"Diff'rent Strokes"
The Adoption: Part 1 (1979)

Director:

Gerren Keith

Writers:

Alan Rosen (writer)
Fred Rubin (writer)

TV Series:

"Diff'rent Strokes" (1978)

Original Air Date:

31 October 1979 (Season 2, Episode 8)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

Mr. Drummond's plans to officially adopt Arnold and Willis are delayed when a man claiming to be the boys' cousin claims he was promised custody in their father's will. |

Plot Keywords:

African American | Sitcom | Adoption | Millionaire | New York City

Cast

Conrad Bain	...	Philip Drummond
Gary Coleman	...	Arnold Jackson
Todd Bridges	...	Willis Jackson
Dana Plato	...	Kimberly Drummond
Charlotte Rae	...	Edna Garrett
Whitman Mayo	...	Jethro Simpson
Sue Ann Gilfillan	...	Ms. Harrison
Matthew 'Stymie' Beard	...	The Man (as Stymie Beard)
James Reynolds	...	Mr. Payton
Robert Rockwell	...	Tom Bishop (as Bob Rockwell)

Trivia:

This episode and the next ones were meant to be vehicles for Redd Foxx to return to NBC playing Fred Sanford, after leaving "Sanford and Son" (1972) two and a half years earlier -- in fact, the TV Guide description for the show lists Foxx as playing Fred. He didn't, and the role was hurriedly rewritten and recast (the shows were postponed for a few weeks). However, Foxx did agree to return to the Fred Sanford role in the "Sanford" series a few months later.