The Jimmy Stewart Show
In Easy Valley, Jim Howard is an anthropology professor at Josiah Kessel College which was founded by his grandfather. He lives in a large house along with his civic-minded wife Martha; their grown son Peter, Peter's wife Wendy, and grandson Jake; and their younger son Teddy who is the same age as his nephew. Nobel-prize winning fellow professor Luther Quince is a bachelor (he regrets not meeting Martha first) and a dear friend of the family who often stops by for meals and to give his opinions. In each episode, Jim speaks directly to the audience and always ends by wishing peace, love, and laughter.
- 1971-1972
- 1 season
- NBC
- Comedy
In Easy Valley, Jim Howard is an anthropology professor at Josiah Kessel College which was founded by his grandfather. He lives in a large house along with his civic-minded wife Martha; their grown son Peter, Peter's wife Wendy, and grandson Jake; and their younger son Teddy who is the same age as his nephew. Nobel-prize winning fellow professor Luther Quince is a bachelor (he regrets not meeting Martha first) and a dear friend of the family who often stops by for meals and to give his opinions. In each episode, Jim speaks directly to the audience and always ends by wishing peace, love, and laughter.
Season 1 Episode Guide
24 Episodes 1971 - 1972
Episode 1
By Way of Introduction
Sun, Sep 19, 1971 30 mins
The pilot episode has Professor James K. Howard introducing the characters and relationships of the series. Jim causes a fire when he falls asleep with a lit cigar while sitting for grandson Jake at Peter and Wendy's house. Jim and Martha invite Peter, Wendy, and Jake to move in with them for awhile, but Peter is reluctant.
Episode 2
Love in a Briefcase
Sun, Sep 26, 1971
Jim's briefcase was destroyed in the fire that burned down Peter and Wendy's house. He doesn't really want a new one, but nobody knows that. Wendy wants to buy one as a thank you, but Peter balks. Luther has his own reason for buying one. In the end, Jim discovers how much he is loved thanks to multiple briefcases.
Episode 3
The Price of Plumbing Is Numbing
Sun, Oct 3, 1971
Jim is irritated that he can no longer get into either bathroom in the morning due to the others hogging them. Forced to shave at the service station, he insists that Martha tell the kids that he takes precedence. Peter misunderstands the situation and thinks that his family isn't wanted and plans to find another place to live which makes Jake believe Jim no longer loves them. Finally, Jim and Martha think that adding another bathroom to the aging house could be the answer, but Peter thinks it would be a waste of money.
Episode 4
The Father and Son Game
Sun, Oct 10, 1971
Peter and Jake are going to play in the Boosters' Father and Son baseball game. Teddy wants to play, too, but he has no talent for baseball. Jim tries to find a way to include him in the event.
Episode 5
Another Day, Another Scholar
Sun, Oct 17, 1971
A female student starts stalking Jim, and when she shows up in his office and flirts, he runs out leaving Luther to tell her off. Soon gossip breaks out all over campus involving some professor and a pretty student. Martha gets a visit from the student, but the story may not be about Jim. Meanwhile, Teddy doesn't want to attend a girl's party.
Episode 6
A Hunch in Time
Sun, Oct 24, 1971
Peter is excited by the prospect of getting involved with a land deal. The family tries to help make a good impression on developer Harris Crofton, but Jim has a hunch that something isn't quite right. Meanwhile, Jake tries to get out of going to school.
Episode 7
The Identity Crisis
Sun, Oct 31, 1971
A restless Jim goes with Luther on a trip to San Francisco.
Episode 8
Guest of Honor
Sun, Nov 7, 1971
Jim and the family host visiting Professor Lokacs from Bratislava at the same time the house's electricity goes out. Meanwhile, Teddy is tired of sharing a room with Jake and decides to protest by moving into a tent. And everyone is pleasantly surprised by their visitor.
Episode 9
Pro Bono Publico
Sun, Nov 14, 1971
Peter and the Boosters hope to get a big company to build a factory in Easy Valley, but there's a conflict when the town hopes to build a community recreation area on the same land. Taking some advice from Jim, Peter sets out to convince the company that Easy Valley is still the ideal place for their business.
Episode 10
A Bunk for Unc
Sun, Nov 21, 1971
Jim is annoyed when his globe-trotting, lively Uncle Everett comes for a visit that seems to keep getting longer. The Women's Action Group puts Wendy in charge of finding a place to have a daycare center where working mothers can leave their children.
Episode 11
A Vote for Howard
Sun, Nov 28, 1971
Jim is caught in the middle when Martha and Peter run against each other for City Commissioner; Martha has the support of the Women's Action Group while Peter has the mayor's office behind him. When a minority third candidate enters the race, Martha hopes he wins, but, strangely, the candidate never shows up to any of the political events.
