"Diff'rent Strokes" (1978) TV series 1978-1986

Creators:

Dick Bensfield
Perry Grant
Jeff Harris
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | unknown

Release Date:

3 November 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

The misadventures of a rich Manhattan family who adopted the children of their late African American maid.

Plot Keywords:

Widower | African American | Millionaire | Child Actor | Cult TV

Awards:

2 wins & 30 nominations

Cast

Conrad Bain	...	Philip Drummond (180 episodes, 1978-1986)
Gary Coleman	...	Arnold Jackson (175 episodes, 1978-1986)
Todd Bridges	...	Willis Jackson (160 episodes, 1978-1986)
Dana Plato	...	Kimberly Drummond (133 episodes, 1978-1986)

Series Directed by
Gerren Keith		(137 episodes, 1979-1986)
Herbert Kenwith		(20 episodes, 1978-1979)
Mel Ferber		(8 episodes, 1984-1986)
Leslie H. Martinson		(2 episodes, 1984)
Selig Frank		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Tony Singletary		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Writing credits
Martin Cohan		(29 episodes, 1979-1984)
Howard Leeds		(29 episodes, 1979-1984)
Ben Starr		(20 episodes, 1978-1982)
Bruce A. Taylor		(17 episodes, 1981-1985)
Robert Jayson		(15 episodes, 1982-1986)
A. Dudley Johnson Jr.		(15 episodes, 1982-1986)
Ed Jurist		(12 episodes, 1979-1983)
Howard Meyers		(11 episodes, 1981-1984)
Blake Hunter		(11 episodes, 1982-1984)
Albert E. Lewin		(10 episodes, 1978-1983)
Bob Brunner		(9 episodes, 1984-1985)
Ken Hecht		(9 episodes, 1984-1985)
Glenn Padnick		(8 episodes, 1981-1985)
Alan Rosen		(7 episodes, 1978-1980)
Fred Rubin		(7 episodes, 1978-1980)
Dawn Aldredge		(7 episodes, 1980-1984)
John Donley		(7 episodes, 1981-1983)
Sandy Veith		(6 episodes, 1979-1981)
Jeff Harris		(4 episodes, 1978-1983)
Bernie Kukoff		(4 episodes, 1978-1983)
Fred S. Fox		(4 episodes, 1978-1981)
Seaman Jacobs		(4 episodes, 1978-1981)
Donald Ross		(4 episodes, 1980-1982)
Richard Gurman		(4 episodes, 1985-1986)
Jerry Winnick		(3 episodes, 1979-1981)
Dick Bensfield		(3 episodes, 1979)
Perry Grant		(3 episodes, 1979)
Debra Frank		(3 episodes, 1980-1982)
Scott Rubenstein		(3 episodes, 1980-1982)
Marshall Goldberg		(3 episodes, 1981-1983)
Paul Haggis		(3 episodes, 1982-1983)
Sydney Julien		(3 episodes, 1983-1984)
Mark Miller		(3 episodes, 1984)
Jose Rivera		(3 episodes, 1985)
Elaine Newman		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Joseph Sirota		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Norm Liebmann		(2 episodes, 1979)
Calvin Kelly		(2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Gordon Mitchell		(2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Bill Shinkai		(2 episodes, 1981-1983)
Warren S. Murray		(2 episodes, 1981-1982)
Kurt Taylor		(2 episodes, 1981-1982)
Bernard Burnell Mack		(2 episodes, 1982-1984)
Jack Gross Jr.		(2 episodes, 1983-1985)
Phil Margo		(2 episodes, 1983-1985)
Ifa Baeza		(2 episodes, 1984)
Michael Curley		(2 episodes, 1984)
Dan Kennicott		(2 episodes, 1984)
Al Aidekman		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Susan H. Lee		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Max Katz		(2 episodes, 1985)
Toni Wunsch		(2 episodes, 1985)
Janna Lowell		(2 episodes, 1986)

