The Facts of Life Down Under

Last updated
The Facts of Life Down Under
GenreComedy
Written byGordon Cotler
Directed by Stuart Margolin
Starring Cloris Leachman
Lisa Whelchel
Kim Fields
Mindy Cohn
Nancy McKeon
Mackenzie Astin
Music by Fred Karlin
Country of originUnited States
Australia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producer Virginia Carter
ProducerMichael Lake
Production locations Circular Quay ferry wharf
Mosman, New South Wales
Kirribilli, New South Wales
Bradleys Head
Queen Victoria Building
Sydney Opera House
Taronga Zoo
Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
CinematographyRon Hagen
EditorDavid Stiven
Running time100 minutes
Production companies Crawford Productions
Embassy Communications
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseFebruary 15, 1987 (1987-02-15)
Related

The Facts of Life Down Under is a 1987 American made-for-television comedy film based on the sitcom The Facts of Life which featured the main characters of that series. This is the second television film made for the series following The Facts of Life Goes to Paris (1982). It originally aired on NBC on February 15, 1987, between the 17th and 18th episodes of season eight. The film was later split into four individual half-hour episodes when the series entered syndication. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

The Facts of Life Down Under occurred during the continuity of the original series. Beverly Ann, Blair, Jo, Natalie, Tootie and Andy fly together to Sydney, Australia to meet up with Miss Carstairs (Barbara-Jane Cole) and the female students of the Koolunga School, their sister school establishment, where they will participate in a cultural exchange program.

Blair and Jo get involved with jewel thieves and are pursued by two men, both of whom claim to be the police who accuse Jo and Blair to be the criminals. Jo and Blair place the jewel into Natalie's bag who is off exploring with Tootie. Meanwhile, Andy convinces Beverly Ann to take him to a sheep ranch owned by her old boyfriend Roger (Noel Trevarthen). During their stay at the ranch, Roger and Beverly Ann slowly begin to rekindle their old romance and Roger shows Andy the ropes of sheep farming.

Meanwhile, Natalie is exploring the great outback with a cattle rancher named Ren (Andrew McKaige) and Tootie is viewing ancient caves with a handsome American anthropologist (Mario Van Peebles) who lets her think he is an Aborigine. Blair and Jo escape the jewel thieves and arrive at their Australian sister school where they hope to find Natalie with the jewel. Natalie admits that Ren tossed the seemingly-worthless stone out of a helicopter and the thieves are arrested. The girls are all surprised to hear about one another's adventures, and Beverly Ann explains that she is not staying with Roger after all and is remaining with her "new family".

Cast

Production

The Facts of Life Down Under was filmed from June to July 1986 at the following locations in Sydney and surrounding areas: Circular Quay ferry wharf, Mosman, New South Wales, Kirribilli, New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Bradleys Head, Queen Victoria Building, Strickland House, Vaucluse, Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo and Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park.

Reception

The movie was both a critical and ratings success as it placed a strong #13 for the week, garnering a 17.8/27 rating (approximately 30 million viewers) and was one of the highest-rated television films of 1987. [2] This was strategic counterprogramming by NBC, which placed the movie against the conclusion of ABC's highly publicized miniseries Amerika .

DVD release

The full-length film was released on DVD on January 13, 2015, as part of The Facts of Life: The Complete Series 26-disc set.

Related Research Articles

<i>Johnny English</i> 2003 spy comedy film by Peter Howitt

Johnny English is a 2003 spy action comedy film directed by Peter Howitt and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and William Davies. It is a British-French venture produced by StudioCanal and Working Title Films, and distributed by Universal Pictures.

<i>The Sweetest Thing</i> 2002 film by Roger Kumble

The Sweetest Thing is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Roger Kumble and written by Nancy Pimental, who based the characters on herself and friend Kate Walsh. It stars Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, and Selma Blair. The film was released on April 12, 2002 and received negative reviews from critics. However, according to screenwriter Nancy Pimental, the film later went on to gain a cult following.

<i>The Facts of Life</i> (TV series) American sitcom

The Facts of Life is an American television sitcom created by Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon and a spin-off of Diff'rent Strokes that originally aired on NBC from August 24, 1979, to May 7, 1988, making it one of the longest-running sitcoms of the 1980s. The series focuses on Edna Garrett, as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, an all-girls boarding school in Peekskill, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Rae</span> American actress (1926–2018)

Charlotte Rae Lubotsky was an American character actress and singer whose career spanned sixty six years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario Van Peebles</span> American actor and film director

Mario Van Peebles is an American film director and actor best known for appearing in Heartbreak Ridge in 1986 and known for directing and starring in New Jack City in 1991 and USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage in 2016. He is the son of actor and filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, whom he portrayed in the 2003 biopic Baadasssss!, which he also co-wrote and directed.

