Diff'rent Strokes
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Diff'rent Strokes was an American sitcom that aired from 1978 to 1985 on NBC and from 1985 to 1986 on ABC.
The sitcom starred Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson and Todd Bridges as his older brother Willis, two African-American children from a poor Harlem background whose deceased mother previously worked for a rich white widower Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain), who eventually adopted them. They lived in a penthouse with Drummond's daughter Kimberly (Dana Plato) and his maid (they went through three during the show's run: Mrs. Garrett (played by Charlotte Rae), Adelaide (played by Nedra Volz), and Pearl (played by Mary Jo Catlett)) on Park Avenue in New York City. As Arnold, Coleman popularized the catch phrase, "Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?", which was popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s and is still mentioned in pop culture references today.
During the 1983-84 season, Phillip Drummond was re-married to Maggie McKinney (Dixie Carter and later played by Mary Ann Mobley), a television aerobics instructor. She had one son, Sam McKinney (Danny Cooksey) from her previous marriage.
The television sitcom The Facts of Life (1979–1988) was a spinoff of Diff'rent Strokes, involving former Drummond maid Mrs. Garrett as housemother of a dormitory at an all-girl private school.
All of the child stars ended up having problems after the show ended. Plato died in 1999 due to a drug overdose (following a career in soft-core pornography and prostitution), while Coleman and Bridges were involved in legal trouble. Due to these problems, "The Curse of Diff'rent Strokes" became a term associated with the show. Coleman publicly stated that he does not believe there is a curse on the cast members and that these incidents are merely tragic coincidences.
The show was also known (and frequently mocked) for its many "very special episodes", most notably an anti-drug episode in which then-First Lady Nancy Reagan appeared in order to reiterate her "Just Say No" campaign, and an episode that guest starred Gordon Jump as a child molester who molested Arnold's best friend, Dudley. In another episode, Kimberly and Arnold were held against their will by a deranged man who initially acted as a "Good Samaritan" by giving the two a ride and inviting them to his apartment. In another episode Arnold tried to help his friend who had become an alcoholic. In the final season (and first on ABC), in a special 1-hour season opener, Sam was kidnapped by a man to replace his son who had died. In yet another episode, the family discovered that Kimberly was suffering from bulimia.
The name of the show was derived from a popular catch phrase, "diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks," popularized by rock band Sly & The Family Stone with their 1968 hit "Everyday People." The show's theme song was written by actor/songwriter Alan Thicke.
It became somewhat popular again in the UK and Australia during 1990s re-runs.
On home video
- Season 1 (1978–1979) is on Region 1 DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
- Season 2 (1979–1980) was released on Region 1 DVD on January 31st, 2006 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
See also
- Webster, a similar sitcom of the 1980s starring Emmanuel Lewis