On December 18, 1982, Diff’rent Strokes aired “Santa’s Helper,” its only true Christmas episode, aside from a first-season attempt that aired a few days after Christmas in 1978 and consisted mostly of clips from the show’s first seven episodes.
When “Santa’s Helper” begins, the family is decorating the tree, and we quickly learn that the star is an antique that has been in the family for years. Of course there are many other valuables in the Drummond household, including the video camera and all of the family’s gifts.
When Arnold finds out he isn’t getting a Christmas bonus from working for his dad’s company, he needs to find a way to earn money and buy presents. (‘Tis the season!) Unfortunately, he’s recently blown all of his cash on a statue of E.T with a clock in his stomach! (‘Tis 1982!) He soon meets Mr. Jones, who is dressed as Santa and collecting money for charity, and Arnold joins him in his efforts.
While it isn’t quite clear at first if Mr. Jones is definitely a scam artist, after becoming friends with Arnold’s family, his true colors come out, and he Grinches the Drummonds while they sleep on Christmas Eve.
Of course, Arnold (accidentally) helps Mr. Jones see he’s done something wrong, and Christmas comes after all when the gifts are returned to the family’s door as they are eating dinner.
This episode is full of Christmas tropes and fun, from the decorations and the carols to Arnold’s E.T. alarm clock being set for 6 a.m. on Christmas morning. However, it also represents the overall series very well. Even as a fifth-season episode, you easily learn everything you need to know about the series to enjoy this special. And you even get a “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Santa?!” for fun. You could show this episode to your kids or any friends who have never seen Diff’rent Strokes, and you really wouldn’t have to explain much about the family’s background.
With a quick 25-minute runtime, “Santa’s Helper” should easily slide into your family’s annual watch list.
9/10
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