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Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 poster

Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 Episode release dates & where to watch

Premiered

Friday, November 3, 1978

Ended: Friday, May 4, 1979

When does Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 come out?

Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 premiered Friday, November 3, 1978 on ABC and ended Friday, May 4, 1979. The season has 24 episodes.

Last updated

Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 release schedule

Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 episode release dates
Episode Release date

1. Movin' In

Multi-millionaire Phillip Drummond, who has agreed to the death-bed wish of his housekeeper to raise her two small sons as his own, welcomes 8-year-old Arnold and 12-year-old Willis into his lavish penthouse. Anxious to make them feel at home, he showers them with gifts and love -- and is puzzled when he learns that the boys are planning to sneak from the lap of luxury back to Harlem. Aiding Drummond in his effort to make the street-wise, ghetto youngsters feel welcome in the affluent white world are Drummond's new housekeeper Mrs. Garrett and his 13-year-old daughter Kimberly.

Friday · 48 years ago

2. The Social Worker

Arnold's eavesdropping leads to trouble when a misunderstanding causes Willis and him to think that Mr. Drummond no longer wants them around; he has heard Drummond tell a social worker that ""black children belong with black families.""

Friday · 48 years ago

3. Mother's Last Visit

Mr. Drummond's socialite and rather snobbish mother arrives and finds there's a lot she doesn't like about her son's new sons, but she soon learns a valuable lesson about what's really important in a person.

Friday · 48 years ago

4. Prep School

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.

Friday · 47 years ago

5. The Spanking

Arnold ignores warnings and continues to drop water balloons from the balcony. Mr. Drummond's decision to punish Arnold for the prank with a spanking becomes a learning lesson for Willis too, when he insists that he be the one to spank Arnold -- but where's Arnold?

Friday · 47 years ago

6. Goodbye Dolly

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.

Friday · 47 years ago

7. The Trial

When Arnold is in trouble for putting his goldfish in Mr. Drummond's hot tub, Willis insists that it is wrong to convict him without a trial. The whole family, with Mrs. Garrett as judge, comes up with an important verdict.

Friday · 47 years ago

8. Retrospective (1)

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.

Friday · 47 years ago

9. Retrospective (2)

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.

Friday · 47 years ago

10. The Fight

Willis puts Arnold in training to fight the local bully, but Mr. Drummond insists more civilized solutions be employed.

Friday · 47 years ago

11. The Club Meeting

Willis invites his neighborhood club from Harlem to visit, but things get out of hand when he tries to impress them with his new wealth.

Friday · 47 years ago

12. The Woman

Mr. Drummond's intention to marry an attractive widow doesn't meet with his children's approval, and Arnold, Willis and Kimberly devise a scheme they hope will turn his ""romantic"" proposal into a disaster.

Friday · 47 years ago

13. No Time for Arnold

A lonely Arnold comes up with a method of gaining his family's attention. Unfortunately his plan works a little too well; he ends up with everyone's attention, including the family doctor.

Friday · 47 years ago

14. The Relative

LaWanda Page guest stars as a cousin of Willis and Arnold who, after seeing the boys in their comfortable new surroundings, knows she should stay closer to her long-lost little relatives.

Friday · 47 years ago

15. The Tutor

Drummond hires a tutor for Willis and Arnold who does practically everything but teach.

Friday · 47 years ago

16. The New Landlord

The kids devise a scheme hoping to make Arnold convince the new landlord to let the family keep the penthouse.

Friday · 47 years ago

17. Willis' Privacy

To get rid of his pesky little brother, Willis divides the bedroom in half and spends more time at his friend's house.

Friday · 47 years ago

18. Mrs. Garrett's Crisis

When Mrs. Garrett decides her life as a housekeeper is unfulfilling, she ends up being a guest in the Drummond home, and then makes an important decision concerning the future.

Friday · 47 years ago

19. The Job (a.k.a.) Willis' Job

In order to earn the money to buy disco skates, and to prove a point to Mr. Drummond, Willis gets a job...but is fired on his first working day.

Friday · 47 years ago

20. The Trip (I)

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. The crossover continues on Hello, Larry S01E10 The Trip (II).

Friday · 47 years ago

21. The Trip (2)

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".

Friday · 47 years ago

22. Getting Involved

When Arnold is witness to a hold up, the robber tries to ensure that the youngster will not identify him.

Friday · 47 years ago

23. Willis' Birthday

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.

Friday · 47 years ago

24. The Girls School (a.k.a.) Garrett's Girls Finale

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

Friday · 47 years ago

Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 guest stars

  • Jack Riley

    Jack Riley

    Mr. Crocker

  • Ellen Travolta

    Ellen Travolta

  • Carl M. Craig

  • Elinor Donahue

    Elinor Donahue

  • Irene Tedrow

    Irene Tedrow

  • Howard Morton

    Howard Morton

  • Fran Bennett

    Fran Bennett

  • George Memmoli

    George Memmoli

  • Joanna Gleason

    Joanna Gleason

  • Molly Ringwald

    Molly Ringwald

    Molly Parker

  • Felice Schachter

    Felice Schachter

    Nancy Olson

  • Kim Fields

    Kim Fields

    Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey

  • Peter Hobbs

    Peter Hobbs

    Mr. Robinson

  • Julie Piekarski

    Julie Piekarski

    Sue Ann Weaver

  • Lisa Whelchel

    Lisa Whelchel

    Blair Warner

  • LaWanda Page

    LaWanda Page

Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 FAQ

When does Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 come out?

Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 premiered Friday, November 3, 1978 on ABC.

How many episodes are in Diff'rent Strokes Season 1?

Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 has 24 episodes.

Are new episodes of Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 released weekly?

New episodes are released weekly.

When is the Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 finale?

The Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 finale (Episode 24) aired Friday, May 4, 1979.

How do I get notified when new Diff'rent Strokes Season 1 episodes are released?

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