Two of the biggest sitcoms of the 1970s and 1980s, Diff’rent Strokes and its spinoff The Facts of Life, will be brought back to television for one night only on the show Live in Front of a Studio Audience presented by Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear. This will be the show's latest recreation of specific episodes of popular sitcoms from decades past, with previous specials tackling All in the Family, Good Times, and The Jeffersons, starring Marisa Tomei and Woody Harrelson as Edith and Archie Bunker, Wanda Sykes and Jaime Foxx as Louise and George Jefferson, and Viola Davis and Andre Braugher as Florida and James Evans.
The productions have also included musical guests to perform the famous theme songs. Tomei and Harrelson performed All in the Family, Jennifer Hudson performed The Jeffersons, and Patti LaBelle performed Good Times. Given the popularity of the theme songs for The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes - originally performed by Gloria Loring and Alan Thicke, respectively - it will be exciting to see who pops up to sing the opening titles this time.
Here’s a look at the two shows' original casts, as well as who will be portraying them in this new special.
Diff’rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is the story of a wealthy white man and his daughter who take in their Black former housekeeper's two sons after she suddenly dies. The sitcom ran from 1978 to 1986, with the final season jumping from NBC to ABC.
Arnold Jackson (Gary Coleman/Kevin Hart)
The younger of the two Jackson brothers adopted by Mr. Drummond, Arnold was a star-making role for Gary Coleman. His catchphrase “Whatchu talkin’ about, Willis?” is one of the most famous of all time. Coleman passed away in 2010 at the age of 42 following a lifetime of medical problems.
In this special, Arnold will be played by Kevin Hart, which is definitely an interesting choice as Coleman was 10 years old in the first season and Hart is 42. But Hart's comedic talent and star power are sure to draw viewers.
Willis Jackson (Todd Bridges/Damon Wayans)
Todd Bridges played Willis, the older Jackson brother who went through an array of typical teen problems. Willis was commonly heard saying “Say what?” although his catchphrase didn’t take off quite the same way Coleman’s did. Bridges still acts in film and TV, and is a voiceover artist in video games.
Willis will be portrayed by Damon Wayans in the 2021 version. Between starring roles on In Living Color and My Wife and Kids, among many other credits, Wayans is no stranger to television.
Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain/John Lithgow)
Phillip is the aforementioned rich guy who opened his heart and his doors to Arnold and Willis. Conrad Bain had been acting since the early 1950s when he landed his leading role in Diff’rent Strokes. His last television appearance was with Coleman on the series finale of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as prospective buyers of the Banks’ mansion. Bain passed away in 2013.
Mr. Drummond will be portrayed by John Lithgow. A two-time Tony winner and a six-time Emmy winner, including three for his lead role on the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, it will be nice to see Lithgow return to comedy if only for one night.
Philip’s biological daughter, Kimberly, was played by Dana Plato, who tragically passed away in 1999 at the age of 34. The show had two more housekeepers, Adelaide and Pearl, played by Nedra Volz and Mary Jo Catlett after Mrs. Garrett left the show. Mr. Drummond also eventually remarried a woman named Maggie who was played for one season by Dixie Carter and the following season by Mary Ann Mobley. Danny Cooksey also starred as Maggie’s son, Sam. And who could forget Willis’ girlfriend Charlene, played by none other than Janet Jackson?
The Facts of Life
A spinoff of Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life was an equally long-running sitcom, airing for nine seasons from 1979 to 1988. The show follows the Drummonds' former housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett, as she gets a job at a prestigious all-girls school in a suburb of New York City where Kimberly Drummond was to attend. (Kimberly did not wind up being a regular character.) The show went through a few retoolings throughout its run. After the first season, the cast of students was reduced to the main four girls listed below. Once Jo and Blair graduated, Mrs. Garrett opened a bakery and the four girls moved in with her to help run the business. After a fire takes the bakery, they all decide to open up a novelty shop. In the final two seasons, Charlotte Rae left the show. Cloris Leachman came on as Beverly Ann, Mrs. Garrett’s sister who takes over the business and continues mentoring the now-grown girls.
Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae/Ann Dowd)
Mrs. Garrett began on The Facts of Life as a house mother for the Eastland school. She then transitioned to the dietary specialist who ran the school cafeteria and eventually the proprietor of Edna’s Edibles Bakery and Over Our Heads Boutique. Charlotte Rae was a Broadway star in the 50s and 60s with a long history of television appearances before landing her big role on Diff’rent Strokes. She passed away in 2018 at the age of 92.
Emmy winner Ann Dowd will be playing Mrs. Garrett in both Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life for the special.
Blair Warner (Lisa Whelchel/Jennifer Aniston)
The spoiled rich Daddy’s girl from Manhattan, Blair was the girl everyone loved to hate. And yet somehow, Lisa Whelchel managed to make her not only accessible but warm and hilarious. Blair will be portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, who has some familiarity with playing a spoiled rich girl who learns to grow up and be a good person thanks to her long-running portrayal of Rachel on the mega-hit sitcom Friends.
Natalie Green (Mindy Cohn/Allison Tolman)
Natalie was often billed as the comic relief of the group. Played by Mindy Cohn, she was frequently the center of controversial storylines ranging from being the first of the girls to lose their virginity, to learning how to grieve the sudden death of her father, to being the victim of a sexual assault on Halloween. Allison Tolman of Fargo fame will portray Natalie Green for the TV Special.
Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey (Kim Fields/Gabrielle Union)
The youngest of the girls, Tootie was played by Kim Fields, who was only 11 years old when the show began. Tootie was known for her roller skates and her gossip. As she got older, Tootie took her penchant for drama and turned it into a desire to be an actress. Tootie will be played by film and television star Gabrielle Union (Bring It On, L.A.'s Finest).
Jo Polniaczek (Nancy McKeon/Kathryn Hahn)
Jo joined the cast in the third season and immediately became the nemesis of Blair when she arrived on a motorcycle and asked if she could park it on Blair’s face. Being polar opposites, Jo and Blair were hilarious as rivals, but they were even better when they became the best of friends. Nancy McKeon was one of the “it” girls of the 80s, and playing Jo was a star-making role. 2021’s own “it" girl, Kathryn Hahn, will take on the role of Jo for Live in Front of a Studio Audience.
Some notable recurring characters on The Facts of Life include Mackenzie Astin as Andy, Geri Jewell as Blair’s cousin Geri, and some unknown actor named George Clooney as George. Sadly both Rae and Leachman have passed away, but hopefully one of the girls (or a Clooney) will pop up for a surprise cameo. Jon Stewart has been announced to appear, but no word yet as to who he will play.
Live in Front of a Studio Audience airs December 7th on ABC.