Father Knows Best

The popular radio show comes to life in this hit sitcom about a wise family man, Jim Anderson, his common-sense wife Margaret and their children Betty, Bud and Kathy.

Genre: Comedy, Family

Cast:Robert Young , Lauren Chapin , Jane Wyatt , Billy Gray , Elinor Donahue , Jimmy Bates , Paul Wallace , Sarah Selby , Yvonne Lime , Vivi Janiss , Robert Foulk , Robert Chapman , Natividad VacÃo , Peter Heisser , Sam Flint , Don Bender , Roberta Shore , Bart Patton

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ Bud Takes Up the Dance

Sun, Oct 3, 1954

Bud asked a girl to go to a dance with him - his first dance, and his first date. He is trying to learn how to dance from a book over 50 years old. When his family finds out, he is embarrassed. His family helps him learn some dance steps.

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ Lesson in Citizenship

Sun, Oct 10, 1954

Jim Anderson, dismayed at his children's laziness, lectures them in the importance of good citizenship and cheerful volunteering. When each of them later heed his advice and try to do their part in the community, their efforts end up complicating his own life in unexpected ways.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ The Motor Scooter

Sun, Oct 17, 1954

Betty is afraid she is gaining weight. Jim purchased a motor scooter for Bud, but Margaret does not want him to have it. Jim backs down and sells it. But when Margaret allows Betty to wear a low-cut dress, Jim is against that.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ Football Tickets

Sun, Oct 24, 1954

Jim has an extra ticket for the football game, and since Margaret cannot go, Betty is chosen. A friend of Jim's visits him and says he will buy insurance from Jim if he gets the extra ticket, Jim has to tell Betty she cannot go.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ Live My Own Life

Sun, Oct 31, 1954

Tired of being told what to do by his parents, Bud announces he is moving out. Bud finds a place to stay and enjoys his independence -until he realizes how much work there is to being independent. Bud tries to find a way to move home again.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ Grandpa Jim's Rejuvenation

Sun, Nov 7, 1954

Jim gets invited to play badminton with friends and starts to remember (with rose-colored glasses) his youth and college days. He plays the game and finds he is not as good as he used to be. Now, he realizes his best days are behind him.

7Season 1

S1.E7 ∙ Bud's Encounter with the Law

Sun, Nov 14, 1954

Kathy plays with the new washing machine and keeps throwing everything in it. This time, Betty's items for Girls in Government Club are included as well as a letter to Bud from the police. Betty's items are ruined and Bud gets a surprise.

8Season 1

S1.E8 ∙ Thanksgiving Day

Sun, Nov 21, 1954

The family prepares for Thanksgiving. Kathy has to write a poem for a school project. She is selected as the winner in her class and the family is proud. But when she reads the poem to her parents, Jim thinks it is not as good as it should be and Kathy is upset.

9Season 1

S1.E9 ∙ Second Honeymoon

Sun, Nov 28, 1954

Jim and Margaret plan a second honeymoon trip, and decide Betty & Bud are old enough to watch the house and Kathy by themselves. However, they are suspicious when the children are anxious for them to be out of the house.

10Season 1

S1.E10 ∙ Typical Father

Sun, Dec 5, 1954

Jim, overhearing bits and pieces of a conversation suspects Betty of planning to elope with a boy.

11Season 1

S1.E11 ∙ Margaret Goes Dancing

Sun, Dec 12, 1954

Margaret's friend Myrtle tells her that she and her husband are taking dance lessons. Myrtle tells Margaret that she and Jim should also try them. Margaret tries to trick Jim into lessons, but he finds out the plan from Myrtle's husband.

12Season 1

S1.E12 ∙ The Christmas Story

Sun, Dec 19, 1954

Upset with his children's materialistic approach to the holiday season, Jim insists his family drive to the mountains to chop down their Christmas tree. His wish for a simple family Christmas becomes an unfortunate reality when their car gets stuck in a snow drift far from the nearest phone. They take refuge in a mountain lodge that's closed for the season and are befriended by a man, apparently the caretaker, who teaches the children the delights of a simple holiday.

13Season 1

S1.E13 ∙ Sparrow in the Window

Sun, Dec 26, 1954

Kathy finds a injured bird outside one of the windows at home. She brings it in to nurse it back to health. Everyone in the family also helps care for the bird and at the same time, the healing helps themselves.

14Season 1

S1.E14 ∙ Boy's Week

Sun, Jan 2, 1955

For a school project, Bud's class is given jobs in the real world. Bud is Traffic Court Judge for the day - the day that Jim gets a ticket. Kathy breaks a neighbor's window for the third time in the month and Jim wants to teach a lesson.

15Season 1

S1.E15 ∙ A Friend of Old George's

Sun, Jan 9, 1955

It's Kathy's birthday and she tries to find the cake and presents before the celebration. And then a friend of George's shows up for Jim, who says "any friend of George is a friend of mine". Kathy thinks he is ruining her party.

16Season 1

S1.E16 ∙ Bud the Snob

Sun, Jan 16, 1955

Everyone at school thinks he is a snob because he does not talk to a lot of people. It is actually because he is terribly shy. Jim talks Bud into hosting a masquerade party at home to show his friends he is not a snob.

17Season 1

S1.E17 ∙ The Promised Playhouse

Sun, Jan 23, 1955

Bud wants Jim to promise to take him to a rodeo, but Jim does not want to promise. Promises gets him into trouble, Once, to get Kathy to take medicine, he promised he would sleep with her in a play house and he reluctantly kept the promise.

18Season 1

S1.E18 ∙ Jim, the Farmer

Sun, Jan 30, 1955

Stressed out from the daily grind at work, Jim decides to quit the insurance business, move the Andersons out West, and run a farm - much to the dismay of his family.

19Season 1

S1.E19 ∙ Father of the Year

Sun, Feb 6, 1955

The local newspaper is hosting a Father of the Year contest. Betty, Bud, and Kathy want to nominate Jim. Jim finds out and is overjoyed that his children want to submit an entry. But the kids cannot think of anything to actually write.

20Season 1

S1.E20 ∙ The Mink Coat

Sun, Feb 13, 1955

Jim calls a family meeting because there has been too much spending recently and they must cut expenses. Just when he tells everyone to save money, Jim gets a deal on a mink coat. He buys it then has to justify his purchase to the kids.

21Season 1

S1.E21 ∙ The Matchmaker

Sun, Feb 20, 1955

Margaret's cousin Louise is visiting. The Andersons have a dinner party for Louise and her boyfriend Tom. Margaret hopes Tom will propose to Louise. Margaret does everything to make the mood romantic, despite the children's interruptions.

22Season 1

S1.E22 ∙ Bud the Bridesmaid

Sun, Feb 27, 1955

Margaret's cousin Louise is getting married. The wedding preparations are underway with food, chairs, flowers and more. Louise is nervous and Tom is weary. Louise & Tom have an argument and say the wedding is canceled.

