Last Updated: August 28th, 2002
"McKeon saw no value in ABC's recent widely panned Facts of Life Reunion and was the sole cast holdout. At the time, a schedule conflict was her official excuse. Now she's willing to say more. 'I'm just not a fan of that kind of thing,' she admits. 'I would not watch it, so why would I be IN it? It's just never the same.'
McKeon did meet with the reunion's producers early on and offered to direct the movie. 'I suggested that Jo be dead and that everybody come to her funeral and we do something like The Big Chill,' she recalls. 'THAT would have interested me.' She had no takers. Still, McKeon insists she has nothing but fond memories of Facts and owes her career to the experience. But she wouldn't mind poking fun at it: 'If they wanted to do a parody of Facts on Saturday Night Live, I'd say Gimme that school uniform. I'd slap it on right now."
After years of rumors, it is finally happening. The cast reportedly
agreed to a pact at the taping of the final Facts of Life episode in March 1988 to never
do a reunion movie unless one of them was on welfare. Fortunately, for FOL fans
around the world - they have had a change of heart.
The original writers from The Facts of Life were said to not care, weren't around,
or didn't want to be a part of it so the script was written by Max Enscoe
The two-hour picture which has yet to be titled focuses on Natalie, who asks the girls to reunite in Peekskill, N.Y., after she receives two different marriage proposals.
The ``Facts of Life'' project went through a number of changes -- including a possible ``Big Chill''-esque tone at one point, with one of the girls (Jo) dying -- before taking its current form.
Below is some info which may contain spoilers, it contains information on what the characters are up to now - if you want to be surprised when you watch the movie then do not read below (highlight the text with your mouse to read it):
Natalie now serves as a behind-the-scenes producer at CNN. Mrs. Garrett, who got
married and moved away when Rae left the show in 1986, returns to the States via cruise ship,
where she meets a new love interest (she apparently joined the Peace Corps and became a widow
in the time since ``Facts'' left the air). She has a penchant for cooking and new
technology.
Tootie (excuse me..."Dorothy" - she no longer wants to be called "Tootie") is a
Hollywood-based talk show host and the single mother of a 10-year-old girl. Blair
owns Warner Enterprises, which includes a stable of hotels, and is married to Tad Warner (making
her Blair Warner Warner) without children. And while Jo doesn't show up for the reunion, her
husband Rick and daughter Jamie do.
Jo (Nancy McKeon) will most likely not be appearing in it.
The rumor was that they would have her off in The Netherlands trekking in the mountains,
but this rumor has proven to be false. According to the writers of the script, "all we
can say is that the Netherlands is not and was never a destination for Jo. All we can
say is that Jo lives!" It was learned from an Entertainment Tonight segment, that Jo
will be a cop and couldn't be there because she and another cop from her division had to
take a witness to trial.
The movie will also have a number of inside jokes and indirect references
to George Clooney and Molly Ringwald, who played schoolmate Molly Parker during the
show's first season.
It will be filmed in Toronto
It will be produced by Disney-owned Touchtone Television which bought the rights
to remake "Facts" from Sony's Columbia TriStar TV for the American Broadcasting
Company (ABC). Not coincidentally, the Growing Pains Reunion movie was also filmed
in Toronto in August 2000 and aired on November 5th, 2000 on ABC. The Growing Pains
Reunion posted strong numbers, so the project grew out of a barnstorming session
at ABC.
It will air on November 18th, 2001 on ABC
Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn, Kim Fields, and Charlotte Rae have all agreed to appear in the
reunion. Kim's deal to appear in the movie was closed on August 14th.
Joel Brooks returns as Mrs. Garrett's son Raymond.
Concerning the rumor that Kim Fields was holding out for more money, that rumor is false.
Here's the real story:
Kim, Mindy and Lisa are all signed to the project on an equal basis. Their financial deals are exactly the same, so we know she
wasn't holding out for more money. The truth is she read the script by Max Enscoe & Annie deYoung and realized the movie was going
to be great! The storyline for Tootie has her becoming everything we all hoped Tootie would become a real woman. Still funny, still
committed to her friends, but also sexy and driven to succeed in her own life and career. In this movie, Tootie, and all the "girls" have grown
up...just like we all did. You're going to like who they've become. Stay tuned!
In an interview that aired on Entertainment Tonight on August 1st, Mindy Cohn was
quoted as saying, "I feel like it's going to be a two-hour Nick at Nite episode, considering we're on every night right
now, it just seems like a really good time." Mindy Cohn will be appearing on a special celebrity edition of The Weakest Link
Internet Movie Database entry for "Facts of Life Reunion"
Cast:
Mindy Cohn as Natalie Green
Cloris Leachman, Geri Jewell, Marj Dusay (Blair's mother), Nicolas Coster (Blair's
father)
In a TV Guide article in March, Mackenzie Astin was asked about the reunion and he was quoted
as saying "I keep hearing about that too," he laughs. "I hope it's not
happening, because nobody's called me! If it does, I hope they do call."
Any of the 1st season cast members are possibilites with the exception of Molly Ringwald
who is busy with tv and film work. Sherrie Austin (Krenn) who played Pippa in the last
season seems like a remote possibility.
Nancy McKeon - Although she enjoyed her time on The Facts of Life very much, she wants
to move on and continue to grow as an actress and doesn't want to be known as Jo only. Plus, she would likely be filming
the 2nd season of her Lifetime cop series The Division and flying to Toronto to make a
cameo would be very difficult.
George Clooney - When asked about appearing in the reunion, he has been quoted as saying
"They fired me, so screw 'em." He has not been approached.
Since Nancy McKeon (Jo) will not be appearing, it seems unlikely that Alex Rocco
(Jo's dad) or Claire Malis (Jo's mom) would appear in it, but since Jo's husband Rick and
daughter Jamie will be appearing you never know...
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Kim Fields as Dorothy Ramsey
Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Edna Garrett
Lisa Whelchel as Blair Warner Warner
Mark Lutz as Harper
Mallory Margel as Jamie Bonner
Joel Brooks as Raymond Garrett
Carl Marotte as Rick Bonner
Alexandra Johnson as Tisha Ramsey
Joe Dinicol as Sam the bellboy
Barclay Hope as Robert
Kevin Jubinville as Tad Warner
Francois Klanfer as chef
Sam Moses as the cab driver
Adam Reid as Donald
Ken Smith as the patron
John Bayliss as Davis
Jennifer Foster as Maggie Rhodes
Barry Stillwell as Officer Kendall
Karen Glave as the reviewer
Evan Caravela as Benjy
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