Many people point to the inclusion of Sam as the moment that DS jumped the shark. But with that being said, wasn't DS already loosing some steam before that. First and foremost, even without the inclusion of Sam and Maggie, DS had to deal w/ the issues involving Dana Plato's pregnancy and possible drug abuse (that would get her fired and ultimately relegated to a part time player) and Gary Coleman's illness and growing disenchantment w/ working on the show. Plus, DS had arguably crossed (and pardon me if I'm not using the correct words to describe this), unfortunate or otherwise uncharted territories or boundaries (i.e. going to the most extreme for a family-friendly sitcom) w/ "very special episodes" (e.g. the one w/ Nancy Reagan, "The Bicycle Man", and "The Hitchhikers") in hindsight at least.

Many people point to the inclusion of Sam as the moment that DS jumped the shark. But with that being said, wasn't DS already loosing some steam before that. First and foremost, even without the inclusion of Sam and Maggie, DS had to deal w/ the issues involving Dana Plato's pregnancy and possible drug abuse (that would get her fired and ultimately relegated to a part time player) and Gary Coleman's illness and growing disenchantment w/ working on the show. Plus, DS had arguably crossed (and pardon me if I'm not using the correct words to describe this), unfortunate territories or boundaries (i.e. going to the most extreme for a family-friendly sitcom) w/ "very special episodes" (e.g. the one w/ Nancy Reagan, "The Bicycle Man", and "The Hitchhikers") in hindsight at least.

I agree TMC - with all of it. And I think it's terrible that people really blame a child for ruining a show! If anyone is to blame it would the producers and writers, IMO. Just sayin.....

I agree TMC - with all of it. And I think it's terrible that people really blame a child for ruining a show! If anyone is to blame it would the producers and writers, IMO. Just sayin.....exactly

Well I guess it was a last ditch effort the producers knew the show was running low on gas so they were relying on every cliche trend possible for sitcoms.

Well I guess it was a last ditch effort the producers knew the show was running low on gas so they were relying on every cliche trend possible for sitcoms.

It seemed like around this time, the producers of DS were desperately trying to cling onto whatever was hot in popular culture at the time, to prove to people that they were "still relevant". There was the Mr. T episode, there was the Knight Rider episode w/ David Hasselhoff, there was the break-dancing episode (w/ Dick Sargent, AKA the 2nd Darrin Stephens on Bewitched as Arnold's uptight principal), there was an episode in which Mr. Drummond dresses up like Don Johnson on Miami Vice and another one in which Arnold wears a Boy George shirt, and there was the Ghostbusters inspired episode ("A Haunting We Will Go").

And the fact that Arnold was ready for the show the end also was one of the reasons.

I agree TMC - with all of it. And I think it's terrible that people really blame a child for ruining a show! If anyone is to blame it would the producers and writers, IMO. Just sayin.....

Sam probably would've been slightly more tolerable had he been a recurrent character (a la Dudley) instead of forcing him down everybody's throats. Sam (and Maggie for that matter) really screwed up the dynamic because Willis and Kimberly (even had Dana Plato not gotten pregnant and subsequently fired from the show) were the odd people out. Arnold pretty much took over from Willis as the "big brother" (to Sam's little brother) while Maggie became the de facto "woman of the house".

I think the biggest reason for DS imploding is a very simple one. Dana Plato, Todd Bridges, and Gary Coleman grew up.

It seemed like around this time, the producers of DS were desperately trying to cling onto whatever was hot in popular culture at the time, to so to people that they were "still relevant". There was the Mr. T episode, there was the Knight Rider episode w/ David Hasselhoff, there was the break-dancing episode (w/ Dick Sargent, AKA the 2nd Darrin Stephens on Bewitched as Arnold's uptight principal), there was an episode in which Mr. Drummond dresses up like Don Johnson on Miami Vice and another one in which Arnold wears a Boy George shirt, there was the Ghostbusters inspired episode ("A Haunting We Will Go").
Yeah those references can really backfire if it's too obvious, I mean Mr. Drummond dressing up in Miami Vice getup was painful seeing an old man trying to be hip.

Well I guess it was a last ditch effort the producers knew the show was running low on gas so they were relying on every cliche trend possible for sitcoms.

Besides Sam, what I think did DS in at the end:
*The kids (Kimberly, Willis and Arnold) simply "growing up". Diff'rent Strokes' initial success and appeal hinged a lot of Gary Coleman being this cute, funny little kid. Unfortunately, Arnold's character towards the end became a tad bit jerky (his one-liners and wisecracks seemed more spiteful and loathsome). It's like the producers didn't know where to go w/ Arnold as Gary Coleman got older, but stayed the same size. They pretty much tried to recycle the formula w/ Sam in Arnold's old spot as the little brother, but it just never worked.

*The Nancy Reagan episode. Even if you voted for Mrs. Reagan's husband, you have to agree that this was the epitome of a TV show sacrificing its integrity in order to shill a real life personality's personal agenda/pulpit (Mrs. Reagan's "Just Say No" program). DS by the time Ronald Reagan took office seemed more interested in teaching you a heavy-handed, overly-simplified PSA-styled lesson ("drugs are bad, but that's it") instead of simply being entertaining. This along the way, came other episodes that dealt w/ extremely dark/downbeat subject matter (w/ virtual no repercussions or follow-up in the subsequent episodes) that would be more appropriate on a one-hour procedural show like SVU. How exactly can we at all laugh at all in an episode where Arnold and Dudley encounter a pedophile in a bicycle shop or another one where a hitchhiking Arnold and Kimberly meet a deranged sexual predator!?

*Whitewashing. You can argue that when DS started, it was somewhat edgy (it had the whole social-economic as well as racial angle to deal with) like other Norman Lear sitcoms of the day. I guess, the novelty of two black kids from "The 'Hood" being adopted into a rich white family (it was sort of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air of its day except that the rich family was black also) soon wore off, because by the end, Willis and Arnold's past life in Harlem was rarely brought up or dealt with.