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The Honeymooners Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
39 Episodes 1955 - 1956
Episode 1
TV or Not TV
Sat, Oct 1, 1955 30 mins
Ralph and Norton go partners on a new TV, but Ralph rigs a coin toss so the set stays in the Kramden apartment. It's not long before Ralph becomes a total zombie to the new medium, and all Norton wants to do is don his space helmet and watch "Captain Video."
Episode 2
Funny Money
Sat, Oct 8, 1955 30 mins
Ralph finds a suitcase filled with money, enough, Norton says, to "keep him in pizza for the rest of his life." There's one slight problem: the money is counterfeit, and the gangsters who printed it want it back. Alice's Mother: Ethel Owen. Boss: Boris Aplon. Ziggy: Frank Marth.
Episode 3
The Golfer
Sat, Oct 15, 1955 30 mins
"The Golfer" is Ralph. His teacher: Norton. Ralph: Jackie Gleason. Alice: Audrey Meadows. Trixie: Joyce Randolph.
Episode 4
Woman's Work Is Never Done
Sat, Oct 22, 1955 30 mins
Tired of Ralph's complaints about household chores not being done, Alice convinces him to hire a maid. But the new domestic is rapidly getting fed up taking orders from Norton and Ralph, or as she calls them, "the simp and the blimp." Thelma: Betty Garde. Wilson: Frank Marth.
Episode 5
A Matter of Life and Death
Sat, Oct 29, 1955 30 mins
Ralph gets the idea in his head that he has six months to live, so he decides to sell his story to a magazine. But when he learns it's all a mistake and that he can be prosecuted for fraud, he enlists Norton to pose as a doctor ("don't touch me, I'm sterile") who can cure him of the dreaded "arterial monochromia." Publisher: George Petrie.
Episode 6
The Sleepwalker
Sat, Nov 5, 1955 30 mins
Norton's sleepwalking becomes a waking nightmare for Ralph, who can't get any sleep because he's been asked to keep his pal from wandering off on late-night strolls around the neighborhood. Doctor: George Petrie.
Episode 7
Better Living Through TV
Sat, Nov 12, 1955 30 mins
In a classic episode, Ralph and Norton appear on a TV commercial trying to sell their Handy Housewife Helper, a kitchen gadget that can, among other things, open cans, remove corns and "core a apple." In the inspired, ad-lib-laden episode, "Chef of the Future" Ralph demonstrates the wonders of the gizmo to "Chef of the Past" Norton.
Episode 8
Pal O'Mine
Sat, Nov 19, 1955 30 mins
A great friendship is strained after a ring that Norton had planned to give a co-worker winds up stuck on Ralph's finger. The episode concludes with a classic hospital scene that contains a memorable one-word ad-lib by Norton, who's saying good-bye to a doctor. Teddy Oberman: Ned Glass. Doctor: John Seymour. Nurse: Abbie Lewis.
Episode 9
Brother Ralph
Sat, Nov 26, 1955 30 mins
A layoff at the bus company prompts Ralph and Alice to add up their total savings from all of their accounts ($12.83). That's reason enough for Alice to get a job, leaving Ralph to take care of the cooking and cleaning. But Ralph becomes really steamed after he discovers that her boss looks like a matinee idol---and that Alice told him that Ralph is her brother.
Episode 10
Hello, Mom
Sat, Dec 3, 1955 30 mins
Ralph regards his mother-in-law as his mortal enemy---the two of them are "like a boa constrictor and a mongoose," he says---so he hits the roof when he learns that she's coming for a visit. Recalling another "short visit," he fumes, "she arrived on New Year's and stayed 'til Christmas." And if she does arrive, Ralph says, he won't be home---he'll stay with the Nortons.
Episode 11
The Deciding Vote
Sat, Dec 10, 1955 30 mins
Ralph's in a tight two-man election for the position of Racoon convention manager and the deciding vote belongs to Norton. The episode contains a classic sight gag involving Ralph trying to clean a vacuum cleaner after it has failed "the oatmeal test."
