I thought the version of the theme they used for the final season was amazing. The tempo was better and it made the theme quite catchy.


It's amazing how I liked the change of Diff'rent Strokes theme but hated it when they change the theme for The Facts of Life to that fast paced tempo.


This is the theme of Diff'rent Strokes that I found to be the best
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubgx8WH84jw

I like that theme the best, and the new opening credits sequence, with the moving pictures, was very innovative for its time.

yeah ABC was on point with this theme

Then, its unanimous. I liked the final them as well. I thought it was great and very accurate for its time. 1985 was the time for change and makeovers in TV themes and TV sets. Everybody was doing it at the time.

Was Dana Plato no longer a regular cast member? She is in the final shot but not listed before that. Todd Bridges mullet looks awful.

Was Dana Plato no longer a regular cast member? She is in the final shot but not listed before that. Todd Bridges mullet looks awful.

Dana Plato wasn't a regular cast member in seasons 7 or 8, but she did make some guest appearances.

Dana Plato wasn't a regular cast member in seasons 7 or 8, but she did make some guest appearances.

Yeah she was in a handful of episodes during Season 7 and I was sitting here right now trying to remember how many she was in that last season and I'm only coming up with a few...like 3 or 4 tops and even then her actual on screen time was extremely brief. Even Todd Bridges was in the show a LOT less that last year compared to the rest of the series! I think they were trying to make what ended up being its last season about Sam and Arnold as much as possible with plans to focus it on Sam even further had it gotten another season.

As to the final season version of the theme song, I totally agree wholeheartedly with everyone else I loved that version of the theme song best of the show's whole run. I guess that was the biggest blessing and silver lining for it that last season. It got a very well done, more upbeat, disco-y version of its theme. Alan Thicke did a very good job with it that year. The YouTube clips of the theme that last year are all we have of it and I wish there were a bit better quality of a capture out there. On the boot copy of the series I have, the theme that last year is in OUTSTANDING quality on my copy and sounds phenomenal with headphones! I can't wait for everyone here to finally hear the cd quality version of it in the master copy of that last year if Shout does complete it! That version of the song already kind of makes you tap your feet and maybe dance to it-it in master cd quality will make it even harder to resist doing that ;)

Did Alan Thicke sing the revised theme song? Since it was on ABC and the network also aired Growing Pains.

I liked the original theme song better. It just seems more "classic". But, I also liked the season 8 theme...it fit it's time.

I thought the version of the theme they used for the final season was amazing. The tempo was better and it made the theme quite catchy.


It's amazing how I liked the change of Diff'rent Strokes theme but hated it when they change the theme for The Facts of Life to that fast paced tempo.


This is the theme of Diff'rent Strokes that I found to be the best
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubgx8WH84jw
One thing is odd though. Why is Conrad Bain given top billing? Did anyone out there really think HE was the star of the show and not Gary Coleman?

[QUOTE=JSP]One thing is odd though. Why is Conrad Bain given top billing? Did anyone out there really think HE was the star of the show and not Gary Coleman?[/QUOTE


He was the star, since he came from maude. Then came the boys

[QUOTE=JSP]One thing is odd though. Why is Conrad Bain given top billing? Did anyone out there really think HE was the star of the show and not Gary Coleman?[/QUOTE


He was the star, since he came from maude. Then came the boys
He was the star in 1978 before Gary Coleman hit it big. After that in Season 2 and beyond Gary should have been moved to the top. Conrad Bain should have swallowed his pride and cried all the way to the bank to cash his checks.

[QUOTE=TVFactFan]
He was the star in 1978 before Gary Coleman hit it big. After that in Season 2 and beyond Gary should have been moved to the top. Conrad Bain should have swallowed his pride and cried all the way to the bank to cash his checks.


Gary coleman was not acting long enough to have top billing

[QUOTE=JSP]


Gary coleman was not acting long enough to have top billing
Well at least by the time the show moved to ABC for Season 8 he should have had top billing. Much sooner than that though.

[QUOTE=JSP]


Gary coleman was not acting long enough to have top billing
What about Macaulay Cullin? He wasn't acting for that long yet he was billed first in the Home Alone movies, I mean he was billed before Joe Frickin' Pesci for Christ sakes!!

[QUOTE=JSP]


Gary coleman was not acting long enough to have top billing

That doesn't even matter...well maybe a little. Conrad Bain was the helm whether Gary was a break out star or not. Conrad was at the head of the show. Period.

[QUOTE=JSP]One thing is odd though. Why is Conrad Bain given top billing? Did anyone out there really think HE was the star of the show and not Gary Coleman?[/QUOTE


He was the star, since he came from maude. Then came the boys

It may have been in his contract to be in top billing. All of those things are decided in a star's contract.


For example when Two and a Half Men starred Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer they both got separate billing which means Charlie Sheen's name came before Jon Cryer's. As soon as Ashton showed up him and Jon got the same billing because their names show up on the screen together.

I thought the version of the theme they used for the final season was amazing. The tempo was better and it made the theme quite catchy.


It's amazing how I liked the change of Diff'rent Strokes theme but hated it when they change the theme for The Facts of Life to that fast paced tempo.


This is the theme of Diff'rent Strokes that I found to be the best
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubgx8WH84jw
Okay from what I heard that's actually Alan Thicke singing the Season 8 version of the theme. Learn something new every day.