Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
26 Episodes 1954 - 1955
Episode 1
Sun, Oct 3, 195430 mins
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.
Episode 2
Sun, Oct 10, 195425 mins
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.
Episode 3
Sun, Oct 17, 195430 mins
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.
Episode 4
Sun, Oct 24, 195430 mins
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.
Episode 5
Sun, Oct 31, 195425 mins
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.
Episode 6
Sun, Nov 7, 195430 mins
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.
Episode 7
Sun, Nov 14, 195430 mins
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.
Episode 8
Sun, Nov 21, 195430 mins
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.
Episode 9
Sun, Nov 28, 195430 mins
Getting ready to leave work for the weekend Jim's friend comes by and tells him that he and his wife are off to a lodge for the weekend. He invites Jim and Margaret along, but Jim says they couldn't leave their children at home. By the time Jim reaches home he is thinking a weekend away would be a great idea, especially after finding Margaret cleaning spilled paint off Kathy and helping Betty get ready for a date. Jim convinces Margaret a trip would be a good idea and as she gets ready he tries to tell the kids, but is interrupted by Bud's going on and on about fixing a motor, so Jim gives up. But Margaret helps him get his resolve back and the parents have a meeting at which they tell the children they will be going away for two days. Unexpectedly, none of the kids is against the idea, Betty even saying she'll just cancel her date. So off Jim and Margaret go, although on the drive out of town they are already missing the kids, who meantime are doing fine. Betty does become annoyed when the boy she broke the date with, Ralph, keeps calling her. At the lodge the Andersons become restless, seemingly not knowing how to relax or enjoy their time away from home. They decide to check in with the kids and call home, but no one answers the telephone. Betty has refused to pick up the receiver, believing it is Ralph calling again. Worried by not being able to check in, Margaret and Jim race back home, finding the kids watching TV, and Betty apologizes for causing their concern. Back at the lodge Jim and Margaret are now enjoying the rustic room they booked, and out from an adjoining room come Betty, Bud and Kathy to say goodnight.
Episode 10
Sun, Dec 5, 195430 mins
Jim is obsessed with the idea that his 17-year old daughter might elope, since he has read about two such happenings in the paper. Betty has become entranced by her co-star in the school play, Armand, and Jim insists on Betty inviting him to the house for an evening. Betty agrees and although Margaret is impressed with Armand, Jim is still skeptical. Margaret forces Jim, Bud and Kathy to spend the evening in the kitchen, painting, but all of them contrive to spy on Betty and Armand, who are rehearsing the play, which has an elopement as part of the plot. When Betty gets a road map and a suitcase for props for the play, Jim jumps to the wrong conclusion and follows Armand's jalopy when he leaves to the Justice of the Peace, where he and Margaret find Armand acting as a witness as his father officiates at a wedding. Embarrassed, Jim and Margaret return home to be confronted by Betty, and as they try to hide the purpose of their outing, Betty tells them Armand has called to say Jim left his paint brush behind in his rush to leave.
Episode 11
Sun, Dec 12, 195430 mins
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.
Episode 12
Sun, Dec 19, 195430 mins
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.
Episode 13
Sun, Dec 26, 195430 mins
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.
Episode 14
Sun, Jan 2, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 15
Sun, Jan 9, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 16
Sun, Jan 16, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 17
Sun, Jan 23, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 18
Sun, Jan 30, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 19
Sun, Feb 6, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 20
Sun, Feb 13, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 21
Sun, Feb 20, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 22
Sun, Feb 27, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 23
Sun, Mar 6, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 24
Sun, Mar 13, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 25
Sun, Mar 20, 195530 mins
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.
Episode 26
Sun, Mar 27, 195530 mins
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.