“Let’s Face The Facts” has completed its analysis every episode (and all 3 TV movies) from “The Facts Of Life!” We are no longer producing new episodes.
My name is David Almeida, and I love the 1980s sitcom “The Facts Of Life.” From 2018 to 2023, I watched and analyzed every episode (and all 3 TV movies!) of this incredible series, joined by my friend/co-host Matthew Arter. All 229 episodes are available here and on all major podcast apps/platforms.
Still want more? From 2023 to 2024 we did 50 episodes of "TV Talkaholics," a Facts-Of-Life-adjacent podcast in which we re-watched and analyzed TV series, specials, and movies featuring cast members from the show. (More info at tvtalkaholics.com.)
Thank you to all of our devoted listeners over the years! And remember: The Facts Of Life Are All About YOU.
Photo Bomb! (with fellow actor Nadia Garzón)
Andy Lambros is the co-founder and president of a multi-media company called The Dream Builders. You can learn more about him at his website.
Join me and my special guest, musician/singer/songwriter/actor/podcaster/all-around-creative-guru Cole NeSmith!
Enjoying cruise ship life, January 2012
(and we learn it’s pronounced “GAY-gehn”)
a/k/a Diff’rent Strokes S2 E04 - just as we were transitioning Mrs. G from DS to FOL. Enjoy!
Here is a video of Zach & Kurt being adorable.
NOW we know where the ‘girls’ learned a lot of their performance technique…
In “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” - on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC in 2005 (he is in the yellow vest)
Singing “Celebrate The Future Hand In Hand” on the Disney Millennium Celebration CD… (or rather, it was sung by some guy named Kurt Chmittou.)
Singing (but sadly not seen) with Voctave (feat. Kirstin Maldonado & Jeremy Michael Lewis):
singing with Sandi Patty with Voctave:
Subscribe to Voctave’s YouTube Channel - their singing is GORGEOUS and AMAZING.
This was one of those ubiquitous ad campaigns that my generation grew up with.
Join me and my returning guest Meghan Moroney!
Candid Photo of us recording this episode
An adorable drawing Heather did for me after we recorded: <3
LOOK at how many of my cast-mates from this show have been guests on the podcast!
As sweet little trick-or-treater “Gretel” in this episode …
… And as a turn-of-the-millennium pop diva in “Wild Orchid” with Fergie and Rene Sands!
OK, see if you can follow me with the visuals included…
^ This is where the door is located ^
^ From this angle, the door is perpendicular to the camera, and therefore can’t be seen behind the hanging garlic. ^
^ If you swing the door all the way open, the front of the door (with store logo) is visible through the picture window! ^
Backstage at “Laughter On The 23rd Floor” at Mad Cow Theatre, 2013
A very very VERY recent photo of me & Robyn.
OK, it’s from 2006. Shut up.
^ from her hilarious Instagram feed ^
Robyn’s improv streaming live at Sak Comedy Lab.
^ Back To School Florida Moms on Facebook ^
Much younger with Mark Baratelli
When they brought him back in the 1980s:
Originally a 1924 play, 1926 silent film based on the 1924 play, which is (adapted from Wikipedia), a comedy drama depicting the rivalry between two U.S. Marine Corps officers fighting in France during World War I.
1952 Technicolor version (with subtitles):
Sadly, “The Facts Of Life” are no longer available on The Roku Channel and Sony Crackle at the moment only has seasons 1-2. BOOOOOOO! Thank God we have DailyMotion.com! (video below)
WARNING: Episode below is syndicaton edit (22 minutes), not original broadcast version (25 minutes).
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Star of “The Facts Of Life,” “King Of The Hill,” and “Better Things” (which she also created/produces/writes)!
As we discussed, Blair actually did lend Jo one of her dresses. We saw Blair wearing it in S4 E13 “Magnificent Obsession.” Costuming FTW!!
You can also watch The Facts Of Life for free on The Roku Channel and Sony Crackle (available seasons may vary).
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Thanks to listener Michelle H for bringing this to my attention! In addition to the recent episode of “Collector’s Call” on MeTV featuring Charlotte Rae’s son Larry Strauss, here is an AMAZING outtake, featuring a letter written to Charlotte by none other than Cloris Leachman in 1946! (Even referencing their Northwestern classmate, Paul Lynde!) Watch the video here.
