This popular 1980's sitcom told the story of wealthy Wall Street Junk Bond and Savings and Loan tycoon Philip Drummond, who, in keeping a promise to an old Army buddy who has passed away, adopts his son: Ghetto youth Willis Jackson. What Drummond hadn't counted on, however, was that along with the boy came Willis's pet Leprachaun Arnold (played by Shakespearian actor Gary Coleman). Comedy ensued as the wisecracking Leprachaun wreaked havoc in the Drummond household, with a never-ending series of hare-brained schemes and magical pranks. A favorite subplot of the series was greedy Drummond's constant attempts to seize Arnold the Leprechaun's pot of gold, which always ended up in slapstick disaster.

The series performed well in the ratings until 1984, when the producers decided to add some serious dramatic content to the show with the addition of the character Sam to the cast. Sam, a naive, hillbilly, Country and Western singing, 4-year-old homosexual street-hustler, would often be seen seen running through the Drummond household strumming a guitar while not wearing any pants. The character proved to be too depressing and realistic a character for an audience used to the whimsical fantasy adventures of a magic leprechaun, and the series was soon canceled.

DIFF'RENT STROKES
VITAL STATISTICS:

CAST:
Conrad Bain as Philip Drumond
Todd Bridges as Willis Jackson
Dana Plato as Kimberly Drummond
and
Sir Gary Coleman as Arnold the Lepracauhn

The series ran from 1978 - 1985 on NBC
And from 1985 - 1986 on ABC

CATCHPHRASE:
"What'chu talkin' 'bout Willis?"

Diff'rent Strokes Resources on the World Wide Web:
-Diff'rent Strokes Online