The Facts of Life (TV Series) The New Girl: Part 1 (1980) User Reviews

Tomboy, Jo, is a game-changer in the dynamic of the show. Good start for the second season. 9/10.

[reb-warrior · 9/10 · 1 November 2021]

A new girl, Jo, shows up at the school and stirs things up. The show changes its dynamic from season one. Good move.

I started my re-watch after all these years with season two as this is when the series truly starts for me. I plan on going back and watching the first season later after finishing out the rest of the series.

Tomboy, Jo, is a game-changer in the dynamic of the show. She's tough, has an attitude, and has a chip on her shoulder. She clashes right away with Blair. Great character addition.

My favorite part has to be when Jo first shows up. She's dirty, has jeans on and her motorcycle helmet on. Natalie and Blair think she's a guy, and then Jo takes off her helmet. Natalie has the funniest moment here:

Blair: "I don't believe this."

Natalie: "You don't? I was gonna ask him to the fall dance."

Lol. Well, I laughed. That sums up the tomboyishness of the character.

Jo proceeds to get the girls in trouble by faking ids, stealing the school van, and going into a bar with Blair, and drinking beer. It's not all Jo's fault as the girls go along with it.

Anyway a good start for the second season. 9/10.

"She's a breath of fresh air, isn't she?"

[infoed-01836 · 8/10 · 19 December 2023]

Yes she was! The "she" here is Jo Polniaczek. Coming off a mild, inoffensive Season One, we are now faced with a smaller cast, zippier dialogue and new situations. Gone are half the girls from before, now only to be seen here and there. Even Mrs. Garrett is half the person she used to be.

Not that there isn't still some clunky dialogue. When Jo asks Mrs. Garrett how she knew Jo was the new student, Mrs. Garrett responds, "Easy. I've never seen a motorcycle parked in my flower-bed before." Doesn't make a lot of sense. But we still love her. (And doesn't Mrs. G know a lot more about Jo than a school dietician should?)

And for the remaining cast - the best were kept on. It's a good reboot for the series and the more issues-oriented stories of the next few seasons.

New Girl steals the entire show

[RavenGlamDVDCollector · 8/10 · 31 August 2019]

Well, this is where I first came in, half a lifetime ago, South African TV never showed Season One. And this is how I knew the show. Season One's Mrs. Garrett was way over the top, while Lisa Whelchel was way more of a flower. At least here in Season Two, they finally got the song right, and that boring bore of a headmaster is gone. But without Julie Pikarski, Felice Schachter and Julie Anne Haddock, how could they?

Lisa Whelchel"s star is already fading. New girl Nancy McKeon hits it for a six in her debut performance. No wonder I was a Jo fan back in the day. I just didn't know how beautiful Lisa was the year before. But here, it's Nancy all the way!

Cute lines. The one where Jo likens Blair to a self-loving Barbie doll is classic!

Mrs. Garrett "lost 25 big ones"? What happened to them?Unfortunately, they start to migrate... Remember what Joan Rivers called this show later on...

Incidentally, Blair's comment re wearing high heels with denim jeans = tacky... no. Depends, I suppose, but she does talk about Jordache jeans in here as well, and smart-cut jeans paired with strappy high heels oh wow...