"Diff'rent Strokes" wasn't always "Diff'rent Strokes." [7] Producers were keen to cast Charlotte Rae as housekeeper Edna Garrett, feeling that her more "traditional sitcom" talents would work well for the unusual line-up and that as an older character she would have good chemistry with Bain. Cloris made me a fan! A sticky-sweet network sitcom the whole family could enjoy, "Diff'rent Strokes" was a smash hit for NBC (before a late-run move to ABC) for almost a decade, airing from 1978 to 1986. Rae, who was born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1926, began her career in New York City. She re-married in 1986 to Bruce Gaines and later rejoined the Peace Corps to work in Eastern Africa. Co-created by seasoned sitcom and variety TV writers Jeff Harris and Bernie Kukoff, the series was originally pitched under the name "45 Minutes From Harlem," reflecting the physical and metaphorical distance for the central character, an African-American child adopted by the wealthy, white employer of his deceased housekeeper mother. with the ending varying depending on whom he was addressing. I really like that actress! Well guess what happens next. The actresss cause of death has not yet been confirmed. After leaving the very popular "M*A*S*H," actor McLean Stevenson went on to star in the short-lived 1979-1980 sitcom "Hello, Larry." According to USA Today, Plato was dismissed from "Diff'rent Strokes" because of her salacious personal life, which ran counter to the show's wholesome image and her portrayal of a squeaky-clean. [25] Plato died of a drug overdose in 1999 at age 34. Plato's publicized brushes with substance abuse contributed to this decision, resulting in her dismissal from the series at the end of the sixth season. Rae got her start in the theater, eventually acting on Broadway. However, its her television work that made her a household name. In the final season (when the sitcom moved from NBC to ABC), the one-hour season opener ("Sam's Missing") revolved around Sam being kidnapped by Donald Brown (Royce D. Applegate), a bereaved father hoping to replace his own dead son, Tommy. She joined the cast of Facts as Pippa the Aussie to help revitalize the sitcom. They. The introduction of Maggie and Sam had not boosted ratings, and in the spring of 1985, in the face of sagging ratings, NBC cancelled Diff'rent Strokes. During Season 6 of "Diff'rent Strokes," writers decided to switch up the premise and revitalize the aging series by giving doting dad Philip Drummond a permanent love interest. The actresss career spanned several decades in theater, television, and the movies. The show began airing in 1979; Garrett stuck with it until the eighth season, eventually bowing out due to health problems. While family issues, race relations, and economic disparity were part of the DNA of "Diff'rent Strokes," what made it popular was that it was a fun and funny sitcom, thanks in large part to wildly charismatic, preternaturally-talented child actor Gary Coleman. This is a one disc compilation consisting of eight episodes from Season 2. New on DVD/Blu-ray (January-May) In the January 1984 episode "Drummond's Lady," the character meets TV fitness host Maggie McKinney to discuss investing in her business, but soon realizes he's got romantic feelings for her. Diff'rent Strokes is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985 and ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986. You could have hurt Mrs. Garrett! Several such concepts were considered before a rough outline for the eventual seriesin which Bain plays a wealthy businessman left to take care of his late housekeeper's son, the orphaned Colemanwas settled upon and given the working title 45 Minutes from Harlem (even though Harlem is only ten to fifteen minutes away from the Upper East Side by subway or taxi). #DifferentStrokes #CharlotteRae #FactsofLif. The Diff'rent Strokes cast appeared in the first episode of The Facts of Life (at one point, Drummond asks Mrs. Garrett "Are you sure we can't change your mind to come back to us?"). 