Diff'rent Strokes Episode Guide

Episode Guide

Diff'rent Strokes: Season 8 (1985 - 1986)

• Season 8 Episode 19: The Front Page

  Arnold sees high-school athletes take steroids.

• Season 8 Episode 18: The Photo Club

  Arnold is stuck in a darkroom with Lisa.

• Season 8 Episode 17: The Big Bribe

  Willis bribes a girl to go out with Arnold.

• Season 8 Episode 16: Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown

  Sam finds the truth behind a classmate's taunts.

• Season 8 Episode 15: Arnold's Tangled Web

  Arnold plots to hide his failing grade.

• Season 8 Episode 14: Sam's Big Brother

  Willis takes over as Sam's big brother.

• Season 8 Episode 13: Arnold's Initiation

  Arnold must pull a cruel prank to join a club.

• Season 8 Episode 12: Arnold's Bad Rep

  Arnold lies about his relationship with a girl.

• Season 8 Episode 11: Bulimia

  Arnold suspects Kimberly has an eating disorder.

• Season 8 Episode 10: So You Want to Be a Rock Star

  A music teacher (Clarence Clemons) helps Arnold.

• Season 8 Episode 9: Speak No Evil

  Arnold and Drummond clash over free speech.

• Season 8 Episode 8: A Tale of Two Teachers

  A teacher gives lazy Arnold a unique punishment.

• Season 8 Episode 7: Willis Goes to College

  Freshman Willis heads off to college.

• Season 8 Episode 6: It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To

  Arnold books a celebrity for Sam's birthday.

• Season 8 Episode 5: Sam's Missing

  The police join the search for Sam.

• Season 8 Episode 4: Sam's Missing

  A stranger kidnaps Sam in the market.

• Season 8 Episode 3: Arnold's Job

  Arnold gets a job on a local newspaper.

• Season 8 Episode 2: Bully for Arnold

  A bully's girlfriend falls for Arnold.

• Season 8 Episode 1: Love on the Run

  Arnold and Sam boost their parents' romance.

Diff'rent Strokes: Season 7 (1984 - 1985)

• Season 7 Episode 24: A Special Friend

  Arnold and Sam befriend an epileptic performer.

• Season 7 Episode 23: Street Smarts

  Arnold seeks protection after being mugged.

• Season 7 Episode 22: Beauty Is in the Eye of Arnold

  Arnold's pals disapprove of a girl he likes.

• Season 7 Episode 21: A Camping We Will Go

  Sam's father invites himself on a camping trip.

• Season 7 Episode 20: Cheers to Arnold

  Arnold tries to stop a friend from drinking.

• Season 7 Episode 19: Russian Embassy

  Arnold's rocket lands atop the Soviet Embassy.

• Season 7 Episode 18: Harry Birthday Drummond

  The boys want to change their name to Drummond.

• Season 7 Episode 17: Sam's New Pal

  Sam's new buddy is a girl (Soleil Moon Frye).

• Season 7 Episode 16: Baseball Blues

  Sam asks Drummond to coach his baseball team.

• Season 7 Episode 15: Sam Adopts a Grandparent

  Sam takes on an irascible senior citizen.

• Season 7 Episode 14: The Gymnasts

  Drummond plans a surprise for a paraplegic boy.

• Season 7 Episode 13: Arnold the Entrepreneur

  Arnold and Sam become business competitors.

• Season 7 Episode 12: Arnold's Songbird

  Arnold is forced to look to Carmella for help.

• Season 7 Episode 11: Carmella Meets the Gooch

  An Italian student takes on a school bully.

• Season 7 Episode 10: Sam's Father

  Sam's father (Hoyt Axton) comes seeking custody.

• Season 7 Episode 9: Arnold Saves the Squirrel

  Arnold works to save TV idol Sandy Squirrel.

• Season 7 Episode 8: A Haunting We Will Go

  Arnold and Sam encounter a supposed ghost.

• Season 7 Episode 7: The Honorable Arnold J. Jackson

  Arnold becomes judge of the school court.

• Season 7 Episode 6: Arnold and Lisa's Mother

  Arnold plans to wreck Lisa's science project.

• Season 7 Episode 5: Tonsils

  Drummond and Sam enter the hospital together.

• Season 7 Episode 4: Arnold's Strike

  Arnold strikes against unfair school rules.

• Season 7 Episode 3: Undercover Lover

  Willis helps a police anti-drug operation.

• Season 7 Episode 2: Blue Collar Drummond

  Drummond secretly works in one of his factories.

• Season 7 Episode 1: Bed-wetting

  Sam struggles with bed-wetting.

Diff'rent Strokes: Season 6 (1983 - 1984)

• Season 6 Episode 24: Kathy's Olympics

  Arnold loses money collected for an event.

• Season 6 Episode 23: The Bar Mitzvah Boy

  A bar mitzvah has an effect on Arnold.

• Season 6 Episode 22: The Honeymoon's Over

  Arnold must baby-sit his new brother.

• Season 6 Episode 21: The Wedding

  Drummond and Maggie reach the altar.

• Season 6 Episode 20: The Wedding

  Drummond proposes a prenuptial agreement.

• Season 6 Episode 19: Hooray for Hollywood

  Arnold learns Drummond plans to wed.

• Season 6 Episode 18: Hooray for Hollywood

  Drummond chases Maggie to Hollywood.

• Season 6 Episode 17: The Hitchhikers

  Kidnapped Arnold manages to escape.

• Season 6 Episode 16: The Hitchhikers

  Kimberly and Arnold hitchhike.

• Season 6 Episode 15: Drummond's Lady

  Drummond falls for a TV exercise instructor.

• Season 6 Episode 14: The Boyfriend

  Lovestruck Kimberly lies to her father.

• Season 6 Episode 13: The Senior Class Queen

  Willis and Kimberly challenge stereotypes.

• Season 6 Episode 12: The Houseguest

  Charlene becomes the Drummonds' houseguest.

• Season 6 Episode 11: The Moonlighter

  Arnold catches his teacher moonlighting.

• Season 6 Episode 10: Mrs. Z

  Mr. Drummond becomes a target for extortion.

• Season 6 Episode 9: The Van Drummonds

  The Drummonds' Dutch cousins visit.

• Season 6 Episode 8: Drafted

  Arnold gets a draft registration notice.

• Season 6 Episode 7: Assert Yourself

  Arnold runs against Dudley for class president.

• Season 6 Episode 6: Mr. T and mr. t

  A girl snubs Arnold for Mr. T.

• Season 6 Episode 5: Coming of Age

  Kimberly plans to spend her trust fund.

• Season 6 Episode 4: The Lie

  Willis tells a lie, endangering Arnold.

• Season 6 Episode 3: The Goat

  Arnold is in Willis' shadow in junior high.

• Season 6 Episode 2: Where There's Smoke

  Arnold and Dudley try smoking.

• Season 6 Episode 1: Rashomon II

  The Drummond men remember a robbery differently.

Diff'rent Strokes: Season 5 (1982 - 1983)

• Season 5 Episode 24: My Fair Larry

  Larry the school thug sets his sights on Kimberley

• Season 5 Episode 23: Romeo and Juliet

  Arnold is tricked into playing Romeo, but isn't happy when he finds out who's playing Juliet

• Season 5 Episode 22: The Reporter

  Reporter Arnold gets support from Nancy Reagan.

• Season 5 Episode 21: Roommates

  Drummond and Arnold share a room for a week

• Season 5 Episode 20: The Cricket

  Drummond buys Arnold a pet cricket : much to the annoyance of the rest of the family

• Season 5 Episode 19: Hall Monitor

  Arnold helps a handicapped friend adjust to her new life, but in the process loses the respect and friendship of his classmates

• Season 5 Episode 18: Family on Ice

  Kimberley is surprised when her father agrees to let her train as a figure skater in LA

• Season 5 Episode 17: The Bicycle Man

  The molester moves in on Arnold and Dudley.

• Season 5 Episode 16: The Bicycle Man

  Anorld's friendship with his neighbour reaches a dangerous turning point

• Season 5 Episode 15: Independent Woman

  Kimberley's new boss makes a play for her in order to gain her father's favour

• Season 5 Episode 14: Parents Have Rights, Too

  With the kids away on a camping holiday, Mr Drummond looks forward to a relaxing weekend : but his plans soon go awry

• Season 5 Episode 13: A Growing Problem

  Willis decides to prove he's a man by going out drinking with his friends

• Season 5 Episode 12: Santa's Helper

  Arnold is conned into helping a corrupt Santa

• Season 5 Episode 11: The Executives

  Willis goes to work in Mr Drummond's office, where the power soon goes to his head

• Season 5 Episode 10: Push Comes to Shove

  Arnold has an argument with the building manager's son, plunging the entire Drummond household into uproar

• Season 5 Episode 9: A Case of Overexposure

  Arnold's dreams of winning the school election are dashed when Kimberly takes a damning photograph

• Season 5 Episode 8: Memories

  Arnold listens to an old voice recording of his mother and begins to behave strangely

