The Great Computer Caper

Episode aired Nov 6, 1982
TV-G
25m

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

YOUR RATING

Ricky Schroder and Gary Coleman in Silver Spoons (1982)

Comedy Family

Ricky tries to impress a student reporter by hacking into a secret military computer site, but the FBI closes in after the material ends up in the school newspaper. The boys decide their onl... Read allRicky tries to impress a student reporter by hacking into a secret military computer site, but the FBI closes in after the material ends up in the school newspaper. The boys decide their only way out is to hitch a ride on a tramp steamer.Ricky tries to impress a student reporter by hacking into a secret military computer site, but the FBI closes in after the material ends up in the school newspaper. The boys decide their only way out is to hitch a ride on a tramp steamer.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

YOUR RATING

1User review

See production info at IMDbPro

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Did you know

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Trivia
The company that Ricky hacks into, "Trans-Allied" is the name of the company that Philip Drummond owns on Diffrent Strokes. Indeed, Arnold Jackson makes an appearance.

Quotes
Edward Stratton III: If you're ever in any kind of trouble, no matter how bad - whether it's a broken window, getting a bad grade... treason... whatever it is, I want you to know you can always come to me. We'll handle it together.

Connections
Features Pong (1972)

User reviews1

Review

Featured review

10/10

80's "Hacker" Culture-silver spoons style

This episode is one of my top ten favs from season one. It is known as a crossover episode-in which a character from another show(in this case-Gary Coleman's character "arnold Jackson" from different Strokes)appears in another show. Here, Arnold is a reporter for his school newspaper "the PS 89 weekly woodpecker" Who has somehow found out about his top notch computer skills{keep in mind that this was 1982-Windows and the Internet as know it today was years away}and that he has won an award at a computer camp.

Ricky uses a rather complex code-consisting of a series of numbers and letters-to hack into a military computer file that has blueprints of a fighter jet. Arnold then publishes them in his paper-and is paid a visit by the FBI. They then stow away on a ship that is helm-ed by caption Stark{John Anderson}-he tells them what's it like on the high seas and they decide to go home and face the music-see episode to see how things work out.

This episode is an example of why Ricky Stratton is one of my favorite characters in any TV show-Even though he is very smart-he is not portrayed as a nerd nor a smart Alec know it all. I can not tell you how many TV shows and movies portray computer whiz kids as computer geeks or nerds. This show is a refreshing departure from that.