The Facts of Life (1979)

Name: The Facts of Life
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Cloris Leachman, Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn, Nancy McKeon

Comedy

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.

IMDb rating: 6.9 (9,747 votes)
Episode average: 7.5 ↑ +0.6 vs IMDb
Seasons: 9
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

Browse shows by rating shape → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 9 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1979)

7.36 avg 13 episodes 7.2 → 7.2 27 min avg

Mid-peak

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Rough Housing	7.2	201
2	Like Mother, Like Daughter	6.8	133
3	The Return of Mr. Garrett	7.1	106
4	I.Q.	7.2	114
5	Overachieving	7.4	106
6	Emily Dickinson	7.7	102
7	Dieting	7.8	113
8	The Facts of Love	7.6	100
9	Flash Flood	7.9	109
10	Adoption	7.3	102
11	Running	7.4	103
12	Molly's Holiday	7.1	106
13	Dope	7.2	132

Season 2 (1980)

7.53 avg 16 episodes 7.8 → 5.4 30 min avg

Bad finale

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The New Girl: Part 1	7.8	146
2	The New Girl: Part 2	8.0	132
3	Double Standard	8.0	114
4	Who Am I?	7.3	107
5	Cousin Geri	7.4	124
6	Shoplifting	7.8	108
7	Teenage Marriage: Part 1	7.5	97
8	Teenage Marriage: Part 2	7.5	95
9	Gossip	7.7	120
10	Breaking Point	7.8	131
11	Sex Symbol	7.8	102
12	The Secret	7.9	95
13	Pretty Babies	7.8	93
14	Bought and Sold	7.3	103
15	Free Spirit	7.5	88
16	Brian and Sylvia	5.4	120

Season 3 (1981)

7.68 avg 24 episodes 7.6 → 7.6 30 min avg

Mid-peak

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Growing Pains	7.6	99
2	Fear Strikes Back	7.8	108
3	A Baby in the House	7.3	92
4	A Friend in Deed	7.3	91
5	Front Page	7.9	99
6	Give and Take	7.6	83
7	Sweet Sorrow	7.4	89
8	From Russia with Love	7.8	95
9	Dear Me	7.5	89
10	Cousin Geri Returns	7.7	90
11	Legacy	7.8	89
12	Green-Eyed Monster	7.9	88
13	The Americanization of Miko	7.5	89
14	The Marriage Brokers	7.3	78
15	Starstruck	7.7	103
16	The Four Musketeers	8.4	99
17	The Affair	7.9	94
18	Runaway	8.3	147
19	New York, New York	8.3	108
20	Kids Can Be Cruel	8.3	118
21	Mind Your Own Business	7.7	81
22	The Academy	7.3	108
23	Jo's Cousin	6.4	111
24	Read No Evil	7.6	82

Season 4 (1982)

7.48 avg 24 episodes 7.7 → 8.4 30 min avg

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Ain't Miss Beholden	7.7	81
2	The Source	7.9	83
3	The Sound of Silence	6.7	87
4	The Oldest Living Graduate	7.2	79
5	Different Drummer	7.4	86
6	Dearest Mommie	7.6	80
7	A Woman's Place	6.9	80
8	Daddy's Girl	7.8	80
9	The Big Fight	6.1	93
10	For the Asking	7.6	73
11	September Song	6.9	69
12	A Royal Pain	6.7	77
13	Magnificent Obsession	7.9	91
14	Under Pressure	7.4	65
15	Teacher's Pet	8.0	84
16	Let's Party	7.6	79
17	Best Sister: Part 1	7.4	81
18	Best Sister: Part 2	7.6	85
19	Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?	7.1	68
20	Who's on First	7.1	68
21	Help from Home	7.8	71
22	Take My Finals, Please	8.5	103
23	Graduation: Part 1	8.3	79
24	Graduation: Part 2	8.4	80

Season 5 (1983)

7.65 avg 26 episodes 8.2 → 6.8 30 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Brave New World: Part 1	8.2	86
2	Brave New World: Part 2	8.2	81
3	Gamma Gamma or Bust	7.8	98
4	Just My Bill	7.8	85
5	What Price Glory?	7.8	76
6	The Halloween Show	8.2	115
7	Advance Placement	7.4	73
8	I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can	7.8	92
9	Small But Dangerous	6.7	79
10	Store Games	7.8	73
11	The Second Time Around	7.6	64
12	The Christmas Show	8.2	108
13	The Chain Letter	7.2	67
14	Next Door	7.2	64
15	Crossing the Line	8.1	75
16	All or Nothing	7.2	75
17	A Death in the Family	8.0	70
18	Big Fish/Little Fish	7.9	70
19	Star at Langley	7.8	80
20	Dream Marriage	7.3	63
21	Mother and Daughter	7.4	64
22	All by Herself	7.6	67
23	Seems Like Old Times	8.0	60
24	Joint Custody	7.5	66
25	The Way We Were: Part 1	7.5	47
26	The Way We Were: Part 2	6.8	51