23Season 1

S1.E23 ∙ Proud Father

Sun, Mar 6, 1955

Jim runs into an acquaintance who brags about his family members and all their achievements. Jim's family does not measure up, so he decides to encourage Betty, Bud, and Kathy to do their best and excel at something.

24Season 1

S1.E24 ∙ Father Delivers the Papers

Sun, Mar 13, 1955

The newspaper manager tells Jim that Bud is slacking in his paper delivery route. Bud has every excuse as to why he cannot do it. The manager gives him one more chance. Bud messes up due to minor injuries. Jim finishes the route for Bud.

25Season 1

S1.E25 ∙ No Partiality

Sun, Mar 20, 1955

Kathy is upset because all she seems to get are hand-me-downs. Jim and Margaret decide to treat her with more equality in privileges. When Betty wants to invite a boy to dinner, Kathy invites a boy first. Turns out it is the same boy.

26Season 1

S1.E26 ∙ Close Decision

Sun, Mar 27, 1955

Margaret is upset that Bud is not doing his chores lately. When he tries to keep raking the leaves in order to play in a baseball game, Margaret puts her foot down.

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ Art of Salesmanship

Wed, Aug 31, 1955

Bud has to sell sauce boats which he thinks will be an easy sell. He soon learns there is more to selling than just asking people to buy. Jim helps him learn some selling tips.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Father's Private Life

Wed, Sep 7, 1955

Jim thinks the children ask him to solve their problems too much. He decides they need to start finding their own solutions.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ Lessons in Civics

Wed, Sep 14, 1955

The town is undergoing new construction, and when Jim learns the old meeting house is being torn down, he is upset. It is a memorial for the town since has history. Jim teaches civics to the children by trying to keep the old building.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ First Disillusionment

Wed, Sep 21, 1955

Bud applies for a job in a sports department. His resume has some embellishments, but his father tells him to only tell the truth. When he applies, he does not get the job because someone else embellished their resume and was hired.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ Woman in the House

Wed, Sep 28, 1955

Virge, an old friend of Jim's visits Jim at work and announces he and his wife have moved to Springfield. Jim & Margaret invite the couple to dinner. While Virge is well liked and enjoyed, his wife is not so pleasant.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ New Girl at School

Wed, Oct 5, 1955

A new family moved into the area. They have a son Kathy's age and a daughter Bud's age. Kathy and Grover become friends. Bud and his friend Joe both like April. Turns out April is a flirt who tries to get all the boys to do her bidding.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ Kathy Makes Magic

Wed, Oct 12, 1955

Kathy trades her skates for a friend's magic set, and then believes she can make anything disappear or change appearance as long as she waves the magic wand. When she does magic while Bud tries smoking a cigar, she thinks she made Bud sick.

8Season 2

S2.E8 ∙ Advantage to Betty

Wed, Oct 19, 1955

A newspaper reporter takes pictures and writes an article for the paper on the school's tennis team. The picture is Betty, the rawest member of the team, and it looks like she is the champion player. The team captain is not happy.

9Season 2

S2.E9 ∙ The Big Test

Wed, Oct 26, 1955

Bud studies a lot for a big test. For once, he knows the material and does well on the test. Since this is a change from his previous tests, the teacher assumes he must have cheated.

10Season 2

S2.E10 ∙ Father Is a Dope

Wed, Nov 2, 1955

Jim watches a family sitcom on television and thinks the father is displayed as an idiot who needs his wife to always save the day. The next day, Jim suspects his own family is trying to show Jim how much Margaret has to save the day.

11Season 2

S2.E11 ∙ The Spirit of Youth

Wed, Nov 9, 1955

Bud thinks his parents are old, but Jim & Margaret do not feel old. Jim receives an invitation for his college reunion. Jim & Margaret attend the reunion. They realize that while they are not old, they are not teenagers and are glad of it.

12Season 2

S2.E12 ∙ Bud, the Ladykiller

Wed, Nov 16, 1955

When a classmate calls Bud, he is rude to her because she is the least popular girl in school and considered a nerd. Jim finds out Bud was rude and tells Bud he has to apologize. Bud tries, but the girl does not accept his apology.

13Season 2

S2.E13 ∙ Margaret's Premonition

Wed, Nov 30, 1955

Margaret has a few lucky coincidences about things she thinks about and things that happen. Everyone tells her she has premonition and she starts to believe it. She makes a prediction about Jim and he does not want to follow her advice.

14Season 2

S2.E14 ∙ Stage to Yuma

Wed, Dec 7, 1955

Robert Young plays the role of Tate Ibsen, one of six passengers riding a stagecoach through Arizona in the year 1860. One passenger has been convicted of murder and is handcuffed to a deputy. Tate Ibsen's plan to spring him loose before they reach the Yuma Penitentiary runs into complications when the stage is attacked by Indians.

15Season 2

S2.E15 ∙ Bad Influence

Wed, Dec 14, 1955

Bud starts hanging out with a new friend in school. The friend takes things from the store without paying for them. Bud gets blamed. Everyone later finds out Bud's friend suffers from kleptomania.

16Season 2

S2.E16 ∙ Betty Hates Carter

Wed, Dec 28, 1955

Betty is horrified when her father sets her up on a blind date, the son of one of Jim's business associates. Betty plans to make sure the date is a bad one, but she finds she actually likes the date.

17Season 2

S2.E17 ∙ Jim, the Tyrant

Wed, Jan 4, 1956

Jim comes home after a bad day at work. Wanting to tell the family about his day, he is miffed when they ignore him. He starts complaining about everyone and everything around the house. Then he finds out Kathy broke a neighbor's window.

18Season 2

S2.E18 ∙ Betty's Brother

Wed, Jan 11, 1956

While Kathy is proud of her big sister Betty, Bud has to always follow her in her footsteps at school and he finds it hard to do. Everyone expects more of Bud because Betty always gave so much. Bud starts to do worse in his classes.

19Season 2

S2.E19 ∙ Betty Earns a Formal

Wed, Jan 18, 1956

It seems like only bills are coming in the mail, and everyone is asking for money. When Betty asks for money to buy a dress for a country club dance, Jim tells her to earn the money herself. She gets a job but no one knows where.

20Season 2

S2.E20 ∙ The House Painter

Wed, Jan 25, 1956

The Andersons hire someone to paint the house. Jim and Margaret have a discussion about whether someone does the job for the money or for the sense of accomplishment. They make a bet to see who is right, and then ask the painter why.

21Season 2

S2.E21 ∙ Bud, the Wallflower

Wed, Feb 1, 1956

Bud is upset that none of the girls asked him to the Sadie Hawkins Dance. He feels he has become unpopular. Bud decides to plan a camping trip the same day as the dance as a way to show he does not care.

