Diff'rent Strokes is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and subsequently on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986.
Mr. Drummond's mother (Irene Tedrow) visits and is surprised when she sees that his new sons are black, so he tries to make her get over her racial prejudices.
Mr. Drummond enrolls Arnold and Willis at his former school, but the headmaster (Howard Morton) makes arrangements for them to fail their entrance exams.
Produced later in the season but brought forward to be broadcast at Christmas, the rerun version features clips from "The Fight".
Arnold takes martial arts lessons to defend himself against the Gooch, then gets in trouble when Willis convinces him he has a "killer foot."
Torn between defying Drummond and losing face, Willis ultimately lands in jail (along with his new "friends") for vandalism; so does he learn that there's a time and a place for everything...even "squealing" and "copping out".
Mr. Drummond does not want Willis to see his girlfriend Charlene (Janet Jackson) because it is interfering with his schoolwork, so the two make secret arrangements to be together.
Kimberly dons a wig for a class play and ends up getting a date with an older man (Lou Richards), so Arnold and Willis try to put a stop to it.
A fast-talking baseball coach woos Willis for a high school team and uses expensive gifts and deception to attain his goal.
Willis has trouble making friends at his new school, until it is discovered that his family is rich, so he gets asked to buy marijuana for a party.
Arnold and Dudley befriend a bicycle shop owner named Mr. Horton (Gordon Jump), a pedophile seeking new victims.
After watching a pornographic cartoon at the bicycle shop, Arnold leaves Dudley behind and Mr. Drummond calls the authorities.
Mr. Drummond tries to make a business deal with exercise instructor Maggie McKinney (Dixie Carter) and falls in love with her.
A policeman helps Arnold remember by hypnotizing him and getting him to reveal the license plate number of the kidnapper so the police can track him down to arrest him.
After the police arrested the man, Kimberly and Arnold have reunited with the family and to celebrate Mr. Drummond's birthday party.
Mr. Drummond travels to Hollywood and proposes to Maggie and finds out she has a young son named Sam (Danny Cooksey).
Meanwhile, Arnold and Dudley try to meet the star of Knight Rider (David Hasselhoff) and sneak into a car on the set that's about to be blown up.
Sam new tomboy friend (Soleil Moon Frye) stays the night for a sleepover, which makes both of their fathers nervous.
Royce D. Applegate portrays family man Donald Brown, whose wife (Ronne Troup) and he have never recovered from the death of their son.
During the middle of a home makeover, the Drummonds learn of Sam's kidnapping and they distribute flyers and go on the news to raise awareness.
Mr. Drummond and Maggie are too busy to spend time together, which has Sam worried that their marriage may be in trouble, so he and Arnold put together a romantic evening for the two of them.
He even recruits Sam as lead vocalist (since Robbie, the only other member with singing experience, makes Alfalfa Switzer sound like Freddie Mercury).