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Diff'rent Strokes

1978 · TV Series · TV-PG · 30 min · ★ 7.1

ComedyFamilyDrama

This family sitcom follows two brothers from Harlem who move into the Park Avenue home of a wealthy businessman after a loss in their family. As they adjust to a very different life, the show mixes everyday laughs with lessons about race, class, and growing up together.

Also known as Different Strokes

IMDb

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Details
Years
1978–1986
Release date
1978-11-03
Network
ABC, NBC
Language
English
Rated
TV-PG
Runtime
30 min
Max quality
SD
TMDB rating
7.1/10 (293 votes)
About

You’ll likely enjoy this if you like classic family sitcoms such as Family Matters or 227, especially ones that balance light comedy with social themes; Not for you if you dislike dated setups or preachier episodes.

Pros: quick one-liners; warm family dynamic; timely social topics | Cons: cheesy premise; uneven humor; gets weaker later

Themes

  • family relationships
  • wealthy
  • orphan
  • class differences
  • widower
  • manhattan, new york city
  • interracial adoption
  • adopted child
  • sitcom
  • child care
  • brother brother relationship
  • african american

Cast & crew

Directed by Mel Ferber, Gerren Keith, Jeremiah Morris +5 more

Created by Bernie Kukoff, Jeff Harris

Episodes8 seasons · 189 episodes

Season 124 episodes
  • S1E1Movin' In25m
  • S1E2The Social Worker25m
  • S1E3Mother's Last Visit25m
  • S1E4Prep School25m
  • S1E5The Spanking25m
  • S1E6Goodbye Dolly25m
  • S1E7The Trial
  • S1E8Retrospective (1)25m
  • S1E9Retrospective (2)
  • S1E10The Fight
  • S1E11The Club Meeting
  • S1E12The Woman
  • S1E13No Time for Arnold
  • S1E14The Relative
  • S1E15The Tutor
  • S1E16The New Landlord
  • S1E17Willis' Privacy
  • S1E18Mrs. Garrett's Crisis
  • S1E19The Job (a.k.a.) Willis' Job
  • S1E20The Trip (I)
  • S1E21The Trip (2)
  • S1E22Getting Involved30m
  • S1E23Willis' Birthday
  • S1E24The Girls School (a.k.a.) Garrett's Girls
Season 226 episodes
  • S2E1Arnold's Girlfriend (1)
  • S2E2Arnold's Girlfriend (2)
  • S2E3Feudin' and Fussin' (I)
  • S2E4Feudin' and Fussin' (2)
  • S2E5Mrs. Garrett's Romance30m
  • S2E6Birds and Bees
  • S2E7Arnold's Hero (a.k.a.) The Hero
  • S2E8The Adoption (1)
  • S2E9The Adoption (2)
  • S2E10Father and Son Day
  • S2E11Thanksgiving Crossover (I)
  • S2E12Thanksgiving Crossover (2)
  • S2E13The Rivals
  • S2E14Hot Watch
  • S2E15The Dog Story (a.k.a.) A Dog Story
  • S2E16The Election
  • S2E17Friendly-Mate
  • S2E18Poor Drummond
  • S2E19Big Business30m
  • S2E20Return of the Gooch
  • S2E21Valentine's Day Retrospective (a.k.a.) Valentine's Vigil
  • S2E22Skin Deep or True Blue (a.k.a.) Guess Who?
  • S2E23Teacher's Pet
  • S2E24The Slumber Party
  • S2E25Arnold Faces Fatality (a.k.a.) The Will (a.k.a.) Drummond's Will
  • S2E26The Squealer
Season 322 episodes
  • S3E1The Bank Job (1)
  • S3E2The Bank Job (2)
  • S3E3Small Claims Court
  • S3E4Substitute Mother
  • S3E5The Accident (1)
  • S3E6The Accident (2)
  • S3E7Little Mother
  • S3E8Football Father
  • S3E9First Love
  • S3E10Count Your Blessings
  • S3E11The Loan
  • S3E12Roots
  • S3E13Junk Food Junkie (a.k.a.) Junk Food
  • S3E14The Bus
  • S3E15The Older Man
  • S3E16Where There's Hope
  • S3E17The Magician (a.k.a.) It's Magic
  • S3E18Drummond's Fair Lady
  • S3E19The Ancestors
  • S3E20Almost American