22Season 2

S2.E22 ∙ The Bus to Nowhere

Wed, Feb 8, 1956

Betty is depressed and finds every day events dull. She is not sure what she is looking for. Betty finds a paper written by Bud about a bus that goes nowhere. This is how she feels. She reads the paper and finds her answer.

23Season 2

S2.E23 ∙ Kathy, the Indian Giver

Wed, Feb 15, 1956

Kathy trades her baby doll for a neighborhood friend's baby sibling.

24Season 2

S2.E24 ∙ The Historical Andersons

Wed, Feb 22, 1956

Bud has to write a paper on a historical figure from the Independence War. Jim suggests an ancestor - Major Nathaniel Anderson, and says he must be important if he was a major. Bud researches, and finds the major was a minor in the war.

25Season 2

S2.E25 ∙ The Grass Is Greener

Wed, Feb 29, 1956

Jim is excited to tell his family that his college friend Charlie is being interviewed on television. Charlie is quite successful. The more Jim talks about Charlie's success, the more Jim feels he is not a success.

26Season 2

S2.E26 ∙ The Persistent Guest

Wed, Mar 7, 1956

Bud has a new friend who helps tutor him in classes. When the friend stays over at the Andersons, he never seems to want to go home. The Andersons find out the boy is homeless and has no money.

27Season 2

S2.E27 ∙ Family Reunion

Wed, Mar 14, 1956

Margaret's family is planning a reunion. While Margaret is excited, Jim and the children are not. They make excuses to not go because it is boring.

28Season 2

S2.E28 ∙ Family Dines Out

Wed, Mar 28, 1956

The Andersons face a dilemma when Betty promises a wealthy friend that they will attend an exclusive charity dinner on the same night that Bud needs the family to eat at the modest drugstore counter where he has just gotten his first job.

29Season 2

S2.E29 ∙ Bud, the Boxer

Wed, Apr 4, 1956

Bud tries to avoid a bully at school, but Jim tells Bud he cannot avoid his problems forever. Jim suggests the boys get in a boxing ring to be sportsmen. Bud wins, and joins the boxing team. Soon, Bud starts to become a bully.

30Season 2

S2.E30 ∙ Betty, Girl Engineer

Wed, Apr 11, 1956

Betty's school hosts a career day where the students can sign up to intern at a job to see what the business world is like. The counselor assumes she wants a secretary job, but Betty says she wants the engineer position.

31Season 2

S2.E31 ∙ The Martins and the Coys

Wed, Apr 18, 1956

Jim has an argument with a customer about his insurance which was cancelled. Jim and Mr Tyler decide they no longer need to contact each other. However, Betty is dating Mr Tyler's son. The situation is awkward.

32Season 2

S2.E32 ∙ Dilemma for Margaret

Wed, Apr 25, 1956

A high school club initiation prank lands Betty on the wrong side of the law.

33Season 2

S2.E33 ∙ Hero Father

Wed, May 2, 1956

Baseball star Duke Snider is passing through Springfield, and all the guys are hoping he would stop and give an exhibition game. Bud says his father might be able to convince Duke to stop.

34Season 2

S2.E34 ∙ Father, the Naturalist

Wed, May 9, 1956

Father and Kitten head outside to explore and search nature.

35Season 2

S2.E35 ∙ The Ten-Dollar Question

Wed, May 16, 1956

One of the kids is suspected of stealing $10 that all were hoping to win in an anti snitching pledge to Father when the prize goes missing.

36Season 2

S2.E36 ∙ Adopted Daughter

Wed, May 23, 1956

One of Kathy's classmates is adopted, and it gets the other classmates to wonder who else might be adopted. Kathy then finds a receipt from an adoption agency and is sure it references her.

37Season 2

S2.E37 ∙ Betty's Graduation

Wed, May 30, 1956

Betty's high school graduation is approaching and there is a lot to do. Betty starts to think the best days of her life are now over and does not want to graduate.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ No Apron Strings

Wed, Sep 12, 1956

Bud accidentally makes a date for the same night as his mother's birthday.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ Never the Twain

Wed, Sep 19, 1956

A cowboy Betty met on a dude ranch over the summer is stopping in Springfield on his way to Chicago. "Utah" is everything Betty dreamed about, but can her love last when he lives a different life? A flashback is used to show how they met.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ Betty Goes to College

Wed, Sep 26, 1956

Jim & Margaret take Betty to see the State University for when she enrolls in college. They have been saving money for this day since Betty was born. Betty announces she wants to stay in town and go to the junior college with her friends.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ Man About Town

Wed, Oct 3, 1956

Bud's friend has a cousin coming to town. Marissa is older than Bud, but he wants to go out with her. He pretends to be older so he seems more sophisticated. When Marissa wants to go to a fancy restaurant, Bud does not have enough money.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ The Homing Pigeon

Wed, Oct 10, 1956

After several test runs with his pigeon, Bud sends him on a 500 mile trip and waits for him to return home. Meanwhile, Betty announces she is moving into an apartment with her friends. Will Betty and the pigeon both return home?

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Spaghetti for Margaret

Wed, Oct 17, 1956

Margaret wins a raffle: free spaghetti dinner once a week for a year. Also, Jim's friend Harper visits. Harper never finished high school, determined to start enjoying the good life. He has interesting stories to tell but never had success.

7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ Betty's Birthday

Wed, Oct 24, 1956

It's Betty's 18th birthday, and she doesn't want any presents.

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ Bud, the Millionaire

Wed, Oct 31, 1956

Bud feels he is being underpaid in his allowance, and he has to work to earn it. Jim decides to teach him a lesson by giving him $10 a week and the stipulation he has to only use it on himself. Bud finds having money does not buy friends.

9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ The Old Days

Wed, Nov 7, 1956

Jim & Margaret plan to go to the PTA costume party. When they argue with the children to dress better, they decide to wear the clothes kids wear now-days, and their children wear the clothes of Jim & Margaret's youth stored in the attic.

10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ Whistle Bait

Wed, Nov 14, 1956

Betty becomes jealous of a new girl in school, who is getting whistled at by all the boys. Betty wonders why no one will whistle at her.

11Season 3

S3.E11 ∙ The Great Guy

Wed, Nov 21, 1956

Bud and Kippy go to work at a newspaper company. Their boss is a real tough taskmaster.

12Season 3

S3.E12 ∙ The Family Goes to New York

Wed, Nov 28, 1956

Jim is hesitant to let Betty go to New York alone, but Margaret convinces him to let her go. Betty goes to NY to help her friend on her wedding day. Imagine their surprise when a picture of Betty and the best man show up in the newspaper.

13Season 3

S3.E13 ∙ Betty Goes Steady

Wed, Dec 5, 1956

At college, Betty is enjoying the social life and is going steady with a casual acquaintance. Bud works on the school paper and brings home Mr. Beekman, the paper's adviser. Mr. Beekman tells Betty there is more to life than parties.