01/27 - Master of None - Season Three / The Complete Series In the seventh season, Carter and Cooksey were added to the opening credits (with Carter getting special "and" billing, last in the order) and many new areas and ideas were explored, as viewers now got to see Philip as a happily married man. [40] Season 8 was released on May 29, 2018. Do black gold sights come with sight tape? Islamophobia. In the seventh season, after years of harassing Arnold (and later Sam), the Gooch was finally defeated by Arnold's neighbor and nemesis (and eventually friend) Carmella, a foreign exchange student. Charlotte Rae said in an interview once, (I don't know the exact wording b/c I'm not at home to see the interview so work with me) that she left because she had gone as far as she could with the role. [3][4] During the first season and the first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred, as Mrs. Edna Garrett, the Drummonds' first housekeeper, who ultimately spun off into her own sitcom, The Facts of Life, as a housemother at the fictional Eastland School. Arnold is writing a report on athletes at his school who are using anabolic steroids. Cloris Leachman died Jan. 27 at the age of 94. On May 8, 1999, the 34-year-old Plato was found dead of a drug overdose that was later ruled a suicide. October 15, 1958 Opa-locka, Florida, U.S. [12] Carter was introduced midway into the sixth season (in the episode "Drummond's Lady"); after she abruptly left for California, Drummond and the family took off after her, in the two-part story "Hooray for Hollywood", a storyline that also introduced Sam, Maggie's son from her previous marriage. Charlotte Rae, best known as wise and lovable house mother Mrs. Garrett on The Facts of Life, died Sunday at her home in Los Angeles, representatives for the actress confirmed. Edna: Oh, you don't have to apologize to me boys! Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom, which aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. "In The Swim" also saw the move of Kimberly from her private school, to the one attended by Willisa move brought about in part at Plato's suggestion, with it being felt it might open up potential new storylines. When that series ended in 1997, she guest-starred on several other series like Cupid, The Drew Carey Show, and The Division (alongside McKeon). [31] Since Charlotte Rae's death in 2018 at the age of 92, Bridges is the only living member of the original cast. Coleman was then placed on life support after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage and died on May 28 from complications of his injury at age 42.[22]. [42] They subsequently re-released the first and second seasons on DVD on July 15, 2014. The first and second season also included three hour-long crossover episodes (edited into two-part format for syndication and overseas broadcasts) with NBC sitcom Hello, Larry, which had been moved to the slot immediately following Diff'rent Strokes in an effort to boost its ratings (an effort that ultimately failed; it was canceled after the end of its second season). The reason for this, in part, was that it was in Rae's contract that she be allowed to return to Diff'rent Strokes should The Facts of Life be canceled. [2] The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, respectively who are two black boys from Harlem taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman and his daughter. Charlotte Rae, the actress who became known to millions of TV viewers as the tough but admirable Mrs. Garrett on Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life, has died. She changed her last name to Austin and has issued five albums. Late in the shows run, studly handyman George Burnett (George Clooney) was added to provide some male eye-candy to the show. In a later interview, she said that she also left because it made sense for the growing girls to see less and less of Mrs. Garrett. Sherrie Austin (formerly Krenn), 37, got her big start in music at the age of 14 when she opened for Johnny Cash in Australia. Adelaide Cartographer. All three experienced various legal problems while Bridges and Plato also struggled with drug addictions, all of which were documented in the press. The revival of the old movie shorts didn't get picked up to series, so Lear cast Coleman in "Diff'rent Strokes" as Arnold Jackson. She took over when Charlotte Rae left after seven seasons. Kimberly was written out of the show with the explanation that she moved to Paris to study for a couple of years, but returned as a guest star for the season finale "A Special Friend", after Plato gave birth. She won an Academy Award for The Last Picture Show. Because of the obvious white father-African American kids plotline, this kind of social issue was always discussed and debunked in the show. Director Herbert Kenwith Writers Karyl Miller Bernie Kukoff Jeff Harris Stars Conrad Bain Gary Coleman Todd Bridges See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video included with Prime More watch options Add to Watchlist 1 Critic review In the first, season 5's "A Growing Problem," Willis moves out of the penthouse to live with Jerry (Lawrence Monoson) who abuses alcohol. Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) is a . Bridges was offered the role without needing an audition. This new take on "Diff'rent Strokes" stars John Lithgow as Philip Drummond, Ann Dowd as Mrs. Garrett, and two adult comedians playing the child Jackson brothers: Kevin Hart and Damon Wayans as Arnold and Willis, respectively. Dana Plato/Living or Deceased. [6] An alternate version of the basic scenario had a slightly harder-nosed Bain as a wealthy estate developer who finds that he can only purchase a potentially lucrative Harlem housing block for redevelopment if he also takes custody of the orphan, Coleman, who lives there; this version was nixed in favor of the former. View Today's Active Threads (No Chit Chat/Chit Chat Only) / View New Posts (No Chit Chat/Chit Chat Only) / Mark All Boards Read / Chit Chat Board, The Facts of Life Online / The Facts of Life links and theme songs at Sitcoms Online / The Facts of Life Photo Gallery / The Facts of Life - Fan Fiction Board / The Division Board. The girls worked for her there, but when the shop burned down, they became partners converting it to Over Our Heads. The AFI Life Achievement recipient discusses her most memorable filmsand what moviegoers actually misremember. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. What About the Rest? The final episode which was "The Front Page", aired on March 7, 1986. Rae revealed shed been diagnosed with bone cancer at the end of April 2017. She wanted to spend more time doing theater as well as do some traveling. In February 1988, he was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of a drug dealer at a crack house in South Central Los Angeles. 03/28 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD) In 1994, Coleman appeared in an episode of Married with Children ("How Green Was My Apple"), playing a building code inspector whom Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) called to report an illegal driveway. The show began airing in 1979; Garrett stuck with it until the eighth season, eventually bowing out due to health problems. Phillip Drummond is the only character to appear in every episode of the series. As Arnold, Coleman won the hearts of millions with his mugging and infectious "Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" After the show debuted and started to take off in the ratings, thanks in large part to Coleman, the actor's representatives renegotiated and got that per-episode fee up to $30,000. The sudden, drastic change in Maggie's appearance was not acknowledged on the show, nor was the confusing fact that Mobley had already appeared on "Diff'rent Strokes." Mrs. G didn't so she wasn't committed as the girls were. Beginning with the third-season episode "Count Your Blessings" and also touched upon in several other episodes is the fact that Arnold will never grow much taller, reflecting Gary Coleman's real-life medical condition. Cast overview, first billed only: Dana Plato Jill Martin Bentley Mitchum Jack Sanders Landon Hall Jill David Millbern Rick Gabriella Hall Alicia. Diff'rent Strokes was also known for its many "very special episodes," most notably an anti-drug episode ("The Reporter") that featured First Lady Nancy Reagan, who promoted her "Just Say No" campaign, and "The Bicycle Man", a two-part episode that guest starred Gordon Jump as a pedophile who lures Arnold and Dudley into his bicycle shop and attempts to molest them. A tremendous talent.. catchphrase. The ratings did not improve, sinking further over the course of the season. She doesnt like it when I say I discovered her, but its true. decades later, his son Robin Thicke would join the family business, becoming a chart-topping singer/songwriter. While there, Mrs. Garrett met Kimberly's classmates and was offered the job as "dorm mother." According to USA Today, Plato was dismissed from "Diff'rent Strokes" because of her salacious personal life, which ran counter to the show's wholesome image and her portrayal of a squeaky-clean teen. Search Sitcoms Online: . Well, in Hollywood, you take the good, you take the bad. The driver ridiculed him and released the tape to be broadcast on numerous television shows. Other classmates and friends of Arnold seen over time included Robbie Jason (Steven Mond) and snobby Lisa Hayes (Nikki Swasey), who initially was sweet on Arnold, but later came to despise him, leading to hatred between the pair and many squabbles. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 1, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodwards Daughters Appreciated the Fuck Hut Detail Too. The sex symbol confessed that "girls thought I was a jokea happy buffoon," before he met his wife. Why Margot Kidder Was the Definitive Lois Lane, The late actresss fierce, funny reporter made, Paul Newman Says Wife Joanne Woodward Turned Him Into a Sexual Creature in Posthumous Memoir. In the second, season 7's "Cheers to Arnold," Arnold must deal with Ricky (Robert Jayne), a classmate whom he catches drinking a thermos of alcohol in the school bathroom. Rae already had big plans in 1986. Factory had acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released the third season on DVD on July 17, 2012. show writer Benn Starr told the Television Academy Foundation. Dudley Johnson (Shavar Ross) was Arnold's best friend, who, like Arnold, was adopted, and with whom he shared many memorable childhood scrapes. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. At the end of the episode, Bain (in an out-of-character PSA) spoke about what to do if real life situations as the one portrayed on the show were to occur. Mackenzie Astin, 34, has an impressive Hollywood heritage hes the brother of actor Sean Astin and is the son of Patty Duke (The Patty Duke Show) and John Astin (The Addams Family). For awhile, she co-hosted an Arizona radio show with Growing Pains Alan Thicke (who coincidentally wrote the Facts of life theme-song). Season 1 was also released in Regions 2 & 5 on October 6, 2008. vBulletin.register_control("vB_Lightbox_Container", "posts", 1); [19] In 1994, he was arrested after allegedly ramming someone's car after an argument. Appearing on a semi-regular basis, she effectively filled the same function as Adelaide as the older female character in many stories, and is present in many third and fourth season episodes. Dana plays Jill, a feminist and a lesbian who is helping out the chauvinistic Jack with one of his photo shoots. After her guest appearance at the end of the previous season, Plato returned making several further guest appearances in the final season and billed with the guest cast. Though the actress left the role behind in the mid-1980s, she kept acting, returning to the stage and turning up in shows like ER and Pretty Little Liars, as well as movies like Ricki and the Flash, acting alongside Meryl Streep. "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Diff'rent Strokes'". I would be one of the stars, though., The only thing she did not want to do again was play an awful lot of Mrs. Garrett-type roles, which I have carefully refused to do.. Location: The cookie jar--Any "Anyone Can Whistle" fans out there? [17][18] He also guest-starred as himself on The Wayans Bros., The Ben Stiller Show, Drake & Josh, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Parkers, Robot Chicken, and The Simpsons. The producers were also impressed by Bridges stint on the sitcom Fish, which had also been cancelled earlier in 1978. For the shows 35th anniversary in 2014, they again got together for the closing night of PaleyFest in Los Angeles. That night, her Facts of Life costars Kim Fields and Nancy McKeon gave speeches in her honor. Two notable episodes dealt with the consequences of alcoholism. Factory? I always wondered why Charlotte left her own series! As part of this, Arnold's school life also gradually began to feature more in many episodes; this increased in subsequent seasons. (Although Hasselhoff, in his costume as Michael Knight appears, the voice of K.I.T.T. Trivia Her sister Beverly Ann Stickle (Cloris Leachman) stepped in, adopted young Andy Moffet (Mackenzie Astin) and Aussie Pippa McKenna (Sherrie Krenn), and helped to guide the former schoolmates into early adulthood. With Willis dropped into the background slightly, this new brotherly duo took center stage for many storylines. Not long after, and well before the end of the series, both Rae and Plato would be written off of "Diff'rent Strokes.". She was written out to start The Facts of Life. Enter Different Strokes. [23] In February 1991, she was arrested after robbing a Las Vegas video store armed with a pellet gun. When Mrs. Garrett departed, she was replaced by this maid. In this final season Jason Hervey joined the semi-regular cast as Charlie, another of Arnold's school friends. [28] After years of battling drug addiction, Bridges became sober in the early 1990s. I thought, its time to get back and say Cloris is here, Leachman said. Im grateful for the life Ive already had.. Despite having made $25,000 an episode while on the series, she was often broke and was working as a cashier at a dry cleaning store. It wasn't the same after she left. On the transition from "Strokes" to "Facts" she said, "Hopefully, some of Mrs. Garrett's character will unfold and I will be able to fill her out as a human being. We used that a number of times on every show," Starr explained, adding that he and other "Diff'rent Strokes" writers "didn't want to overdo it," so some weeks, they'd write the catchphrase into the script "just once.". The final season ranked 69th out of 106 shows and averaged an 11.5 household rating.