Article continues below advertisementMore than 40 years after its premiere, The Facts of Life remains relevant in popular culture. The sitcom debuted on NBC in August 1979 as a spinoff of Diff'rent Strokes. It aired for nine seasons, earning its status as one of the longest-running sitcoms of the 1980s.Article continues below advertisementThe series focused on housemother Edna Garrett, portrayed by Charlotte Rae. Before the show ended in 1988, the storyline expanded with two television movies.