The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman named 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 the Drummonds' housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett.
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The peak run. Top 40% of seasons by average rating — consecutive, with an average of 8.00.
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Conrad Bain
Phillip Drummond
Gary Coleman
Arnold Jackson
Todd Bridges
Willis Jackson
Mary Jo Catlett
Pearl Gallagher
Danny Cooksey
Sam McKinney
Mary Ann Mobley
Maggie Drummond
All 13 episodes plotted by IMDb rating
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24 episodes • 1978Avg: 6.4Valley of Despair
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Movin' In | Nov 3, 1978 | 5.0 |
| 2 | The Social Worker | Nov 10, 1978 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Mother's Last Visit | Nov 17, 1978 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Prep School | Nov 24, 1978 | 0.0 |
| 5 | The Spanking | Dec 1, 1978 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Goodbye Dolly | Dec 8, 1978 | 0.0 |
| 7 | The Trial | Dec 15, 1978 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Retrospective (1) | Dec 29, 1978 | 7.0 |
| 9 | Retrospective (2) | Dec 29, 1978 | 0.0 |
| 10 | The Fight | Jan 5, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 11 | The Club Meeting | Jan 12, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 12 | The Woman | Jan 19, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 13 | No Time for Arnold | Jan 26, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 14 | The Relative | Feb 2, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 15 | The Tutor | Feb 9, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 16 | The New Landlord | Feb 16, 1979 | 3.0 |
| 17 | Willis' Privacy | Feb 23, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Mrs. Garrett's Crisis | Mar 2, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 19 | The Job (a.k.a.) Willis' Job | Mar 16, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 20 | The Trip (I) | Mar 30, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 21 | The Trip (2) | Mar 30, 1979 | 10.0 |
| 22 | Getting Involved | Apr 6, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 23 | Willis' Birthday | Apr 13, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 24 | The Girls School (a.k.a.) Garrett's Girls | May 4, 1979 | 0.0 |
26 episodes • 1979Avg: 7.0Valley of Despair
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arnold's Girlfriend (1) | Sep 21, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 2 | Arnold's Girlfriend (2) | Sep 21, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Feudin' and Fussin' (I) | Sep 28, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Feudin' and Fussin' (2) | Sep 28, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Mrs. Garrett's Romance | Oct 12, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 6 | Birds and Bees | Oct 19, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Arnold's Hero (a.k.a.) The Hero | Oct 24, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 8 | The Adoption (1) | Oct 31, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 9 | The Adoption (2) | Nov 7, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Father and Son Day | Nov 14, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Thanksgiving Crossover (I) | Nov 28, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Thanksgiving Crossover (2) | Nov 28, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 13 | The Rivals | Dec 5, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Hot Watch | Dec 12, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 15 | The Dog Story (a.k.a.) A Dog Story | Dec 19, 1979 | 0.0 |
| 16 | The Election | Jan 9, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Friendly-Mate | Jan 16, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Poor Drummond | Jan 23, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 19 | Big Business | Jan 30, 1980 | 7.0 |
| 20 | Return of the Gooch | Feb 6, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Valentine's Day Retrospective (a.k.a.) Valentine's Vigil | Feb 13, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 22 | Skin Deep or True Blue (a.k.a.) Guess Who? | Feb 20, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Teacher's Pet | Feb 27, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 24 | The Slumber Party | Mar 12, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Arnold Faces Fatality (a.k.a.) The Will (a.k.a.) Drummond's Will | Mar 19, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 26 | The Squealer | Mar 26, 1980 | 0.0 |
22 episodes • 1980
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bank Job (1) | Nov 12, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 2 | The Bank Job (2) | Nov 12, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Small Claims Court | Nov 19, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Substitute Mother | Nov 26, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 5 | The Accident (1) | Dec 3, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 6 | The Accident (2) | Dec 3, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Little Mother | Dec 10, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Football Father | Dec 17, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 9 | First Love | Dec 31, 1980 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Count Your Blessings | Jan 7, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 11 | The Loan | Jan 14, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Roots | Jan 21, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Junk Food Junkie (a.k.a.) Junk Food | Jan 28, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 14 | The Bus | Feb 4, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 15 | The Older Man | Feb 25, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Where There's Hope | Mar 4, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 17 | The Magician (a.k.a.) It's Magic | Mar 11, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Drummond's Fair Lady | Mar 18, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 19 | The Ancestors | Mar 25, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 20 | Almost American | Apr 1, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Room for One More | May 6, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 22 | The Athlete | May 13, 1981 | 0.0 |
26 episodes • 1981Avg: 7.7
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Growing Up | Oct 29, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 2 | First Day Blues | Nov 5, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 3 | The Model | Nov 12, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 4 | The Team | Nov 19, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 5 | The Big Heist | Nov 26, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Double Date (a.k.a.) Blind Date | Dec 3, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 7 | The Ski Weekend | Dec 10, 1981 | 8.0 |
| 8 | Health Club | Dec 17, 1981 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Burial Ground | Jan 7, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Hello, Daddy | Jan 14, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Jilted | Jan 21, 1982 | 8.0 |
| 12 | Dreams | Jan 28, 1982 | 7.0 |
