Greetings,
It would seem that the last review I did put me in something of a nostalgic mood. Although, this time, rather than talking about music that I began enjoying in my childhood, I'm going to talk about some good TV. Specifically, The Facts of Life, one of the greatest shows from the 80's, maybe of all time. Shut up! Yes, it was!
Yeah, that's the thing about this show. Some people who, perhaps, weren't as much fans as I have been, seem to not remember just how successful The Facts of Life was. It ran for nine years, for crying out loud, and whilst I know that longevity doesn't exactly equal quality, anyone who really watched it can agree that it had both, for the most part.
Even those who never watched it officially still know about the show that takes place at an all girls school called Eastland, and, of course, they know the characters. We had the den mother, if you will, Mrs. Edna Garrett; shallow girl with a heart of gold, Blair Warner; tough chick, but not always tough, Jo Polniaczek; hilarious and creative, Natalie Green and finally, the youngest yet most dramatic, Tootie Ramsey. They were portrayed by Charlotte Rae, Lisa Whelchel, Nancy McKeon, Mindy Cohn and Kim Fields, respectively. Love these ladies!
Of course, this was the main line up for all the seasons, excluding the first and the later ones after Mrs. Garrett's departure. Whilst everyone but Jo was also there during that opening year, the girls were also joined by Sue Ann Weaver, the sheltered but sweet girl from the Midwest; Cindy Webster, the pre-Jo tomboy; Molly Parker, the opinionated and precocious girl with a ukulele; and Nancy Olsen, the...hmmm. I hate calling anyone a ditz unless they really deserve it, but they implied that maybe she wasn't the sharpest stake in Buffy's weapons chest. Also, she had this boyfriend, Roger, who literally was never seen. Ever. BTW, those girls were played by some amazing actresses, namely Julie Piekarski, Julie Anne Haddock, Molly Ringwald (Yep!) and Felice Schacter. Oh, yeah, and there was also this Mr.Belding-ish headmaster named Mr. Bradley played by John Lawlor and another teacher, Miss Mahoney played by Jenny O'Hara. I liked them, and they were good for some laughs. Honestly, though I've heard reasons, I really don't know why all the changes were made for the second season. I really loved the first year.
Anyway, I guess I should mention the later seasons, specifically Eight and Nine, since they brought forth upheaval. For one thing, as I mentioned, Mrs. Garrett left and was replaced by her sister, Beverly Ann, played by Cloris Leachman. Also, two formerly recurring characters became regulars, Andy Moffat played by Mackenzie Astin, and George Burnett. Oh, I'm sorry. Did I need to remind you that he was played by George Clooney? 'Cause he was. Anyway, I'm not going to say that this is when the show began to run out of steam a bit, as all shows do, but...well, just check out which seasons most of my favorites come from.
That reminds me. I am here to do a Top Ten list, aren't I? Sorry for rambling. Off we go.
#10. "Doo Wah" (Season 7) - Am I the only one who loves when sitcoms have special celebrity guest stars playing themselves? Especially in the 80's? Well, that's what we get here when the girls are entered into a contest to sing backup for El DeBarge. Of course. And of course, they win. Mostly by default, but they'll take it any way they can get it.
#9. "Take My Finals, Please" (Season 4) - In the words of Abed from Community, it's a bottle episode. Well, sort of. Most of the episode is spent confined to the bedroom of Blair, Jo, Natalie and Tootie as they study for finals. And eat. And fight. Just another day for high school girls, as I recall. Still, when you stick a group of already stressed out teenagers in a room together, the funny will come. For us, anyway. And it did.
#8. "Cruisin'" (Season 6) - And from a sort of bottle episode to an actual one. Yep, here we are with the four girls in a car and that is it. Hence the title, they are, in fact, cruisin'. I don't know why, but I love things that are road trip-py, and this is that in a shorter form. Oh, and since they are in a car, with a radio, you may be expecting a random sing-along. You will not be disappointed. Trust. You will not.
#7. "Breaking Point" (Season 2) - In case you kids don't know, the 80's was the era of the "very special episode". That occurred when a normally lighthearted sitcom tackled a heavier topic, such as drugs, abuse, whatever. I suppose we look back on them now with a bit of an eye roll, and to be fair, sometimes that might be warranted. But every now and then, one would be done very well. Such is the case with this episode. I actually don't want to give away too much about the plot of this one, but it does deal with the very serious subject of suicide. Still, it does so in the most respectable and realistic way. They managed to balance everything out so that it all remained true to life. That was quite an accomplishment.
#6. "Starstruck" (Season 3) - Okay, I am the last person to be judgmental of anyone who happens to crush on a celebrity. I wrote a whole book about some of my own, so, yeah, I'm quite understanding about the subject. Still, I realize that things can get a tad out of hand. Take Tootie, for example, when she, in this one episode anyway, develops an intense infatuation with Jermaine Jackson. Not Michael, Jermaine. Just wanna make sure you're clear on that. Her fanaticism becomes so intense that she shirks responsibilities and breaks promises...to Jo, of all people! Seriously, Tootie, are you insane? I guess so since she also has a full on freak out moment, one that frightens Mrs. Garrett. Sure, this episode is mostly funny, but it does also make you think, especially about how much or, even better, how little we should let celebrities affect our lives.