Episode 12
Period of Readjustment
Sun, Dec 5, 1971 30 mins
James tells the story of his son and his wife moved in after their house burned down.
Episode 13
Luther's Last Love
Sun, Dec 12, 1971
Martha and Wendy try to set up content bachelor Luthor on a blind date.
Episode 14
Cockadoodle Don't
Sun, Dec 26, 1971
A flashback deals with how the family adjusts to living under one roof after a fire destroys Peter and Wendy's house. Martha feels like Wendy is invading her territory. Meanwhile, a noisy rooster plagues the family and Teddy sets out to capture it with Jake's help, but plans on cheating his nephew out of a fair share of the promised reward.
Episode 15
As the Escrow Flies
Sun, Jan 2, 1972
Wendy and Peter are planning on rebuilding their house, but then they see a house that's move-in ready. Martha and Jim realize they don't really want Peter and his family to move out, but try to be happy after Wendy tells them they bought the house. Peter and Wendy start to wonder if they made the right decision, and Luther thinks he has a solution to make everyone happy.
Episode 16
Eighty-Nine Pounds of Love
Sun, Jan 9, 1972 30 mins
Jake is depressed after a teacher calls him a dunce in front of the class. The teacher's apology doesn't stop the subsequent teasing from other kids, and Jake feels like a loser. Then Jake finds a stray dog and brings him home, and begins to feel good again. But what will happen if the rightful owners turn up?
Episode 17
The Quarterback Ache
Sun, Jan 16, 1972
It's Homecoming week at Josiah Kessel College and everyone is excited for the big game against rival school Cobb. Potential victory is jeopardized, however, when the team doctor says Karpopolis, the quarterback, can't play unless he loses ten pounds. Luther, with some help from Foodaholics Anonymous, sets out to ensure Karpopolis meets the goal. After all, he has money on the game.
Episode 18
Aunts in My Plans
Sun, Jan 23, 1972
Luther finds himself falling for Martha's visiting Aunt Lydia.
Episode 19
Paper Work
Sun, Jan 30, 1972
Jake and Teddy are part of a school paper drive while learning about ecology. Unfortunately, they accidentally donate Luther's ungraded exam books. The Howards and some volunteers desperately search the recycling plant for the exams before the papers get shredded.
Episode 20
Song of the Jailbird
Sun, Feb 6, 1972 30 mins
Thanks to the enforcement of local ordinance 612, Peter gets caught in a raid at a topless bar while dining with the Builders Association. In the wake of that raid, some students ask Luther to chaperon the bachelor party they're throwing for a friend to make certain it's a dignified affair, and Jim is invited to play his accordion at the event. But it turns out that the students haven't been honest and Jim winds up arrested with a fan dancer after the police raid the party. He refuses to post bail since he holds that he did nothing wrong, and vows to fight the charge in court.
Episode 21
Price Is Right
Sun, Feb 13, 1972
It's time for the Easy Valley Festival of Art in which Martha plans to show her finally completed portrait of Luther, but there's a snag when the usual judge is unavailable. Luckily, actor Vincent Price is interested in adding the college's painting of Josiah Kessel to his art collection and arrives in time to perform judging duties. Meanwhile, Jake and Teddy try various ways to make some money.
Episode 22
Jim's Decision
Sun, Feb 20, 1972 30 mins
Jim's latest anthropology book gets him a spot on an educational television show, which leads to a guest appearance on Johnny Crown's late night talk show. The publicity helps sell his books and leads to a job offer from USC. He accepts, but wonders what his grandfather Josiah Kessel would have thought.
Episode 23
Old School Ties
Sun, Mar 5, 1972
The college is fund-raising for a new indoor sports stadium (field house) which Peter will build, and several alumni are visiting. Claude Peebles, who was ridiculed for losing a big football game years before, shows up with a check for ten thousand dollars that is deemed unnecessary after Martha's old college flame Mike Carruthers pledges the hefty remaining amount needed to build. Jim is annoyed by the boastful and shameless Carruthers, and so is the man's wealthy wife. Suddenly, it looks like there may not be a big donation after all.
Episode 24
A Bone of Much Contention
Sun, Mar 12, 1972
A sandwich chain is bringing its business to Easy Valley and Peter's company is going to build the restaurant. Unexpectedly, the crew uncovers a skull that turns out to be prehistoric and the college wants to excavate the site for two months, but that would delay the restaurant's opening so the owner refuses to allow it. Jim tries to find a solution that will make everyone happy.