Diff'rent Strokes

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 Drummonds new housekeeper Mrs. Garrett and his 13-year-old daughter Kimberly.

Mr. Drummonds socialite and rather snobbish mother arrives and finds theres a lot she doesnt like about her sons new sons, but she soon learns a valuable lesson about whats really important in a person.

Arnold ignores warnings and continues to drop water balloons from the balcony. Mr. Drummonds 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 wheres Arnold?

When Arnold is in trouble for putting his goldfish in Mr. Drummonds 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.

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.

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.

A lonely Arnold comes up with a method of gaining his familys attention. Unfortunately his plan works a little too well; he ends up with everyones attention, including the family doctor.

Drummond hires a tutor for Willis and Arnold who does practically everything but teach.

To get rid of his pesky little brother, Willis divides the bedroom in half and spends more time at his friends house.

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.

The stars of ""Diffrent 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.

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.

Arnold has appendicitis and Drummond has to deal with the bigotry of Fred Tanner, a potential housing project investor whose daughter is the key to getting Arnold to sit still for the operation.

Arnolds well-intentioned endorsement of Larry Alders hosting talents to a New York TV big-wig gives Larry the opportunity of a lifetime and brings the family to the big apple. Larrys try-out as a New York television talk-show house may be doomed from the start, one disaster follows another and not everyone on the Alder team may be rooting for him to win the job.

The Drummond households curiosity over Mrs. Garretts new beau turns first to surprise and then to alarm. Mrs. Garrett is in a dither over her first date with Leon, especially when it is followed by a very important question.

Arnolds wildest dream is realized when he comes face-to-knee with ""The Champ"" -- special guest star Muhammad Ali. When the meeting arranged by Mr. Drummond between Arnold and his idol, Muhammad Ali, falls through, Kimberly and Willis concoct a wild scheme to insure that Arnolds dream will come true.

It appears that Mr. Drummonds attempts to adopt Arnold and Willis will be aborted by a conniving junk dealer until the boys take matters into their own hands. Whitman Mayo guest stars as ""long-lost relative"" Jethro Simpson who has arrived with a letter supposedly written by the boys father, leaving Arnold and Willis in his custody.

The Alders and the Drummonds are together again in New York, and Arnold, Willis and Kimberly plan a second Thanksgiving feast with friends Diane and Ruthie. But even the huge Drummond penthouse isnt big enough to hold the exploding tempers that threaten Phil and Larrys long-standing relationship, on a special one-hour episode featuring the stars of ""Hello, Larry."" Morgan and all the kids get caught up in the feud when Larry learns friendship doesnt necessarily make for good business.

Arnold and Willis relationship is threatened when a fickle female classmate, the object of Arnolds affection, turns her attention toward Willis. Arnolds first love is also his first lesson in jealously as he competes with Willis for the same girl.

Arnold saves a dogs life, is bitten and then the dog is needed to save Arnold. The Drummond household members frantically search for the ungrateful canine, while Arnold faces a series of rabies shots or death.

Mr. Drummond is in ""double-trouble"" when Willis and Arnold decide to get him a date. Feeling a little lonely, Drummond tells the kids what he needs is a little companionship, so they decide to call a computer dating service.

Willis and Arnold scheme to make extra ""dough"" by selling brownies, only to discover they cant stand the heat of big business and may soon have to get out of the kitchen.

Arnold and Willis are trapped in the basement and while they await rescue they reminisce about their recent past...both the good times and the bad. Arnold insists he must wear his Superman outfit to the familys Valentines Day trip to the circus; the resultant search leads to the basement and a locked door. This show highlights some of the best moments from the past episodes.

Parent-teacher night leads Mr. Drummond to a romance with Arnolds teacher and poor Arnold to the jealousy of his classmates. Arnold tries every trick in the book to win back his classmates, including one which may have him expelled.

Willis accompanies Arnold as he sets out to withdraw some money from his bank account to pay for his first ""real"" date, but two bank robbers force a change of plans when they attempt their own, very large withdrawal, in the first episode of a special two-part story.

