Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, respectively, two African-American boys from Harlem taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman and widower, Phillip Drummond, and his daughter, Kimberly, for whom their deceased mother previously worked. During the first season and first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred as Mrs. Edna Garrett, the Drummonds' first housekeeper, who ultimately spun off into her own sitcom, The Facts of Life, as a housemother at the fictional Eastland School. The second housekeeper, Adelaide Brubaker, was played by Nedra Volz. The third housekeeper, Pearl Gallagher, was played by Mary Jo Catlett, appearing first as a recurring character before eventually becoming a main cast member.
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Jeff Harris, Bernie Kukoff |
| Written by | Ben Starr, Budd Grossman, Howard Leeds, Martin Cohan, Michael Russnow |
| Directed by | Herbert Kenwith, (season 1), Gerren Keith, Mel Ferber, Tony Singletary |
| Starring | Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, Dana Plato, Charlotte Rae, Nedra Volz, Mary Jo Catlett, Shavar Ross, Janet Jackson, Dixie Carter, Mary Ann Mobley, Danny Cooksey |
| Theme music composer | Alan Thicke, Al Burton, Gloria Loring |
| Opening theme | "It Takes Diff'rent Strokes" |
| Ending theme | "It Takes Diff'rent Strokes" (seasons 1–7, 1978–1985), (instrumental in season 8, 1985–1986) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 189 |
| Executive producer(s) | Budd Grossman, (season 1), Howard Leeds, (seasons 2–6), Blake Hunter, (seasons 5–7), Martin Cohan, (season 7), Bob Brunner, Ken Hecht, (season 8) |
| Producer(s) | Howard Leeds, Herbert Kenwith, (season 1), Martin Cohan, (seasons 1–6), Ben Starr, (seasons 2–4), Bruce Taylor, (season 7), Al Aidekman, Richard Gurman, (season 8) |
| Location(s) | Metromedia Square, Hollywood, California (1978–82), Universal City Studios, Universal City, California (1982–85), ABC Television Center, Hollywood, California (1985–86) |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 24 mins. |
| Production company(s) | Tandem Productions, (1978–1986), Embassy Television, (1985–1986), (season 8) |
| Distributor | Embassy Telecommunications, Columbia Pictures Television 1989–1995, Columbia TriStar Television, Sony Pictures Television 2002–present |
| Original network | NBC, (seasons 1–7, 1978–1985), ABC, (season 8, 1985–1986) |
| Picture format | Color |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Related shows | The Facts of Life, Hello, Larry |
About Diff'rent Strokes
A wealthy New York family adopts the children of their late African-American housekeeper from Harlem. The show ran for eight seasons and aired a total of 189 episodes.
Achievement of Diff'rent Strokes
The show was spun-off into the popular series The Facts of Life. Charlotte Rae left the show in the middle of the second season.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Diff'rent Strokes
The Facts of Life (TV series).. Works about adoption.. Television series about siblings.. Television series about families.
Latest information about Diff'rent Strokes updated on July 28 2021.
