Diff'rent Strokes (1978)
Diff'rent Strokes (1978)
The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman named Phillip Drummond and his daughter Kimberly, for whom their deceased mother previously worked. During the first season and first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred as the Drummonds' housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett.

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1x01 Movin' In

03 November, 1978 8:00 am
Multi-millionaire Phillip Drummond, who has agreed to the death-bed wish of his housekeeper to raise her two small sons as his own, welcomes 8-year-old Arnold and 12-year-old Willis into his lavish penthouse. Anxious to make them feel at home, he showers them with gifts and love -- and is puzzled when he learns that the boys are planning to sneak from the lap of luxury back to Harlem. Aiding Drummond in his effort to make the street-wise, ghetto youngsters feel welcome in the affluent white world are Drummond's new housekeeper Mrs. Garrett and his 13-year-old daughter Kimberly.

1x02 The Social Worker

10 November, 1978 8:00 am
Arnold's eavesdropping leads to trouble when a misunderstanding causes Willis and him to think that Mr. Drummond no longer wants them around; he has heard Drummond tell a social worker that "black children belong with black families."

1x03 Mother's Last Visit

17 November, 1978 8:00 am
Mr. Drummond's socialite and rather snobbish mother arrives and finds there's a lot she doesn't like about her son's new sons, but she soon learns a valuable lesson about what's really important in a person.

1x04 Prep School

24 November, 1978 8:00 am
When Mr. Drummond tries to get Arnold and Willis into an exclusive prep school, it turns out to be just a little too exclusive for everyone's tastes.

1x05 The Spanking

01 December, 1978 8:00 am
Arnold ignores warnings and continues to drop water balloons from the balcony. Mr. Drummond's decision to punish Arnold for the prank with a spanking becomes a learning lesson for Willis too, when he insists that he be the one to spank Arnold -- but where's Arnold?

1x06 Goodbye Dolly

08 December, 1978 8:00 am
When Arnold loses his favorite doll, he makes sure that his misery is shared equally by the various members of his household, who soon try everything to get it back.

1x07 The Trial

15 December, 1978 8:00 am
When Arnold is in trouble for putting his goldfish in Mr. Drummond's hot tub, Willis insists that it is wrong to convict him without a trial. The whole family, with Mrs. Garrett as judge, comes up with an important verdict.

1x08 Retrospective (1)

29 December, 1978 8:00 am
Mr. Drummond and family gather around their Christmas tree and recall the many humorous incidents that the family has shared since Arnold and Willis moved in. This special one-hour episode features highlights from previous shows.

1x09 Retrospective (2)

29 December, 1978 8:00 am
Life in the household is recalled in clips from early episodes.

1x10 The Fight

05 January, 1979 8:00 am
Willis puts Arnold in training to fight the local bully, but Mr. Drummond insists more civilized solutions be employed.

1x11 The Club Meeting

12 January, 1979 8:00 am
Willis invites his neighborhood club from Harlem to visit, but things get out of hand when he tries to impress them with his new wealth.

1x12 The Woman

19 January, 1979 8:00 am
Mr. Drummond's intention to marry an attractive widow doesn't meet with his children's approval, and Arnold, Willis and Kimberly devise a scheme they hope will turn his "romantic" proposal into a disaster.

1x13 No Time for Arnold

26 January, 1979 8:00 am
A lonely Arnold comes up with a method of gaining his family's attention. Unfortunately his plan works a little too well; he ends up with everyone's attention, including the family doctor.

1x14 The Relative

02 February, 1979 8:00 am
LaWanda Page guest stars as a cousin of Willis and Arnold who, after seeing the boys in their comfortable new surroundings, knows she should stay closer to her long-lost little relatives.

1x15 The Tutor

09 February, 1979 8:00 am
Drummond hires a tutor for Willis and Arnold who does practically everything but teach.

1x16 The New Landlord

16 February, 1979 8:00 am
The kids devise a scheme hoping to make Arnold convince the new landlord to let the family keep the penthouse.

1x17 Willis' Privacy

23 February, 1979 8:00 am
To get rid of his pesky little brother, Willis divides the bedroom in half and spends more time at his friend's house.

1x18 Mrs. Garrett's Crisis

02 March, 1979 8:00 am
When Mrs. Garrett decides her life as a housekeeper is unfulfilling, she ends up being a guest in the Drummond home, and then makes an important decision concerning the future.

1x19 The Job (a.k.a.) Willis' Job

16 March, 1979 8:00 am
In order to earn the money to buy disco skates, and to prove a point to Mr. Drummond, Willis gets a job...but is fired on his first working day.

1x20 The Trip (1)

30 March, 1979 9:00 am
The stars of "Diff'rent Strokes" and "Hello, Larry" get together in a special, hilarious hour in which Phillip Drummond realizes that the purchase of a Portland radio station could mean the loss of a job for his old friend Larry Alder.

1x21 The Trip (2)

30 March, 1979 9:00 am
Drummond and his brood visit his newly purchased radio station.

1x22 Getting Involved

06 April, 1979 9:00 am
When Arnold is witness to a hold up, the robber tries to ensure that the youngster will not identify him.

1x23 Willis' Birthday

13 April, 1979 9:00 am
Willis is hurt when he thinks his family has forgotten his upcoming birthday. After dropping several unsubtle hints he discovers that not only has everyone remembered, but also his fondest wish has been granted -- a birthday party in his old Harlem neighborhood.

1x24 The Girls School (a.k.a.) Garrett's Girls

04 May, 1979 8:00 am
Mrs. Garrett visits Kimberly's school and takes on its pushy principal with surprising results.

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