Bernie Kukoff
Director
Diff'rent Strokes (1978)
Season 4
The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman named Phillip Drummond and his daughter Kimberly, for whom their deceased mother previously worked. During the first season and first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred as the Drummonds' housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett.
Released Nov. 3, 1978
Episode 29 min
10+
Keywords: tmdb.wealthy, tmdb.orphan, tmdb.manhattan-new-york-city, tmdb.sitcom, tmdb.family-relationships, tmdb.class-differences, tmdb.widower + 53 more, tmdb.interracial-adoption, tmdb.adopted-child, tmdb.brother-brother-relationship, tmdb.african-american, imdb.famous-opening-theme, imdb.catch-phrase, imdb.9-year-old, imdb.13-year-old, imdb.8-year-old, imdb.12-year-old, imdb.laugh-track, imdb.bunk-bed, imdb.interracial-family, imdb.intentionally-misspelled-title, imdb.apostrophe-in-title, imdb.two-word-title, imdb.cult-tv, tmdb.child-care, imdb.1970s, imdb.1980s, imdb.manhattan-new-york-city, imdb.culture-clash, imdb.wealth, imdb.class-differences, imdb.adopted-child, imdb.adopted-son, imdb.little-boy, imdb.teenager, imdb.teenage-girl, imdb.housekeeper, imdb.maid, imdb.widower, imdb.millionaire, imdb.african-american, imdb.father-daughter-relationship, imdb.brother-sister-relationship, imdb.brother-brother-relationship, imdb.father-son-relationship, imdb.single-parent, imdb.single-father, imdb.orphan, imdb.interracial-adoption, imdb.family-relationships, imdb.new-york, imdb.child-actor, imdb.new-york-city, imdb.adoption, imdb.sitcom, imdb.sitcom-comedy, imdb.20th-century, imdb.child-abuse, imdb.bigotry, imdb.racism
Watch Providers: Tubi TV
Production Companies: Norman Lear/Tandem Productions, Embassy Television, Embassy Pictures Corporation, Tandem Productions
Network: ABC
Country: United States
Languages:
English
S4E1 - Growing Up
His friends' stories of their sexual exploits convince Willis it's time he ""became a man""--now he must convince his steady girl friend Charlene.
Oct. 29, 1981, midnight
S4E2 - First Day Blues
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.
Nov. 5, 1981, midnight
S4E3 - The Model
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.
Nov. 12, 1981, midnight
S4E4 - The Team
A happy household is torn by the repercussions of meeting racial quotas -- Drummond faces a lawsuit when he hires a black man from outside his company for a prized executive position and Willis seeks justice when told his color is the only thing preventing him from making the school's predominantly black basketball team.
Nov. 19, 1981, midnight
S4E5 - The Big Heist
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.
Nov. 26, 1981, midnight
S4E6 - Double Date (a.k.a.) Blind Date
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.
Dec. 3, 1981, midnight
8.0
S4E7 - The Ski Weekend
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, daddy's ""little girl.""
Dec. 10, 1981, midnight
S4E8 - Health Club
Arnold and Willis face a puzzling dilemma -- how to tell Drummond that the award he worked so hard for comes from a health club with a ""restricted membership.""
Dec. 17, 1981, midnight
S4E9 - Burial Ground
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.
Jan. 7, 1982, midnight
S4E10 - Hello, Daddy
Does Drummond have a third son, there's a young man at the door who claims he does and that he is.
Jan. 14, 1982, midnight
8.0
S4E11 - Jilted
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.
Jan. 21, 1982, midnight
7.0
S4E12 - Dreams
A cancelled fishing trip leaves Arnold having a series of bad dreams that the entire family loses sleep over, until a psychiatrist's examination reveals what really is causing his nighttime terror.
Jan. 28, 1982, midnight
S4E13 - Kathy
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.
Feb. 4, 1982, midnight
S4E14 - Fire
A fire traps Drummond and his family in their penthouse and has him ""working"" overtime trying to protect them without letting on that there's anything wrong.
Feb. 11, 1982, midnight
S4E15 - The Squatter
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.
Feb. 18, 1982, midnight
S4E16 - The Car
When his girl friend plans on taking a drive with someone else, a careless Willis -- refusing to be outdone -- gets an idea for a real joy ride neither of them will forget.
Feb. 25, 1982, midnight
S4E17 - Crime Story (Part 1) (a.k.a.) Crime in the Schools
Arnold and his friend Dudley are scared to death by two teenage bullies who pose the intimidating demand ""your lunch money or your life.""
March 11, 1982, midnight
S4E18 - Crime Story (Part 2) (a.k.a.) Crime in the Schools
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.
March 18, 1982, midnight
S4E19 - B.M.O.C.
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.
March 25, 1982, midnight
S4E20 - Green Hair
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.
April 1, 1982, midnight
S4E21 - Have I Got a Girl for You
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.
April 8, 1982, midnight
S4E22 - Lifesavers
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.""
April 15, 1982, midnight
S4E23 - Stress? What Stress?
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.""
April 22, 1982, midnight
S4E24 - The Music Man
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.
May 6, 1982, midnight
S4E25 - Short But Sweet
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.
May 13, 1982, midnight
S4E26 - On Your Toes
A famed choreographer encourages Arnold to learn ballet, but his youthful dancing days could be numbered when Willis' taunting remarks convince Arnold to drop out of an upcoming recital.
May 20, 1982, midnight
Network: ABC
Episode Runtime: 29 min.
Season Runtime: 204 min.
Released: Nov. 3, 1978
Last Air Date: March 7, 1986, midnight
Status: Ended
Certification: TV-PG
Common sense age: 10+
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