<i>Teaching Mrs. Tingle</i> 1999 film directed by Kevin Williamson

Teaching Mrs. Tingle is a 1999 American teen black comedy thriller film written and directed by Kevin Williamson, in his directorial debut, and starring Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Marisa Coughlan, Barry Watson, and Jeffrey Tambor. It follows a trio of high school seniors who must prove their innocence to their vindictive history teacher, who accuses them of cheating on their final exams. Williamson wrote the script before his work on Scream and Dawson's Creek. Following the success of those projects, his script was picked up and production of the film proceeded.

<i>Mr. Destiny</i> 1990 film by James Orr

Mr. Destiny is a 1990 American fantasy comedy film directed by James Orr, and starring James Belushi, Linda Hamilton, Michael Caine, Jon Lovitz, Courteney Cox, Jay O. Sanders and Rene Russo. It is heavily inspired by the 1946 film, It's a Wonderful Life.

<i>Dracula 2000</i> 2000 film by Patrick Lussier

Dracula 2000 is a 2000 American gothic horror film co-written and directed by Patrick Lussier and produced by Joel Soisson and stars Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Omar Epps, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jeri Ryan and Jennifer Esposito. The plot follows Dracula, who arrives in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 21st century and seeks out Mary Heller, the daughter of Abraham Van Helsing.

<i>Life Is Sweet</i> (film) 1990 British film

Life Is Sweet is a 1990 British comedy-drama film directed by Mike Leigh, starring Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent, Claire Skinner, Jane Horrocks and Timothy Spall. Leigh's third cinematic film, it was his most commercially successful title at the time of release. A tragi-comic story, it follows the fortunes of a working-class North London family over a few weeks one summer.

<i>Down and Out in Beverly Hills</i> 1986 film by Paul Mazursky

Down and Out in Beverly Hills is a 1986 American comedy film based on the 1919 French play Boudu sauvé des eaux, which was later adapted as Boudu sauvé des eaux, a 1932 film by Jean Renoir. Down and Out in Beverly Hills was directed by Paul Mazursky, and starred Nick Nolte, Bette Midler and Richard Dreyfuss. The plot follows a rich but dysfunctional family who save the life of a suicidal homeless man. Musician Little Richard appears as a neighbor, and performs "Great Gosh A'Mighty" during a party scene.

<i>Pretty Persuasion</i> 2005 film by Marcos Siega

Pretty Persuasion is a 2005 American black comedy film directed by Marcos Siega, written by Skander Halim, and starring Evan Rachel Wood, James Woods, Ron Livingston, Elisabeth Harnois, and Jane Krakowski. Its plot follows a 15-year-old student at an elite Beverly Hills academy who accuses her drama teacher of sexual harassment.

<i>The Twelve Chairs</i> (1970 film) 1970 American comedy film by Mel Brooks

The Twelve Chairs is a 1970 American comedy film directed and written by Mel Brooks, and starring Frank Langella, Ron Moody and Dom DeLuise. The film is one of at least eighteen film adaptations of the Russian 1928 novel The Twelve Chairs by Ilf and Petrov.

<i>Terror by Night</i> 1946 film

Terror by Night is a 1946 Sherlock Holmes crime drama directed by Roy William Neill and starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. The story revolves around the theft of a famous diamond aboard a train.

<i>Dutch</i> (film) 1991 film by Peter Faiman

Dutch is a 1991 American road comedy-drama film directed by Peter Faiman, and written by John Hughes. The film stars Ed O'Neill and Ethan Embry, co-starring JoBeth Williams, Christopher McDonald, Ari Meyers, and E. G. Daily. The original music score was composed by Alan Silvestri.

<i>The Runaway Bride</i> (film) 1930 film

The Runaway Bride is a 1930 American pre-Code crime film starring Mary Astor, Lloyd Hughes, and Paul Hurst. It was directed by Donald Crisp, from a screenplay by Jane Murfin, adapted from the play Cooking Her Goose by H. H. Van Loan and Lolita Ann Westman.

The Facts of Life Reunion is a 2001 American made-for-television comedy-drama film based on the 1979–1988 NBC sitcom The Facts of Life which reunited original cast members Charlotte Rae, Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn and Kim Fields. Nancy McKeon was unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts with her then-starring role in the television series The Division.

"Andy and April's Fancy Party" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 39th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 14, 2011. In the episode, Andy and April hold a dinner party, which turns out to be a surprise wedding, much to Leslie's concern. Meanwhile, Ben mulls whether to remain in Pawnee or return to his old job in Indianapolis, and Ann feels extremely uncomfortable while attending a singles mixer.

The Facts of Life Goes to Paris is a 1982 American made-for-television comedy film based on the sitcom The Facts of Life which featured the main characters of that series. It originally aired on NBC on September 25, 1982, four nights before the start of season four. The film was later split into four individual half-hour episodes when the series entered syndication.

References

  1. The Facts of Life Down Under site at www.televisionhits.com
  2. Variety Feb 18 1987, Weekly Ratings Scorecard, page 112