About Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes is a special television event that re-creates episodes of two iconic sitcoms from the late '70s and early '80s. The special event reproduces an original episode from each of the two shows with a contemporary cast, maintaining much of the original dialogue from the scripts. The comedic event was broadcasted in 2021 and was watched by millions of viewers nationwide.

Making / Production

The live event is a project of Sony Pictures Television and produced by Kimmelot, ACT III Productions, Gary Sanchez Productions, D'Arconville, and Sony Pictures Television. It was directed by Pam Fryman and Andy Fisher.

Actors

• John Lithgow: Played the role of Mr. Drummond in Diff'rent Strokes, capturing the essence of a caring and strict father figure.
• Kevin Hart: Brought life to the memorable character Arnold from Diff'rent Strokes with his comedic charm.
• Ann Dowd: Played the role of Mrs. Garrett in The Facts of Life, striking a balance between humor and emotion.
• Jennifer Aniston: Played the role of Blair in The Facts of Life, portraying a high-society adolescent with aplomb.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• This is the third installment of the "Live in Front of a Studio Audience" series.
• Original cast members from both shows made special appearances during the live event.
• The broadcast saw Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear making appearances in vintage 1970s-era outfits.

Quotes

• "What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" - Kevin Hart as Arnold
• "Girls, girls, girls." - Ann Dowd as Mrs. Garrett

Music, Soundtrack

• The show used the original opening theme songs of both the sitcoms for authenticity.
• The broadcast also featured live musical performances, in keeping with the show's variety format.