Arnold has his day in court when an unfortunate ""train"" of events puts him at odds with a less than understanding merchant.

The festive family celebration of Drummonds 50th birthday suddenly becomes a disaster after a drunk driver puts Drummond in the hospital, unconscious, his life hanging in the balance, in the first episode of a special two-part story.

Kimberlys efforts to help a pregnant girl friend, have Willis and Arnold convinced the Kimberlys the one expecting.

Drummond orders Willis to spend more time with his studies and less time with his ""first love,"" but Willis and Arnold concoct a plan theyre sure will fulfill the wishes of both father and son.

Arnold learns the true value of a dollar when Drummond turns down his request to lend $4,000 to the apartment building doorman anxious to take part in an attractive business deal.

Arnolds poor dental checkup and a visit by Drummonds health-conscious sister, Sophia, launches Drummond on a campaign to have ""junk"" food machines banned from Arnolds school, even though Arnolds drive for his class presidency may depend on keeping the machines in place.

Through Blairs makeup artistry, 15-year-old Kimberly discovers she can pass for 20, but when she accepts a date with a 25-year-old and the passes start flying, she finds there may be more to being older than looking it.

Arnolds ""famous"" magic disappearing act, designed to impress a magazine reporter and special guest star Dallas Cowboys defensive end Ed ""Too Tall"" Jones, leaves him dangerously high and dry, with no place to go but down -- about 30 stories.

Drummond and his sister Sophia inherit a prime piece of land in Harlem from a long lost ancestor, but their plan to dedicate it to a cultural center in his name could spell disaster if the truth of their ancestors life gets out.

Dudley, fearing his foster fathers lost job means hes headed back to the orphanage, cons Arnold into getting Drummond to consider adopting him into their family.

His friends stories of their sexual exploits convince Willis its time he ""became a man""--now he must convince his steady girl friend Charlene.

Kimberly hopes a summer job will make her more independent, but when it becomes an undreamt chance at international modeling, it may be more independence than her father will agree to.

Arnold is elated when hes accepted into an ""elite"" club at school, but his membership could lead to consequences far beyond his wildest dreams when he learns he must commit a crime as part of his secret initiation.

Kimberly must face the biggest decision of her life -- whether to spend a ski weekend with a popular boy or turn down the opportunity to get away on her own and remain, in her mind, daddys ""little girl.""

Arnold and Willis go on a hunger strike to save a historic landmark when they learn construction by Drummonds company may destroy what could be an ancient Indian burial ground.

When Willis takes his steady girl friend for granted, his selfishness sends her out with another guy -- who wont ignore her, but there may be hope for happiness if a self-appointed Cupid succeeds in his plan.

Arnold and his friend Kathy face big challenges in their lives and each holds the key to overcoming the others obstacles, but when Arnold takes the first step forward, their entire relationship takes a big step backwards.

Drummond learns the hard way that converting apartments into condominiums can mean hurting lots of innocent people when he becomes the unsuspecting ""victim"" of an eccentric tenant hes displacing.

Arnold and his friend Dudley are scared to death by two teenage bullies who pose the intimidating demand ""your lunch money or your life.""

Willis obsession with joining an ""exclusive"" high school club rocks the Drummond household and leaves several victims in its wake, including a shaken Arnold who takes his brothers ""insensitive"" actions to heart.

Aunt Sophias matchmaking unites an unsuspecting Drummond with her ""working-class"" hairdresser, but a slip of Arnolds tongue ignites charges that Drummond is a snob, turning a ""budding romance"" into a roaring feud.

Stress is diagnosed as the cause of hard-working Drummonds frequent attacks of pain, but suddenly young, healthy and ""normal"" Willis learns that he, too, is a prime candidate for the same debilitating ""attacks.""

Arnold feels shortchanged, hes growing older but hes not getting any taller and hes convinced thats the reason why he doesnt have a girl friend.

