The Facts Of Life (1979): 15 Weird Facts You Didn’t Know
#rememberwhen NBC introduced us to Eastland School and the hilarious trials of teenage girls under the watchful eye of Mrs. Garrett? From early seasons to later storylines, The Facts of Life gave us a look into the lives of Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, and Nancy McKeon. This show became a classic sitcom and is a great television memory.
The Facts Of Life (1979): 15 Weird Facts You Didn’t Know
00:00 – Intro
01:31 – The Reboot That Didn’t Happen
03:28 – Charlotte Rae’s Exit — Charlotte Rae
05:25 – Blair Warner Said No — Lisa Whelchel
07:16 – Jerri Jewell Made Sitcom History — Jerri Jewell
10:18 – Weight Pressure
12:36 – Mindy Cohn Sang Backup for Michael Jackson
14:05 – Theme Song Had Pop Star DNA — Alan Thicke
15:23 – Happy Accident — Mindy Cohn
17:21 – Tootie Goes Pop — Kim Fields
18:55 – Molly Ringwald
21:55 – Tootie’s Roller Skates
23:22 – George Clooney Was Fired and Rehired — George Clooney
24:48 – Spin-Offs — Richard Dean Anderson
26:59 – Mail Lady — Charlotte Rae
28:10 – The Drummonds— Gary Coleman
Check out more 80s TV Show Deep Dives Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRZTUGHHqdh6OxPqp3M0P1Q5DXSKME9ap
#thefactsoflife , #80ssitcoms , #CharlotteRae, #retrotv , #tvnostalgia , #kimfields , #LisaWhelchel, #MindyCohn, #JerriJewell, #georgeclooney , #classictv , #80stvshows #TVHistory, #behindthescenestv

@mamalonglegs100
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I wanna know WHY they didn't have Jo marry EDDIE instead of some rando!!!
@13blackcatzzz
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Interesting they told Molly she was too young, yet she was older than Kim!
@amyramsay6633
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I actually enjoyed season one and liked having all the other girls there. Made it more realistic.
@elineff2791
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I would have left the girls alone they are all pretty in her own ways
@elineff2791
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
if I was to watch a lady play Mrs. Garrett it's gonna be the Ms. Classic herself Ms. Charlote Rae, may she always make'em laugh in peace
@lukecage65
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
They should be the new gold3n girls
@brendaw4358
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Good thing that last backdoor pilot wasnt picked up or we may not have had Blossom and Amy may not have happened
@DarrylRaymondLerette-g2q
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I thought Nancy McKeon was absolutely adorable. In 1979, I thought Nancy was gold!
@fayewitt9881
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I think it's cool that Charlotte Rae first premiered on Different Strokes as Edna Garrett then after a while she leaves Different Strokes and starts staring in The Facts of Life repairing her role as Edna Garrett and I actually watched both shows back in the day and still do now as I have both series but I got Different Strokes first but I had to get it by season cause I don't think you can get the whole series all at once like some shows but The Facts of Life you could get it by season or just get the whole series at once but the thing about trying to get The Facts of Life by season cause that's the way I was going to do it but I found out quick that it would be better just to get the whole series at once because even though you could get it by season it's very hard to find all nine seasons so I just bought the entire series in the lump sum and from time to time I either watch just Different Strokes or The Facts of Life or sometimes I watch back to back watch one in its entirety and then watch the other in its entirety. The thing I forgot to mention about Charlotte Rae I thought it was cool that even though she had left Different Strokes to go on The Facts of Life we did see her guest star one more time on Different Strokes when she came to Phillip and Maggie's wedding in fact both of his previous housekeepers were there and Pearl who was his housekeeper then at the time.
@fayewitt9881
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I'm actually glad we didn't get a reboot of The Fact of Life because we got more than enough of those all really and naturally it's going to be a whole new cast it very seldom is the same cast and without the same cast it would've been the same it would've been like an entirely different show just using the old show's title.
@fayewitt9881
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
The Fact of Life was only on one season more than Different Strokes.
@ChristopherHughes-o7v
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Geri didn't break down barriers, she shattered them!!!
@ChristopherHughes-o7v
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Mindy is very very petty, but it was actually Kim Fields that was the one that went behind everyone's back.
@needlesandsonics5819
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Jo and Tootie were my teenage crushes lol
@scottdowney4865
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
When you talked about Geri Jewell, I was kind of surprised you didn't mention Chris Burke. Yes, I know, different show, but he was the first actor with Downs Syndrome to star in a prime-time series.
