The Facts of Life (1979)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979, to May 7, 1988, making it the longest running sitcom of the 1980s. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focuses on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, an all-female boarding school in Peekskill, New York.
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Episode 1 - Out of the Fire...
Release Date: 1985-09-14After returning from their summer vacation, the girls discover that Edna's Edibles has burned down. This leads the girls to discuss rebuilding and opening up a new business.
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Episode 2 - Into the Frying Pan
Release Date: 1985-09-21The girls try to hire a contractor to rebuild Edna's Edibles into their new business. After interviewing a string, they hire George Burnett, who's inexpensive, but he soon proves to be easily sidetracked from his work.
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Episode 3 - Grand Opening
Release Date: 1985-09-28The girls finally open their new shop, which is called, Over Our Heads, which sells a mixture of trendy, nostalgic memorabilia. However, the opening day may be the closing day, when they don't get quite the reception they were hoping for.
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Episode 4 - Teacher, Teacher
Release Date: 1985-10-05Jo is offered a job at a major company which is tempting but this causes her to reevaluate her dream of becoming a teacher.
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Episode 5 - Men for All Seasons
Release Date: 1985-10-19Natalie's boyfriend appears in a popular beefcake calendar of the Langley swim team, a calendar that is frowned upon by the college board of regents.
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Episode 6 - A New Life
Release Date: 1985-10-26Needing advice on her love life, Blair asks her mother to visit, only to learn that mom needs advice even more than Blair does.
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Episode 7 - Doo-Wah
Release Date: 1985-11-02Andy enters the girls in a contest through a teen magazine that if they win, they could sing backup to El DeBarge. First, however, they must produce a demo tape of their singing talent.
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Episode 8 - Come Back to the Truck Stop, Natalie Green, Natalie Green
Release Date: 1985-11-09While waiting for a bus, Natalie thinks she could get some inspiration on something to write about in a diner. Failing to find anything of interest, she begins writing a wild story, that takes place in the diner involving, Blair, Jo, Tootie, Mrs. Garrett and George.
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Episode 9 - Born Too Late
Release Date: 1985-11-16Tootie tutors seventh grader Andy for a role in ""West Side Story,"" which turns him on to her more than to acting.
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Episode 10 - 3, 2, 1
Release Date: 1985-11-23Blair and Jo argue over stories and editorials that are to be presented as a news report which is also going to include a behind the scenes look at the girls' shop, Over Our Heads.
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Episode 11 - We Get Letters
Release Date: 1985-11-30Mrs. Garrett's old friend, Gwen comes to town for a visit with her old gossip buddy, but she also comes to town to confront Edna about the affair Gwen thinks she had with her late husband.
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Episode 12 - Ballroom Dance
Release Date: 1985-12-07Jo takes up ballroom dance lessons and becomes determined to do a good job at an upcoming recital despite chaotic lessons and a clutzy dance partner.
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Episode 13 - Christmas Baby
Release Date: 1985-12-14A very pregnant Monica comes to the house on Christmas Eve, where she ends up in labor and gives birth to Bailey, her third child, on Christmas morning.
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Episode 14 - Tootie Drives
Release Date: 1985-12-21Tootie's learning to drive and she's driving everyone bananas.
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Episode 15 - Stake-Out Blues
Release Date: 1986-01-11The police want to stake out the shop to nab a few crooks but the girls, not wanting to worry Mrs. Garrett, insist she not be told about the operation.
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Episode 16 - The Agent
Release Date: 1986-01-18Tootie and Blair give an aspiring comic a career boost by staging a performance attended by Jim McCawley, talent coordinator of ""The Tonight Show.""
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Episode 17 - The Reunion
Release Date: 1986-02-01George gets Blair to pose as his fiancee at his high school reunion in order to make an ex-classmate jealous that she never gave him the light of day. However, the unexpected prompts Jo to go in Blair's place.
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Episode 18 - Concentration
Release Date: 1986-02-08On the day Blair is to accept an award, she encounters two burdens. First, she's stuck babysitting her baby brother and second she becomes trapped in an elevator, where she learns an important lesson from a concentration camp survivor.
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Episode 19 - Atlantic City
Release Date: 1986-02-15The girls are in Atlantic City for a long weekend, where Blair gets gambling fever and Jo hopes to be reunited with Flyman, the rock star she met on spring break in Fort Lauderdale.
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Episode 20 - The Lady Who Came to Dinner
Release Date: 1986-02-22The girls surprise Blair on her birthday with a party featuring singer and dancer Betty Kean who, like ""The Man Who Came to Dinner,"" stays on and on and on.
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Episode 21 - The Candidate
Release Date: 1986-03-01Natalie is furious with the mayor during an election when she learns he plans to build an amusement park. This prompts Natalie to consider running for mayor herself.
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Episode 22 - Big Time Charlie
Release Date: 1986-03-29Jo's father shows up to announce that he's won a publisher's giveaway, and is determined to give Jo everything he could never give her before.
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Episode 23 - The Graduate
Release Date: 1986-05-03Tootie plans to join a road show after graduation despite her parents' objections, while Natalie plans to find an apartment where she can write in peace.
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Episode 24 - The Apartment
Release Date: 1986-05-10Natalie and Tootie find that privacy is at a premium in their one-room apartment, which doubles as a roach resort.