14Season 3

S3.E14 ∙ The Good Prospect

Wed, Dec 12, 1956

Jim meets Aldus Lydum while visiting his friend, and thinks this might lead to a new insurance client. He invites Jim & Betty to visit he and his wife that night. Mr Lydum acts as if everyone is a long-standing friend.

15Season 3

S3.E15 ∙ The Angel's Sweater

Wed, Dec 19, 1956

Kathy is certain that the Andersons' Christmas Eve will be ruined by the visit of spinsterish Aunt Neva, but she learns a valuable lesson when she stops pouting long enough to listen to a Christmas story told by an elderly repairman.

16Season 3

S3.E16 ∙ The Promising Young Man

Wed, Dec 26, 1956

Jim's boss, John, asks Jim if he can show John's son how to sell insurance. Jim agrees, and John is sociable enough to work with clients. However, John does not like insurance and wants to be an actor.

17Season 3

S3.E17 ∙ Margaret Hires a Gardener

Wed, Jan 2, 1957

The Andersons meet a very special gardener named Frank.

18Season 3

S3.E18 ∙ Swiss Family Anderson

Wed, Jan 9, 1957

The Anderson family becomes stranded on a desolate island.

19Season 3

S3.E19 ∙ Brief Holiday

Wed, Jan 16, 1957

Margaret gets tired of all the housework and demands of the children, expecting her to do their every whim. She decides to take a day off and go into town. She browses the stores and has her picture drawn by a street artist.

20Season 3

S3.E20 ∙ The Lawn Party

Wed, Jan 23, 1957

Bud wants to have a lawn party at the Anderson's home the next day. Bud expects Jim & Margaret to do the work, without the teens even helping, they tell Bud he cannot have the party. Jim & Margaret leave for the day, and Bud has it anyway.

21Season 3

S3.E21 ∙ Short Wave

Wed, Jan 30, 1957

Bud buys a shortwave radio and, while showing it off to the family, hears a distress call. A family had become caught in a tropical storm while offshore in their cabin cruiser, and the father was unable to transmit his desperate call for help to the Coast Guard ... leaving the Andersons as possibly the family's only hope.

22Season 3

S3.E22 ∙ Carnival

Wed, Feb 6, 1957

Bud joins the carnival, and he learns that a sucker is born every minute.

23Season 3

S3.E23 ∙ Betty and the Jet Pilot

Wed, Feb 13, 1957

A jet pilot encounters problems when flying over Springfield and loses his helmet. Bud finds the helmet and the family decides to find the pilot and return it. Betty and the pilot start dating; Betty learns he is being transferred to Alaska

24Season 3

S3.E24 ∙ Trip to Hillsborough

Wed, Feb 20, 1957

Bud and Kippy want to travel for new experiences and write exciting stories. They want to go to Hillsborough by themselves and stay. Jim and Margaret agree since both boys will be there. Kippy backs out at the last minute

25Season 3

S3.E25 ∙ An Evening to Remember

Wed, Feb 27, 1957

Cornel Wilde has a car accident while traveling through Springfield. The person who hit his car just happens to be a client of Jim Anderson. Due to a mix up with Jim's secretary, Cornel Wilde shows up at the Anderson home. While waiting for Jim to arrive home, the rest of the family falls all over Cornel. Margaret invites him to stay to dinner and he agrees much to the excitement of all the Andersons. He also answers the phone and takes messages, and ends up agreeing to babysit Kathy, when the regular sitter cancels. Jim returns home and immediately takes a liking to Cornel Wilde; soon the gentleman that hit Cornel Wilde's car arrives and announces he plans to make a 'killing' by embellishing the accident, and getting a big pay day from the movie star. Jim of course puts a stop to this and they all prepare to have dinner with and spend 'An Evening to Remember' with their special guest.

26Season 3

S3.E26 ∙ Bud Buys a Car

Wed, Mar 13, 1957

Bud buys a used jalopy with his father's approval but over his mother's objection.

27Season 3

S3.E27 ∙ Safety First

Wed, Mar 20, 1957

Bud's unsafe driving habits get him into trouble with the law. To make matters worse, his father has just been appointed chairman of the city's safe driving campaign.

28Season 3

S3.E28 ∙ Bud, the Hero

Wed, Mar 27, 1957

Bud stopped a bank robbery without realizing it, and is considered a hero. The publicity and constant attention gets to be too much for Bud.

29Season 3

S3.E29 ∙ Betty, the Track Star

Wed, Apr 3, 1957

Betty is in the finals for track, and gets a lot of attention. She wins, and later that day, Betty is awarded for the Flower Queen. Bud's nose is put out of joint because he feels surrounded by girls.

30Season 3

S3.E30 ∙ The Spelling Bee

Wed, Apr 17, 1957

Kathy is nervous about the school spelling bee, so Betty gives her a penny and convinces her that it has special powers.

31Season 3

S3.E31 ∙ Bud, the Philanthropist

Wed, Apr 24, 1957

Bud donates money towards a fund for a sick classmate in Sunday School. Kippy takes credit for that donation and Bud is upset. Knowing he should not brag of his good deed, Bud tries to find another way to get credit and have Kippy confess.

32Season 3

S3.E32 ∙ Baby in the House

Wed, May 1, 1957

Betty accepts a date for the same night she has a baby-sitting job. Margaret and Jim say they will babysit so she can go on the date. When the baby arrives, Margaret and Jim enjoy having an infant in the house again. Kathy gets jealous.

33Season 3

S3.E33 ∙ Class Prophecy

Wed, May 8, 1957

A former college classmate of Jim and Margaret's shows up at the Anderson house - as a salesman. Henry had been voted Man Most Likely to Succeed in college, and had plans to be a doctor. He is not a doctor, and he is not a good salesman.

34Season 3

S3.E34 ∙ The Art of Romance

Wed, May 15, 1957

Bud's family interferes with his love life.

35Season 3

S3.E35 ∙ Margaret Disowns Her Family

Wed, May 22, 1957

Margaret decides to sell the old baby crib. A couple who is expecting their first child shows up to buy it. They are young as well as being nervous about being parents. It does not help that the Andersons are having a bad parenting day.

36Season 3

S3.E36 ∙ Grandpa Retires

Wed, May 29, 1957

The Andersons visit Margaret's family. Her father feels his health is failing and he needs to sell his business to retire. Jim helps him close up the father's print shop. The father is stubborn about every aspect, and Jim finds out why.

37Season 3

S3.E37 ∙ Shoot for the Moon

Wed, Jun 5, 1957

Margaret hires a man named Sageman to chop wood for their fireplace. He only wants to be paid in meals. An honest day's work for an honest meal. Sageman quietly shares his views of life with the Anderson's and inspires them all.