Episode 12
Something Fishy
Sat, Dec 17, 1955 30 mins
The Raccoons are planning for an annual Raccoon Fishing Trip, and this time, the Raccoons vote not to take their wives. But Alice and Trixie will not stand for being left behind.
Episode 13
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
Sat, Dec 24, 1955 30 mins
The Kramdens exchange presents in a Christmas episode with an O. Henry twist. Ralph is particularly proud of the gift he has for Alice: a hairpin box made of 2000 matchsticks that, he's been told, was smuggled from the palace of the Emperor of Japan.
Episode 14
The Man from Space
Sat, Dec 31, 1955 30 mins
Intending to win the $50 first prize at the Racoon Lodge's costume ball, Ralph---unable to wangle a loan from Norton (who's going dressed as the Frenchman who "built the sewers of Paris")---decides to create his own outfit. And what an outfit! After appropriating (among other things) a faucet, a pot, a radio tube and the icebox door, he presents himself as the Man from Space.
Episode 15
A Matter of Record
Sat, Jan 7, 1956 30 mins
After Ralph comes home with two tickets to a hit Broadway mystery, his mother-in-law---after the obligatory insults ("I guess a man doesn't have to get fat if he doesn't want to.")---proceeds to give away the play's ending. That's enough for Ralph to blow his top ("You are a blabbermouth!") and throw her out. However, a furious Alice leaves with her, prompting Ralph to take Norton's suggestion and record an apology in an attempt to win her forgiveness. Alice's Mother: Ethel Owen.
Episode 16
Oh My Achin' Back
Sat, Jan 14, 1956 30 mins
After telling Alice he was too tired to leave the apartment, Ralph---on the eve of his company physical---goes bowling, throws his back out and comes home hunched over, and looking, Norton says, like "the leaning tower of pizza."
Episode 17
Baby-sitter
Sat, Jan 21, 1956 30 mins
Ralph signals his displeasure when he learns that Alice had a telephone installed in the apartment. Then later, when he calms down, he overhears a telephone conversation and thinks that she is having an affair.
Episode 18
$99,000 Answer
Sat, Jan 28, 1956 30 mins
Ralph becomes a contestant on "The $99,000 Answer" and enlists Norton to help him prepare. Herb Norris: Jay Jackson. Alice: Audrey Meadows.
Episode 19
Ralph Kramden, Inc.
Sat, Feb 4, 1956 30 mins
Ralph needs a loan from Norton, so he sells him a share of his future earnings as a corporation---Ralph Kramden, Inc. It's another con job by Ralph, of course, until he learns that an old woman with a $40 million estate died and left him in her will. That's enough for Norton, as an officer in the corporation, to remind Ralph about one "small detail"---that they need to bring a suitcase to the reading of the will to carry home the $40 million.
Episode 20
Young at Heart
Sat, Feb 11, 1956 30 mins
Ralph wants to prove to Alice that he's still young at heart by learning dances like the Big Apple and the Suzie Q., which prompts Norton to ask: "How can anyone so round be so square?" But he's still determined, so the Kramdens and the Nortons decide to make a night of it by going roller-skating. Ralph on wheels at the rink makes for one of the series' classic scenes. Another has Norton teaching Ralph how to do the Hucklebuck.
Episode 21
A Dog's Life
Sat, Feb 18, 1956 30 mins
Ralph cooks up another get-rich-quick scheme---and, as usual, winds up in the doghouse---after he samples a great-tasting appetizer that he found in the icebox. Convinced that his boss, Mr. Marshall, will bankroll the curious culinary delight after he tastes it, an eager Ralph dubs the treat "KramMar's Delicious Mystery Appetizer" and boasts to Norton: "It just goes to prove what I've always said: 'Every dog has his day'." Mr. MacGregor: George Petrie. Charlie: Frank Marth.