• Season 5 Episode 7: The Older Woman

  Willis heads for trouble when he goes on a date with a sophisticated older woman

• Season 5 Episode 6: The Peacemaker

  Comedy about a wealthy widower who adopts two brothers from the backstreets of Harlem

• Season 5 Episode 5: Substitute Teacher

  Arnold and his friends decide to tell a white lie to get rid of a substitute teacher

• Season 5 Episode 4: Cyrano de Jackson

  Arnold tries to play Cupid : but his attempts backfire

• Season 5 Episode 3: Big Brother

  Arnold helps cure a friend's loneliness, but ends up alone himself

• Season 5 Episode 2: In the Swim

  Comedy about a wealthy widower who adopts two brothers from Harlem

• Season 5 Episode 1: Shoot Out at The OK Arcade

  Arnold sets out to beat Willis at a video game, but ends up addicted

Diff'rent Strokes: Season 4 (1981 - 1982)

• Season 4 Episode 24: Short But Sweet

  Arnold worries his height is restricting his chances with the girls

• Season 4 Episode 23: On Your Toes

  Comedy about a wealthy widower who adopts two brothers from Harlem

• Season 4 Episode 22: The Music Man

  Willis rigs an audition in order for his girlfriend to join his band, but Arnold's intervention jeopardises their relationship

• Season 4 Episode 21: Stress? What Stress?

  Drummond is diagnosed with stress - a situation Willis turns to his advantage

• Season 4 Episode 20: Lifesavers

  Willis saves Arnold from a near-fatal accident, but finds his brother's devotion a little overpowering

• Season 4 Episode 19: Have I Got a Girl for You

  Sophia decides to set Mr Drummond up with her hairdresser, but Arnold accidentally manages to scupper any chance of romance

• Season 4 Episode 18: Green Hair

  Drummond refuses to participate in local environmental issues : until Kimberley finds herself adversely affected

• Season 4 Episode 17: B.M.O.C.

  Willis tramples on Arnold's feelings in a desperate attempt to join an elite high school club

• Season 4 Episode 16: Crime Story :Part Two

  Part two of two. Arnold attempts to get his own back on the school bullies, but only ends up landing himself in even deeper trouble

• Season 4 Episode 15: Crime Story : Part One

  Part one of two. Arnold and his friend Dudley are scared by intimidating school bullies

• Season 4 Episode 14: The Car

  Willis's girlfriend plans on going for a drive with someone else, so he arranges a joyride neither of them will forget

• Season 4 Episode 13: Fire

  A fire breaks out in Mr Drummond's penthouse, and he tries to protect his family without letting them know anything is amiss

• Season 4 Episode 12: Dreams

  Arnold suffers a series of frightening nightmares

• Season 4 Episode 11: Kathy

  Arnold and his friend Kathy have some big challenges to face

• Season 4 Episode 10: The Squatter

  Drummond's apartment conversions upset an eccentric tenant

• Season 4 Episode 9: Burial Ground

  Arnold and Willis go on hunger strike to save a historical landmark

• Season 4 Episode 8: Jilted

  Willis' girlfriend goes on a date with another man when she tires of being taken for granted

• Season 4 Episode 7: Health Club

  The boys are faced with the prospect of telling Mr Drummond bad news

• Season 4 Episode 6: Big Heist

  Arnold is accepted into an elite club at school - but he must first pass an initiation test to become a fully fledged member

• Season 4 Episode 5: Double Date

  Arnold's excitement over his first real date is cut short by Mr Drummond's intervention

• Season 4 Episode 4: Hello Daddy

  A young man arrives and claims to be Drummond's third son. Gary Coleman stars

• Season 4 Episode 3: The Team

  Racial issues cause unhappiness in the Drummond household

• Season 4 Episode 2: First Day Blues

  Willis becomes involved in bad crowd on his first day of high school, and his efforts to please them could result in a possible jail term

• Season 4 Episode 1: The Ski Weekend

  Kimberley is faced with the biggest decision of her life. Comedy, starring Mary Jo Catlett

Diff'rent Strokes: Season 3 (1980 - 1981)

• Season 3 Episode 24: The Athlete

  Willis is head-hunted by the city's top high-school baseball team coach

• Season 3 Episode 23: The Model

  Kimberly gets a summer job as a model, but she is unsure of how her father will react

• Season 3 Episode 22: Growing Up

  Willis wishes he was older. Comedy, starring Todd Bridges

• Season 3 Episode 21: Room for One More

  Mr Drummond considers adopting one of Arnold's friends

• Season 3 Episode 20: The Ancestors

  Drummond and Sophie inherit a piece of land in Harlem, but their plans to donate it to the cultural centre could result in disaster if the truth about their ancestor is revealed

• Season 3 Episode 19: Drummond's Fair Lady

  Drummond encounters opposition at work regarding who will head a new division

• Season 3 Episode 18: Almost American

  Arnold is inspired by a meeting with an immigrant studying for American citizenship

• Season 3 Episode 17: Where There's Hope

  Arnold does not want a certain girl at his party.