[14]. 02/21 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Nine / The Complete Season Ten As much as she was beloved by TV watchers throughout the 80s, she remained associated with the beloved character of Mrs. Garrett thanks to reruns. She was written out to start The Facts of Life. Charlotte Rae, best known as wise and lovable house mother Mrs. Garrett on The Facts of Life, died Sunday at her home in Los Angeles, representatives for the actress confirmed. In a case of life imitating art, Todd Bridges dated his Diffrent Strokes girlfriend Janet Jackson and also admitted in his autobiography to having a couple flings with Dana Plato. Since the end of the show, shes appeared in a few acting projects but has primarily focused on her singing career. Producer Al Burton had spotted Dana Plato as part of a cheerleading team auditioning on The Gong Show and felt she had a spark about her, and recommended her for the role of Drummond's daughter Kimberly. After the series, she earned a degree in cultural anthropology from Loyola Marymount University. Privacy Policy. She first played Mrs. Garrett, a frank, funny housekeeper with a distinctive bouffant, in 1978 in Diffrent Strokes. About seven years ago, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which is a miracle that they found it because usually, its too late. She returned to television as a series regular on all five seasons of the FOX sitcom Living Single. She cut her teeth on the stage, performing in Broadway plays like The Threepenny Opera and Lil Abner, later picking up two Tony nominations in 1966 (for best featured actress in a musical in Pickwick) and 1969 (best actress in a play in Morning, Noon and Night). 04/04 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Fifth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD) Handmaid's Tale Emmy winner Ann Dowd will play "Mrs. G" in both Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. Rae died Sunday at her Los Angeles home, according to The New York Times. Mrs. Garrett is present for the first 13 episodes of the second season of Diff'rent Strokes, with the character last seen in the episode "The Rivals", after which she leaves, offscreen, to take a permanent position at Eastland, The Facts of Life having by then been picked up for a full series. She said they figured out the character of Stickle once she got there. In this video, I talk about Charlotte Rae's decision to leave Diff'rent Strokes midway through the second season. Volz appeared on a semi-regular basis, but was not added to the opening credits, instead always credited with the guest cast on the closing credits. She broke into television playing Sylvia Schnauser, the wife of Al Lewis Officer Leo Schnauser on Car 54, Where Are You? According to Richard Irvin's "Spinning Laughter," the proposed series was written by three "Diff'rent Strokes" staff writers and concerned Catherine Armstrong (portrayed by Maureen McNamara), an inexperienced teacher who takes a job helping a group of first-generation immigrants from around the world prepare for their American citizenship test. The Facts of Life began with Mrs. Garrett becoming the housemother of a girls school. Her death was ruled a suicide. It began when Mrs. Edna Garrett was assigned the task of cleaning the soiled underwear of Willis and Arnold Jackson in the first episode of the series. In addition, she wanted to focus on other aspects of her life. She was on the show from January 1980 until May 1982. I have to admit I read that and I was like, Go mom, laughs Clea Newman Soderlund, speaking about her fathers posthumous memoir. Lisa Whelchel, 44, got her start in professional acting at the age of 13 in The New Mickey Mouse Club. Charlotte Rae followed Diff'rent Strokes with Facts of Life NBC Universal Longtime fans. ", In 1996, Coleman and Bain reprised their roles for the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air entitled "I, Done Part II", where they consider buying the Banks mansion.
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