Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Marc Berman is a New York-based reporter who covers media. THE FACTS OF LIFE — Pictured: (clockwise from top left) Nancy McKeon as ...

Nancy McKeon as Joanna 'Jo' Marie Polniaczek Bonner, Mindy Cohn as Natalie Letisha Sage Green, Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Edna Ann Garrett, Lisa Whelchel as Blair Warner, Kim Fields as Dorothy 'Tootie' ...

Not only was the raven-haired actress’s character a beloved mentor and confidant to the other characters on The Facts of Life, but Rae became just that to cast members and fans alike. If you grew up ...

"You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have... the facts of life, the facts of life." If you're a child of the 1980s, those words, the first lines in a theme song ...

The Facts of Life was one of the biggest breakout sitcoms of the 1980s. Rae sadly died in 2018 after being diagnosed with bone cancer. Meanwhile, several of the show's younger stars continued acting ...