Arnold is determined to defeat brother Willis at his own game and dethrone him as local video game champ, but in doing so Arnolds passion becomes a destructive ""addiction"" that could have serious consequences.

Arnolds on the outs with his best friend Dudley after he innocently offers to help his bashful buddy win the heart of a young lady -- who falls for Arnold instead.

Willis personal safety is in jeopardy when his noble attempt to mediate a feud between rival gangs backfires, forcing him to take a drastic step to insure his protection -- purchasing a handgun.

A false I.D. and a false bravado create real problems for Willis and a beautiful ""older"" woman when an evening on the town doesnt go quite as he had planned.

A long lost trunk returned to the boys contains a tape recording of their deceased mother which brings to the surface a previously unrecognized problem that triggers uncharacteristic behavior from a usually happy-go-lucky Arnold.

Willis learns that even a little power in the wrong hands can be dangerous when he oversteps the bounds of his authority in his afterschool job at his fathers office.

At 16, Willis thinks hes man enough and old enough to ""top"" a few drinks with the guys, but Drummonds objections send Willis storming out of the house intent on proving his father wrong.

A new job and a handsome new boss add up to trouble for an innocent Kimberly when her new employer starts displaying a more than casual interest in her -- hoping that his ""special attention"" will help land him a position within Drummonds prestigious company.

Arnold and Dudleys ""friendship"" with a local merchant reaches a dangerous turning point when, unbeknownst to the boys, the man, who is actually a child molester, is about to make his move.

Arnolds good intentions backfire when his efforts to help his handicapped friend Kathy adjust to life in public school cost him the esteem of his classmates and the friendship of pals Dudley and Robbie.

The households turned upside down when Drummond becomes Arnolds roommate for a week.

Arnolds Romeo is steeped in more turmoil than Shakespeare ever intended when hes tricked by his ""best friends"" into playing opposite arch-nemisis Lisas Juliet.

Arnolds ecstasy over meeting his hero Mr. T goes from elation to emulation when the young girl hes trying to impress snubs him in favor of his idol. Former bouncer and bodyguard Mr. T, who came to national prominence as Sylvester Stallones opponent in ""Rocky III"" and was the star of the hit television series ""The A-Team,"" makes a special guest appearance as ""The A-Teams"" B.A.

Drummond, Willis and Arnold bravely subdue a burglar who had been holding the family at gunpoint, but the arresting officer is befuddled when the three ""crime fighters"" relate differing versions of the apprehension.

When 13-year-old Arnold is notified to register for the draft, Drummonds over reaction to the obvious error turns Arnolds dreams into nightmares.

Arnold is disappointed to discover that his favorite teacher moonlights as a cocktail waitress, but hes stunned when he learns why she has to work the second job.

Arnold turns a pal into an opponent when he resigns as Dudleys campaign manager and declares his own candiacy for class president.

When Kimberly starts a campaign to open the schools Lettermens Club to female membership, an embarrassed Willis retaliates with chauvinistic aplomb by becoming the first male contestant in the Senior Class Beauty Pageant.

Arnold unwittingly solves his fathers dilemma -- trying to make romance and finance go hand-in-hand -- when Drummond finds himself falling for an attractive local television aerobics instructor that his company is attempting to turn into an international success. Veteran Broadway and television actress Dixie Carter is introduced in the role of fitness instructor Maggie McKinney.

Hitchhiking leads to kidnapping for Arnold and Kimberly, but Arnold escapes and he is so disoriented he is unable to remember the location of the kidnappers apartment so that the police can rescue Kimberly whos till being held captive.

Arnolds joy over being saved from an explosion by ""Knight Riders"" David Hasselhoff quickly turns to dismay when he learns his father is getting married and a little brother comes along with the package.

Their family and friends assembled, Phillip and Maggie meet at the altar, only to realize each has made a major mistake, in the concluding part of a special two-part story. Charlotte Rae, Dody Goodman, Janet Jackson and Nedra Volz, each of who had appeared in recurring roles on ""Diffrent Strokes,"" return as their original characters for the Drummond nuptials.