Episode 22
Here Comes the Bride
Sat, Feb 25, 1956 30 mins
On the eve of his lodge brother Stanley's marriage to Alice's sister, Ralph---the self-proclaimed "king of [his] castle"---gives his future brother-in-law marital advice. Furious that Stanley has agreed to live with Alice's parents, Ralph instructs him to put his foot down. "I don't want to argue," he tells Ralph, prompting Norton to reply: "If you don't want to argue, what are you getting married for?"
Episode 23
Mama Loves Mambo
Sat, Mar 3, 1956 30 mins
A dance teacher moves into the building and has all the husbands kicking up a fuss. Ralph and Norton had the idea that Carlos Sanchez was an old man who might like to relax with a game of checkers. He's not---bachelor Carlos is suave and handsome, and worse, is giving their wives mambo lessons in the Kramdens' apartment. Sanchez: Charles Korvin.
Episode 24
Please Leave the Premises
Sat, Mar 10, 1956 30 mins
Ralph refuses to pay a rent increase of $5 a month and, to avoid eviction, barricades himself, Alice and Norton in the apartment. It's war, says Ralph, and he's the general of their army. But after a few days without heat, and the food supply reduced to only celery, General Kramden hatches a plan to get fresh grub from the neighborhood delicatessen. Mr. Johnson: Luis Van Rooten.
Episode 25
Pardon My Glove
Sat, Mar 17, 1956 30 mins
Alice accepts a department store's offer to redecorate their apartment for free. She wants to surprise Ralph, so she arranges to secretly meet with the decorator---who then makes the mistake of leaving one of his gloves in the flat. When Ralph finds the glove, he suspects Alice of having an affair. Andre: Alexander Clark.
Episode 26
Young Man with a Horn
Sat, Mar 24, 1956 30 mins
The discovery of his old cornet and an unexpected visit by a self-made millionaire prompt Ralph to wonder why he hasn't achieved more success and hit the "high note" in his life. As a result, he decides to make a list of his good points and do something to correct his bad ones.
Episode 27
Head of the House
Sat, Mar 31, 1956 30 mins
Ralph marks his "emancipation" as boss of the house by sitting down with Norton to finish a bottle of wine that is "a little strong but good." Their first toast, Ralph says, is "to my wife, who has finally found her place." Actually, what Alice found was a bottle of grape juice, which she substituted for the wine. When the men get plastered and pass out, Trixie and Alice pour their own drinks and make their own toasts. "I give you our husbands," says Trixie. "You can have 'em," says Alice.
Episode 28
The Worry Wart
Sat, Apr 7, 1956 30 mins
Ralph's nerves are taxed when he gets a letter requesting his presence at the IRS office. Alice tries to calm him by reminding him that many people have their returns reviewed. "You're darn right," Norton agrees. "The jails are full of them." Norton, in fact, is helping Ralph review the business deductions he made on his returns and then lends his buddy moral support by accompanying him to the IRS office.
Episode 29
Trapped
Sun, Apr 15, 1956 30 mins
While leaving the pool hall, Ralph witnesses a bank robbery and takes a bullet through his hat. That's reason enough for him to believe that the thugs will come gunning for him, so Norton tells his on-edge pal to just relax and watch some TV. "What's playing tonight?" Ralph asks. Norton's reply: "Dead Men Tell No Tales." Bibbo: Frank Marth. Danny: George Petrie.
Episode 30
The Loudspeaker
Sat, Apr 21, 1956 30 mins
Ralph thinks he'll be named Racoon of the Year, so he begins writing his acceptance speech (if he could only get rid of his hiccups). It's a very distinctive honor, he reminds the skeptical Alice, because it entitles the two of them to "free burial privileges in the Racoons' national cemetery in Bismarck, North Dakota."
Episode 31
On Stage
Sat, Apr 28, 1956 30 mins
Ralph is already strutting like the Barrymore of Bensonhurst when he's picked for the lead in a play being staged by the Racoon Lodge. But before the actual performance, there's a rehearsal with Norton---and the word "poloponies"---to contend with.
