to ventriloquism.

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* [[The Eighties]]: Pretty much one of the definitive shows of the 1980's, so it's impossible to avoid 80's nostalgia and/or horror.

* [[Eighties Hair]]: And how. Started out okay, but we ended up with more poof than a Whitesnake concert. There were mullets. On women.

* [[Everything's Better ~~With~~ Princesses]]: Temporary character Alex was a European princess.

* [[Everything's Better with Princesses]]: Temporary character Alex was a European princess.

* [[Fan Service]]: The first season was made at the height of the [[Jiggle Show|"Jiggle TV"]] era codified by then NBC president and CEO Fred Silverman during his previous tenure as president of ABC Entertainment, so the older girls ran around in skimpy shorts for large portions of every episode. When new producers Linda Marsh and Margie Peters arrived to do the second season [[Retool]], they insisted on less exploitative wardrobes.

* [[Fat Girl]]: Natalie, the "happy Magic Marker."

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'''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~~|parental abandonment~~]] issues. She has few real friends outside of the main cast.

* [[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.

* [[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.

* [[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.

* [[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

* [[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.

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* [[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." By the time the show's first true episode aired, Blair was a non-smoker (reflecting real life, as Welchel was a non-smoker).

* [[Stalker ~~With~~ a Crush]]: Roy has a crush on Jo, although this is a comedic version of the trope. Still creepy.

* [[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.

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* [[Tsundere]]: Jo reacts with hostility every time she is accused of having a "sensitive side." This dies down in the last seasons.

* [[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.

* [[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 other's defense in a heartbeat.

* [[What Could Have Been]]: Despite the number of main characters being thinned between Seasons 1 and 2, production expressed interest in retaining Molly Ringwald as a regular. However, she left to pursue a movie career.