Series Produced by
Martin Cohan	....	producer / executive producer (141 episodes, 1979-1985)
Howard Leeds	....	executive producer / producer (128 episodes, 1978-1984)
John Maxwell Anderson	....	associate producer (106 episodes, 1978-1983)
Blake Hunter	....	executive producer (67 episodes, 1982-1985)
Ben Starr	....	producer (64 episodes, 1979-1982)
Roxie Wenk Evans	....	associate producer (45 episodes, 1983-1985)
Bob Brunner	....	supervising producer / executive producer (41 episodes, 1984-1986)
Ken Hecht	....	supervising producer / executive producer (41 episodes, 1984-1986)
Bruce A. Taylor	....	producer (24 episodes, 1984-1985)
Herbert Kenwith	....	producer (21 episodes, 1978-1979)
Al Aidekman	....	producer (17 episodes, 1985-1986)
Barbara Cramer	....	associate producer (17 episodes, 1985-1986)
Richard Gurman	....	producer (17 episodes, 1985-1986)
Budd Grossman	....	executive producer (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Rita Dillon	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1979)
Heywood Kling	....	producer (2 episodes, 1979)
Patricia Fass Palmer	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1979)

Series Cinematography by
J. Bruce Nielsen		(5 episodes, 1982-1984)
Alan Keath Walker		(2 episodes, 1984)
Tony Yarlett		(2 episodes, 1985)

Series Film Editing by
Bill Petty		(26 episodes, 1978-1979)
Abe Schwartz		(16 episodes, 1980-1984)
Skip Collector		(9 episodes, 1985-1986)
Rob Bramwell		(8 episodes, 1979-1980)
Gregory Bennett		(6 episodes, 1980)
Henry Chan		(5 episodes, 1984-1985)
Kelly Sandefur		(3 episodes, 1979)
M.A. Krupnick		(3 episodes, 1980)

Series Casting by
Eve Brandstein		(52 episodes, 1978-1981)
Pat Kirkland		(9 episodes, 1979-1983)
Marc Hirschfeld		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Production Design by
Chuck Murawski		(9 episodes, 1982-1985)
Don Roberts		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Art Direction by
Chuck Murawski		(57 episodes, 1978-1982)
Dahl Delu		(9 episodes, 1982-1985)
Don Roberts		(2 episodes, 1979)

Series Set Decoration by
Scott Heineman		(5 episodes, 1982-1984)
Richard Wineholt		(2 episodes, 1984)
Patricia Suzanne Bruner		(2 episodes, 1985)

Series Costume Design by
Margery Epstein		(52 episodes, 1978-1981)
Sandra Baker		(8 episodes, 1981-1983)
Stephanie Fox		(6 episodes, 1984-1986)
James Alvarez		(3 episodes, 1979)
Betsey Potter		(3 episodes, 1979)
Kathleen Ernde		(2 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Makeup Department
JoAnn Stafford-Chaney	....	hair stylist / hairdresser (62 episodes, 1978-1986)
Jennifer Kaplan	....	makeup artist (35 episodes, 1978-1980)
Wynona Price	....	makeup artist (26 episodes, 1980-1986)
Sylvia Surdu	....	hair stylist (6 episodes, 1978)
Verne Langdon	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1979)
Evelyn Trimmer	....	hair stylist (2 episodes, 1979)
Jim Ruffino	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Jennifer Danzig	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1980)
Chris Brice	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1981-1982)

Series Production Management
Alan Horn	....	production supervisor (65 episodes, 1978-1981)
Ken Stump	....	in charge of production (65 episodes, 1983-1986)
Al Burton	....	production supervisor (50 episodes, 1981-1983)
Glenn Padnick	....	production supervisor (42 episodes, 1984-1986)
Douglas Wellman	....	unit manager (28 episodes, 1981-1982)
Schatzie Allen	....	unit manager (12 episodes, 1979)
Dick Brooks	....	unit manager (11 episodes, 1978-1979)
Tyna Huebner	....	unit manager (11 episodes, 1979-1980)
Roger Mills	....	unit manager (10 episodes, 1980)
Myra Kumagae	....	unit manager (7 episodes, 1980-1981)
Jim Gaston	....	unit manager (4 episodes, 1981-1982)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Drew Handley	....	associate director (23 episodes, 1979-1980)
John Richard Banicki	....	associate director (15 episodes, 1980-1983)
Selig Frank	....	associate director (4 episodes, 1983-1984)
Joanie Rhodes	....	associate director (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Arlando Smith	....	associate director (2 episodes, 1985)