1Season 4

S4.E1 ∙ Follow the Leader

Wed, Sep 25, 1957

Bud is extremely excited for the new school year to start. He is, however, shocked to find a very popular teacher has not returned but has been replaced by a Mr. Beckman. The rest of the class wants to make trouble for Beckman, but Bud stands up and shows he is willing to accept the new man and help him win the confidence of the rest of the class.

2Season 4

S4.E2 ∙ The Awkward Hero

Wed, Oct 2, 1957

Betty is excited to be chosen as tutor for the football team. Her enthusiasm wanes when she is teamed up with Muley Orkin, a socially awkward young man. The tutoring goes poorly as Muley has trouble concentrating and is clearly infatuated with Betty. Although she is dismissive of his advances she is pleased to hear him succeed in a football game. After the game Muley stops by and ask Betty to a dance which she refuses because she already has a date. After a group of girls visit the house looking for Muley, Betty decides she needs to protect Muley and agrees to change her plans and go with him. At the dance Muley begins have a change of heart over Betty who he sees becoming more like his mother. Eventually Muley sees another girl at the dance and abandons Betty for a more suitable date.

3Season 4

S4.E3 ∙ The Good Neighbor

Wed, Oct 9, 1957

Margaret receives the title deeds to a second property; Jim suggests she take responsibility for cleaning and renting out the property. They meet the neighbor, Mr. Boomhauer, who is a very unpleasant man who does his best to talk down the property. Margaret is served with court papers after she begins work on the property that endangers his rose garden. Margret goes to talk to Mr. Boomhauer to discover the real source of his concern is the fact Margaret as a woman is trying to run a business. The court arrives at a judgment, but Margaret and Mr. Boomhauer need to learn how to live with it.

4Season 4

S4.E4 ∙ Bud, the Executive

Wed, Oct 16, 1957

Bud is convinced to join the school committee for a yearly picnic. He ends up being up in charge. When others do not pitch in, Bud ends up having things go wrong.

5Season 4

S4.E5 ∙ Sentenced to Happiness

Wed, Oct 23, 1957

The Anderson's former gardener returns for a visit to get help with his new job. Fronk is going to be a gardener for a government building but first has to pass a civil service exam. The Anderson's pitch in to help him study.

6Season 4

S4.E6 ∙ Mother Goes to School

Wed, Oct 30, 1957

Problems arise, as a result of Margaret enrolling in her daughter Betty's junior college English class.

7Season 4

S4.E7 ∙ The Indispensable Man

Wed, Nov 6, 1957

Bud finds out he is considered one of the football team's best player. He thinks he can do just about anything. But when he does breaks one of the team rules, he is suspended from playing one game - against a strong team.

8Season 4

S4.E8 ∙ Kathy's Big Chance

Wed, Nov 13, 1957

Kathy's class has to write a civil war essay. The essays will be entered in a contest and the winner will meet Greer Garson who is in town for the premier of her period-piece civil war movie. Kathy is convinced she will win.

9Season 4

S4.E9 ∙ Margaret Learns to Drive

Wed, Nov 20, 1957

When there is nothing to eat for breakfast, the kids think Jim should get upset. They think he is just too reasonable. However, when it is time to teach Margaret to drive, he is not as reasonable.

10Season 4

S4.E10 ∙ Way of a Dictator

Wed, Dec 4, 1957

Bud is annoyed at Kathy being irresponsible, and tells Jim and Margaret they need to be firm with her. Jim and Margaret decided to let him have a chance at child-rearing. Bud finds it more difficult than he realized.

11Season 4

S4.E11 ∙ Mister Beal Meets His Match

1958

Betty reads a story she wrote for school involving her family. In the story a devil named Harry Beal is trying to get the children's souls, Jim fights him and agrees his soul in exchange for his kids. But will the family let him sacrifice his soul?

12Season 4

S4.E12 ∙ Kathy Makes a Wish

Wed, Dec 25, 1957

Kathy makes a wish on an old horseshoe that she'll get a pony, and she'll name him Cookie.

13Season 4

S4.E13 ∙ Man with a Plan

Wed, Jan 1, 1958

Bud is thinking of joining the army after he is out of school in two years. Margaret starts treating him with exceptional kindness because she will lose her son.

14Season 4

S4.E14 ∙ Big Sister

Wed, Jan 8, 1958

Betty becomes a counselor for a 3-day summer camp - the same camp Kathy is attending. When Betty finds out Kathy has been reading her diary, Betty decides to make Kathy work hard at camp.

15Season 4

S4.E15 ∙ Calypso Bud

Wed, Jan 15, 1958

Bud gets a set of bongo drums. He envisions himself as a musician that all the girls will love. However, his practice drives the family crazy.

16Season 4

S4.E16 ∙ Father's Biography

Wed, Jan 22, 1958

Kathy's class was assigned to write a biography of their fathers, and Jim is one of the father's invited to be honored. Kathy is excited to have her father attend the meeting. Jim is asked to attend a business meeting the same day and time.

17Season 4

S4.E17 ∙ The Rivals

Wed, Jan 29, 1958

A friend of Betty's seems to juggle boyfriends all the time, and Betty feels bored with her constant boyfriend. Betty gets asked out by another classmate and decides to try the exciting life with two boyfriends.

18Season 4

S4.E18 ∙ Bud, the Mind Reader

Wed, Feb 5, 1958

Bud tries his hand at mind-reading.

19Season 4

S4.E19 ∙ Margaret's Other Family

Wed, Feb 12, 1958

Jim worries that Margaret is spending a lot of time with a furniture maker and his wife, helping them solve their problems. Margaret does not seem to have enough time anymore to be with her own family.

20Season 4

S4.E20 ∙ The Trial

Wed, Feb 19, 1958

The Andersons' neighbor accuses Bud of causing property damage because his jacket was left in the yard. Bud denies doing the damage but evidence points to him. Betty says it is circumstantial evidence and says they should hold a trial.

21Season 4

S4.E21 ∙ Revenge Is Sweet

Wed, Feb 26, 1958

Betty is excited about a date with a popular guy at college and wants to make sure the family looks their best. That includes making Bud clean up and moving his old jalopy. Turns out Bud already met the family and did them a favor.

22Season 4

S4.E22 ∙ Country Cousin

Wed, Mar 5, 1958

Bud and Betty's cousin Millie visits the Andersons. Betty is upset to share her room and have a country bumpkin in town. Jim tells Betty she has to help Millie make friends. Millie shows up and is beautiful and gives Betty a new outlook.

23Season 4

S4.E23 ∙ Poor Old Dad

Wed, Mar 12, 1958

Jim Anderson surprises his son Bud with a new hunting rifle and promises to take him hunting for the weekend. Bud wonders aloud if they really will go on this trip together - just the two of them - because in the past, their father-son dates were often interrupted by Margaret and the girls. No sooner does Jim give Bud his word when Margaret asks Jim to drive her to visit an ailing relative who lives out of town. Bud takes a step back and makes an observation: women seem to have their men henpecked. Even Betty's boyfriend Ralph lets her have her way. However, Bud believes that it is his father, "Poor Old Dad," who is manipulated the most by his loving wife Margaret and his dear daughters Betty and Kathy.

