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The Best Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes

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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 Undercover Lover
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - Undercover Lover

    S7:E4

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

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  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.""

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Ed Jurist
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  4. Background image for Mr. T and mr. t
    7.8/10(87 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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  5. Background image for The Hitchhikers (1) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (1)
    7.8/10(84 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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  6. Background image for The Hitchhikers (2) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (2)
    7.8/10(82 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.

    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 A Growing Problem
    7.7/10(78 votes)

    #7 - A Growing Problem

    S5:E13

    At 16, Willis thinks he's man enough and old enough to ""top"" a few drinks with the guys, but Drummond's objections send Willis storming out of the house intent on proving his father wrong.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Ed Jurist
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  9. Background image for My Fair Larry (a.k.a.) My Fair Lady
    7.7/10(153 votes)

    #8 - My Fair Larry (a.k.a.) My Fair Lady

    S5:E24

    School ""thug"" Larry coerces Willis into teaching him how to ""make it"" with girls, but things go from bad to worse when Larry's first target is Willis' sister Kimberly.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  10. Background image for Mrs. Z
    7.7/10(74 votes)

    #9 - 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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  11. Background image for The Wedding (1)
    7.7/10(77 votes)

    #10 - 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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  12. Background image for The Bicycle Man (1)
    7.6/10(159 votes)

    #11 - The Bicycle Man (1)

    S5:E16

    Unaware that he's being lured into the carefully crafted trap of a child molester, Arnold eagerly agrees to perform a simple task in return for an overly generous reward from a ""friendly"" neighborhood merchant.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  13. Background image for The Bicycle Man (2)
    7.6/10(144 votes)

    #12 - The Bicycle Man (2)

    S5:E17

    Arnold and Dudley's ""friendship"" with a local merchant reaches a dangerous turning point when, unbeknownst to the boys, the man, who is actually a child molester, is about to make his move.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  14. Background image for Family on Ice
    7.6/10(65 votes)

    #13 - Family on Ice

    S5:E18

    Kimberly is overjoyed when Olympic Gold Medalist Dorothy Hamill sees great promise in her as a competitive figure skater, but she's even more astounded when Drummond agrees to let her leave the New York ""nest"" to train full time with the award-winning skater -- in Los Angeles.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  15. Background image for Where There's Smoke
    7.6/10(66 votes)

    #14 - 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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  16. Background image for The Trial
    7.5/10(117 votes)

    #15 - The Trial

    S1:E7

    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.

    Writer:Unknown
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  17. Background image for The Woman
    7.5/10(110 votes)

    #16 - The Woman

    S1:E12

    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.

    Writer:Unknown
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  18. Background image for Arnold's Girlfriend (1)
    7.5/10(104 votes)

    #17 - Arnold's Girlfriend (1)

    S2:E1

    Arnold has appendicitis and Drummond has to deal with the bigotry of Fred Tanner, a potential housing project investor whose daughter is the key to getting Arnold to sit still for the operation.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  19. Background image for Substitute Teacher
    7.5/10(79 votes)

    #18 - Substitute Teacher

    S5:E6

    Arnold and his buddies fabricate a ""little white lie"" in an attempt to get rid of an overly-conscientious substitute teacher, but their tell tale could result in more than just removing the teacher from the classroom -- it could destroy his entire career.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  20. Background image for Memories
    7.5/10(73 votes)

    #19 - Memories

    S5:E9

    A long lost trunk returned to the boys contains a tape recording of their deceased mother which brings to the surface a previously unrecognized problem that triggers uncharacteristic behavior from a usually happy-go-lucky Arnold.

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  21. Background image for The Reporter
    7.5/10(83 votes)

    #20 - The Reporter

    S5:E22

    Determined to prove he didn't fabricate a story about drug abuse in his grade school just to win a journalism contest, Arnold takes his article to the New York City newspaper sponsoring the competition, and when they run his story on the front page, Arnold receives some unexpected more support from First Lady Nancy Reagan.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  22. Background image for Drummond's Lady
    7.5/10(68 votes)

    #21 - 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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  23. Background image for Sam's Missing (1)
    7.5/10(98 votes)

    #22 - 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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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  24. Background image for Retrospective (2)
    7.4/10(116 votes)

    #23 - Retrospective (2)

    S1:E9

    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.

    Writer:Unknown
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  25. Background image for The Job (a.k.a.) Willis' Job
    7.4/10(117 votes)

    #24 - The Job (a.k.a.) Willis' Job

    S1:E19

    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.

    Writer:Unknown
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  26. Background image for Mrs. Garrett's Romance
    7.4/10(86 votes)

    #25 - Mrs. Garrett's Romance

    S2:E5

    The Drummond household's curiosity over Mrs. Garrett's new beau turns first to surprise and then to alarm. Mrs. Garrett is in a dither over her first date with Leon, especially when it is followed by a very important question.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
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Best Episodes Summary

"Undercover Lover" is the best rated episode of "Diff'rent Strokes". It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Gerren Keith and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/20/1984. This episode scored 2.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Ski Weekend".