Did NBC's Refusal to Let Arnold Jackson Grow Up Keep 'Diff'rent Strokes' On The Air? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 08-15-2010, 12:40 PM

What I mean is, it seemed fans of DS didn't want to see Gary Coleman's character grow up. They always wanted to picture him as the cute kid. 'Silver Spoons' tried to grow up Ricky Schroeder's character and was soon canceled. So do you think (in a way) it was a SMART move by NBC to refuse Arnold Jackson to grow up for awhile?

Keep in mind, once they relented and let Arnold grow up....ratings did start to go in the toilet. Sam or no Sam

Retro4Life · 08-15-2010, 01:55 PM

It was probably a good move to try to keep Arnold young...for NBC.

However, I don't think it was very good for Gary Coleman. It was bad enough to be so small as he grew up, but to be frozen in time and thought of as a "youngster" when he was a teenager couldn't have been healthy. Then again, that's not the responsibility of the network; his parents should have stepped in and tried to do something about it, but that's apparently a whole other story.

catlover79 · 08-17-2010, 02:47 AM

^ I agree 100%. Good for the show and the network, bad for its star.

Marvo301 · 08-17-2010, 05:54 PM

Keeping Arnold young probably did help the ratings for Diff'rent Strokes. But it very likely also contributed to the problems Gary Coleman faced later in life.

Larenz09 · 08-22-2010, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

Keeping Arnold young probably did help the ratings for Diff'rent Strokes. But it very likely also contributed to the problems Gary Coleman faced later in life.

Sadly, it would appear that Gary Coleman was used & abused by the show's producers for the purpose of trying to keep him hanging on for as long as they wanted him to be around, and then, as he was approaching adulthood, they then dumped him and threw him out to the wolves!!

This same scenerio happened with Maculay Culkin, Brian Bonsall and other former child stars. A child actor is only good, seemingly, when he or she is young, full of energy and can very easily be manipulated to do almost anything. By the time they reach adolesence, their young years start to become faded memories as they make the transition into their teenage years!!

Then when they become adults, it seems that their potential to become even better actors & actresses are all but forgotten.

But it was mainly Gary Coleman who mostly stayed in the spotlight, sadly, not for good reasons, but mainly for bad things. Probably not many thought that things were so bad off for him.

The media practically followed him around everywhere, pouncing on him when he had run-ins with the law. They weighted for him to cross their imaginary line, and then they closed in on him, seemingly always ready to lay the badmouth on him.

catlover79 · 08-23-2010, 02:09 AM

^ Sad but true!!!

Larenz09 · 08-23-2010, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

^ Sad but true!!!

So true!

Gary became a victim of the greedy producers because at the time, they looked at him as a very bright alert and skunky talkative little boy who was right for the show.

The world fell in love with this little bundle of joy and his sassy mouth and ways, but the greedy producers saw $$$$$$$$ flashing in front of their eyes!!

Harmony233 · 08-23-2010, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larenz09

So true!

Gary became a victim of the greedy producers because at the time, they looked at him as a very bright alert and skunky talkative little boy who was right for the show.

The world fell in love with this little bundle of joy and his sassy mouth and ways, but the greedy producers saw $$$$$$$$ flashing in front of their eyes!!

The producers were just as bad as his parents.I mean working a child into exhaustion when he is suffering from kidney failure.I know that they got away with a lot back then.

catlover79 · 08-23-2010, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harmony233

The producers were just as bad as his parents.I mean working a child into exhaustion when he is suffering from kidney failure.I know that they got away with a lot back then.

It's sickening, isn't it? Alison Arngrim (Little House on the Prairie) said as much on her Facebook page.

Larenz09 · 08-23-2010, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harmony233

The producers were just as bad as his parents.I mean working a child into exhaustion when he is suffering from kidney failure.I know that they got away with a lot back then.

Yes they did.

They were seriously abusing the law and rules concerning child labor!! Which is why most child actors probably became cranky and upset.

A classic example of that is the one involving Michael Jackson and his brothers when they were kids and just starting out as a group. Their dad had worked them to a frazzle! And even when they became tired and exhausted, the SOB stood over them with a belt and beat them mercilessly!!

He was another greedy monster who also saw $$$$$$$ flashing in front of his eyes!!! These monsters like to greedily gain profits by working young children to death, and then when the child wants some time out, they won't allow it to happen!!

Which is why poor Michael Jackson never really had a childhood doing the things kids like to do away from the spotlight, and like what has happened with Gary, Michael also resented the living hell out of his dad and took it to HIS grave as well.

Larenz09 · 08-23-2010, 07:56 PM

Yeah, Gary's parents and his business partner just wouldn't let go of the money that Gary had earned from Strokes, so Gary had to take drastic measures to get was what rightfully his, and that was that!

Having money-grubbing greedy monsters for parents can also take its toll on a child when he's old enough to have that money.

08-15-2010, 12:40 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Did NBC's Refusal to Let Arnold Jackson Grow Up Keep 'Diff'rent Strokes' On The Air? What I mean is, it seemed fans of DS didn't want to see Gary Coleman's character grow up. They always wanted to picture him as the cute kid. 'Silver Spoons' tried to grow up Ricky Schroeder's character and was soon canceled. So do you think (in a way) it was a SMART move by NBC to refuse Arnold Jackson to grow up for awhile? Keep in mind, once they relented and let Arnold grow up....ratings did start to go in the toilet. Sam or no Sam Attached Images
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08-15-2010, 01:55 PM	#2
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	It was probably a good move to try to keep Arnold young...for NBC. However, I don't think it was very good for Gary Coleman. It was bad enough to be so small as he grew up, but to be frozen in time and thought of as a "youngster" when he was a teenager couldn't have been healthy. Then again, that's not the responsibility of the network; his parents should have stepped in and tried to do something about it, but that's apparently a whole other story.
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08-17-2010, 02:47 AM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	^ I agree 100%. Good for the show and the network, bad for its star.
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08-17-2010, 05:54 PM	#4
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	Keeping Arnold young probably did help the ratings for Diff'rent Strokes. But it very likely also contributed to the problems Gary Coleman faced later in life.
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08-23-2010, 02:09 AM	#6
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	^ Sad but true!!!

08-23-2010, 07:56 PM	#11
Larenz09 Gary Coleman, we'll miss you! Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 12, 2008 Location: East Boston, MA. Posts: 659	Yeah, Gary's parents and his business partner just wouldn't let go of the money that Gary had earned from Strokes, so Gary had to take drastic measures to get was what rightfully his, and that was that! Having money-grubbing greedy monsters for parents can also take its toll on a child when he's old enough to have that money.