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The Best Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes Season 3

Every episode of Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes Season 3!

Binge this in Unknown•Peaking at 7.8/10

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

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 1 - The Bank Job (1)
    7.8/10(102 votes)

    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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 7 - Little Mother
    7.8/10(96 votes)

    S3:E7

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

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Ed Jurist

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  3. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 8 - Football Father
    7.8/10(98 votes)

    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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Donald Ross

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  4. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 14 - The Bus
    7.6/10(88 votes)

    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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 4 - Substitute Mother
    7.5/10(81 votes)

    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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writers:Debra Frank, Scott Rubenstein

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  6. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 10 - Count Your Blessings
    7.5/10(80 votes)

    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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 12 - Roots
    7.5/10(79 votes)

    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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Howard Meyers

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  8. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 2 - The Bank Job (2)
    7.4/10(82 votes)

    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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 3 - Small Claims Court
    7.4/10(83 votes)

    S3:E3

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

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 13 - Junk Food Junkie (a.k.a.) Junk Food
    7.4/10(91 votes)

    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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 15 - The Older Man
    7.3/10(82 votes)

    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.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 19 - The Ancestors
    7.3/10(78 votes)

    S3:E19

    Drummond and his sister Sophia inherit a prime piece of land in Harlem from a long lost ancestor, but their plan to dedicate it to a cultural center in his name could spell disaster if the truth of their ancestor's life gets out.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Ed Jurist

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  13. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 5 - The Accident (1)
    7.2/10(89 votes)

    S3:E5

    The festive family celebration of Drummond's 50th birthday suddenly becomes a disaster after a drunk driver puts Drummond in the hospital, unconscious, his life hanging in the balance, in the first episode of a special two-part story.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 6 - The Accident (2)
    7.0/10(82 votes)

    S3:E6

    When Drummond finally comes to, he is suffering from amnesia and unless he can regain his memory, he may lose not only his business, but also custody of Arnold, Willis and Kimberly.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 17 - The Magician (a.k.a.) It's Magic
    7.0/10(79 votes)

    S3:E17

    Arnold's ""famous"" magic disappearing act, designed to impress a magazine reporter and special guest star Dallas Cowboys' defensive end Ed ""Too Tall"" Jones, leaves him dangerously high and dry, with no place to go but down -- about 30 stories.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 20 - Almost American
    7.0/10(74 votes)

    S3:E20

    Arnold's dejection at being grounded for a ""D"" on a history test turns to inspiration after an immigrant studying for naturalization introduces him to another perspective on America.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 16 - Where There's Hope
    6.9/10(78 votes)

    S3:E16

    Arnold's tenth birthday party means a lot to him, but for some reason it means a whole lot more to the one person he's determined won't be invited -- a pesky young lady who always tries just too hard to be friends.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Howard Meyers

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  18. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 9 - First Love
    6.8/10(79 votes)

    S3:E9

    Drummond orders Willis to spend more time with his studies and less time with his ""first love,"" but Willis and Arnold concoct a plan they're sure will fulfill the wishes of both father and son.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 11 - The Loan
    6.7/10(81 votes)

    S3:E11

    Arnold learns the true value of a dollar when Drummond turns down his request to lend $4,000 to the apartment building doorman anxious to take part in an attractive business deal.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 18 - Drummond's Fair Lady
    6.2/10(93 votes)

    S3:E18

    Drummond runs into some stiff competition to the candidate he's chosen to head a new division of his company -- his board members think the attractive young executive's sex disqualifies her -- and his family thinks he's being used.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 21 - Room for One More
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    S3:E21

    Dudley, fearing his foster father's lost job means he's headed back to the orphanage, cons Arnold into getting Drummond to consider adopting him into their family.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Seaman Jacobs

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  22. Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 Episode 22 - The Athlete
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    S3:E22

    The coach of the city's top high school baseball team is after Willis and is prepared to do anything to make it possible for Willis to attend his school.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Gordon Mitchell

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Season 3 Ratings Summary

"The Bank Job (1)" is the best rated episode of "Diff'rent Strokes" season 3. It scored 7.8/10 based on 102 votes. Directed by Gerren Keith and written by Unknown, it aired on 11/12/1980. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Little Mother".