After the death of his housekeeper, Manhattan millionaire Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) adopts her two young African-American sons, Arnold and Willis Jackson (Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges). Having gone from rags to riches overnight, the boys have difficulty adjusting to their new life at first but soon fit in as part of the family, which also includes Drummond’s daughter, Kimberly (Dana Plato). While many episodes consist of light, comedic misadventures, 'Diff'rent Strokes' also is known for special episodes dealing with serious topics such as racism, drug use and sexual abuse.
