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.
Where to watch
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Tubi TV
see all options Availability data: JustWatch
- Seasons
- 8
- Episodes aired
- 189
- Latest aired
- S08E19
- Total runtime
- 14h 19min
Timeline when each season aired
- Season 1 November 1978 – May 1979 24 episodes
- Season 2 September 1979 – March 1980 26 episodes
- Season 3 November 1980 – May 1981 22 episodes
- Season 4 October 1981 – May 1982 26 episodes
- Season 5 October 1982 – May 1983 24 episodes
- Season 6 October 1983 – May 1984 24 episodes
- Season 7 September 1984 – May 1985 24 episodes
- Season 8 September 1985 – March 1986 19 episodes
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S01E01 Movin' In
November 3 · 25min find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E02 The Social Worker
November 10 · 25min find the promo
Show synopsis
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.""
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S01E03 Mother's Last Visit
November 17 · 25min find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E04 Prep School
November 24 · 25min find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E05 The Spanking
December 1 · 25min find the promo
Show synopsis
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?
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S01E06 Goodbye Dolly
December 8 · 25min find the promo
Show synopsis
When Arnold loses his favorite doll, he makes sure that his misery is shared equally by the various members of his household, who soon try everything to get it back.
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S01E07 The Trial
December 15 find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E08 Retrospective (1)
December 29 · 25min find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E09 Retrospective (2)
December 29 find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E10 The Fight
January 5 find the promo
Show synopsis
Willis puts Arnold in training to fight the local bully, but Mr. Drummond insists more civilized solutions be employed.
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S01E11 The Club Meeting
January 12 find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E12 The Woman
January 19 find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E13 No Time for Arnold
January 26 find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E14 The Relative
February 2 find the promo
Show synopsis
LaWanda Page guest stars as a cousin of Willis and Arnold who, after seeing the boys in their comfortable new surroundings, knows she should stay closer to her long-lost little relatives.
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S01E15 The Tutor
February 9 find the promo
Show synopsis
Drummond hires a tutor for Willis and Arnold who does practically everything but teach.
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S01E16 The New Landlord
February 16 find the promo
Show synopsis
The kids devise a scheme hoping to make Arnold convince the new landlord to let the family keep the penthouse.
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S01E17 Willis' Privacy
February 23 find the promo
Show synopsis
To get rid of his pesky little brother, Willis divides the bedroom in half and spends more time at his friend's house.
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S01E18 Mrs. Garrett's Crisis
March 2 find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E19 The Job (a.k.a.) Willis' Job
March 16 find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E20 The Trip (I)
March 30 find the promo
Show synopsis
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. The crossover continues on Hello, Larry S01E10 The Trip (II).
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S01E21 The Trip (2)
March 30 find the promo
Show synopsis
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".
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S01E22 Getting Involved
April 6 · 30min find the promo
Show synopsis
When Arnold is witness to a hold up, the robber tries to ensure that the youngster will not identify him.
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S01E23 Willis' Birthday
April 13 find the promo
Show synopsis
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.
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S01E24 The Girls School (a.k.a.) Garrett's Girls
May 4 find the promo
Show synopsis
Mrs. Garrett visits Kimberly's school and takes on its pushy principal with surprising results.