Stars: Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, Dana Plato, Conrad Bain

Summary: DIFF'RENT STROKES aired from 1978-1986, taking place in Manhattan and centring on the story of the Drummond family. Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) is a wealthy, penthouse-dwelling widower who lives with his teenage daughter Kimberly (Dana Plato); in fulfilment of the dying wishes of his former housekeeper, he has taken in her two sons, Willis (Todd Bridges) and Arnold Jackson (Gary Coleman), ghetto youths from Harlem whose fish-out-of-water status in their new home forms the comedic basis of the show. In the first series, the boys try to escape back to Harlem, Willis finds (and loses) his first job, Willis gets up to all kinds of mischief, and incredulous friends and relatives of both families come to visit.

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More than just a ratings hit for NBC, the Norman Lear/Bud Yorkin-produced Diff'rent Strokes was a pop-culture phenomenon, thanks largely to the wise-beyond-his-years performance of star Gary Coleman. Launched in November 1978 as a mid-season replacement for the failed Joe Namath series The Waverly Wonders, Diff'rent Strokes vaulted in the ratings; audiences responded to the warmth and humorous culture clash between wealthy Philip Drummond (Lear vet Conrad Bain) and Arnold and Willis (Coleman and Todd Bridges), the sons of his late housekeeper whom he adopted. Though Bain, Bridges, Dana Plato (as Bain's daughter), and Charlotte Rae (as housekeeper Mrs. Garrett) all delivered solid performances, it was Coleman's charm, his timing, and most of all, his catch phrase "Whatchoo talkin' bout?" that drew in viewers.

Though perhaps best known to current audiences for the unfortunate luck suffered by several of its cast members after the show's cancellation in 1986, this first-season set offers a pleasant reminder of the show's charms. The set is rounded out by two featurettes featuring interviews with many of the show's stars and producers (though Coleman is notably absent), and commentaries by story editor Fred Rubin. --Paul Gaita, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	1.33 Full Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	A Look Back at DIFF'RENT STROKES featurette, Whatchoo Talkin' 'Bout featurette on Gary Coleman, Commentaries with writer Fred Rubin
Subtitles:	Dutch, Hindi, Italian, French, English, Arabic
Year:	1978
Release Date:	October 6, 2008
Runtime:	577 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	C D R P 3684
Keywords:	English, Comedy, General, Series, Strokes, Complete
Genre:	Comedy