• Season 3 Episode 16: The Older Man

  Kimberly pretends to be 20 to date an older man.

• Season 3 Episode 15: The Bus

  Arnold is accepted onto an exchange programme with an all-white school - but begins receiving threatening phone calls

• Season 3 Episode 14: Junk Food Junkie

  Comedy about a wealthy widower who adopts two brothers from Harlem

• Season 3 Episode 13: Roots

  The boys create havoc in the Drummond household in a bid to show they have not forgotten their cultural roots

• Season 3 Episode 12: The Loan

  Mr Drummond turns down Arnold's request for a loan, teaching him the true value of money

• Season 3 Episode 11: First Love

  Mr Drummond becomes concerned over Willis's school work when he spends all his time with his new love

• Season 3 Episode 10: Little Mother

  Willis and Arnold mistakenly think Kimberly is expecting a baby after she helps a pregnant friend

• Season 3 Episode 9: Count Your Blessings

  Arnold starts doing stretching exercises in a bid to increase his height

• Season 3 Episode 8: The Accident - Part Two

  Part two of two. Drummond eventually regains consciousness but finds he cannot remember anything

• Season 3 Episode 7: The Accident - Part One

  Part one of two. Drummond is involved in a drink driving accident on his 50th birthday

• Season 3 Episode 6: Substitute Mother

  Arnold embarks on a romantic scheme to make the temporary housekeeper he has fallen for a permanent part of the Drummonds' lives

• Season 3 Episode 5: Small Claims Court

  An unfortunate chain of events leads Arnold into a compromising situation

• Season 3 Episode 4: Football Father

  Mr Drummond deviously tries to reassure Arnold about his sporting prowess

• Season 3 Episode 3: The Bank Job - Part Two

  Part two of two. Willis and Arnold are kidnapped - so Mr Drummond offers himself and his company plane as a ransom

• Season 3 Episode 2: The Bank Job - Part One

  Willis and Arnold are kidnapped : so Mr Drummond offers himself and his company plane as a ransom

• Season 3 Episode 1: The Magician

  Arnold tries to impress a reporter with his magical abilities

Diff'rent Strokes: Season 2 (1979 - 1980)

• Season 2 Episode 24: The Squealer

  Willis tries to make new friends by joining a street gang

• Season 2 Episode 23: The Will

  Mr Drummond makes out his will, filling Arnold with misgivings

• Season 2 Episode 22: Slumber Party

  Willis is left in charge of the house during Kimberley's slumber party

• Season 2 Episode 21: Skin Deep or True Blue

  Kimberley believes she is in love with her boyfriend - until she discovers he is racist. Gary Coleman stars

• Season 2 Episode 20: Teacher's Pet

  Drummond goes to parents' evening, and ends up falling for one of Arnold's tutors

• Season 2 Episode 19: Valentine's Day Retrospective

  Arnold and Willis reminisce about the ups and downs of their lives. Gary Coleman stars

• Season 2 Episode 18: Return of the Gooch

  The Gooch returns to continue tormenting Arnold, but his victim vows to stand up for himself

• Season 2 Episode 17: Poor Drummond

  Drummund anxiously awaits news of a business deal, but the children do not like his tense mood

• Season 2 Episode 16: Big Business

  Willis and Arnold decide to sell brownies as part of a scheme to make extra money

• Season 2 Episode 15: Friendly Mate

  Mr Drummond tells Willis and Arnold he is lonely, so the boys organise a blind date for him through an online agency

• Season 2 Episode 14: The Election

  The Drummonds' sassy new housekeeper rallies behind the family when Phillip runs for a seat on the city council.

• Season 2 Episode 13: A Dog Story

  Arnold finds his life in danger after he is bitten by a dog. Comedy about a wealthy widower who adopts two brothers from the Harlem backstreets

• Season 2 Episode 12: Hot Watch

  Willis and Arnold are suspected of robbing their neighbours' house

• Season 2 Episode 11: Thanksgiving Crossover

  A Thanksgiving gathering of the Alders and Drummonds strains Phillip and Larry's (McLean Stevenson) long-standing friendship.

