Writing The Facts of Life and A Different World | Margie Peters -- Part 2

Susan and Sharon continue their conversation with legendary 80s TV Lady -- and The Facts of Life writer/producer -- Margie Peters! In Part 2, the conversation turns to the challenges of making comedy out of date rape and toxic masculinity; “comedy sparring” in the Different World writer’s room with Debbie Allen, Thad Mumford and Susan Fales-Hill; the creative opportunities for “women of a certain age”; and the lasting impact of the cruel moniker “The FATS of Life”. 

Margie Peters has written and produced over 140 hours of television, including The Love Boat, Valerie, One Day at a Time and A Different World. But her longest and best-known gig was the six years she spent on The Facts of Life.

THE CONVERSATION

• “YOU’VE GOT SPUNK!” -- How watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show gave Margie the chutzpah to try her hand at TV writing!
• Margie shows off her 1989 IMAGE Award from Planned Parenthood for the “No Means No” episode of A Different World (S2; EP20): “It’s in the living room next to my television.”
• The time Debbie Allen explained to Margie that Duane calling a girl “Big Butt Brenda” is a compliment -- not an insult!
• The joys of working with Valerie Harper on Valerie. And the charm of Jason Bateman.
• The Facts of Life Go To Paris -- everyone got to spend three heavenly weeks filming in France!
• Dinner on the Seine River Boat with Tootie, Natalie, Blair and Jo!  (Blair faces down a plateful of fried sardines -- and wins!)
• When two busloads of French high school girls chased The Facts of Life cast down the streets of Paris! 
• The respect and adoration Margie has for all the girls: Charlotte Rae, Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn, Kim Fields and Nancy McKeon.
• WHAT DO YOU MISS THE MOST? “Sitting down with a team and coming up with something that is way bigger than the sum of its parts.”
• LEAVING LOS ANGELES: What do you do when you leave behind a life of writing in Hollywood? A lot! Reinvent your life and make it count.

So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Margie -- as they talk Bonnie Franklin, A Man on the Inside, Sally Struthers, Fame, Gladys Knight, 13 Queens Blvd, Eileen Brennan, Jerry Van Dyke -- and dressing up as The Flying Nun!  

AUDIO-OGRAPHY
Find out more about Margie Peters at IMDB.
Watch Season 4 of The Facts of Life for free on Roku.
Watch A Different World on Netflix.
Check out Shawn Peters book: The Unforgettable Logan Foster at Harper Collins. 


STAY ACTIVE
Visit DontGetPurged.org to make sure you are still registered to vote!
Check out Americans of Conscience take action checklist.

VITAL READING
Get Handbook for A Post-Roe America by Robin Marty at Bookshop.org.
Check out Men In Dark Times by Hannah Ahrendt at Bookshop.org.
Read Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson at Bookshop.org.

CONNECT
Visit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts.
Join the conversation at Facebook.com/80sTVLadies.
Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.
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