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The Worst Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes

Every episode of Diff'rent Strokes ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Diff'rent Strokes!

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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 Worst Episode
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    Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 Episode 23 - Willis' Birthday
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    S1:E23

    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.

    Director:Herbert Kenwith
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 Episode 24 - The Girls School (a.k.a.) Garrett's Girls
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    S1:E24

    Mrs. Garrett visits Kimberly's school and takes on its pushy principal with surprising results.

    Director:Herbert Kenwith
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Diff'rent Strokes Season 2 Episode 25 - Arnold Faces Fatality (a.k.a.) The Will (a.k.a.) Drummond's Will
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    S2:E25

    Arnold fears that his loved ones are checking out of his life when he stumbles upon Drummond's will and then uncovers the fact that his goldfish has given up the ghost.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Diff'rent Strokes Season 2 Episode 26 - The Squealer
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    S2:E26

    Willis seeks comradeship as a member of the Tarantulas, a street gang, but finds only deceit as he gets caught in a web of misplace loyalties. Willis allows himself to be arrested rather than ""squeal"" on his fellow-gang members by telling the truth.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Ed Jurist

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  5. 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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  6. 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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  7. Diff'rent Strokes Season 6 Episode 24 - The Boyfriend
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    S6:E24

    Blinded by love, Kimberly takes an enormous and deceptive risk when she talks her father into allowing her to move into an apartment, allegedly with her girl friend.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writers:Mark Miller, Howard Meyers

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  8. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 19 - The Front Page
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    S8:E19

    Arnold's feature story about his high school football team threatens to turn into a controversial expose for the school newspaper when he witnesses team members buying steroids.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 Episode 8 - Retrospective (1)
    6.1/10(119 votes)

    S1:E8

    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.

    Director:Herbert Kenwith
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. 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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  11. Diff'rent Strokes Season 2 Episode 19 - Big Business
    6.3/10(82 votes)

    S2:E19

    Willis and Arnold scheme to make extra ""dough"" by selling brownies, only to discover they can't stand the heat of big business and may soon have to get out of the kitchen.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Ed Jurist

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  12. Diff'rent Strokes Season 6 Episode 6 - The Van Drummonds
    6.4/10(81 votes)

    S6:E6

    A short visit to the United States by Phillip Drummond's Dutch cousin Anna and her son Hans becomes an eternity for Arnold and Willis, who are made scapegoats for cousin Hans' mischief.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Paul Haggis

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  13. Diff'rent Strokes Season 2 Episode 10 - Father and Son Day
    6.5/10(99 votes)

    S2:E10

    Willis' cut-throat competitiveness with another boy at his gym leads him to a decision that he will very much regret, especially after it hurts Mr. Drummond and gives Arnold the right to say ""I told you so."" Baseball great Reggie Jackson makes his acting debut playing a key, but unsuspecting role in Willis' questionable scheme.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Diff'rent Strokes Season 4 Episode 19 - B.M.O.C.
    6.5/10(74 votes)

    S4:E19

    Willis' obsession with joining an ""exclusive"" high school club rocks the Drummond household and leaves several victims in its wake, including a shaken Arnold who takes his brother's ""insensitive"" actions to heart.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 8 - So You Want to Be a Rock Star
    6.5/10(77 votes)

    S8:E8

    A music instructor ""backs up"" Arnold after he claims to be an expert sax player in order to impress a girl.

    Director:Mel Ferber
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Diff'rent Strokes Season 6 Episode 19 - The Wedding (2)
    6.6/10(69 votes)

    S6:E19

    Their family and friends assembled, Phillip and Maggie meet at the altar, only to realize each has made a major mistake, in the concluding part of a special two-part story. Charlotte Rae, Dody Goodman, Janet Jackson and Nedra Volz, each of who had appeared in recurring roles on ""Diff'rent Strokes,"" return as their original characters for the Drummond nuptials.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 9 - Speak No Evil
    6.6/10(71 votes)

    S8:E9

    Father and son are feuding over First Amendment rights when an outraged Arnold objects to a white supremacy organization speaking at his high school and a discerning Drummond can't support Arnold's fury on the basis of the American right to free speech.

    Directors:Gerren Keith, Glenn Padnick
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. 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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  19. Diff'rent Strokes Season 4 Episode 23 - Stress? What Stress?
    6.7/10(76 votes)

    S4:E23

    Stress is diagnosed as the cause of hard-working Drummond's frequent attacks of pain, but suddenly young, healthy and ""normal"" Willis learns that he, too, is a prime candidate for the same debilitating ""attacks.""

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Diff'rent Strokes Season 5 Episode 11 - The Executives
    6.7/10(76 votes)

    S5:E11

    Willis learns that even a little power in the wrong hands can be dangerous when he oversteps the bounds of his authority in his afterschool job at his father's office.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 3 - Bully for Arnold
    6.7/10(74 votes)

    S8:E3

    Guarding the school bully's girlfriend, Ramona, seems like a simple task to Arnold, until his natural Jackson ""charm"" creates some problems, Ramona falls head over heels for him and Herman, the bully, wants to rearrange his face.

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Diff'rent Strokes Season 8 Episode 14 - Sam's Big Brother
    6.7/10(69 votes)

    S8:E14

    Arnold's preoccupation with girls and school leaves younger brother Sam alone and bored until Willis steps in, takes over as ""big bro"" and causes a row when Arnold decides to fight back for the title.

    Director:Mel Ferber
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 Episode 4 - Prep School
    6.8/10(134 votes)

    S1:E4

    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.

    Director:Herbert Kenwith
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 Episode 6 - Goodbye Dolly
    6.8/10(135 votes)

    S1:E6

    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.

    Director:Herbert Kenwith
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Diff'rent Strokes Season 2 Episode 4 - Feudin' and Fussin' (2)
    6.8/10(90 votes)

    S2:E4

    Arnold's well-intentioned endorsement of Larry Alder's hosting talents to a New York TV big-wig gives Larry the opportunity of a lifetime and brings the family to the big apple. Larry's try-out as a New York television talk-show house may be doomed from the start, one disaster follows another and not everyone on the Alder team may be rooting for him to win the job. **Part two originally aired as an episode of "Hello, Larry".

    Director:Gerren Keith
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Willis' Birthday" is the worst rated episode of "Diff'rent Strokes". It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Herbert Kenwith and written by Unknown, it aired on 4/13/1979. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "The Girls School (a.k.a.) Garrett's Girls".