- Child Star by Box Brown is a graphic novel about a child sitcom star named Owen Eugene. Although there are references to other notorious child actors, the main inspiration is Gary Coleman, and the fictional show Everyone's Friend has a strong resemblance to Diff'rent Strokes, including Very Special Episodes about the dangers of hitch-hiking, paedophilia, and drug abuse (guest starring Nancy Reagan).
Film - Live-Action
- In Ted after Ted is employed at a supermarket despite his best attempts to offend the manager into rejecting him:Ted: Well, I am a former celebrity in a minimum wage job. This is how the cast of Diff'rent Strokes feels. All day, every day. Just awful. They must feel awful. The live ones must feel awful.
- Family Matters: In "False Arrest", The Buddy Goodrich Show is a race-flipped version of Diff'rent Strokes, with a rich a black man caring for two poor white boys.
- iCarly: In "iPsycho", Gibby says nothing to do but watch Diff'rent Strokes reruns while his friends are away.
- Raven's Home: There is an episode titled "Diff'rent Strikes".
- American Dad!: In "The Worst Stan", Principal Lewis reveals that his life was the inspiration for the show, and Stan calls him out for leaving Dudley to be molested.
- Family Guy:
- In "Death Has a Shadow", Peter is on trial for abusing a welfare overpayment, and he claims that he was going to call the government about it, but he got distracted because the episode "The Bicycle Man" was on. The scene then cuts to the man telling Arnold and Dudley to "scream real loud at my ass."
- In "Fore, Father", Peter takes Cleveland Junior under his wing and asks him to call him "Mr. Drummond".
- In "Thanksgiving", Peter criticizes Kevin for going AWOL in Iraq, calling him "a regular Benedict Arnold Drummond". The show's producers are confused by this cutaway setup, so they instead show a one with the Cowardly Lion as Lindsay Lohan's gynecologist.
- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: In "Challenge of the Superfriends", Mac tries out various sidekick catchphrases, including "Whatcha talkin' 'bout?".
