10 Classic TV Series You Didn't Know Were Spinoffs
6. The Facts of Life (1979-1988)
In considering The Facts of Life for this list, we have to wonder how some of these shows lasted as long as they did. But television series, like movies or books, are often a reflection of the culture in which they are created. They do not always age well.
Advertisement
The Facts of Life was a sitcom about a girls boarding school, overseen by the matronly Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae). These girls learned about life and love from Garrett through many mishaps, misadventures and contrived sitcom-worthy situations. The character of Edna Garrett originally appeared as the housekeeper for the Drummond family in Diffrent Strokes, a slightly better blended family sitcom about a wealthy white businessman who adopts two African-American children. How and why The Facts of Life had a more successful run that Diffrent Strokes remains a mystery.