Series Art Department
Norm Peterson	....	property master (21 episodes, 1978-1979)
Steve Hill	....	property master (12 episodes, 1980-1982)
Dahl Delu	....	assistant art director (5 episodes, 1981-1982)
Jocko Kearns	....	property master (5 episodes, 1984-1986)
Larry Phillips	....	property master (3 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Sound Department
Ron Worrell	....	audio (25 episodes, 1979-1981)
Kerry Boggio	....	audio (17 episodes, 1978-1979)
Russ Gary	....	audio (6 episodes, 1983-1985)
Sam Mallaun	....	audio (4 episodes, 1981-1982)
Robert Houston	....	audio / sound (3 episodes, 1979-1981)
Chris Chigaridas	....	audio / sound (2 episodes, 1979)
James L. Mylenek	....	audio (2 episodes, 1979)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Dale Carlson	....	camera operator (37 episodes, 1984-1986)
Ken Schamp	....	lighting director (23 episodes, 1979-1982)
Pat Day	....	lighting director (21 episodes, 1978-1979)
Ritch Kenney	....	camera operator (20 episodes, 1983-1984)
John O'Brien	....	video controller (16 episodes, 1985-1986)
Ken Wilcox	....	lighting director (9 episodes, 1979-1980)
Tom Schamp	....	lighting director (4 episodes, 1978-1981)
Robin Strickland	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1982-1985)

Series Casting Department
Jane Murray	....	casting executive / principal casting executive (66 episodes, 1978-1985)
Stephen Kolzak	....	executive in charge of casting (2 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Music Department
Al Burton	....	composer: theme music (180 episodes, 1978-1986)
Gloria Loring	....	composer: theme music / composer: theme (180 episodes, 1978-1986)
Alan Thicke	....	composer: theme music / composer: theme (180 episodes, 1978-1986)
John LaSalle	....	composer: theme music (3 episodes, 1979)
Tom Smith	....	composer: theme music (3 episodes, 1979)

