Diff'rent Strokes Episode Rating Graph

A crucially important business deal keeps Mr. Drummond on edge and Arnold and Willis wondering whether they pack for a California vacation or move back to Harlem.

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.

The stars of "Diff'rent 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. **Part two originally aired as an episode of "Hello, Larry".

The kids devise a scheme hoping to make Arnold convince the new landlord to let the family keep the penthouse.

When Mrs. Garrett decides her life as a housekeeper is unfulfilling, she ends up being a guest in the Drummond home, and then makes an important decision concerning the future.

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

Leaving Willis in charge of the house for Kimberly's slumber party is a mistake Mr. Drummond soon regrets as the ensuing chaos disrupts his own date with a lovely lady. The Facts of Life stars Mindy Cohn, Kim Fields, Julie Anne Haddock, and Molly Ringwald guest star.

The ""Gooch"" is back and this time he's terrorizing Arnold, but Arnold plans to be ready when the bully strikes. In building Arnold's confidence, Willis convinces him that his martial arts lesson has given him a ""killer"" foot.

Arnold's 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 Arnold's dream will come true.

Mr. Drummond's intention to marry an attractive widow doesn't meet with his children's approval, and Arnold, Willis and Kimberly devise a scheme they hope will turn his ""romantic"" proposal into a disaster.

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.

Drummond puts his convictions on the line to run for city council, and rooting him on are Arnold, Willis, Kimberly, and an ""unexpected"" new addition to the household. Nedra Volz plays Adelaide Brubaker, the small but sassy housekeeper who helps Drummond mobilize the family for a ""win.""

The Drummond family celebrates the day Arnold and Willis are supposed to be officially adopted until the visit of a ""relative"" leaves their plans in jeopardy. Whitman Mayo guest stars as Jethro Simpson, who sees his way to go from junk to jewels in a last will and testament leaving a fortune to Willis and Arnold.

Arnold's well-intentioned endorsement of Larry Alder's hosting talents to a New York TV big-wig gives Larry the opportunity of a lifetime and brings the family to the big apple. Larry's 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 stars of "Diff'rent 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.

When Arnold is witness to a hold up, the robber tries to ensure that the youngster will not identify him.

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.

Arnold saves a dog's 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.

When Arnold is in trouble for putting his goldfish in Mr. Drummond's 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 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 puts Arnold in training to fight the local bully, but Mr. Drummond insists more civilized solutions be employed.

Arnold's eavesdropping leads to trouble when a misunderstanding causes Willis and him to think that Mr. Drummond no longer wants them around; he has heard Drummond tell a social worker that ""black children belong with black families.""

When Mr. Drummond tries to get Arnold and Willis into an exclusive prep school, it turns out to be just a little too exclusive for everyone's tastes.

Guarding the school bully's 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.

Unaware that he's being lured into the carefully crafted trap of a child molester, Arnold eagerly agrees to perform a simple task in return for an overly generous reward from a ""friendly"" neighborhood merchant.

When Willis takes his steady girl friend for granted, his selfishness sends her out with another guy -- who won't ignore her, but there may be hope for happiness if a self-appointed Cupid succeeds in his plan.

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 Drummond's new housekeeper Mrs. Garrett and his 13-year-old daughter Kimberly.

Discovered in the wrong place at the wrong time, Willis and Arnold become prime suspects when their neighbor's apartment is robbed and they're caught with one of the stolen items. Mr. Drummond is convinced of his sons' innocence even though Willis' fingerprints are all over the place.

It appears that Mr. Drummond's 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.

Arnold's well-intentioned endorsement of Larry Alder's hosting talents to a New York TV big-wig gives Larry the opportunity of a lifetime and brings the family to the big apple. Larry's 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. **Part two originally aired as an episode of "Hello, Larry".

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 family's Valentine's 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.

Kimberly's new beau, Roger, suggests pairing his sister with Willis for a double-date, until he finds out the color of his true love's brother. When Kimberly discovers her new friend is a bigot, her face burns red and then a far darker shade.

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

Willis' cut-throat competitiveness with another boy at his gym leads him to a decision that he will very much regret, especially after it hurts Mr. Drummond and gives Arnold the right to say ""I told you so."" Baseball great Reggie Jackson makes his acting debut playing a key, but unsuspecting role in Willis' questionable scheme.