24Season 4

S4.E24 ∙ Betty's Crusade

Wed, Mar 19, 1958

The Insurance Company where Jim works is buying a new building for expansion. The building is a local hangout for Betty's college, and the students love it. The students campaign to stop the sale of the building and repair the old building.

25Season 4

S4.E25 ∙ Young Love

Wed, Mar 26, 1958

A classmate has a crush on Bud, but he thinks of her has just a friend. Bud develops a crush on a woman who is older, but she does not think of Bud that way. Bud now feels the pangs of unrequited love.

26Season 4

S4.E26 ∙ Tell it to Mom

Wed, Apr 2, 1958

Betty confides in Margaret that she is hiding skates for a friend. Bud confides in Margaret that he broke a hidden pair of binoculars. Kathy confides in Margaret that she ruined the skates Betty hid. Margaret has a hard time keeping secrets

27Season 4

S4.E27 ∙ A Friend in Need

Wed, Apr 16, 1958

Someone leaves a dog at the Anderson's front door late at night, rings the doorbell, and then leaves the dog. The Anderson's take care of it until they can find the dog's owner.

28Season 4

S4.E28 ∙ A Medal for Margaret

Wed, Apr 23, 1958

Bud wins awards from track, and the family talks about all the metals, ribbons, and plaques stored in drawers. They decide to build a trophy case. Everyone has something to give - except Margaret. She sets out to win something.

29Season 4

S4.E29 ∙ The Weaker Sex

Wed, Apr 30, 1958

With all of Betty's male friends out of town, she does not have a date for the town fair. Since a new neighbor's daughter talks Bud into taking her, Jim and Margaret tell Betty to talk the neighbor's son into taking her.

30Season 4

S4.E30 ∙ Jim, the Answer Man

Wed, May 14, 1958

Jim has a lot of work to complete before he has to leave town for a business trip. As he tries to work, it seems everyone in the family needs just a few minutes of his time.

31Season 4

S4.E31 ∙ Bud Quits School

Wed, May 21, 1958

Bud interviews a business man for a school project. He finds out the owner never finished high school and yet is a successful man. Bud decides he can do what the man did, and wants to quit school. Betty is running for class president.

32Season 4

S4.E32 ∙ A Matter of Pride

Wed, Jun 4, 1958

Bud is voted the most popular boy in school and thinks he has to keep up appearances in dress and actions. He wants new shoes and clothes for an upcoming dance. He gets embarrassed when the shoes hurt his feet at the award ceremony.

33Season 4

S4.E33 ∙ Betty Finds a Cause

Wed, Jun 11, 1958

After attending a lecture at school, Betty is enthused about making a difference in the world. Betty's decides to help the neighborhood by getting one neighbor to cut a hedge that is a blind spot and causes accidents.

1Season 5

S5.E1 ∙ Vine Covered Cottage

Mon, Sep 15, 1958

Betty's boyfriend Ralph asks Jim for permission to propose to Betty. Jim says a cautious comment that Ralph is a great guy. Betty & Ralph talk about marriage and think it is a great idea - until they start seeing the reality of marriage.

2Season 5

S5.E2 ∙ Be Kind to Bud Week

Mon, Sep 22, 1958

Betty has to write a report of a literary figure who benefited from the help of a sibling. This gets Betty to wondering if she should be kinder and friendlier to Bud. Bud figures something is up.

3Season 5

S5.E3 ∙ Kathy's Romance

Mon, Sep 29, 1958

Kathy makes a big announcement - she has a boyfriend named Burgess. Of course, he does not know he's her boyfriend yet. She invites him over, but he seems more interested in Jim than her.

4Season 5

S5.E4 ∙ Voice from the Past

Mon, Oct 6, 1958

Bud is nominated for the decorating committee for homecoming week. He wants a new approach from other years. Jim warns him not to be disrespectful. Bud finds Jim's old school yearbook and sees Jim played pranks when he was in school.

5Season 5

S5.E5 ∙ Frank's Family Tree

Mon, Oct 13, 1958

The Andersons' gardener, Fronk, says he has no family to visit, so he spends his vacation working on the Andersons' yard. Kathy feels sorry he has no one in his life. Fronk does not want her to feel bad, so he makes up a family.

6Season 5

S5.E6 ∙ Always Plan Ahead

Mon, Oct 20, 1958

Weary of their children's last minute crises from poor planning, Jim and Margaret cook up a scheme to return the favor.

7Season 5

S5.E7 ∙ Second Wedding

Mon, Oct 27, 1958

Having learned they were originally married at home, Betty prods her parents into having a second wedding but this time in a church.

8Season 5

S5.E8 ∙ Bud, the Caretaker

Mon, Nov 3, 1958

Bud is given charge of watching a neighbor's car while he is out of town. Bud is only to start the car every few days and not drive it around town. Alas, he drives it and the car gets scratched.

9Season 5

S5.E9 ∙ Betty, the Pioneer Woman

Mon, Nov 10, 1958

As part of Springfield's Founder's Day celebration, Betty volunteers to accompany and assist chauvinistic Tom Wentworth on a difficult 12-mile trek pulling a heavy cart.

10Season 5

S5.E10 ∙ Fair Exchange

Mon, Nov 24, 1958

Chanthini, an exchange student from India, spends a weekend at the Anderson home with her classmate Betty. The children struggle to make her welcome, but succeed only in making her feel like an outsider.

11Season 5

S5.E11 ∙ Bud, the Snob

Mon, Nov 24, 1958

The show is told in flashbacks to when Bud was really shy around girls. Bud's classmates thought he was a snob. Jim talked Bud into having a masquerade party to show he is not a snob.

12Season 5

S5.E12 ∙ Margaret Wins a Car

Mon, Dec 1, 1958

Margaret buys a raffle ticket to help for the local orphanage, and wins a car. When publicity shots are taken, the orphanage director reprimands Margaret for having so much and not giving more to the orphanage.

13Season 5

S5.E13 ∙ The Great Experiment

Mon, Dec 8, 1958

Jim attends a meeting where the speaker's topic is to get more out of life and find out what is going on in their world. Jim becomes enthused and tries to pass this philosophy on to his family - who still have routine items to do.

14Season 5

S5.E14 ∙ The Christmas Story

Mon, Dec 15, 1958

The Anderson's are preparing for the holidays. As they decorate the tree, they recall the story of how they managed to get that particular tree.

15Season 5

S5.E15 ∙ The Basketball Coach

Mon, Dec 22, 1958

Bud and his friends get a sponsor for their basketball team, and they have a former college basketball player lined up for coach. But the coach's employer transfers him to another town and the boys ask Jim to be the replacement.