Episode 32
Opportunity Knocks But...
Sat, May 5, 1956 30 mins
Ralph's boss, Mr Marshall, wants to learn how to play pool, so he invites Ralph and Norton over to his Park Avenue home to teach him. But when Norton offers suggestions about how to run the bus company, Marshall takes a liking to him and offers him a job as "Bus Driver Supervisor"---Ralph's boss.
Episode 33
Unconventional Behavior
Sat, May 12, 1956 30 mins
"Tomorrow starts about five days of hilarity," Ralph says to Norton aboard a train to the lodge's convention in Minneapolis. To contribute to the fun, Norton brings along an assortment of novelties, including "trick handcuffs," which he uses to cuff himself to Ralph. The problem is, there's no key. "You have to 'boomph' your way out," Norton explains. "I'll 'boomph' you out of the whole car," Ralph responds. Conductor: Humphrey Davis.
Episode 34
The Safety Award
Sat, May 19, 1956 30 mins
Ralph is honored with an award for being "the safest bus driver in the city" and plans to take Alice and the Nortons to the ceremony at City Hall. But his big day is plagued with problems, culminating with Ralph having an accident in his friend's car. Ever the optimist, Norton offers a distressed Ralph some sewer-worker words of wisdom: "When the tides of life turn against you, and the current upsets your boat, don't waste those tears on what might have been, just lay on your back and float." Mr. Martin: Frank Marth.
Episode 35
Mind Your Own Business
Sat, May 26, 1956 30 mins
Norton gets fired from his job in the sewer after taking Ralph's advice about demanding a promotion. Finding something new won't be easy, Norton says, because, after all, a sewer worker is like a brain surgeon---"we're both specialists." Still, after a couple of weeks, he finds work selling irons door-to-door. And when he tells his pal that he made $40 his first day on the job, Ralph suddenly contemplates leaving the bus company to become a salesman with Norton's company.
Episode 36
Alice and the Blonde
Sat, Jun 2, 1956 30 mins
Audrey Meadows said that she "loved" the episode titled "Alice and the Blonde." In it, for once, it's Alice who's fuming and all because of what happens at the home of one of Ralph's co-workers. Trying to ingratiate himself with Bert Weedemeyer (who Ralph thinks may become the bus company's new general manager), Ralph (with Norton by his side, naturally) heaps compliments on the man's wife, a ditsy platinum blonde who calls her spouse "Twinkles." All that fawning and flattery doesn't amuse Alice, who'll have her revenge. Rita Weedemeyer: Freda Rosen. Bert: Frank Behrens.
Episode 37
The Bensonhurst Bomber
Sat, Sep 8, 1956 30 mins
At the pool hall, Ralph gets into an argument with the diminutive George. "My friend is even bigger than me," he tells Ralph. "I have a friend Shirley that's bigger than you," Ralph counters. But then he comes eye-to-chin with George's friend, the towering Harvey, who challenges Ralph to a fight. This prompts Norton to observe: "He's even bigger than your friend Shirley." Harvey: George Mathews. George: Leslie Barrett.
Episode 38
Dial J for Janitor
Sat, Sep 15, 1956 30 mins
Ralph can't seem to pipe down about the failures of his building's janitor. Then he finds out that the position pays $150 a month with free rent---and decides to take the job himself. Now the most gripes are coming from Norton, who says he hasn't had water in his apartment for so long that he's beginning to "see mirages." Mr. Johnson: Luis Van Rooten. Mrs. Manicotti: Zamah Cunningham.
Episode 39
A Man's Pride
Sat, Sep 22, 1956 30 mins
Ralph is too proud to tell a seemingly successful old friend that he drives a bus, so he says he "runs things" at the company. This is the last "Honeymooners" episode of the "classic 39," which originally ran from 1955 to '56. Bill Davis: Dick Bernie.
