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

Not a good idea at all!


Did Tootie like Willis on the show when she guest starred? I know there was a thing between her and Arnold.


Todd is forgetting one thing...the reunion in 2001. Would he have incorporated she has a daughter named Tisha, now fully grown? Mindy...Natalie was NOT a LAYWER. UGH! That was BLAIR!


Total waste. So stupid even if they wanted to pass on Kim.


I guess he just wanted it for the sake of "Let's just get eveyone back."


The ONLY WAY would be a Facts Of Life Reboot.


Willis would have to carry a show on his own, and that would be hard, given how sad it would be to not or to even mention that Arnold, Kimberly, Mr. D. and Maggie are no longer with us.


Facts has more potential to be a reboot, AND they could even have Willis there as a guest star.


Maybe a Mrs. Garret day? He shows up and they honor her and he gives a little update on what's happened over the years (whether the characters themselves died or not). He could just update it happily saying everyone had a happy ending. Arnold is married with kids and living elsewhere, Mr. D. and Maggie are in France vacationing, and Kimberly is married elswhere. Plain and simple. A happy note.

Todd said contracts were signed, I'll love to see that paperwork! Does Sony own rights to these characters? I can't imagine a showrunner or anyone else casting Todd Bridges in the lead role at this stage of his career. If there was an interest in remaking Different Strokes with a new twist, why not go back to the start point, cast an African American as Philip Drummond, cast the kids and the housekeeper and they're off to the races.