16Season 5

S5.E16 ∙ Kathy, Girl Executive

Mon, Dec 29, 1958

Bud wants to form his own company for a lawn mower service. Jim and Margaret agree, but put Kathy in charge of the operation.

17Season 5

S5.E17 ∙ The Good Samaritan

Mon, Jan 5, 1959

Bud has a school assignment to do a good deed for someone unknown. As he finds someone to help, he either gets rejected or his good deeds backfire on him. When one deed turns to disaster, his father finds a way to turn it around.

18Season 5

S5.E18 ∙ The Ideal Father

Mon, Jan 12, 1959

The Andersons get their kitchen repainted. Also, Jim purchases items for the children they have been wanting, but the next day they all forget his birthday. Margaret gets upset at their alternative plans and asking for more favors.

19Season 5

S5.E19 ∙ Big Shot Bud

Mon, Jan 19, 1959

Margaret does a favor for Bud and he wants to give her a thank you gift. He buys perfume using Sunday School money because he knew his boss will pay him later that day. However the boss is out of town and Bud needs the money in the morning.

20Season 5

S5.E20 ∙ Hard Luck Leo

Mon, Jan 26, 1959

Jim's cousin Leo visits so he can look for a job in Springfield. Leo is known as Hard Luck Leo. Despite job and apartment leads from the family, it seems nothing works out. Betty soon realizes Leo does not want anything to work out.

21Season 5

S5.E21 ∙ Bud, the Campus Romeo

Mon, Feb 2, 1959

While at the malt shop, Bud overhears three girls talking about him, all wanting to ask him to the Girls Ask Dance. He starts thinking he is a real catch and wants to play the odds.

22Season 5

S5.E22 ∙ Crisis Over a Kiss

Mon, Feb 9, 1959

As Bud comes home from a date, he sees one of Betty's boyfriends trying to kiss Betty against her wishes. He comes to the rescue, but Betty really did not want to be rescued. Bud tries to be the romantic man with his date.

23Season 5

S5.E23 ∙ Kathy Grows Up

Mon, Feb 16, 1959

Kathy is tired of being treated as a child. She tries including herself on dates with her brother and sister. Betty and her boyfriend agree to take Kathy and her friend to dinner with them, but the plans fall through and Kathy is crushed.

24Season 5

S5.E24 ∙ A Man of Merit

Mon, Nov 23, 1959

Jim hears he may be awarded the Hall of Merit. He is excited and starts preparing his acceptance speech. Margaret hears the same information and starts making celebration plans. In the evening, everyone waits for word of his being selected.

25Season 5

S5.E25 ∙ Betty Makes a Choice

Mon, Mar 2, 1959

Betty is trying out for a part in a college play but the competition is tough. It also seems Betty and the other competitor got off on the wrong foot.

26Season 5

S5.E26 ∙ It's a Small World

Mon, Mar 9, 1959

Jim is asked to be a speaker at an Insurance Convention and asks Margaret to go with him. Margaret has another commitment and stays home. Margaret later changes her mind and goes to NY. Confusion arises as Jim and Margaret try to meet up.

27Season 5

S5.E27 ∙ Two Loves Has Bud

Mon, Mar 16, 1959

Bud's girlfriend Joyce breaks up with him and returns his gifts. He is upset until he sees the new girl in the neighborhood. Bud courts the new girl, giving her gifts Joyce returned. Then Joyce apologizes and wants to get back together.

28Season 5

S5.E28 ∙ An Extraordinary Woman

Mon, Mar 23, 1959

Jim receives a book in the mail that was written by a former classmate of his. She is a doctor who practices in Africa. Now, Dr Brown visits Springfield to see Jim.

29Season 5

S5.E29 ∙ The Art of Romance

Mon, Mar 30, 1959

The show is told in flashbacks to the time when Bud needed advice on how to convince Judy to go out with him. At the same time, Judy is asking advice from Betty on how to get Bud to ask her out.

30Season 5

S5.E30 ∙ Formula for Happiness

Mon, Apr 6, 1959

Jim has a strange dream that involves a television broadcast, a mysterious intruder named Charles Barter, and the formula for happy living. In the days that follow, the dream seems to come true.

31Season 5

S5.E31 ∙ Bud and the Debutante

Mon, Apr 13, 1959

Bud's car breaks down and Molly passes by and offers a ride. The next day, Bud is driving Molly's expensive car and going places paid for by Molly. Jim talks to Bud about not taking advantage of Molly just because her family is rich.

32Season 5

S5.E32 ∙ The Promised Playhouse Flashback

Mon, Apr 20, 1959

A flashback show about building a playhouse for Kathy.

33Season 5

S5.E33 ∙ The Meanest Professor

Mon, Apr 27, 1959

Bud is stuck with having to write an article for the school paper about a teacher he doesn't like.

34Season 5

S5.E34 ∙ My Life Flashback

Mon, May 4, 1959

A flashback episode about a time when Bud wanted to move out on his own because he was grown up already.

35Season 5

S5.E35 ∙ Bud Has a Problem

Mon, May 11, 1959

Bud is not doing well in physics this year in school and blames the teacher. When Betty starts dating the teacher, Bud thinks his grade will improve because they are going out.

36Season 5

S5.E36 ∙ The Great Anderson Mystery

Mon, May 18, 1959

The Andersons are all entranced in a television mystery show when a tube blows in the back of the TV before the show ends. With the unknown end of the show, the family tries to figure out what happened based upon what they already watched.

37Season 5

S5.E37 ∙ Margaret Goes Dancing Flashback

Mon, May 25, 1959

Margaret wants Jim to take her dancing. She tries to trick him into dance lessons.

38Season 5

S5.E38 ∙ The Gold Turnip

Mon, Jun 1, 1959

Bud gets ready to graduate from school, but is annoyed at doing the same activities and ceremonies as every other graduation class. He fights against all the traditions everyone follows.

1Season 6

S6.E1 ∙ A Day in the Country

Mon, Oct 5, 1959

The family prepares for a trip to a family reunion. Jim finds a shortcut on a map they can travel to Margaret's family home. Alas, it is a rarely traveled road and their car breaks down. Jim walks to a small town and tries to find help.

2Season 6

S6.E2 ∙ Bud Branches Out

Mon, Oct 12, 1959

Bud goes to college and quickly develops a crush on his attractive French teacher.

3Season 6

S6.E3 ∙ The Gardener's Big Day

Mon, Oct 19, 1959

The governor is coming to town to dedicate a local park. The Anderson's gardener is chosen as the official greeter to the governor when he arrives. When Fronk shows up for rehearsal, the city mayor does not want Fronk since he is Mexican.

