The original episodes remade in this presentation of "Live in Front of a Studio Audience" were The Facts Of Life: "Kids Can Be Cruel" (Season 3 Episode 20/original airdate: March 17, 1982); and Diff'rent Strokes: "Willis' Privacy" (Season 1 Episode 16/original airdate: Feb 23, 1979).
In the original episode, the character of "Rocky" got his nickname from having deep acne scars on his face. Since the character's burden was changed to having dental headgear, the nickname didn't really connect.
The $25 Carl paid for Blair's dinner box would be the equivalent of $70 in 2021 dollars.
Airing for nine seasons on NBC starting in 1979, "The Facts of Life" was an original spinoff of "Diff'rent Strokes" that told the story of a woman who left her Park Avenue housekeeping position to become housemother of a dormitory at an upstate New York private all-girls' school.
In the closing scene of the "Facts of Life" segment, Jennifer Aniston (as Blair Warner) feeds Carl a piece of croissant, since he is having difficulty because of his headgear and tells him "I'll be there for you" as a nod to her long-running work on the TV show Friends. "I'll Be There for You" was the show's well-known theme song.