| 13 | Kathy | Feb 4, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Fire | Feb 11, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 15 | The Squatter | Feb 18, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 16 | The Car | Feb 25, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Crime Story (1) (a.k.a.) Crime in the Schools | Mar 11, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Crime Story (2) (a.k.a.) Crime in the Schools | Mar 18, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 19 | B.M.O.C. | Mar 25, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 20 | Green Hair | Apr 1, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Have I Got a Girl for You | Apr 8, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 22 | Lifesavers | Apr 15, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Stress? What Stress? | Apr 22, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 24 | The Music Man | May 6, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Short But Sweet | May 13, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 26 | On Your Toes | May 20, 1982 | 0.0 |
24 episodes • 1982Avg: 8.0Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shoot-Out at the O.K. Arcade | Oct 2, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 2 | In the Swim | Oct 9, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Cyrano De Jackson | Oct 16, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Big Brother | Oct 23, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 5 | The Peacemaker | Oct 30, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Substitute Teacher | Nov 6, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 7 | The Older Woman | Nov 13, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 8 | A Case of Overexposure (a.k.a.) Overexposure | Nov 20, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Memories | Nov 27, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Push Comes to Shove | Dec 4, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 11 | The Executives | Dec 11, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Santa's Helper | Dec 18, 1982 | 0.0 |
| 13 | A Growing Problem | Jan 8, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Parents Have Rights, Too | Jan 15, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Independent Woman | Jan 22, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 16 | The Bicycle Man (1) | Feb 5, 1983 | 8.0 |
| 17 | The Bicycle Man (2) | Feb 12, 1983 | 8.0 |
| 18 | Family on Ice | Feb 19, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 19 | Hall Monitor | Feb 26, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 20 | The Cricket | Mar 5, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Roommates | Mar 12, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 22 | The Reporter | Mar 19, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Romeo and Juliet | Apr 30, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 24 | My Fair Larry (a.k.a.) My Fair Lady | May 7, 1983 | 0.0 |
24 episodes • 1983
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr. T and mr. t | Oct 1, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 2 | The Goat | Oct 15, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Rashomon II | Oct 22, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 4 | The Lie | Oct 29, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Drafted | Nov 12, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 6 | The Van Drummonds | Nov 19, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 7 | The Moonlighter | Nov 26, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Coming of Age | Dec 3, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Assert Yourself | Dec 10, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Mrs. Z | Dec 17, 1983 | 0.0 |
| 11 | The Senior Class Queen | Jan 7, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Where There's Smoke | Jan 14, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Drummond's Lady | Jan 21, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 14 | The Hitchhikers (1) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (1) | Jan 28, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 15 | The Hitchhikers (2) (a.k.a.) Hitchhiking (2) | Feb 4, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Hooray for Hollywood (1) | Feb 11, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Hooray for Hollywood (2) | Feb 18, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 18 | The Wedding (1) | Feb 25, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 19 | The Wedding (2) | Feb 25, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 20 | The Honeymoon's Over | Mar 3, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 21 | The Bar Mitzvah Boy | Mar 17, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 22 | Kathy's Olympics | Mar 24, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 23 | The Houseguest | May 5, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 24 | The Boyfriend | May 12, 1984 | 0.0 |
24 episodes • 1984Avg: 10.0
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Haunting We Will Go | Sep 29, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 2 | Arnold and Lisa's Mother | Oct 6, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Bed-Wetting | Oct 13, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Undercover Lover | Oct 20, 1984 | 10.0 |
| 5 | Arnold's Strike | Oct 27, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Sam's Father | Nov 3, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Carmella Meets the Gooch | Nov 10, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 8 | Arnold the Entrepreneur | Nov 17, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 9 | The Honorable Arnold J. Jackson | Nov 24, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 10 | The Gymnasts | Dec 1, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Tonsils | Dec 8, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Arnold's Songbird | Dec 15, 1984 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Baseball Blues | Jan 5, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Arnold Saves the Squirrel | Jan 12, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Sam Adopts a Grandparent | Jan 19, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Harry Birthday Drummond | Jan 26, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Sam's New Pal | Feb 2, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 18 | Russian Embassy | Feb 9, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 19 | Cheers to Arnold | Feb 16, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 20 | A Camping We Will Go | Feb 23, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Beauty is in the Eye of Arnold | Mar 2, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 22 | Blue Collar Drummond | Mar 9, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 23 | Street Smarts | Mar 23, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 24 | A Special Friend | May 4, 1985 | 0.0 |
19 episodes • 1985
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam's Missing (1) | Sep 27, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 2 | Sam's Missing (2) | Sep 27, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 3 | Bully for Arnold | Oct 4, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Love on the Run | Oct 11, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Willis Goes to College | Oct 18, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Arnold's Job | Oct 25, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 7 | A Tale of Two Teachers | Nov 8, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 8 | So You Want to Be a Rock Star | Nov 15, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Speak No Evil | Nov 29, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Arnold's Bad Rep | Dec 6, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 11 | It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To | Dec 13, 1985 | 0.0 |
| 12 | Arnold's Initiation | Jan 10, 1986 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Bulimia | Jan 17, 1986 | 0.0 |
| 14 | Sam's Big Brother | Jan 24, 1986 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Arnold's Tangled Web | Jan 31, 1986 | 0.0 |
| 16 | Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown | Feb 7, 1986 | 0.0 |
| 17 | The Big Bribe | Feb 21, 1986 | 0.0 |
| 18 | The Photo Club | Feb 28, 1986 | 0.0 |
| 19 | The Front Page | Mar 7, 1986 | 0.0 |