#5. "Dope" (Season 1) - What could be a more fitting way to close out the first season of a show than to talk about the drugs? In this episode, Blair manages to get Sue Ann into - wait for it!- The Group. Yep, nothing specific about this group. It's just...The Group. Small school, I guess. Anyway, the leader of said group is Tumpy Barksdale, who was only mentioned in previous episodes, along with her sister(?) Kedgie, but this time she actually shows up. I'm sorry, what? You need me to rewind a bit? Oh, is it that you can't believe that there were actually characters named Tumpy and Kedgie? Well, believe it. Gee, I wonder if they come from old money. Moving on. Turns out that The Group partakes in some extra curricular activities that may be illegal. Probably dope, since that's the name of the episode. And as it happens, breaking the rules leads to consequences. I know, right? Kids getting disciplined for disobeying? My, how times have changed. Also, look for young Helen Hunt in this episode. And listen...for Mrs. Garrett...swearing! Gasp! It's okay. She only did it once, and she apologized. All is forgiven.
#4. "Pretty Babies" (Season 2) - So, men are pigs, am I right? Okay, not all of them, but some. In this episode, a famous fashion photographer is visiting Eastland, looking for fresh faces. And the fresher the better, if you get my drift. Blair, of course, wants to be chosen because she's Blair, but, at sixteen, she's way too old. The photographer would rather use young, YOUNG Tootie. Am I being clear enough when it comes to what this episode ends up being about? Relax, though. In the end, as per usual, Mrs. Garrett comes to the rescue. Don't cross Mrs. Garrett. I am SO putting that on a T-shirt.
#3. "Read No Evil" (Season 3) - This episode certainly resonated with me. Natalie discovers that the school library has been banning a few choice books. Yeah, you can see why I might get a tad upset about that, being a writer. Well, Natalie is a writer, too, and someone who loathes censorship, so she also becomes very upset about it, as do the others. In an attempt to make a stand against this, however, she faces a few hurdles, some very devastating for her, in fact. Still, despite that, the whole episode is a lesson in standing up for what you believe in. Not a bad lesson, I'd say.
#2. "Emily Dickinson" (Season 1) - Speaking of writing, this episode is all about poetry and the theft of it, therein. All the girls are assigned by Mr. Bradley, who I guess is also the English teacher now, to write one poem. As it happens, that one poem counts for like half their grade for the semester. Wait a minute, what? ONE poem, for HALF their grade? Maybe it's because I've been known to knock out ten poems per day, but this seems...a tad...underwhelming. Honestly, girls, what are you having so much trouble with this? Anyway, Blair puts off her work until the last second and ends up turning in a poem by Emily Dickinson. It is quite praised by Mr. Bradley, far more than the poems of the other...whoa, wait another minute! Are you trying to tell me that the English teacher could not spot a poem by one of the most famous poets of all time? Okay, I'm not going to say that public school teachers can't be as good as private school teachers, but if the parents of these particular students are shelling out the big bucks in tuition, I think they deserve an English teacher who can spot an Emily Dickinson poem. I'm just saying. And yet, I still absolutely love this episode.
#1. "Runaway" (Season 3) - I love New York City. I'm going to live there one day, mark my words. Guess who else loves New York Cty? The girls of the upstate New York Eastland, a world away. So Blair, Jo, Natalie and Mrs. Garrett make plans to go to Broadway, but it's Tootie who truly wants to go there, because she wants to be an actress and therefore, must see a Broadway show. For some reason, though, the other girls and Mrs. Garrett keep going without her. Well, not this time! Though she is not given permission by either her parents or Mrs. Garrett to go with her friends, Tootie runs away, by herself, to meet them there. Sounds safe to me, a teenage girl in New York City on her own in 1982, a year that had a %60 rise in crime. Hey, no guts, no glory! Anyway, while there, she meets another very young girl named Kristy. They begin to talk and get to know each other, but eventually, Tootie learns that she is a prostitute, with a pimp wanting her to do some recruiting. It's actually a pretty heartbreaking episode and everyone is on their A-game with the acting. No wonder it's my favorite.
I have to say, this was another one of those tough to make lists. It's not just that there are so many episodes that I really love, but I also have so many good memories attached to them. Maybe it's because of the disgraceful state of most of television these days, but I truly appreciate the work that was done on this show. It was legitimately funny and was also able to deal with mature subjects, all the while remaining a show that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The Facts of Life is a series that never failed to put a smile on my face. I am very grateful to the actresses and actors, the writers, and everyone else involved who gave us such a great show.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
