. The name of Arnold's pet goldfish was Abraham.
. The original concept for the show was different from what would come on the air. It would have been on ABC and set in an upscale Long Island town, not in Manhattan. There was no older brother, originally, and the housekeeper would have been younger and sexier. The production company balked, and ABC lost interest.
. Charlotte Rae was promised a smooth return back onto this series if her spin-off, "The Facts of Life" (1979), had failed. But it was renewed, so she was replaced.
. The episode "The Girls School" (episode #1.24) was the pilot for the spin-off "The Facts of Life" (1979).
. Ms. Plato had, over the course of her time on the show, developed a very serious drug & alcohol problem, which caused her to constantly miss rehearsals & tapings. She also continually blew her lines, causing delays in production. She was allowed guest appearances only after she could prove that she had completed rehabilitation.
. When Conrad Bain signed on to do "Maude" (1972), the production company promised him his own show when that one ended. By then, Gary Coleman was also signed to the company. When the planned updating of the "Our Gang" comedy series, which Coleman would have been in, was aborted, they paired them and decided to come up with a suitable premise.
. Gary Coleman wanted the show to end in 1985, when it moved to ABC, but was persuaded into signing on for another year, after which it was cancelled.
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