Also, listener Bryan F also recently shared a video on our FB page where Lisa Whelchel talked about social distancing while introducing her new puppy. He commented, “Her voice is so distinctive.” And that got me to thinking, and I added: “And it hasn’t aged. Her voice sounds the same as when she was in her teens! (As opposed to the Carrie Fishers and Lucille Balls who became basses in their 50s and beyond)” LOL
I had the honor of guesting on my friend Sarah Hanchar’s podcast "Hi! I Think You’re Nice!” (You may remember her from LFTF #065 - S4 E10 “For The Asking”)
Listen to me blab about “The Facts Of Life” on Sarah’s show on Apple Podcasts or IThinkYoureNice.com!
OMG it was SO EFFING GOOD. When I shout out the door, “Justin, this is amazing!” I don’t know if you can hear his response: “I KNOW!”
This is the shot from the episode:
This is the shot which appears in the opening theme clips (starting next week):
You can also watch “The Facts Of Life” for free on The Roku Channel and Sony Crackle (available seasons may vary).
Seth Rudetsky & James Wesley welcome our dear Mindy along with Jill Whelan, Glenn Scarpelli, Mackenzie Phillips, and Danielle Brisbois!
^^ I don’t know who these people are. They are certainly not David and Matthew. They’re hilarious people you might meet in a theme park. How did this picture even get here? ^^
Watch “The Facts Of Life” for free on The Roku Channel and Sony Crackle (available seasons may vary).
Published last year in USA Today. Happy Mothers’ Day to all the Mothers out there!
YUM.
(David Tiefen at IMDb)
Watch “The Facts Of Life” for free on The Roku Channel and Sony Crackle (available seasons may vary).
^ *illustration for dramatization purposes only. Cocktail weenies do not actually appear in episode. NBC hereby releases itself of any and all responsibility for viewer disappointment due to the absence of cocktail weenies in the above mentioned episode. This advertisement is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only and NBC cannot be held liable for any loss, be it financial, emotional, or spiritual due to advertisement inconsistencies. ^
Paul was mad at me for the picture I used of him last week. So this week I’m showing what it might have looked like if we had podcasted together back in the mid-2000s.
Listener Melissa G wrote to me to point out that the character of Lisa in this episode was played by Mindy Cohn’s sister, Pamela. I totally missed that in my research. Thanks, Melissa!
Regarding Charlie’s line referring to Blair’s father David as “Steve” … Matthew Arter texted me this picture with the closed captioning on. (Duh why didn’t I think of that?) Mystery Solved!
Wait… HUH!? So now we know what he said, but we don’t know WHY he said it!
Either this was a writing flub, or Alex Rocco screwed up his line and nobody noticed.
photo by Aron Boghosian for The Boston Globe / Globe Freelance
The above pic is from an article in The Boston Globe about Ken from 2017
I did a little digging, and I found that Tootie’s poster (more easily visible in other episodes) is a “1979 promotional poster for the exhibit "Maisons Naives" (primitive houses), featuring a painting by French artist Monique Valdeneige (1944 - ). The exhibit took place at the Galerie Primitifs et Naifs in Paris, France.” You can purchase this poster, framed, for $140 on Etsy.
Photo from her marriage to construction worker Larry Fortensky at Neverland Ranch in 1991. Michael Jackson did NOT wear a surgical mask.
Regarding the cover of Popular Mechanics that is on the wall by Natalie’s bed…
The image is from the Miss Piggy Cover Girl Fantasy Calendar which was released in 1981.
Here are three of them which we discuss:
starring Eric Stoltz, Jeffrey Rogers, Ron Palillo, and Lyle Waggoner
Here is the episode that Patty was referring to in the show: Diff’rent Strokes S2 E5 “Mrs. Garrett’s Romance” featuring Philip Charles MacKenzie.
I’m not gonna lie… I looked at this and went, “HUH!?” This is a Season 2 episode; Mrs. Garrett was spun off and left the show at the end of Season 1! Well, it looks like the 6-month hiatus for FOL between episodes 4 and 5 of Season 1, they kept Charlotte Rae at Diff’rent Strokes. Probably in case the show was canceled before they were able to regroup and continue.
LOOK AT THAT TOOTIE GRAPHIC!!! AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!
Check out his website here: www.jonathanhaile.com
At the top of Patty’s Geek-Pyramid of Greatest Obsessions
Full disclosure, I have never seen an episode of Supertrain. Here is the 2-hour series premiere. The show ran February 7 - May 5, 1979.
In 2002, TV Guide ranked it number 28 on its "50 Worst TV Shows of All Time" list. LOL
In “Dunsmore” (available for rental at YouTube)
In “Kermit’s Swamp Years” …
I sent this video to J.W. and he responded: “Or just throw them out. Socks are like $2.” LOL
With subtitles in French & English. (Thank you, Internet!)
