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.
Where to watch
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Tubi TV
see all options Availability data: JustWatch
- Seasons
- 8
- Episodes aired
- 189
- Latest aired
- S08E19
- Total runtime
- 14h 19min
Timeline when each season aired
- Season 1 November 1978 – May 1979 24 episodes
- Season 2 September 1979 – March 1980 26 episodes
- Season 3 November 1980 – May 1981 22 episodes
- Season 4 October 1981 – May 1982 26 episodes
- Season 5 October 1982 – May 1983 24 episodes
- Season 6 October 1983 – May 1984 24 episodes
- Season 7 September 1984 – May 1985 24 episodes
- Season 8 September 1985 – March 1986 19 episodes
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S07E01 A Haunting We Will Go
September 29 find the promo
Show synopsis
When Arnold and Sam creep through the crevices of the neighborhood's haunted house they find the ghost boasts a bounty of surprises--the biggest being a love for people and contempt for war.
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S07E02 Arnold and Lisa's Mother
October 6 find the promo
Show synopsis
Arnold thinks the school science fair is the perfect opportunity to sabotage the project of his least favorite female classmate, but with a closer look he wonders if her aggravating behavior is really a cry for help.
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S07E03 Bed-Wetting
October 13 · 30min find the promo
Show synopsis
The Drummond household is faced with Sam's bed-wetting problem trying everything from scolding to fawning, only to have Sam become more frustrated and hurt.
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S07E04 Undercover Lover
October 20 find the promo
Show synopsis
Willis becomes the middleman in a police effort to halt use and trafficking of drugs at his high school.
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S07E05 Arnold's Strike
October 27 find the promo
Show synopsis
Arnold risks expulsion from school when he leads a strike against some new rules he feels are ""unfair.""
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S07E06 Sam's Father
November 3 find the promo
Show synopsis
Sam must choose between a penthouse apartment and a honky-tonk club when his real father comes knocking on the Drummond's door, wanting to take Sam with him.
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S07E07 Carmella Meets the Gooch
November 10 · 30min find the promo
Show synopsis
""The Gooch"" returns to taunt Arnold and take on a new target--Sam, only to face his first challenge in the Drummond's new neighbor, an Italian foreign exchange student.
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S07E08 Arnold the Entrepreneur
November 17 find the promo
Show synopsis
Entrepreneur Arnold reluctantly allows Sam to be a part of his new scheme, when Sam realizes only Arnold will reap the profits, he breaks up the partnership and becomes the competition.
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S07E09 The Honorable Arnold J. Jackson
November 24 find the promo
Show synopsis
When Arnold is appointed judge of the school court, he is suddenly faced with jeopardizing a longtime friendship or losing a date with the school heartthrob--everyone has their day in court.
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S07E10 The Gymnasts
December 1 find the promo
Show synopsis
Drummond's surprise meant to encourage an Olympic hopeful felled by a tragic accident backfires when the young man instead becomes embittered at meeting the 1984 Men's Olympic Gold Medal-winning Gymnastics Team until Willis and Sam take on the challenge of setting things right.
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S07E11 Tonsils
December 8 find the promo
Show synopsis
Drummond is a tower of strength for Sam as he prepares to have his tonsils removed, but what will happen when Drummond finds out he is to be Sam's roommate while having some ""minor"" knee surgery.
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S07E12 Arnold's Songbird
December 15 find the promo
Show synopsis
In order to be elected the entertainment chairman for a school charity fundraiser, Arnold promises to get a celebrity but when it's time to deliver, he's forced to look to his nemesis Carmella for help, hoping she can save the day.
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S07E13 Baseball Blues
January 5 find the promo
Show synopsis
Sam persuades a reluctant Mr. Drummond to become the coach of his bad news baseball team and then regrets it after he winds up on the bench.
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S07E14 Arnold Saves the Squirrel
January 12 find the promo
Show synopsis
When Sam visits a taping of ""The Sandy Squirrel Show"" he is overcome by the news his favorite television idol is about to be cancelled, but it's big brother Arnold to the rescue as he rallies the Boy Scouts of Manhattan to demand the Squirrel be given a reprieve.
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S07E15 Sam Adopts a Grandparent
January 19 find the promo
Show synopsis
The Drummonds are concerned when the normally lovable Sam battles with a cynical senior who rejects the Cub Scout's ""Adopt A Grandparent"" program, leaving Sam with a tainted view of older people.
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S07E16 Harry Birthday Drummond
January 26 find the promo
Show synopsis
Kimberly returns home from school in Paris to surprise Drummond on his birthday prompting Arnold and Willis to try and match her special gift, they decide to change their name to Drummond, until Willis suddenly has second thoughts.
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S07E17 Sam's New Pal
February 2 find the promo
Show synopsis
Sam is taken aback when he realizes his new ""buddy"" is a girl, but Mr. Drummond is even more dumbfounded when the kids want to have a sleepover.
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S07E18 Russian Embassy
February 9 find the promo
Show synopsis
When Arnold's rocket for his school project is accidentally set off and lands atop the Russian Embassy, the state department is led to suspect the Drummond's participation is foul play.
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S07E19 Cheers to Arnold
February 16 · 30min find the promo
Show synopsis
Arnold's attempt to stop a friend from drinking backfires as he's left standing in the boy's bathroom holding a bottle of booze when the teacher walks in.
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S07E20 A Camping We Will Go
February 23 find the promo
Show synopsis
A camping trip with Arnold and Sam intended to strengthen Drummond's relationship with Sam goes awry when Sam's real father shows up and invites himself along.
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S07E21 Beauty is in the Eye of Arnold
March 2 · 30min find the promo
Show synopsis
Arnold is faced with a dilemma when his friends insist he take a cute cheerleader to the dance instead of the girl Arnold really likes who they consider an ""ugly duckling.""
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S07E22 Blue Collar Drummond
March 9 find the promo
Show synopsis
When Drummond is accused of being out of touch with his employee, he secretly takes a job in one of his own factories working on an assembly line. Much to his surprise, his job is threatened when he makes suggestions to boost morale and improve production.
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S07E23 Street Smarts
March 23 find the promo
Show synopsis
Although Arnold boasts he held his own in a mugging, Drummond fears the incident goes deeper than Arnold will admit and becomes concerned when he finds Arnold has sought a dangerous method of protection.
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S07E24 A Special Friend
May 4 find the promo
Show synopsis
Arnold and Sam's new friendship with a street performer gets mired in fear and confusion when they discover she has epilepsy.