In a quest for religion started by Maggie and his father, Arnold thinks he has found it after attending an impressive bar mitzvah where his friend ""Becomes a man"" at age 13.

Willis and Charlenes budding young love begins to wilt when she moves in as a temporary houseguest at the Drummonds. Janet Jackson, Michael Jacksons younger sister, returns in her role as Willis girl friend Charlene.

When Arnold and Sam creep through the crevices of the neighborhoods haunted house they find the ghost boasts a bounty of surprises--the biggest being a love for people and contempt for war.

The Drummond household is faced with Sams bed-wetting problem trying everything from scolding to fawning, only to have Sam become more frustrated and hurt.

Arnold risks expulsion from school when he leads a strike against some new rules he feels are ""unfair.""

""The Gooch"" returns to taunt Arnold and take on a new target--Sam, only to face his first challenge in the Drummonds new neighbor, an Italian foreign exchange student.

When Arnold is appointed judge of the school court, he is suddenly faced with jeopardizing a longtime friendship or losing a date with the school heartthrob--everyone has their day in court.

Drummond is a tower of strength for Sam as he prepares to have his tonsils removed, but what will happen when Drummond finds out he is to be Sams roommate while having some ""minor"" knee surgery.

Sam persuades a reluctant Mr. Drummond to become the coach of his bad news baseball team and then regrets it after he winds up on the bench.

The Drummonds are concerned when the normally lovable Sam battles with a cynical senior who rejects the Cub Scouts ""Adopt A Grandparent"" program, leaving Sam with a tainted view of older people.

Sam is taken aback when he realizes his new ""buddy"" is a girl, but Mr. Drummond is even more dumbfounded when the kids want to have a sleepover.

Arnolds attempt to stop a friend from drinking backfires as hes left standing in the boys bathroom holding a bottle of booze when the teacher walks in.

Arnold is faced with a dilemma when his friends insist he take a cute cheerleader to the dance instead of the girl Arnold really likes who they consider an ""ugly duckling.""

Although Arnold boasts he held his own in a mugging, Drummond fears the incident goes deeper than Arnold will admit and becomes concerned when he finds Arnold has sought a dangerous method of protection.

A family whose little boy died, forces the father to kidnap Sam, who is shopping for some snacks in a grocery store. After the kidnapping, the man threatens to kill Sams parents if he attempts in any way to escape.

Guarding the school bullys girlfriend, Ramona, seems like a simple task to Arnold, until his natural Jackson ""charm"" creates some problems, Ramona falls head over heels for him and Herman, the bully, wants to rearrange his face.

Willis takes a big step when he leave home for college, but fears his initiation to dorm life is only one of the freshman experiences he may not be ready to handle.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar guest stars as a high school English teacher who gives Arnold a ""classic"" punishment for ""goofing off"" in class and the freshman quickly learns his lesson when his penace is teaching ""A Tale of Two Cities"" to his rowdy classmates.

Father and son are feuding over First Amendment rights when an outraged Arnold objects to a white supremacy organization speaking at his high school and a discerning Drummond cant support Arnolds fury on the basis of the American right to free speech.

Drummond has ""insured"" that Sam will have an unforgettable birthday party by arranging for a local television personality to be the main attraction, until the swash-buckling ""Captain Jack"" steals the show and the birthday boy jumps ship.

Arnold suspects that Kimberly has an eating disorder when his slender sister is secretly gorging himself, but not gaining any weight. Arnold seeks Drummonds help in confronting Kimberly with her problem and the family comes together to help her fight the eating disorder, bulimia.

To prevent Drummond from seeing his ""F"" in geometry, Arnold arranges to have Drummonds signature forged on his report on his report card, but the scheme backfires when Drummond insists on a personal inspection of Arnolds grades.

A date with a gorgeous girl has Arnold walking on a cloud, until he learns she was bribed by Willis to go out with him.

Arnolds feature story about his high school football team threatens to turn into a controversial expose for the school newspaper when he witnesses team members buying steroids.