"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:

Although it had an adjoining bathroom with Arnold and Willis's room, Kimberly's bedroom was never seen on the show. Mr Drummond's bedroom was only very rarely seen.

Quotes:

Philip Drummond:I'm sorry, Mrs. Garrett. I didn't mean to startle you.
Edna Garrett:Oh Mr. Drummond, it's very dangerous to sneak up behind me. I'm going to karate class, and I just got an 'A' in "kicking where it hurts".

Movie Connections:

Featured in "20 to 1: Child Stars: Where Are They Now? (#6.6)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Diff'rent Strokes

Makes me Wish I didn't know the truth!

Watching the true Hollywood story on E! about the cast of Different Strokes was heartbreaking, after all, two of the three cast members had substance abuse problems and the star, Gary Coleman, had problems with his parents that he sued them. It's sad to watch the show, I wish I didn't know Dana Plato's problems because now I see how much she wanted her life to be like Kimberly Drummond. Conrad Bain was great as the father figure of the show. Of course, he was supposed to only be acting but I think he became a paternal figure to those youngsters. We went Mrs. Edna Garrett played by the wonderful Charlotte Rae who got her own show without all the drama of Different Strokes. She escaped it. I never approved of them dissing Dixie Carter for Mary Ann Mobley. I like them both in the role as the second Mrs. Drummond. Of course, there was the guest appearances of First Lady Nancy Reagan preaching against drugs. How little did we know the truth? Gary Coleman never escaped the image of the chubby cute kid on Different Strokes. Dana Plato who is gone to a better place never did get to experience the life of Kimberly Drummond except when she was on the set. I only wish Todd and Gary best for their future. I only wished that the off-screen drama was cut down for their sakes. I feel guilty getting laughs knowing that they went home and cried or faced abuse.