# The Facts of Life (1979)

> A dietitian housemother guides a group of teenage girls through the everyday problems of life at a boarding school.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1700

## Facts

- Seasons: 9
- Episodes: 201
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Dick Clair, Norman Lear, Jenna McMahon
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Charlotte Rae, Cloris Leachman, Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn, Jenny O'Hara, Nancy McKeon, John Lawlor
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078610/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: warm, wholesome, comforting, lighthearted, sincere

## What critics say

Audience reception is mixed, with viewers appreciating its warm boarding school setting and teen problem-solving while finding its later seasons less compelling.

## Synopsis

The Facts of Life (1979-1988) is an American network sitcom created by Dick Clair, Norman Lear and Jenna McMahon for NBC. Charlotte Rae plays Mrs. Edna Garrett, the housemother and dietitian at the Eastland School, who keeps a close watch over a houseful of teenage girls. Lisa Whelchel plays the privileged Blair Warner, Kim Fields plays the sweet Tootie Ramsey and Mindy Cohn plays the good-hearted Natalie Green, while Nancy McKeon brings Joanne Jo Polniaczek's streetwise toughness into the mix. The engine of each episode is an everyday teenage dilemma, such as friendship rifts, crushes, school pressures or money worries, which Edna patiently helps the girls work through. The show runs nine seasons across 201 episodes, with episodes that stand on their own rather than one continuing storyline. Its setting is a 1980s American boarding school, where a wealthy and working-class mix of girls shares one residence. The tone is warm, wholesome and comforting, with light comedy and sincere moral lessons. Fans of Boy Meets World, Full House and Saved by the Bell will find the same nurturing, family-friendly spirit here.

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- [The Golden Girls (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/1578)

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