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

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 isn't big enough to hold the exploding tempers that threaten Phil and Larry's 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 doesn't necessarily make for good business.

Arnold tries a regimen of stretching exercises and a change of diet to speed his growth, but Drummond finds he must go to a very special source to get the boy to accept that he will never be tall.

After Arnold fails to measure up to the demands of the basketball, baseball and volleyball teams, Drummond convinces the boy to try football on for size and then pays the coach a clandestine visit to ensure Arnold a place on the team.

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.

Mr. Drummond's socialite and rather snobbish mother arrives and finds there's a lot she doesn't like about her son's new sons, but she soon learns a valuable lesson about what's really important in a person.

Sam and Arnold fear that the time their parents are spending apart is a symptom of an ailing marriage and the boys attempt to give them a dose of romance, hoping it will be the cure that will keep them from divorce.

Willis' fishy version of the facts of life leaves Arnold with misconceptions and Mr. Drummond on tender hooks. Arnold repeats his ""knowledge"" to a neighbor's daughter, but the girl's mother is not amused.

Mrs. Garrett visits Kimberly's school and takes on its pushy principal with surprising results.

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.

Arnold and Dudley's ""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.

Arnold's tenth birthday party means a lot to him, but for some reason it means a whole lot more to the one person he's determined won't be invited -- a pesky young lady who always tries just too hard to be friends.

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.

Willis and Arnold scheme to make extra ""dough"" by selling brownies, only to discover they can't stand the heat of big business and may soon have to get out of the kitchen.

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.

Through Blair's 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.

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

Arnold falls head-over-heels for a temporary housekeeper and embarks on a romantic scheme he hopes will make her a permanent member of the Drummond household.

A camping trip with Arnold and Sam intended to strengthen Drummond's relationship with Sam goes awry when Sam's real father shows up and invites himself along.

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.

Arnold's first day at junior high is emotionally devastating when he's shunned for not measuring up to the expectations that everyone had for Willis Jackson's brother, but Arnold devises a risky scheme that he feels certain will elevate his prestige.

Drummond runs into some stiff competition to the candidate he's chosen to head a new division of his company -- his board members think the attractive young executive's sex disqualifies her -- and his family thinks he's being used.

Arnold ignores warnings and continues to drop water balloons from the balcony. Mr. Drummond's 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 where's Arnold?

Arnold's 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.

Kimberly is overjoyed when Olympic Gold Medalist Dorothy Hamill sees great promise in her as a competitive figure skater, but she's even more astounded when Drummond agrees to let her leave the New York ""nest"" to train full time with the award-winning skater -- in Los Angeles.

To try to curb Arnold's run of bad luck, Drummond gives him a pet cricket, but the Japanese ""good luck charm"" brings nothing but sleepless nights and dreams of ""pesticide"" to the rest of the household.

Stress is diagnosed as the cause of hard-working Drummond's 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 must face the bare facts -- his chances of winning a prestigious school election seem desperately slim, thanks to an ""overexposed"" candid campaign photo taken by sister Kimberly.

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

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

Determined to prove he didn't fabricate a story about drug abuse in his grade school just to win a journalism contest, Arnold takes his article to the New York City newspaper sponsoring the competition, and when they run his story on the front page, Arnold receives some unexpected more support from First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Arnold's dejection at being grounded for a ""D"" on a history test turns to inspiration after an immigrant studying for naturalization introduces him to another perspective on America.

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 brother's ""insensitive"" actions to heart.

An adamant Drummond ignores sister Sophia's pleas to get involved in a group effort to combat air pollution, until Kimberly becomes victimized by the unnatural phenomenon.

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.

Willis becomes the middleman in a police effort to halt use and trafficking of drugs at his high school.

Does Drummond have a third son, there's a young man at the door who claims he does and that he is.

A quick-thinking, fast-acting Willis saves Arnold from a near-fatal accident and in doing so unleashes an adoring monster who dedicates his life to repaying his ""hero.""

Arnold's 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.

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 Drummond's prestigious company.

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

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.""

Arnold doesn't know when to leave well enough alone after Willis comes to his rescue, he gets himself involved in an ""undercover"" scheme to capture the ""punks"" at school who have been harassing him.