Series Other crew
Al Burton	....	production consultant (65 episodes, 1978-1981)
Chris Klausen	....	production assistant / stage manager (63 episodes, 1983-1986)
Susan Straughn Harris	....	production associate / assistant to producers / ... (57 episodes, 1978-1985)
Alan Rosen	....	story editor (45 episodes, 1978-1980)
Fred Rubin	....	story editor (45 episodes, 1978-1980)
Fran McConnell	....	production consultant / production supervisor (45 episodes, 1982-1986)
Len Uslaner	....	technical director (30 episodes, 1978-1982)
Stu Goldman	....	stage manager (29 episodes, 1979-1981)
Jackie Henken	....	stage manager (26 episodes, 1979-1981)
John Banicki	....	associate director (22 episodes, 1978-1979)
Howard Miller	....	stage manager (22 episodes, 1978-1979)
Ben Starr	....	executive script consultant (22 episodes, 1978-1979)
Ed Jurist	....	executive script consultant / script consultant (21 episodes, 1980-1982)
Richard Draney	....	stage manager (18 episodes, 1979-1986)
John Westbrook	....	technical director (18 episodes, 1979-1980)
Norm Liebmann	....	program consultant / production consultant (17 episodes, 1978-1979)
Patricia Edwards	....	stage manager (16 episodes, 1978-1979)
Howard Meyers	....	story editor (12 episodes, 1981-1984)
Gloria Vinson	....	production associate (10 episodes, 1979)
Glenn Padnick	....	production consultant (10 episodes, 1981-1984)
Bernard F. Basley	....	stage manager (8 episodes, 1981-1984)
Paul Haggis	....	story editor (8 episodes, 1982-1983)
Dick Woodka	....	technical director (7 episodes, 1978-1981)
John Donley	....	story editor / program consultant (7 episodes, 1981-1983)
Michael Talley	....	stage manager (6 episodes, 1979)
Robert Jayson	....	story editor / program consultant / ... (6 episodes, 1983-1986)
A. Dudley Johnson Jr.	....	story editor / program consultant / ... (6 episodes, 1983-1986)
A. Chisholm Halle	....	stage manager (5 episodes, 1979-1981)
Bruce A. Taylor	....	executive story editor (5 episodes, 1982-1984)
Art Dielhenn	....	associate director (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Sydney Julien	....	production consultant (4 episodes, 1982-1984)
Chris Donovan	....	technical director (4 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jose Rivera	....	program consultant / story editor (4 episodes, 1984-1986)
Ed Cervantes	....	production consultant (4 episodes, 1984-1985)
Tom Doak	....	technical director (4 episodes, 1984-1985)
Catherine Kelly	....	production coordinator (4 episodes, 1984-1985)
Jim Mancuso	....	stage manager (4 episodes, 1984-1985)
Susan Jacoby	....	production associate / assistant to producers (3 episodes, 1979)
Randy Winburn	....	associate director (2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Lisa Benscheidt	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1979)
Dick Bensfield	....	creative consultant (2 episodes, 1979)
David Eisenbise	....	technical director (2 episodes, 1979)
Perry Grant	....	creative consultant (2 episodes, 1979)
Karyl Miller	....	story editor (2 episodes, 1979)
Mikki Capparelli	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1981-1983)
Gordon Mitchell	....	story supervisor (2 episodes, 1981)
Ifa Baeza	....	program consultant (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Mark Miller	....	story editor (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Scot Hunter	....	technical manager (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Jim Ralston	....	technical director (2 episodes, 1985-1986)

Production Companies

• Embassy Pictures Corporation
• Embassy Television
• Norman Lear/Tandem Productions

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1978-1985)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1985-1986)
• Columbia Pictures Television
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Television
• Embassy Telecommunications
• Embassy Television
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (complete fourth season)
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (complete third season)
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)

Other Companies

• ABC Television Center  taping location
• Compact Video  production facilities
• Metromedia Square  taping location
• Universal City Studios  taping location
• Vidtronics  production facilities

Also Known As:

Runtime:

30 min | USA:30 min (189 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | USA:TV-PG | Singapore:PG | Australia:G (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

5746 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Embassy Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

With Conrad Bain's death on January 14, 2013, Todd Bridges, Charlotte Rae, Mary Jo Catlett, Mary Ann Mobley, and Danny Cooksey are the last surviving cast members.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Arnold Jackson:Watchoo talkin' 'bout?

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: Road to Rupert (#5.9)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Diff'rent Strokes

Like a lot of shows that prominently featured children started out good and faded as they grew older.

I watched this show as a child and I enjoyed it for what it was. However, as the show got older even I could see that Gary Coleman was getting a bit to old for the role and that is of course when they did what every show featuring children who age do. Do they simply end the show gracefully...No! They try to keep the show alive, by interjecting a younger kid to try and bring the cute factor the show once had and lost when the children grew up. They did this on numerous shows, this is one of the few that I actually saw that did it. I watched Brady Bunch a bit when I was a kid, but I have never seen an Oliver episode. This show is about a wealthy guy who takes in the children of a former maid or something. That is about all there is to it. He has a daughter of his own and he raises the children the best he can as they go out in the world and face all of life's little challenges, including a guy who kidnaps young Arnold (Gary Coleman) and Kimberly (Dana Plato) in an episode that was a bit much considering this show was aimed at the family market. I mean you want your child to be safe and all, but you also do not want them becoming fearful and paranoid. They also had one where cute little Sam (the youth interjection) got kidnapped as well. Then they have an episode where they basically try to capitalize on the success of the film "Ghostbusters". So in recap this is a show that should have stayed on four or five years tops, but tried to keep the show going as long as possible and weakening what little did work.