  • S3E21Room for One More
  • S3E22The Athlete
Season 426 episodes
  • S4E1Growing Up
  • S4E2First Day Blues
  • S4E3The Model
  • S4E4The Team
  • S4E5The Big Heist
  • S4E6Double Date (a.k.a.) Blind Date
  • S4E7The Ski Weekend30m
  • S4E8Health Club
  • S4E9Burial Ground
  • S4E10Hello, Daddy
  • S4E11Jilted30m
  • S4E12Dreams30m
  • S4E13Kathy
  • S4E14Fire
  • S4E15The Squatter
  • S4E16The Car
  • S4E17Crime Story (1) (a.k.a.) Crime in the Schools
  • S4E18Crime Story (2) (a.k.a.) Crime in the Schools
  • S4E19B.M.O.C.
  • S4E20Green Hair
  • S4E21Have I Got a Girl for You
  • S4E22Lifesavers
  • S4E23Stress? What Stress?
  • S4E24The Music Man
  • S4E25Short But Sweet
  • S4E26On Your Toes
Season 524 episodes
  • S5E1Shoot-Out at the O.K. Arcade
  • S5E2In the Swim
  • S5E3Cyrano De Jackson
  • S5E4Big Brother
  • S5E5The Peacemaker
  • S5E6Substitute Teacher
  • S5E7The Older Woman
  • S5E8A Case of Overexposure (a.k.a.) Overexposure
  • S5E9Memories
  • S5E10Push Comes to Shove
  • S5E11The Executives
  • S5E12Santa's Helper
  • S5E13A Growing Problem
  • S5E14Parents Have Rights, Too
  • S5E15Independent Woman
  • S5E16The Bicycle Man (1)
  • S5E17The Bicycle Man (2)
  • S5E18Family on Ice
  • S5E19Hall Monitor
  • S5E20The Cricket
  • S5E21Roommates
  • S5E22The Reporter
  • S5E23Romeo and Juliet
  • S5E24My Fair Larry (a.k.a.) My Fair Lady
Season 624 episodes
  • S6E1Mr. T and mr. t30m
  • S6E2The Goat30m
  • S6E3Rashomon II
  • S6E4The Lie30m
  • S6E5Drafted
  • S6E6The Van Drummonds30m
  • S6E7The Moonlighter
  • S6E8Coming of Age
  • S6E9Assert Yourself
  • S6E10Mrs. Z
  • S6E11The Senior Class Queen30m
  • S6E12Where There's Smoke30m
  • S6E13Drummond's Lady
  • S6E14The Hitchhikers (1) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (1)
  • S6E15The Hitchhikers (2) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (2)30m
  • S6E16Hooray for Hollywood (1)
  • S6E17Hooray for Hollywood (2)
  • S6E18The Wedding (1)
  • S6E19The Wedding (2)30m
  • S6E20The Honeymoon's Over30m
  • S6E21The Bar Mitzvah Boy
  • S6E22Kathy's Olympics30m
  • S6E23The Houseguest
  • S6E24The Boyfriend
Season 724 episodes
  • S7E1A Haunting We Will Go
  • S7E2Arnold and Lisa's Mother
  • S7E3Bed-Wetting30m
  • S7E4Undercover Lover
  • S7E5Arnold's Strike
  • S7E6Sam's Father
  • S7E7Carmella Meets the Gooch30m
  • S7E8Arnold the Entrepreneur
  • S7E9The Honorable Arnold J. Jackson
  • S7E10The Gymnasts
  • S7E11Tonsils
  • S7E12Arnold's Songbird
  • S7E13Baseball Blues
  • S7E14Arnold Saves the Squirrel
  • S7E15Sam Adopts a Grandparent
  • S7E16Harry Birthday Drummond
  • S7E17Sam's New Pal
  • S7E18Russian Embassy
  • S7E19Cheers to Arnold30m
  • S7E20A Camping We Will Go
  • S7E21Beauty is in the Eye of Arnold30m
  • S7E22Blue Collar Drummond
  • S7E23Street Smarts
  • S7E24A Special Friend
Season 819 episodes
  • S8E1Sam's Missing (1)
  • S8E2Sam's Missing (2)
  • S8E3Bully for Arnold
  • S8E4Love on the Run
  • S8E5Willis Goes to College
  • S8E6Arnold's Job
  • S8E7A Tale of Two Teachers
  • S8E8So You Want to Be a Rock Star
  • S8E9Speak No Evil
  • S8E10Arnold's Bad Rep
  • S8E11It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To
  • S8E12Arnold's Initiation
  • S8E13Bulimia24m
  • S8E14Sam's Big Brother
  • S8E15Arnold's Tangled Web
  • S8E16Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown
  • S8E17The Big Bribe
  • S8E18The Photo Club30m
  • S8E19The Front Page30m