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The Best Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes

Every episode of Diff'rent Strokes ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes!

The Best Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes

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...

Seasons8

  1. Background image for The Trip (2)
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - The Trip (2)

    S1:E21

    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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    Director:Unknown
  2. Background image for The Ski Weekend
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #2 - The Ski Weekend

    S4:E7

    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.""

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  3. Background image for Jilted
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #3 - Jilted

    S4:E11

    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.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Ed Jurist
  4. Background image for Mr. T and mr. t
    7.8/10(86 votes)

    #4 - Mr. T and mr. t

    S6:E1

    Arnold's ecstasy over meeting his hero Mr. T goes from elation to emulation when the young girl he's trying to impress snubs him in favor of his idol. Former bouncer and bodyguard Mr. T, who came to national prominence as Sylvester Stallone's opponent in ""Rocky III"" and was the star of the hit television series ""The A-Team,"" makes a special guest appearance as ""The A-Team's"" B.A.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  5. Background image for The Hitchhikers (1) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (1)
    7.8/10(83 votes)

    #5 - The Hitchhikers (1) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (1)

    S6:E14

    Kimberly and Arnold break a long-standing family rule and face death when, on their return from a shopping trip, they find themselves short of cash and decide to hitch a ride home rather than call home for assistance.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  6. Background image for The Hitchhikers (2) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (2)
    7.8/10(81 votes)

    #6 - The Hitchhikers (2) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (2)

    S6:E15

    Hitchhiking leads to kidnapping for Arnold and Kimberly, but Arnold escapes and he is so disoriented he is unable to remember the location of the kidnapper's apartment so that the police can rescue Kimberly who's till being held captive.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes

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  8. Background image for Mrs. Z
    7.7/10(73 votes)

    #7 - Mrs. Z

    S6:E10

    Drummond's provided with police protection of a most unusual kind after his charitable philanthrophy leads to a $1,000,000 extortion threat against him.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for The Wedding (1)
    7.7/10(75 votes)

    #8 - The Wedding (1)

    S6:E18

    Maggie's reaction to a proposed pre-nuptial agreement threatens to hamper Phillip's happiness -- but could eliminate Arnold's fear about ""inheriting"" a strict new mother and a pesky little brother.

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  10. Background image for Street Smarts
    7.7/10(69 votes)

    #9 - Street Smarts

    S7:E23

    Although Arnold boasts he held his own in a mugging, Drummond fears the incident goes deeper than Arnold will admit and becomes concerned when he finds Arnold has sought a dangerous method of protection.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for A Special Friend
    7.7/10(86 votes)

    #10 - A Special Friend

    S7:E24

    Arnold and Sam's new friendship with a street performer gets mired in fear and confusion when they discover she has epilepsy.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for Where There's Smoke
    7.5/10(65 votes)

    #11 - Where There's Smoke

    S6:E12

    Arnold and Dudley succumb to peer pressure and ignore warnings against cigarette smoking, only to have the harsh realities brought to light by Dudley's father, a chronic smoker.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for Drummond's Lady
    7.5/10(67 votes)

    #12 - Drummond's Lady

    S6:E13

    Arnold unwittingly solves his father's dilemma -- trying to make romance and finance go hand-in-hand -- when Drummond finds himself falling for an attractive local television aerobics instructor that his company is attempting to turn into an international success. Veteran Broadway and television actress Dixie Carter is introduced in the role of fitness instructor Maggie McKinney.

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  14. Background image for A Haunting We Will Go
    7.5/10(91 votes)

    #13 - A Haunting We Will Go

    S7:E1

    When Arnold and Sam creep through the crevices of the neighborhood's haunted house they find the ghost boasts a bounty of surprises--the biggest being a love for people and contempt for war.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for Undercover Lover
    7.5/10(68 votes)

    #14 - Undercover Lover

    S7:E4

    Willis becomes the middleman in a police effort to halt use and trafficking of drugs at his high school.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for Sam's New Pal
    7.5/10(66 votes)

    #15 - Sam's New Pal

    S7:E17

    Sam is taken aback when he realizes his new ""buddy"" is a girl, but Mr. Drummond is even more dumbfounded when the kids want to have a sleepover.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for The Senior Class Queen
    7.4/10(66 votes)

    #16 - The Senior Class Queen

    S6:E11

    When Kimberly starts a campaign to open the school's Lettermen's Club to female membership, an embarrassed Willis retaliates with chauvinistic aplomb by becoming the first male contestant in the Senior Class Beauty Pageant.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for Hooray for Hollywood (2)
    7.4/10(72 votes)

    #17 - Hooray for Hollywood (2)

    S6:E17

    Arnold's joy over being saved from an explosion by ""Knight Rider's"" David Hasselhoff quickly turns to dismay when he learns his father is getting married and a little brother comes along with the package.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  19. Background image for The Gymnasts
    7.4/10(68 votes)

    #18 - The Gymnasts

    S7:E10

    Drummond's surprise meant to encourage an Olympic hopeful felled by a tragic accident backfires when the young man instead becomes embittered at meeting the 1984 Men's Olympic Gold Medal-winning Gymnastics Team until Willis and Sam take on the challenge of setting things right.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  20. Background image for Harry Birthday Drummond
    7.4/10(69 votes)

    #19 - Harry Birthday Drummond

    S7:E16

    Kimberly returns home from school in Paris to surprise Drummond on his birthday prompting Arnold and Willis to try and match her special gift, they decide to change their name to Drummond, until Willis suddenly has second thoughts.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for Sam's Missing (1)
    7.4/10(95 votes)

    #20 - Sam's Missing (1)

    S8:E1

    A family whose little boy died, forces the father to kidnap Sam, who is shopping for some snacks in a grocery store. After the kidnapping, the man threatens to kill Sam's parents if he attempts in any way to escape.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  22. Background image for The Photo Club
    7.4/10(73 votes)

    #21 - The Photo Club

    S8:E18

    Arnold is disgruntled over being partnered with archenemy Lisa in photography class but his frustration soars when the two are accidentally locked together in the basement darkroom.

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    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for The Bar Mitzvah Boy
    7.3/10(71 votes)

    #22 - The Bar Mitzvah Boy

    S6:E21

    In a quest for religion started by Maggie and his father, Arnold thinks he has found it after attending an impressive bar mitzvah where his friend ""Becomes a man"" at age 13.

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    Director:Linda Day
    Writer:Unknown
  24. Background image for Kathy's Olympics
    7.3/10(67 votes)

    #23 - Kathy's Olympics

    S6:E22

    The money for the National Wheelchair Games that Arnold's class has raised and entrusted to him is missing--leaving Arnold embarrassed and his family ""in the dumps.""

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  25. Background image for Arnold the Entrepreneur
    7.3/10(65 votes)

    #24 - Arnold the Entrepreneur

    S7:E8

    Entrepreneur Arnold reluctantly allows Sam to be a part of his new scheme, when Sam realizes only Arnold will reap the profits, he breaks up the partnership and becomes the competition.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  26. Background image for The Big Bribe
    7.3/10(69 votes)

    #25 - The Big Bribe

    S8:E17

    A date with a gorgeous girl has Arnold walking on a cloud, until he learns she was bribed by Willis to go out with him.

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    Director:Mel Ferber
    Writer:Unknown

Best Episodes Summary

"The Trip (2)" is the best rated episode of "Diff'rent Strokes". It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Woody Kling, it aired on 3/30/1979. This episode scored 2.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Ski Weekend".