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The Best Episodes of The Facts of Life Season 1

Every episode of The Facts of Life Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Facts of Life Season 1!

Binge this in 3h 14m•Peaking at 7.8/10

Mrs. Edna Garrett, housemother and dietitian at the Eastland School, teaches a group of girls in her charge how to solve those problems that every teenager has to face.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 1 - Rough Housing
    7.0/10(207 votes)

    #1 - Rough Housing

    S1:E1

    The series opens with the Drummonds (from Diff'rent Strokes) visiting Eastland to see Mrs. Garrett (their ex-housekeeper). They arrive right in the middle of the Harvest Queen competition and Blair is sure she's going to win. So when Cindy considers running, Blair makes some snide comments about Cindy's femininity.

    Director:Nick Havinga
    Writers:Brad Rider, Glenn Padnick

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  2. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 2 - Like Mother, Like Daughter
    6.7/10(135 votes)

    #2 - Like Mother, Like Daughter

    S1:E2

    It's Parent's Night at Eastland and Blair's sophisticated mother arrives bringing with her, her flirtatious tendancies which prompt rumors when she becomes ""friendly"" with a married man.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Jerry Mayer

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  3. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 3 - The Return of Mr. Garrett
    7.0/10(109 votes)

    #3 - The Return of Mr. Garrett

    S1:E3

    Mrs. Garrett is surprised by a visit from her ex-husband, Roger, who wants the two of them to remarry. However, his gambling ways rub off on the girls who begin gambling on poker games and loosing what little money they have..

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writer:Martin Ragaway

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  4. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 4 - I.Q.
    7.2/10(116 votes)

    #4 - I.Q.

    S1:E4

    Tootie accidentally comes across a paper which lists the I.Q. scores of each one of the girls. Nancy received the highest score and Sue Ann scored the lowest, this puts extra pressure on each one of them just prior to midterm exams.

    Director:Jim Drake
    Writers:Sara Jane Gould, Shelly Landau

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  5. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 5 - Overachieving
    7.4/10(109 votes)

    #5 - Overachieving

    S1:E5

    Tootie's father comes for a visit and doesn't like the activities that Tootie is being exposed to. Believing that Mrs. Garrett is a bad influence, Mr. Ramsey decides to have Tootie transfer out of Eastland.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Jerry Mayer

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  6. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 6 - Emily Dickinson
    7.7/10(106 votes)

    #6 - Emily Dickinson

    S1:E6

    Blair is so caught up with her latest boyfriend that she forgets about an English assignment in which she has to write a poem. So, at the last minute she plagiarizes a poem by Emily Dickinson and turns it in as her own. Things get worse when she's the only one who gets an A and Mr. Bradley enters her poem in a contest.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 7 - Dieting
    7.7/10(116 votes)

    #7 - Dieting

    S1:E7

    Blair and Sue Ann kid each other about their weight and Sue Ann takes Blair's comments a little too seriously. However, when Blair sets Sue Ann up on a blind date which will involve going swimming, Sue Ann goes on a starvation diet leading to a collapse. Meanwhile, Mrs. Garrett also jumps on the dieting wagon, trying to fit in a size 12 dress.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Martin Ragaway

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  8. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 8 - The Facts of Love
    7.5/10(100 votes)

    #8 - The Facts of Love

    S1:E8

    Mrs. Garrett begins teaching a sex-education class at Eastland and her tactics are against the more prudish suggestions of Mr. Bradley. Meanwhile, Blair takes the ideas from class and expirements with her latest boyfriend, Steve.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Jerry Mayer

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  9. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 9 - Flash Flood
    7.8/10(109 votes)

    #9 - Flash Flood

    S1:E9

    A flood hits Peekskill which prompts Blair and Tootie to race out to the stables to save some animals from being washed away. However the damn breaks and Blair and Tootie become in danger of being washed away.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Jerry Mayer

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  10. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 10 - Adoption
    7.2/10(104 votes)

    #10 - Adoption

    S1:E10

    Mr. Bradley gives the girls an assignment having to do with their family trees. However, Natalie is reluctant to show hers in class do to the fact that the family that raised her is her adopted family. This prompts Blair to help Natalie find the name of her real mother by using her mother's clout to cut through some red tape and sealed records.

    Director:Asaad Kelada
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 11 - Running
    7.3/10(102 votes)

    #11 - Running

    S1:E11

    Mr. Bradley's need to have Eastland win prompts him to manipulate Sue Ann into competing in a running competition. Sue Ann had previously ran but this year decided not to, however, Mr. Bradley uses Cindy's better racing times to goad Sue Ann into competing.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 12 - Molly's Holiday
    6.9/10(109 votes)

    #12 - Molly's Holiday

    S1:E12

    Molly is down in the dumps due to her parents getting a divorce. So she gets some help from the girls who plan to reunite her parents. Things hit the fan, when her father arrives with a new girlfriend.

    Director:Gary Shimokawa
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The Facts of Life Season 1 Episode 13 - Dope
    7.2/10(138 votes)

    #13 - Dope

    S1:E13

    Blair and Sue Ann befriend two new girls. All seems to go okay with them until they learn that their friends use drugs.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Jerry Mayer

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Rough Housing" is the best rated episode of "The Facts of Life" season 1. It scored 7/10 based on 207 votes. Directed by Nick Havinga and written by Brad Rider, Glenn Padnick, it aired on 8/24/1979. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "Like Mother, Like Daughter".