@chryztina.nights
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Omg,I remember Bruce showing up & taking Ms.Garrett away but NOTHING after that. I think I checked out after she was gone lol. I need to go watch those last seasons.
@antwongreene1653
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Kim Fields my childhood crush
@BenedictTheGreatII
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Joan rivers was awful. Not funny. Just brash and annoying as all hell.
@LeeLeeCalderónRN
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
The thing about not allowing Mindy to lose weight still exists in Hollywood. Melissa McCarthy apparently had lost some weight back when the show Mike n Molly was on the air (this was before her more current dramatic weight loss, but enough to be noticable). Producers cancelled the show bc her weight loss "ruined the character of Molly". Like what? Lol
@allisoncastner8869
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
A fact you missed: most of the first-season cast had been members of the 1970's version of the Mickey Mouse Club (including Lisa Whelchel, Julie Piekarski, Molly Ringwald, Alison Fonte, Shawntee Northcutte, and Kim Richards
@WalnutPeanut1
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Remember in season 1 Tootie wore skates all the time ❤
@geongsi6991
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
the fats of life? LOL
@debster2791
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I love Jerry! What a legend!
@mikekennedy4572
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
When my kids were young, I took them to an Angels baseball game in Anaheim, and they went to get ice cream. My kids were thrilled to see Nancy McKeon and Mindy Cohn waiting in line too. My kids chatted briefly with them and said they were very nice and friendly.
@beautybynessy6675
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
This was my favorite show growing up, i felt i could relate to all the girls. My favorite was Natalie, my only issue was as they moved from the school to the house/bakery shop, i notice she was losing weight but they kept her with overly baggy clothes, it drove me nutz!!! I didn't realize that because of her character, she was the "chubby girl" – it annoyed me so much!! LOL
@steveb1164
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
My money's on Fields ruining the reboot. She came off as an egomaniac in interviews, and , quite frankly, was terrible on the show.
@chrisk7626
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
🚨🚨🚨 Gabrielle Union played tootie Man is this the most worthless documentary ever. I'm all done.
@chrisk7626
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I watched all these shows until they were unwatchable Hollywood was shameless during that era but they would be the dead horse 10 years after it should have been put down. I'm talking the last 5 years had no merit at all. Just like three's company You take a great concept and just ruin it after a few years. Hollywood just has a hard time letting shows die. They like to see them wither away to nothing till you can't stand them like Jack's place. 😮
@amb2745
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
For those who may or may not remember, Charlotte Rae was also a regular on The Rich Little Show before her stint on The Facts Of Life.. Rich was the man of a thousand impressions, so NBC gave him his own variety show, with Rae as one of its regulars. Besides Rich doing scenes with his numerous impressions, the one I remember was with Charlotte Rae. She was at a funeral walking beside a closed casket. While walking alongisd the casket, Charlotte would say" por que……por que…..por que…..POR QUE??" After she said the last por que, she opened the casket top, from which a voice said "Butter". For those who may not remember, there was a butter called Parkay that was sold, and was on tv commercials back in the day.
@nunyabizly
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Our city was one of the test groups. They asked me (through the cable company) to tune into a non-existent channel at a certain day and time and they showed the pilot to FoL. It finished with a call survey and I remember a key question being ' do you like it more than Mork and Mindy?' and as a 10 year old, I had never been so insulted. How can this interviewer ask such an idiotic question? They were two totally different shows with many amazing things about each one. So, you're welcome. An army of young kids helped reach your television screen.
@Sisusisu1969
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Cool but WAY too many commercials. Annoying to watch.
@tobalinac6781
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
All I wanted to be was Tootie on her roller skates 24/7
@markw5805
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Did not know Kim Field’s mom was an actress on good times! I learned something new😮
@Gigibaby88
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Jo 😍😍😍
@floraline7153
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Back in 1992, I met Lisa Welchel as she was visiting Branson, MO and came into the restaurant I managed. She had no celebrity airs and was actually by herself, just wishing to grab some lunch at the best place in town. 🙂 Also, I believe Gloria Loring sang the theme song starting in season 2 and that she was married to Alan Thicke.
@JuliaGulley-u1o
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I wanted to be Jo. 😂
@diannamarks8232
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I didn’t realize that it lasted for 9 years.
@PAClark101
April 16, 2026 at 2:01 pm
I first saw this show with my sister in reruns over Summer vacation in the early 80s. I was in the fifth grade. I had a crush on Blair. I miss those days. Watching shows that were 10 times better than what’s out now.