Arnold feels shortchanged, he's growing older but he's not getting any taller and he's convinced that's the reason why he doesn't have a girl friend.

Arnold's unexpected confrontation with the new building manager's son leads to a chilling series of events that could get the entire Drummond family evicted.

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 father's office.

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 Sam's parents if he attempts in any way to escape.

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

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.

School ""thug"" Larry coerces Willis into teaching him how to ""make it"" with girls, but things go from bad to worse when Larry's first target is Willis' sister Kimberly.

Arnold and Pearl fall into a depression when Maggie and Phillip return from their honeymoon with a temporary eviction notice for Pearl, and orders for Arnold to babysit for his ""tag-along"" little brother Sam instead of going to a party.

The money for the National Wheelchair Games that Arnold's class has raised and entrusted to him is missing--leaving Arnold embarrassed and his family ""in the dumps.""

Arnold is elated when he's 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.

Arnold fears that his loved ones are checking out of his life when he stumbles upon Drummond's will and then uncovers the fact that his goldfish has given up the ghost.

Willis seeks comradeship as a member of the Tarantulas, a street gang, but finds only deceit as he gets caught in a web of misplace loyalties. Willis allows himself to be arrested rather than ""squeal"" on his fellow-gang members by telling the truth.

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 Sam's roommate while having some ""minor"" knee surgery.

When Sam visits a taping of ""The Sandy Squirrel Show"" he is overcome by the news his favorite television idol is about to be cancelled, but it's big brother Arnold to the rescue as he rallies the Boy Scouts of Manhattan to demand the Squirrel be given a reprieve.

Sam's contempt for a classmate who incessantly insults and badgers him is pacified when he learns that the boy is an orphan who's jealous of Sam's ""perfect"" family life.

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.

Arnold's dream of becoming an ""overnight"" success as a photo-journalist run headlong into reality when he gets his first job on a local newspaper.

Arnold's big plans for his first real ""date"" are quickly deflated when parental-imposed restrictions threaten to ruin his encounter before it ever gets off the ground.

Maggie's reaction to a proposed pre-nuptial agreement threatens to hamper Phillip's happiness -- but could eliminate Arnold's fear about ""inheriting"" a strict new mother and a pesky little brother.

In order to be elected the entertainment chairman for a school charity fundraiser, Arnold promises to get a celebrity but when it's time to deliver, he's forced to look to his nemesis Carmella for help, hoping she can save the day.

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.

When Drummond finally comes to, he is suffering from amnesia and unless he can regain his memory, he may lose not only his business, but also custody of Arnold, Willis and Kimberly.

Willis sets what he's sure is a ""cinch"" audition for girl friend Charlene to sing with his musical group, but his ""big plane"" hit a sour not when Arnold's intervention threatens to destroy both Charlene's chances with the group and her relationship with Willis.

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

Willis has the normal jitters on his first day of high school, and in his hurry to make friends, hooks up with a bad group, goes overboard to impress them, and, for his efforts could wind up in jail.

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

Arnold and his buddies fabricate a ""little white lie"" in an attempt to get rid of an overly-conscientious substitute teacher, but their tell tale could result in more than just removing the teacher from the classroom -- it could destroy his entire career.

Kimberly's 18th birthday present from daddy -- a trust fund -- will make her a wealthy woman, but her free-spirited dreams of independence could be cut short when Drummond discovers just how she intends to spend her ""fortune.""

Kimberly and Arnold break a long-standing family rule and face death when, on their return from a shopping trip, they find themselves short of cash and decide to hitch a ride home rather than call home for assistance.

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

Blinded by love, Kimberly takes an enormous and deceptive risk when she talks her father into allowing her to move into an apartment, allegedly with her girl friend.

Drummond's surprise meant to encourage an Olympic hopeful felled by a tragic accident backfires when the young man instead becomes embittered at meeting the 1984 Men's Olympic Gold Medal-winning Gymnastics Team until Willis and Sam take on the challenge of setting things right.

When Arnold's rocket for his school project is accidentally set off and lands atop the Russian Embassy, the state department is led to suspect the Drummond's participation is foul play.

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

Drummond offers himself and his company airplane as hostages to protect Arnold and Willis, but his sons' future hangs in the balance when the robbers announce their own very different choice of hostages, in the conclusion of a special two-part story.

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 he's displacing.

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.