NBC to produce tele-movie about Diff'rent Strokes

Could there be any sitcom in TV history that's more star-crossed than Diff'rent Strokes? All three of the young stars of that show went through multiple problems after it left the air in 1986: Gary Coleman's parents allegedly stole all the money he earned from the show; Todd Bridges struggled with a drug addiction and had run-ins with the law; and Dana Plato ended up dying from a suicidal drug overdose. So, when NBC decided to give the Behind the Camera movie treatment to the show (remember they did the same thing with Mork & Mindy, Three's Company, and Charlie's Angels), it was inevitable that they'd make the movie a cautionary tale about what the child stars went through.

But here's the interesting part: Even though the movie is subtitled The Unauthorized Story of Diff'rent Strokes, both Coleman and Bridges have decided to participate in the production; they'll be seen in interview segments interspersed with the dramaticized depictions of the show's history. Bobb'e J Thompson, the cute kid from The Tracy Morgan Show, will play Coleman, and Todd Bridges mother will be played by Verda Bridges. Yep, Verda is Todd's sister, folks. Talk about being involved...