• "Adventurous? Unpredictable? Lawless?" The Facts Of Life with Writer-Producer Margie Peters, Part 1

  • Mar 26 2025
  • Length: 57 mins
  • Podcast

"Adventurous? Unpredictable? Lawless?" The Facts Of Life with Writer-Producer Margie Peters, Part 1

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  • "We're thinking of doing this show with all women. Becasue women are becoming this big thing, ya know. And the leads of the show would all be women!"Susan and Sharon are excited to talk with legendary 80s TV Lady -- and writer/producer of 80 episodes of The Facts of Life -- Margie Peters! 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 best-known gig was the six years she spent on The Facts of Life. From her first meeting to the final day, Margie relates how writing The Facts of Life taught her everything about “the facts” of making Hollywood television in the 80s!THE CONVERSATIONSECRET SITCOM WRITER: How Margie wrote a sitcom pilot "Under One Roof" based on her life at night -- while spending her days being a mother, a housewife, AND a journalist! Hollywood writer/producer Bernie Orenstien (That Girl!, Sanford & Son) reads it and calls her with these magical words: “I think you could have a career out here.” Two weeks later she’s on a plane to Hollywood!INSTANT CHEMISTRY: Actress Linda Marsh teams with Margie and a writing partnership begins…SPEAK YOUR TRUTH: Their first meeting at Facts of Life: “Why are the girls wearing hot pants and cut-off tops -- in New England? In winter?!? It’s kiddie porn!” Margie & Linda stay on Facts of Life from Season 2 through Season 6 -- working their way up from Staff Writers to Show Runners!THE ONE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING: Margie & Linda write S2:EP3 “Double Standard” -- showrunners Jerry Mayer and Jack Elinson tell them: “You have found the soul of the show”.THE ONE WHERE NATALIE’S FATHER HAS AN AFFAIR: “We loved the actor but we hated the character. So we killed him.”WORKING WITH THE GIRLS: Working with Charlotte Rae, Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn, Kim Fields, Nancy McKeon and Geri Jewell.Lisa Whelchel balked when the writers pitched Blair losing her virginity. So Mindy Cohn said: “I’ll do it!”WHAT'S NEXT? The day came when Linda Marsh said, “I’m done.” But Margie kept going…Then Marcy Carsey called: “We’d like to bring you on ‘A Different World’”!THINKING IN THE CAR: How the award-winning “No Means No” episode came to be -- and almost didn’t happen at all!"MAKE DWAYNE THE HERO" - How to solve the producer notes when tackling a story on campus rape in "No Means No" So join Susan and Sharon -- and Margie -- as they talk Mary Tyler Moore, Terri Hatcher, Jason Bateman, Asaad Kelada, Susan Fales Hill, Neema Barnette, HBCs, Cagney & Lacey, working for diversity… and saying “No” to Norman Lear! STAY TUNED IN TWO WEEKS FOR THE FACTS OF LIFE WITH MARGIE PETERS - PART 2! AUDIO-OGRAPHYWatch The Facts of Life: IN FLUX! Currently watch Seasons 4, 5, and 6 of The Facts of Life for free on ROKU channel. Season 3 is available on Amazon Prime and for sale on Apple TV. Check YouTube for other episdoes.THE AMBIES AWARDS ARE MARCH 31FINGERS CROSSED! 80s TV Ladies is nominited! We're up for an Ambies Award by The Podcast Academy for Best Indie Podcast Hosts. Visit Ambies.com and watch the Awards show LIVE on Twitch March 31st at 6pm CT.VITAL READINGGet 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.You can also follow Richardson’s substack.CONNECTGet transcripts and more at 80sTVLadies.comRate and review us at Apple Podcast.Join the conversation at Facebook.com/80sTVLadies.Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON.
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