When The Facts of Life premiered in 1979, television had never seen anything quite like it. It was rare for a sitcom to focus on children, outside of Leave It to Beaver and The Brady Bunch, but here was a show stuffed with adolescent characters. The Diff'rent Strokes spin-off was set in a boarding school, which probably struck audiences as Saturday morning fare.

Yet The Facts of Life soared, largely on the strength of its ever-maturing cast, tackling the serious issues of growing up while delivering laughs. It lasted for nine seasons.

Today, all of the cast is still out there, entertaining on television and in movies. Take a look at how they've grown. 

Click on the images to flip and reveal the actors today.