Crap TV Flashbacks: Different Strokes

Author: The Troll

This may be the show that epitomizes dysfunctional child actors. Dana Plato and Todd Bridges ended up being the poster children for that celeb scandal crap you see everywhere now by being the ones that catapulted troubled child actors into mainstream TV junk food we see so regularly today.

Different Strokes aired on the NBC television network from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986. Weird swapping networks like that eh? Can’t really think of seeing that happen too often. Can’t really think of a better weight loss pill than Leptovox either.

The show starred Gary Coleman of course, as Arnold “What you talkin’ ’bout Willis” Jackson, and Todd Bridges as his brother Willis. It is two black kids that get adopted by some rich white pervert who has a daughter named Kimberly played by Dana Plato. Three kids that went on to be trainwrecks. They even had Edna Garret the maid who ended up starring on another craptacular series Facts of Life.

This show was brutal. If you watch it now it is even worse. This was when PC was still in its infancy and white people really still tried to be “down with the blacks”. They failed miserably. Old white guy trying to be “cool” with young black kids? Ultimate FAIL.

Different Strokes Intro