The following is a list of episodes for '' The Facts of Life'', which ran for nine seasons from 1979 to 1988 on NBC. There were 201 regular episodes and three television movies (''Paris'', ''Down Under'', ''Reunion''). Two of the movies, ''Paris'' and ''Down Under'', were originally broadcast as TV movies, but in syndication, they were split into four 30-minute episodes, bringing the total number of syndicated episodes to 209.

Series overview

Episodes

Pilot (1979)

The ''Diff'rent Strokes'' season 1 finale served as the backdoor pilot for ''The Facts of Life''.

Season 1 (1979–80)

The first season begins with ten main characters: housemother Edna Garrett (

Charlotte Rae Charlotte Rae Lubotsky (April 22, 1926 – August 5, 2018) was an American character actress and singer whose career spanned six decades. Rae was known for her portrayal of Edna Garrett in the sitcoms ''Diff'rent Strokes'' and its spin-off, '' ...

), headmaster Steven Bradley ( John Lawlor), teacher Emily Mahoney ( Jenny O'Hara), and seven students: Blair Warner ( Lisa Whelchel), Cindy Webster (

Julie Anne Haddock Julie Anne Haddock (born April 3, 1965, Los Angeles, California) is an American actress, music executive and producer. Career Becoming a child actress at the age of ten, Haddock is perhaps best known for her role as tomboy Cindy Webster on the ...

), Molly Parker ( Molly Ringwald), Nancy Olsen (

Felice Schachter Felice Schachter (born November 17, 1963) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Nancy Olson on '' The Facts of Life'' and Bernadette in the cult teen comedy ''Zapped!''. Early life and career Schachter was born in New York Ci ...

), Natalie Green ( Mindy Cohn), Sue Ann Weaver (

Julie Piekarski Julie Ann Piekarski (born January 2, 1963 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ann Weaver on '' The Facts of Life''. Piekarski got her first big break in show business as a Mouseketeer on ''The New Mick ...

), and Tootie Ramsey ( Kim Fields). O'Hara's character was dropped after the fourth episode. Though counted as a single season, the show aired in discrete blocks of episodes. The show aired four weekly episodes on Wednesday nights in August and September, technically before the 1979/80 TV season actually began. Then the show was off the air for six months, returning in March through early May for a run of seven episodes. (The initial episode was a special presentation on Wednesday night after ''Diff'rent Strokes''; the show then moved to Fridays.) After a month off, the series moved back to Wednesday nights for the season's two final episodes in June.

Season 2 (1980–81)

The main cast is reduced to five main characters: Mrs. Edna Garrett (

Blair Warner This is a list of characters from the NBC sitcom '' The Facts of Life''. Characters table Edna Garrett Edna Ann Garrett Gaines, known as Mrs. Garrett or Mrs. G, was played by the actress Charlotte Rae from 1978 to 1986. Garrett was the you ...

( Lisa Whelchel),

Natalie Green This is a list of characters from the NBC sitcom '' The Facts of Life''. Characters table Edna Garrett Edna Ann Garrett Gaines, known as Mrs. Garrett or Mrs. G, was played by the actress Charlotte Rae from 1978 to 1986. Garrett was the you ...

( Mindy Cohn),

Tootie Ramsey This is a list of characters from the NBC sitcom '' The Facts of Life''. Characters table Edna Garrett Edna Ann Garrett Gaines, known as Mrs. Garrett or Mrs. G, was played by the actress Charlotte Rae from 1978 to 1986. Garrett was the you ...

( Kim Fields), and new girl

Jo Polniaczek This is a list of characters from the NBC sitcom '' The Facts of Life''. Characters table Edna Garrett Edna Ann Garrett Gaines, known as Mrs. Garrett or Mrs. G, was played by the actress Charlotte Rae from 1978 to 1986. Garrett was the you ...

( Nancy McKeon). Two more crossovers with '' Diff'rent Strokes'' gave the show a boost in the fall of 1980: Tootie appeared in the ''Diff'rent Strokes'' episode "The Bank Job" (Parts 1 and 2) on Nov. 12, 1980, and Arnold from ''Diff'rent Strokes'' appeared in "The New Girl" (Part 1), the ''Facts of Life'' season premiere. There would be two additional crossovers this season in the winter of 1981: Blair and Natalie appeared in the ''Diff'rent Strokes'' episode "The Older Man," and Willis from ''Diff'rent Strokes'' appeared in the ''Facts of Life'' episode "Bought and Sold."

Season 3 (1981–82)

Mr. Parker (

Roger Perry Roger Perry (May 7, 1933 – July 12, 2018) was an American film and television actor whose career began in the late 1950s. He served as an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force during the early 1950s. Career Television In th ...

) is a recurring character as the school's new headmaster. Linda Marsh and Margie Peters join Jerry Mayer as producers. Jack Elison and Jerry Mayer were the executive producers.

Season 4 (1982–83)

Season 5 (1983–84)

Blair and Jo start college, and Mrs. Garrett quits Eastland and opens her own gourmet food shop and catering business. Blair, Jo, Tootie, and Natalie all move in with her.

Pamela Segall Pamela Fionna Adlon (; ; born July 9, 1966) is an American actress. She is known for voicing Bobby Hill (King of the Hill), Bobby Hill in the animated comedy series ''King of the Hill'' (1997–2010), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for ...

joins the cast this season, beginning with the episode "Just My Bill". Her final appearance is in the episode "Seems Like Old Times", and her character is dropped following that episode.

Season 6 (1984–85)

Mrs. Garrett (

) was absent from several episodes in season 6 per Rae's request for reduced appearances.

Season 7 (1985–86)

Mrs. Garrett (

) was again absent from several episodes per Rae's request for reduced appearances. Starting this season, Mackenzie Astin, who plays Andy Moffett, and

George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...

, who plays George Burnett, receive billing in the opening credits.

Season 8 (1986–87)

Mrs. Garrett (

) remarries and leaves the series after the two part season premiere. Her sister, Beverly Ann Stickle ( Cloris Leachman), moves in to care for the house and business. George Burnett, played by

, becomes a recurring character.

Season 9 (1987–88)

Pippa McKenna, played by Sherrié Austin, is introduced as a recurring character.

Reunion

Notes

External links

* * {{The Facts of Life Facts of Life, The Episodes