mark.waltz This is a sitcom that should not be considered just a "chick show" as the lessons it teaches are ones that still hold today, dealing with many teen issues that have just seemed to have gotten worse over time thanks to social media. The recent death of Charlotte Rae made me think about this show again which I watched on a recurring basis when it was on, but for some reason, had remained deeply embedded in my heart. Some writers indicated that Rae was stereotyped because of this show, suggesting that Mrs. Garrett was a rather silly character for someone of Rae's standing in the theater community to take on, but women like Mrs. Garrett are important people to have in your life, whether you are a teenage boy or girl, because they teach you about life with love and humor and yet keep it real. With that highly piled red hair, Rae could resemble the goofy tipsy aunt you love to have around on the holidays but forget about the rest of the year, but her character was so much more, and the four regular girls of seasons 2-6 were very lucky to have her in their lives.The issues this show dealt with are ones that many teens can deal with today. There were shows about teen suicide, one with a seemingly perfect girl who supposedly had everything, yet couldn't cope with her own facts of life and took an easy way out. Mrs. Garrett had to provide all the strength she could muster to help Blair, Jo, Tootie and Natalie through the grief and confusion they suffered, and I'm sure that the audience was in tears even though the girl who committed suicide was just a one episode character. Stories like this get under your skin, and how many people longed to reach through their TV and hug Rae for the wisdom her character, through an always excellent script, provided? These girls were far from perfect. Lisa Welchel's Blair was an obvious snob, but she was not cookie cutter in her manner. There was a huge heart underneath all that poofy blonde hair that made her come to see the other three girls as equals. With rough Bronx girl Jo, Tootie (the black girl) and Natalie (a heavyset Jewish girl), she found in her life three unlikely sisters, all of whom had flaws but were relatable to the core audience. Jo had a viking temper, could be rather crass, but deep down, she had the same insecurities that most teen girls have. Tootie didn't have the disadvantages that many black girls have, but it took some understanding from the others to fully accept her in spite not only of her race but her being the youngest as well. Early in the series, she had to learn a serious lesson about the evils of gossip, and while that aspect of her never fully left her personality, she was never as loose lipped as she was when she spread a rumor about Mrs. Garrett that didn't fully tell the truth.When Tootie became an obsessed fan of Jermaine Jackson, she had a fully realistic breakdown that had Mrs. Garrett gravely upset because she saw the ferocity of Tootie's actions. Tootie came out of it learning a grave lesson about celebrity worship and the loyalty that should go to friends, not fake idols. But it was Tootie who was there to give the truth to Natalie when her grandmother (Molly Picon) visited and Natalie felt ashamed of her Russian Jewish heritage. Tootie bluntly told Natalie that her grandmother only wanted her love, waking Natalie up to her own self hatred. Natalie had to deal with jealousy when Tootie got the role of Nellie in "South Pacific" over her, even threatening Tootie with a bad review in the newspaper Natalie was the editor on. In spite of all these inner conflicts, the girls got past them, learned to forgive and understand, and move on.Then there were their parents, recurring characters who had both positive and negative affects on their children. Blair had to deal with the fact that she came from a broken home. Soap veterans Nicolas Coster and Marj Dusay made scattered appearances as David and Monica Warner who spoiled Blair with money and gifts but didn't always provide the love Blair craved. It was Blair who came to her mother's emotional rescue when Monica dealt with a biopsy of a lump in her breast, strengthening the relationship by demanding that they share more than shopping sprees and cruises and exotic trips. In spite of her mother hen role in their lives, Mrs. Garrett always made sure that their real parents were kept in the loop. Blair had to deal with her own judgmentalism when cousin Geri (comic Geri Jewell) came to visit. Geri, who was diagnosed at an early age with Cerebal Palsy, fought to live a normal life and not let her condition stop her from getting what she wanted, teaching more facts of life to all the girls who began to think of her as another sister as Geri would visit from time to time.I didn't watch the whole series during its original run, and was not crazy about the first season that had far too many characters. I'd be curious at some point to see all of the final two seasons with Cloris Leachman (who had worked with Rae on an episode of "Phyllis"), but it is those five seasons between 2 and 6 that remain the most memorable. Unfortunately, the series was never a huge rating's winner, although it did win many of its timeslots, and of course, wasn't big at the Emmy's either, although Rae did get one nomination. This is a show worth discovering for those who just see four teenaged girls and their den mother, because it is so much more.

astro_92 The Facts of Life ran on network TV during my early years but I have seen it in syndication and I really, really like what I have seen. The series is intensely entertaining to say the least. My favorite character is none other than Jo Polniaczek, portrayed by the ever-gorgeous Nancy McKeon. From the way I look at it, the series' best episodes are those that revolve around the Jo character. The other cast members are also terrific but McKeon will always be my top favorite from the classic NBC show.I really hope that entire Facts of Life series gets released on DVD eventually. Hopefully, when this finally happens, retail stores will be able to keep the boxed sets in stock. Also, I really hope that the first two seasons get released as one set, as those two were only half-seasons. I am very anxious to view this incredible show again!

Scott351w2001 After reading the many positive comments about this show, I felt obliged to give my opinion. This show was a "sitcom" As such it is supposed to be funny. To me, thats the measure of a good sitcom...whether or not it is actually funny. Yes, I know this show dealt with some serious issues...loss of virginity, etc. To be honest, I hate when sitcoms attempt to do "serious" shows. There's a certain pretentiousness to this. This aside, "Facts of Life" was just was not a funny show. The first season was bearable, but when they brought in Nancy McKeon ("Yeah...I'm from da Bronx")it hit the skids, and continued to go downhill, especially when they brought in Chloris Leachman. I realize not every show can be "Seinfeld", but when a sitcom is produced for TV, the show should be FUNNY, and "Facts of Life just wasn't

BlackJack_B If you want to see another example of why the 80's were the greatest decade of the 20th century, here's a prime example. Although I was a male, me and my brothers loved this show. I don't why, I guess it was a "what were we thinking" kind of deal. I guess as fans of "Diff'rent Strokes", we would watch the spin-offs. Granted, no one in the cast of females would cause the S Club 7 girls to lose sleep in the beauty department (sorry Lisa), but the character development was superb. Natalie Green, Jo Polnochek, Tootie Ramsey, Blair Warner, and the young girls that would come and go were all so appealing. You cared about them all. Charlotte Rae's Mrs. Garrett was the kind of women we all wish we could have known and befriended. Heck, I even miss Pippa, she was a cute, headstrong kind of girl. The acting was always good, it felt like it was real life instead of an act. I would like to check this show out again, just to see why I watched it. Oh, and Mrs. Garrett, Oingo Boingo's music is still very cool.