THE YAKS OF LIFE

FACTS OF LIFE
1979-1988 NBC

THE YAKS OF LIFE
MAD # 235, December 1982
w: Tom Koch
a: Angelo Torres

Sitcom about an all girls' prep school. Initially, there were about a dozen characters but after about a year or two, by the time this was written, they whittled it down to just these four girls.

Natalie (Mindy Cohn) was the heavyset one. Though she often had issues with her weight on the show, she wasn't actually fat-shamed. Jo (Nancy McKeon) was the tough-talking butch girl, Tootie (Kim Fields) was the youngest, and Blair (Lisa Whelchel) was the rich snob, who all the girls would be if this show reflected reality. They were students at Eastland Academy and lived in a dorm supervised by Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae).

Even though Natalie is the homely one, she was later the first to lose her virginity in a "very special" episode, considered controversial at the time. It was going to be Blair, but the actress refused to take part in the episode because of her Christianity.

The show followed the usual sitcom rule of everyone having to share a bedroom and bathroom in an environment that would really have several.

The breakfast is interrupted by Robert Young of Marcus Welby, M.D., known then as spokesperson for Sanka coffee.

Jo's father is Officer Belker from Hill Street Blues, Tootie's parents are George and Louise Jefferson, Blair's father is J.R. Ewing of Dallas, and Natalie's father is Boss Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard.

Mrs. Garrett was originally the maid on Diff'rent Strokes, and Facts of Life started as a backdoor pilot on that.

THE FACTORS OF LIFE
Cracked #182, October 1981
a: Samuel B. Whitehead

When Diff'rent Strokes was NBC's only hit, they tried to have Gary Coleman make an appearance once in a while until they eventually didn't need him.

MAD never put their mascot inside as a character in their stories.

THE FLAKES OF LIFE
Bananas #55, c. 1982
w: Jovial Bob Stine
a: Samuel B. Whitehead