Season 6 (1984)

7.55 avg 26 episodes 7.7 → 7.1 24 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 6 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Summer of '84	7.7	69
2	Slices of Life	8.4	82
3	Love at First Byte	7.9	74
4	My Boyfriend's Back	7.7	62
5	Cruisin'	8.2	92
6	Taking a Chance on Love: Part 1	7.4	70
7	Taking a Chance on Love: Part 2	6.8	70
8	E.G.O.C. (Edna Garrett on Campus)	7.0	61
9	Dear Apple	7.0	68
10	Talk, Talk, Talk	7.9	73
11	Smile	7.1	64
12	The Rich Aren't Different	6.9	71
13	Christmas in the Big House	7.4	92
14	Me and Eleanor	7.3	63
15	Working It Out	8.2	68
16	Jazzbeau	7.1	70
17	Two Guys from Appleton	7.3	68
18	With a Little Help from My Friends	8.2	82
19	Gone with the Wind: Part 1	8.1	92
20	Gone with the Wind: Part 2	7.5	74
21	Man in the Attic	7.2	67
22	The Last Drive-In	8.1	89
23	Sisters	8.0	62
24	It's Lonely at the Top	7.4	66
25	Bus Stop	7.4	59
26	The Interview Show	7.1	67

Season 7 (1985)

7.27 avg 24 episodes 8.0 → 7.3 23 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 7 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Out of the Fire...	8.0	69
2	Into the Frying Pan	7.6	70
3	Grand Opening	7.3	75
4	Teacher, Teacher	7.9	73
5	Men for All Seasons	7.1	69
6	A New Life	7.4	68
7	Doo-Wah	7.4	90
8	Come Back to the Truck Stop, Natalie Green, Natalie Green	7.3	99
9	Born Too Late	7.4	64
10	3, 2, 1	6.9	85
11	We Get Letters	6.8	72
12	Ballroom Dance	7.3	63
13	Christmas Baby	7.5	84
14	Tootie Drives	8.0	70
15	Stake-Out Blues	6.8	68
16	The Agent	6.5	57
17	The Reunion	7.0	73
18	Concentration	8.2	70
19	Atlantic City	7.3	64
20	The Lady Who Came to Dinner	6.6	78
21	The Candidate	6.5	62
22	Big Time Charlie	7.2	56
23	The Graduate	7.2	62
24	The Apartment	7.3	63

Season 8 (1986)

7.37 avg 24 episodes 7.6 → 7.5 24 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 8 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Out of Peekskill: Part 1	7.6	68
2	Out of Peekskill: Part 2	7.7	68
3	Ready or Not	7.2	66
4	Another Room	7.8	60
5	Off-Broadway Baby	7.3	67
6	The Little Chill	7.8	77
7	The Ratings Game	7.5	61
8	The Wedding Day	7.2	66
9	Fast Food	8.1	70
10	Where's Poppa?	7.8	56
11	Write and Wrong	6.8	77
12	Seven Little Indians	7.9	119
13	The Greek Connection	7.0	58
14	Post-Christmas Card	7.3	60
15	A Star Is Torn	6.7	73
16	A Winter's Tale	7.2	57
17	Cupid's Revenge	7.2	54
18	62 Pick Up	7.3	63
19	Boy About the House	7.3	55
20	Ex Marks the Spot	6.4	53
21	Younger Than Springtime	7.0	51
22	This Is Only a Test	7.5	49
23	Rites of Passage: Part 1	7.7	60
24	Rites of Passage: Part 2	7.5	52

Season 9 (1987)

7.35 avg 24 episodes 7.2 → 7.2 24 min avg

Season 9 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Down and Out in Malibu: Part 1	7.2	65
2	Down and Out in Malibu: Part 2	6.9	64
3	Rumor Has It	8.0	66
4	Before the Fall	7.7	55
5	Sweet Charity	7.8	61
6	Up from Down Under	6.4	66
7	The More the Marrier	7.3	56
8	A Rose by Any Other Age	7.6	61
9	Adventures in Baileysitting	7.1	70
10	It's a Wonderful Christmas	7.2	70
11	Golden Oldies	6.9	68
12	A Thousand Frowns	7.3	53
13	Something in Common	7.4	57
14	Peekskill Law	7.6	59
15	A House Divided	7.4	58
16	The First Time	7.5	84
17	Let's Face the Music	7.3	64
18	Less Than Perfect	8.2	75
19	Till Marriage Do Us Part	7.7	68
20	Present Imperfect	7.3	58
21	On the Edge	6.9	61
22	Big Apple Blues	6.8	76
23	The Beginning of the End	7.6	72
24	The Beginning of the Beginning	7.2	103