4Season 6

S6.E4 ∙ The Impostor

Mon, Oct 26, 1959

Betty returns a defective radio to a store and mistakes a customer for the store owner. She leaves without realizing Tom is a customer. The store owner gives Tom a replacement radio, and he takes it to Betty without correcting his identity.

5Season 6

S6.E5 ∙ Bud Plays It Safe

Mon, Nov 2, 1959

Bud tries out for a position on the football team and bemoans the fact that the coach does not notice him. Betty tells Bud that the coach's daughter notices him. Bud decides to ask the daughter on a date as a way to get close to the coach.

6Season 6

S6.E6 ∙ Bicycle Trip for Two

Mon, Nov 9, 1959

Kathy does an inspection of the house for fire safety. The attic does not pass the test. Jim & Margaret start a clean up and find things from their younger days. They decide to go bicycling to relive some of those younger days.

7Season 6

S6.E7 ∙ First Disillusionment

Mon, Nov 16, 1959

Bud tells Kathy of the time he lied to get a job as a stock clerk.

8Season 6

S6.E8 ∙ Margaret's Old Flame

Mon, Nov 23, 1959

Listening to a radio broadcast of a homecoming gathering, Margaret & Jim remember their college years, dating, and previous boy- & girl-friends, other homecomings, etc. Margaret gets flower and a mysterious former boyfriend.

9Season 6

S6.E9 ∙ Kathy Becomes a Girl

Mon, Nov 30, 1959

Kathy sheds her tomboy jeans for a feminine dress.

10Season 6

S6.E10 ∙ Bud, the Willing Worker

Mon, Dec 7, 1959

Bud tries to talk Jim into buying a boat, but Jim says he has to earn his own money to buy it. Bud gets a job at a gas station, and Betty is infatuated with the station owner.

11Season 6

S6.E11 ∙ Turn the Other Cheek

Mon, Dec 14, 1959

Jim acts as a mentor to a new, young insurance agent and asks him over for dinner. Bart feels that he can jump ahead of all the steps up the ladder and ends up stepping on Jim. Kathy feels the same way about one of her friends.

12Season 6

S6.E12 ∙ Good Joke on Mom

Mon, Dec 28, 1959

Margaret gets a letter about a Children's Clinic being built and that she is the General Chairman of the Building Committee. She realizes it is a mistake, but when her family ridicules the idea and her skill, she pretends she accepted it.

13Season 6

S6.E13 ∙ Betty's Double

Mon, Jan 4, 1960

Betty's strong resemblance to a popular movie star gains her instant celebrity.

14Season 6

S6.E14 ∙ Father, the Naturalist Repeat

Mon, Jan 11, 1960

Jim helps Kathy finish her camp book by finding plant examples.

15Season 6

S6.E15 ∙ Bud Hides Behind a Skirt

Mon, Jan 18, 1960

Bud makes Betty take the rap for his reckless driving.

16Season 6

S6.E16 ∙ Togetherness

Mon, Jan 25, 1960

An insurance magazine is going to interview the Andersons for an article in the magazine. The story will focus on their family unity and solid family life. Unfortunately, when the reporter shows up, the family is at odds with each other.

17Season 6

S6.E17 ∙ Second Best

Mon, Feb 1, 1960

Betty takes up the sport of fencing.

18Season 6

S6.E18 ∙ Kathy's Big Deception

Mon, Feb 8, 1960

It seems that all of Kathy's friends have a boyfriend for the community picnic. She has a crush on George, one of her classmates, but does not think he likes her. She decides to make up a boyfriend for the picnic so she looks popular.

19Season 6

S6.E19 ∙ Cupid Knows Best

Mon, Feb 15, 1960

The Anderson gardener, Fronk, is lonely but is interested in someone. Betty decides to help him by writing love letters to the woman, pretending she is Fronk.

20Season 6

S6.E20 ∙ The Big Test Flashbabck

Mon, Feb 22, 1960

A flashback to the episode where Bud studied a lot for a test at school.

21Season 6

S6.E21 ∙ Jim's Big Surprise

Mon, Feb 29, 1960

Jim tells the family to be home at 4:00 for a big surprise. As the family waits for the announcement, everyone has their own idea of what it will be. Each thinks it will be something that benefits just them.

22Season 6

S6.E22 ∙ Time to Retire

Mon, Mar 7, 1960

Jim must tell Arthur, a co-worker in the insurance company, that he has to retire as he has reached retirement age. Jim invites him to dinner with the Andersons and Arthur is full of energy. This only makes it harder for Jim to tell him.

23Season 6

S6.E23 ∙ Bud, the Speculator

Mon, Mar 14, 1960

Bud risks fifty dollars purchasing stock in a new copper mine company.

24Season 6

S6.E24 ∙ The $500 Letter

Mon, Mar 21, 1960

The Andersons receive a $500 check in the mail. A former neighbor wants to thank an Anderson for a kindness, but did not remember which one did it. The Andersons try to remember who might have done a favor for him, and what the favor was.

25Season 6

S6.E25 ∙ Adopted Daughter

Mon, Mar 28, 1960

Kathy reminisces with Mother and Bud about the time she once thought she was adopted.

26Season 6

S6.E26 ∙ Family Contest

Mon, Apr 4, 1960

Hoping to win a free trip to Hawaii, the Andersons enter a family-photo contest.

27Season 6

S6.E27 ∙ Love and Learn

Mon, Apr 11, 1960

Bud resists his mother's plea for him to boost his English grades by being tutored after school, until he learns that one of the available student-tutors is a good looking girl he's interested in.

28Season 6

S6.E28 ∙ Blind Date

Mon, Apr 18, 1960

Betty is embarrassed when her friends make fun of Rudy because they think he is inferior to them. She chastises her friends and leaves the soda shop. Her friends decide to play a joke on Betty by setting her up on a blind date with Rudy.

29Season 6

S6.E29 ∙ Betty's Career Problem

Mon, Apr 25, 1960

Betty is about to graduate from college and hoping to win the Scholastic Achievement Award. Cliff, another student who is an achiever like Betty, wins the award. Now, they are both up for the same job after their graduation.

30Season 6

S6.E30 ∙ Bud Lives It Up

Mon, May 9, 1960

Bud learns a painful lesson in responsibility when he amasses a bill of $185 while attempting to impress his date with free-spending visits to a hotel's upscale restaurant and nightspot.

31Season 6

S6.E31 ∙ Not His Type

Mon, May 16, 1960

Diane's boyfriend shows an interest in Betty and asks her out. Betty does not want to come between Diane and George and is caught up in a love triangle. Betty helps the two get back together.

32Season 6

S6.E32 ∙ Betty's Graduation

Mon, May 23, 1960

Jim discusses a letter from Kathy's school where they report Kathy is not passing her math class. Kathy tells her father that she is not really wanting to graduate from junior high school as it is the happiest time of her life. Jim recalls the story of when Betty didn't want to graduate from high school.