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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 Little Mother
    7.8/10(88 votes)

    #4 - Little Mother

    S3:E7

    Kimberly's efforts to help a pregnant girl friend, have Willis and Arnold convinced the Kimberly's the one expecting.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Ed Jurist
  5. Background image for Football Father
    7.8/10(92 votes)

    #5 - Football Father

    S3:E8

    After Arnold fails to measure up to the demands of the basketball, baseball and volleyball teams, Drummond convinces the boy to try football on for size and then pays the coach a clandestine visit to ensure Arnold a place on the team.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
  6. Background image for Street Smarts
    7.8/10(71 votes)

    #6 - 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
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes

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  8. Background image for The Bank Job (1)
    7.7/10(98 votes)

    #7 - The Bank Job (1)

    S3:E1

    Willis accompanies Arnold as he sets out to withdraw some money from his bank account to pay for his first ""real"" date, but two bank robbers force a change of plans when they attempt their own, very large withdrawal, in the first episode of a special two-part story.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for A Special Friend
    7.7/10(87 votes)

    #8 - 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
  10. Background image for Small Claims Court
    7.5/10(78 votes)

    #9 - Small Claims Court

    S3:E3

    Arnold has his day in court when an unfortunate ""train"" of events puts him at odds with a less than understanding merchant.

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

    #10 - 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
  12. Background image for Undercover Lover
    7.5/10(69 votes)

    #11 - 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
  13. Background image for The Gymnasts
    7.5/10(69 votes)

    #12 - 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
  14. Background image for Sam's New Pal
    7.5/10(66 votes)

    #13 - 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
  15. Background image for The Bank Job (2)
    7.4/10(78 votes)

    #14 - The Bank Job (2)

    S3:E2

    Drummond offers himself and his company airplane as hostages to protect Arnold and Willis, but his sons' future hangs in the balance when the robbers announce their own very different choice of hostages, in the conclusion of a special two-part story.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for Roots
    7.4/10(73 votes)

    #15 - Roots

    S3:E12

    Willis and Arnold turn the Drummond household upside down as they try to prove to their old Harlem neighbors -- and themselves -- that they haven't lost tough with their cultural roots.

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  17. Background image for The Bus
    7.4/10(82 votes)

    #16 - The Bus

    S3:E14

    Arnold's excitement at being one of a small group of students in an exchange program with an all-white school is turned to fear by a threatening phone call from a zealous busing opponent.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for Harry Birthday Drummond
    7.4/10(70 votes)

    #17 - 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
  19. Background image for Sam's Missing (1)
    7.4/10(97 votes)

    #18 - 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
  20. Background image for The Photo Club
    7.4/10(73 votes)

    #19 - 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
  21. Background image for Substitute Mother
    7.3/10(74 votes)

    #20 - Substitute Mother

    S3:E4

    Arnold falls head-over-heels for a temporary housekeeper and embarks on a romantic scheme he hopes will make her a permanent member of the Drummond household.

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  22. Background image for Count Your Blessings
    7.3/10(73 votes)

    #21 - Count Your Blessings

    S3:E10

    Arnold tries a regimen of stretching exercises and a change of diet to speed his growth, but Drummond finds he must go to a very special source to get the boy to accept that he will never be tall.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for Junk Food Junkie (a.k.a.) Junk Food
    7.3/10(85 votes)

    #22 - Junk Food Junkie (a.k.a.) Junk Food

    S3:E13

    Arnold's poor dental checkup and a visit by Drummond's health-conscious sister, Sophia, launches Drummond on a campaign to have ""junk"" food machines banned from Arnold's school, even though Arnold's drive for his class' presidency may depend on keeping the machines in place.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown
  24. Background image for The Older Man
    7.3/10(76 votes)

    #23 - The Older Man

    S3:E15

    Through Blair's makeup artistry, 15-year-old Kimberly discovers she can pass for 20, but when she accepts a date with a 25-year-old and the passes start flying, she finds there may be more to being older than looking it.

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    Director:Gerren Keith
    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".