• Season 2 Episode 10: The Rivals

  Arnold falls for a girl in his class, and suffers from a bout of jealously when her attentions turn to Willis

• Season 2 Episode 9: Father and Son Day

  Willis gets competitive with another boy at the gym

• Season 2 Episode 8: Birds and Bees

  Willis tells Arnold a rather inaccurate version of the facts of life

• Season 2 Episode 7: The Adoption - Part Two

  Part two of two. A relative turns up claiming to have a letter from the boys' father giving him custody of Arnold and Willis

• Season 2 Episode 6: The Adoption : Part One

  Part one of two. The family celebrates Willis and Arnold's official adoption, until a relative puts their plans in jeopardy

• Season 2 Episode 5: Mrs Garrett's Romance

  The Drummond household are shocked to meet Mrs Garrett's boyfriend

• Season 2 Episode 4: Feudin' and Fussin'

  An endorsement from Arnold brings the Alders to New York City so Larry (McLean Stevenson) can audition for a job on television.

• Season 2 Episode 3: Arnold's Girlfriend - Part Two

  Part two of two. Arnold's life is at risk when he leaves hospital the night before his operation to have his appendix removed

• Season 2 Episode 2: Arnold's Girlfriend - Part One

  Part one of two. Arnold gets appendicitis and Mr Drummond finds a girl who is the key to persuading him to have the operation

• Season 2 Episode 1: Arnold's Hero

  Arnold dreams of meeting boxer Muhammad Ali.

Diff'rent Strokes: Season 1 (1978 - 1979)

• Season 1 Episode 24: The Girls' School

  Mrs Garrett visits Kimberly's school to confront the principal

• Season 1 Episode 23: Willis' Birthday

  It's Willis's birthday and he thinks that his family has forgotten

• Season 1 Episode 22: The Trip : Part Two

  Part two of two. Preparations are put in place by Mr Drummond to turn KLOW radio into an automated station

• Season 1 Episode 21: The Trip - Part One

  Mr. Drummond realizes that his company's plan to purchase a radio station could cost an old friend (McLean Stevenson) his job.

• Season 1 Episode 20: Getting Involved

  Arnold witnesses a hold-up, but the robber tries to make it clear that he won't identify him

• Season 1 Episode 19: The Job

  Willis gets a job to earn enough money to buy a pair of disco skates but is fired on his first day

• Season 1 Episode 18: Mrs Garrett's Crisis

  Mrs Garrett decides her job as a housekeeper is not fulfilling enough

• Season 1 Episode 17: Retrospective - Part Two

  Part two of two. The family members sit around the Christmas tree and look back at the funny things that have happened since Willis and Arnold moved in with them

• Season 1 Episode 16: Retrospective - Part One

  Part one of two. The family sit round the Christmas tree and look back at all the funny things that have happened since Willis and Arnold moved in with them

• Season 1 Episode 15: Willis' Privacy

  Willis cannot get any privacy so he splits the bedroom in half and spends a lot of time at a friend's house

• Season 1 Episode 14: The New Landlord

  Arnold tries to convince the landlord to let the family keep the penthouse. Sitcom with Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges

• Season 1 Episode 13: The Tutor

  Drummond hires a tutor for Willis and Arnold, who does nearly everything but teach

• Season 1 Episode 12: The Relative

  Willis and Arnold's cousin visits, and decides that she should stay closer to them

• Season 1 Episode 11: No Time for Arnold

  Arnold gets lonely and tries to get people's attention - but goes too far

• Season 1 Episode 10: The Woman

  Mr Drummond plans to remarry, but the children are unimpressed

• Season 1 Episode 9: The Club Meeting

  Willis invites his neighbourhood club from Harlem to visit, but things get out of hand

• Season 1 Episode 8: The Fight

  Willis wants to teach Arnold how to fight the neighbourhood bully, but Mr Drummond thinks they should use a different tactic

• Season 1 Episode 7: The Trial

  Arnold puts a goldfish in a hot tub, but Willis springs to his defence and insists on a trial

• Season 1 Episode 6: Goodbye Dolly

  Arnold gets upset because he cannot find his favourite doll

• Season 1 Episode 5: Prep School

  Mr Drummond decides to send Arnold and Willis to an exclusive prep school

• Season 1 Episode 4: Spanking

  Mr Dummond and Willis attempt to punish Arnold for dropping water balloons from the balcony - until the troublemaker disappears

• Season 1 Episode 3: Mother's Last Visit

  Mr Drummond's mum is not too keen on the brothers, but learns a very valuable lesson

• Season 1 Episode 2: The Social Worker

  Arnold overhears a conversation, but misunderstands what he has heard

• Season 1 Episode 1: Movin' In

  Arnold and Willis arrive at the penthouse, but soon try to return to their former life