Will some one please settle this arguement between my and my best friend.  >:( :( :(I remember an episode of Different Strokes where Arnold help catch a child molester. Does anyone remember that one? My friend said that A TV show would not have dealt with a topic like that back then. Also what was some of you other favorite episodes.

I can't say I particularly recall that episode.

Here's a webpage with a list of all the episode titles.  this particular page doesn't give any indication of the plots though

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077003/episodes#season-1

Your memory is correct. There is defidently an episode of Different Strokes where Arnold and his friend catch a child molester. I haven't seen that episode in awhile so I dont really remember the plot that well but it was one of the later episodes and it defidently happened.

Will some one please settle this arguement between my and my best friend.  >:( :( :(I remember an episode of Different Strokes where Arnold help catch a child molester. Does anyone remember that one? My friend said that A TV show would not have dealt with a topic like that back then. Also what was some of you other favorite episodes.


Your friend is wrong.

Yes, Different Strokes did an episode where Arnold and his friend, Dudley entered a store. The storekeeper played by the Boss on WKRP in Cincinnati (Gordon Jump) invited them both to the back of the store for a favor. Arnold said no, but Dudley remained for some treats. He asked Dudley to take his shirt off b/c that's what friends do. Dudley did and the guy took some photos of him.

Word got back to his father and Mr. D. and the authorities handled it. The boys discussed what happened with their families. Shows like these wasn't uncommon. There were movies about child molestation in the 80s as well. One such movie is Something About Amelia starring Ted Danson. It's a story about incest.

weird, dude! i was just watchin diff'rent strokes last night. (you'll never guess who the guest star was.)

that show was really, um, not very good. they were usually content with goofy jokes and letting gary coleman do his schtick but every ep seemed to ahve at least one serious moment in it, so i'm not surprised they'd have a child molester ep.

it's funny because i have a theory a big part of the reason dana plato turned out the way she did was that she was exploited sexually on diff'rent strokes sometimes in these weird ways -- they'd have her prancing around in a skimpy bathing suit and mr. drummond would scold her about covering herself up and stuff but at the same time it was pretty obvious you, as the viewer, were supposed to leer at her a little, that they were being racy to get ratings.

Yes, there was child molestation in the '80s.  It wasn't the decade of Christ  ;D

Yes, Different Strokes did an episode where Arnold and his friend, Dudley entered a store. The storekeeper played by the Boss on WKRP in Cincinnati (Gordon Jump) invited them both to the back of the store for a favor. Arnold said no, but Dudley remained for some treats. He asked Dudley to take his shirt off b/c that's what friends do. Dudley did and the guy took some photos of him.


I will never be able to watch a Maytag commercial ever again!  I have been scared for life.

Wh would have ever imagined that the Maytag Man was a pedophile?  I guess we now know what he really did when he was waiting for a call.

I will never be able to watch a Maytag commercial ever again!  I have been scared for life.

Wh would have ever imagined that the Maytag Man was a pedophile?  I guess we now know what he really did when he was waiting for a call.




He is?  :o

I remember this episode quite well, even though I haven't seen Diff'rent Strokes in about 10 years.  Quite controversial stuff  :o

Many shows in the 80's (and late 70's / early 90's)  dealt with serious episodes.  Here's a few ones I remember ...

The Hogan Family - David's best friend Rich passes away from Aids
WKRP in Cincinatti - A sleazy photographer takes illegal photos of Jennifer naked and threatens to sell them
Family Matters - Two white cops pull Eddie over simply because he was a black kid driving through a white neighbourhood
Growing Pains - Mike, Eddie and Boner are offered drugs at a party
Facts of Life - Natalie nearly gets raped by a Clown on Halloween
Mama's Family - Naomi is sexually harassed by her boss at Food Circus
Diff'rent Strokes - Arnold and Kimberly are kidnapped.  The kidnappers give Arnold a sedative while they try to seduce Kimberly
Punky Brewster - Cherie nearly suffocates after hiding in an abandoned refrigerator during a game of hide and seek
Family Ties - Alex has to cope with the loss of his friend Greg, who was killed in a car crash

He is?  :o


ROFL!

Gordon Jump played the "Maytag Man" from 1989 until 2003.  He was probably the most famous one to hold the position.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Jump

Will some one please settle this arguement between my and my best friend.  >:( :( :(I remember an episode of Different Strokes where Arnold help catch a child molester. Does anyone remember that one? My friend said that A TV show would not have dealt with a topic like that back then. Also what was some of you other favorite episodes.


I remember it. Gordon Jump played the child molester who was a bike shop owner.

My favorite episodes are Moving In, The Trip, Thanksgiving Crossover and First Day Blues.

ROFL!

Gordon Jump played the "Maytag Man" from 1989 until 2003.  He was probably the most famous one to hold the position.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Jump


Oh, I see. He only played one?  Thank god!  ;D

Yes...the episode guest starred Gordon Jump (from WKRP) as the child molester.
He ran a bike shop and Arnold and Dudley would go hang out with him.
Then he tried to get them drunk and take their clothes off.

I think the whole "serious episode" is a domain of '70s-early '90s TV, it's seemingly become less prevalent...

There was also an episode of Webster titled The Uh Oh Feeling -> where Webster learns that a classmate is being molested by a substitute teacher. 

In 1988 Mr. Belvedere had an episode that was unique because instead of it happening to a friend of the main character it was a main character who was molested.  When Wesley, the youngest child Belvedere looked after, he was touched inappropriately by a counselor. This was one of the better episodes.

As I was reminded by the TV Show Criminal Minds, the 80's marks the start of the "Stranger Danger" program where police would come to the schools and teach kids to beware  of Strangers but the stranger was always depicted as a dark shadow in an overcoat and hat not the friendly man looking for his lost dog!


Hey whis