And he was suppose to be married to Tootie and they adopted two white boys. To date this hasn't gone through and the producers wanted someone else besides Kim Fields to play Tootie/Dorothy. Details here.
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/todd-bridges-reveals-diffrent-strokes-reboot-didnt-include-kim-fields-showrunner-didnt-want-kim.html/

You can listen to the podcast here. The Different Strokes talk appeared at about the 20:00 minute mark.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/todd-bridges-on-big-brother-todrick-hall-lamar-odom/id1496557812?i=1000552559295

Someone else besides Kim? Sacrilege!

Someone else besides Kim? Sacrilege!

It could be that Kim is contractually obligated to The Upshaws. Todd didn't say when this happened.

I’d like to see him return to acting regularly.

It could be that Kim is contractually obligated to The Upshaws. Todd didn't say when this happened.

Tootie without Kim is "Toot-toot, Tootie, goodbye..."

"AU, give us back our Kim" :lol:

Tootie is a widow and has a daughter and Arnold was the one with a crush on her, not Willis. This was going to be a "Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life spin-off", not a reboot

"AU, give us back our Kim" :lol:


:brent

The story would be something like:

Willis has inherited Mr. Drummond's fortune, he works at Trans Allied, his father's business in New York, and he lives in the penthouse with his wife Tootie, her biological daughter Tisha, their housekeeper Tumpy, a smoker expelled from school, and their two adopted sons: Emily, whose mother left her at Eastland with Tootie, and Danny, a kid trapped in his home during a gas leak back when Tootie worked for Mrs. Garrett. Their landlords are the Bradleys, a middle aged couple: Emily knows that the kids are Willis' stepsons but keeps the secret because her husband Stephen and their maid Sue Ann are two very conservative people. Mr. Drummond, Mrs. Garrett, Arnold, Kimberly, Adelaide, Maggie and Beverly Ann unfortunately are no longer with us, Pearl has left the household to become a teacher in a boating school under the sea, Sam has married Kelly and they have moved to Cabot Cove for good, Blair is Willis' lawyer at Trans Allied, Jo is a police officer, Cindy is a model for Tootie and Natalie's beauty school, Nancy works at the Trans Allied call center, Andy is the doorman of the building, George is a famous actor under the name of George Clooney, Pippa has returned to Australia while Molly lives in Sweden where she has befriended an activist girl called Greta

The story would be something like:

Willis has inherited Mr. Drummond's fortune, he works at Trans Allied, his father's business in New York, and he lives in the penthouse with his wife Tootie, her biological daughter Tisha, their housekeeper Tumpy, a smoker expelled from school, and their two adopted sons: Emily, whose mother left her at Eastland with Tootie, and Danny, a kid trapped in his home during a gas leak back when Tootie worked for Mrs. Garrett. Their landlords are the Bradleys, a middle aged couple: Emily knows that the kids are Willis' stepsons but keeps the secret because her husband Stephen and their maid Sue Ann are two very conservative people. Mr. Drummond, Mrs. Garrett, Arnold, Kimberly, Adelaide, Maggie and Beverly Ann unfortunately are no longer with us, Pearl has left the household to become a teacher in a boating school under the sea, Sam has married Kelly and they have moved to Cabot Cove for good, Blair is Willis' lawyer at Trans Allied, Jo is a police officer, Cindy is a model for Tootie and Natalie's beauty school, Nancy works at the Trans Allied call center, Andy is the doorman of the building, George is a famous actor under the name of George Clooney, Pippa has returned to Australia while Molly lives in Sweden where she has befriended an activist girl called Greta

The last part did somewhat happen in real life. Molly just didn't move to Sweden. https://twitter.com/mollyringwald/status/1121606300406898690

The last part did somewhat happen in real life. Molly just didn't move to Sweden. https://twitter.com/mollyringwald/status/1121606300406898690

Very interesting, thanks for sharing :wave:

Very interesting, thanks for sharing :wave:

The writers and producers took some of the girls real life interests and backgrounds and developed their characters from it. They did that to Mrs. Garrett as well.

The writers and producers took some of the girls real life interests and backgrounds and developed their characters from it. They did that to Mrs. Garrett as well.

Of the main cast, Mrs. Garrett and Natalie are the ones that most resemble their real counterparts

Of the main cast, Mrs. Garrett and Natalie are the ones that most resemble their real counterparts

Don't forget Tootie, who goes from wanting to be a beautician to wanting to be an actress.

Don't forget Tootie, who goes from wanting to be a beautician to wanting to be an actress.

She changed her mind because Mr. Ramsey wasn't too happy :lol:

Cindy who get's custody of me ? lol

She changed her mind because Mr. Ramsey wasn't too happy :lol:

I don't think Mr. Ramsey would be happy at Tootie (aka Dorothy) being an actress either.

I don't think Mr. Ramsey would be happy at Tootie (aka Dorothy) being an actress either.

Right :lol: