Diff'rent Strokes is the name of an American situation comedy that aired from 1978 to 1985 on NBC and from 1985 to 1986 on ABC.
The sitcom was about two African-American children, brothers, from a poor Harlem background in who were adopted by a rich white widower who lived in a penthouse with his daugther and his maid (they went through three during the show's run: Mrs. Garrett, Adelaide, and Pearl) on Park Avenue New York City. The cast members included Todd Bridges, Gary Coleman, Dana Plato, and Conrad Bain. The child stars ended up having problems after the show ended. Plato died due to a drug overdose, while Coleman and Bridges got into legal trouble. Due to these problems, "The Curse of Diff'rent Strokes" became a term associated with the show.
Diff'rent Strokes was the source of the spinoff series The Facts of Life. Star Gary Coleman popularized the catch phrase, "Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?", which was popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s and is still mentioned in pop culture references today.
The name of the show itself was derived from a popular catch phrase, "diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks," popularized by rock band Sly & The Family Stone with their 1968 hit "Everyday People".
