The Life of Riley
Riley worked in an aircraft plant in California, but viewers usually saw him at home, cheerfully disrupting life with his malapropisms and ill timed intervention into minor problems.
- 1953-1958
- 6 seasons
- NBC
- Comedy
Riley worked in an aircraft plant in California, but viewers usually saw him at home, cheerfully disrupting life with his malapropisms and ill timed intervention into minor problems.
Season 6 Episode Guide
35 Episodes 1957 - 1958
Episode 1
Gossip
Fri, Sep 13, 1957
Marriages go on the rocks when Riley starts a rumor.
Episode 2
Riley's Ups and Downs
Fri, Sep 20, 1957
Riley tries to withdraw from a deal to trade apartments with Gillis.
Episode 3
The New Den
Fri, Sep 27, 1957
Peg decides to turn a spare room into a den creating chaos in the Riley household, most of it caused by Chester.
Episode 4
Gillis' Childhood Friend
Fri, Oct 4, 1957
An old buddy of Jim arrives on the scene and Gillis starts spending all his spare time with the friend. Chester feels lonely and angry but his efforts to intrude create awkward moments.
Episode 5
Down for the Count
Fri, Oct 11, 1957
Contest enthusiast Riley applies a scientific method to determine the number of beans in a jar.
Episode 6
The Gruesome Twosome
Fri, Oct 18, 1957
Peg and Honeybee take golf lessons so they can join the husbands in their outdoor activities. Chester and Jim are against the notion so they come up with devious plan to derail their wive's plans.
Episode 7
Happy Birthday, Little Chester
Fri, Oct 25, 1957
Riley decides to throw a surprise 1st birthday party for his grandson, Little Chester on Saturday. However, Foreman Hawkins wants Riley at the plant on Saturday morning so he can be interviewed by Superintendent Garfield for the new foreman position at Cunningham's new annex. Riley has to make choice on what is most important.
Episode 8
Babs and the Latin
Fri, Nov 1, 1957
A Latin restaurant worker offers to teach Babs how to speak Spanish for an upcoming trip but Riley mistakenly thinks they are having an affair.
Episode 9
Anchors Aweigh
Fri, Nov 8, 1957 30 mins
Mr. Cunningham asks Riley to repair his boat. In return, he lets Riley use the cabin and boat for the weekend. Peg is secretly planning Riley's surprise birthday party for the same weekend.
Episode 10
Framed
Fri, Nov 15, 1957
A charity play staged by Riley and Gillis becomes the unintentional comedy hit of the season.
Episode 11
Nobody Down Here Likes Me
Fri, Nov 22, 1957 30 mins
Riley becomes a recluse when his friends refuse to go fishing with him.
Episode 12
Baby Chester's First Words
Fri, Nov 29, 1957
Baby Cheater goes missing while in the care of Riley and Gillis and a frantic search ensues.
Episode 13
A Trip for Peg
Fri, Dec 6, 1957
Peg is upset because Junior has moved out to the Fleming House on the college campus. To cheer her up, Riley insists she goes to the beauty parlor for the works then buy a new outfit and he intends to send her on vacation to Brooklyn to visit his brother and family. The only problem is, his brother's daughter, Annie from Brooklyn, shows up at their door on a mission to cheer Peg up.
Episode 14
Going Steady
Fri, Dec 13, 1957 30 mins
Junior has college finals coming up and needs private time to study without any distractions so he decides not to date his girlfriend Bobby for the next two weeks. Bobby agrees and now it becomes Riley's job to keep the hungry dating wolves away from Junior and Bobby until Junior completes his assignments.
Episode 15
A Guest from England
Fri, Dec 20, 1957
Junior wins a trip to England in a foreign exchange program. Riley and Peg must entertain a guest student from England in return.
Episode 16
Little Awful Annie
Fri, Jan 3, 1958 30 mins
The food bill soars when Annie falls for heavy-eating Moose.
Episode 17
Music Hath Charms
Fri, Jan 10, 1958
Tone-deaf Riley decides to study music.
Episode 18
Movie Struck
Fri, Jan 24, 1958
Robert Montgomery appears as a movie idol who tries disillusioning two star-struck young girls
Episode 19
Bowling Beauties
Fri, Jan 31, 1958
Cunningham Aircraft has hired an efficiency expert, Walter Bellflower, to improve the recreational program for the employees. Walter has assigned Riley and Gillis to coach the new ladies bowling team which consist of four old rough looking gals. But there's been a mistake, so Walter reassigns the boys to another team of young good looking beauties.
Episode 20
The Letter
Fri, Feb 7, 1958
Chester and Gillis persuade a discontented pal to leave his job, and they lend their assistance as he writes a letter of resignation.
Episode 21
Ten O'Clock Scholar
Fri, Feb 14, 1958 30 mins
Riley enrolls in night school to obtain his high-school diploma.
Episode 22
The Oily Birds
Fri, Feb 21, 1958
Based on their duplex agreement, Riley owns the grounds plus the maintenance and Gillis is responsible for the roof. But Riley is getting tired of doing all the yard work so he starts a rumor that oil has been discovered on their property. When Gillis hears about the oil, he becomes anxious to share in some of the yard work.
Episode 23
Mrs. Aircraft Industries
Fri, Feb 28, 1958
Babs is entered in the Mrs. Aircraft Industries beauty contest.
Episode 24
After You're Gone
Fri, Mar 7, 1958
Riley decides to be more generous to Peg.
Episode 25
A Test for Gillis
Fri, Mar 14, 1958
Riley tests Gillis' friendship by telling him Peg is ill and needs surgery, in hopes that Gillis will offer support. When he does, Riley wants to throw him a party but Peg's friends think she is actually ill and Riley's behavior is uncaring.
Episode 26
Riley's Burst Bubble
Fri, Mar 21, 1958
Riley schemes to reunite Annie with her father.
Episode 27
Teenage Troubles
Fri, Mar 28, 1958
Riley schemes to prevent other boys from dating Junior's girlfriend.
Episode 28
The Otis Yonder Story
Fri, Apr 4, 1958 30 mins
Otis Yonder is a new employee at the plant. He's from Georgia and is a bit shy and backward for the busy life style of Los Angeles. But Otis can sing and when he does, women swoon. So Riley and Gillis have big plans to manage Otis into a successful rock and roll star.
Episode 29
The Barracks Bag
Fri, Apr 11, 1958
The US Army has located Gillis' old barracks bag and tries to deliver it to him but he's not home. Riley signs for the bag and pays $12.50 duty charges on it. Gillis refuses to reimburse Riley and tells him he can keep the bag and everything in it. When Riley goes through the contents, he finds an envelope marked "Top Secret".
Episode 30
The Price of Fame
Fri, Apr 18, 1958
Riley becomes a hero when he captures a thief.
Episode 31
Annie's Radio Romance
Fri, Apr 25, 1958
Annie loves to listen to her favorite radio program, "The Lonesome Guy", starring Charles Chambers. The program is offering a romantic evening out with the lonesome guy for some lucky love starved woman and Annie wins the contest. Unfortunately, it turns out that the "lonesome guy" is not as appealing as his silky voice would imply.
Episode 32
Dudley Comes to Town
Fri, May 2, 1958
The Gillis' have moved away and their house is vacant and available for sale. An old friend from Brooklyn, Calvin Dudley, shows up with his wife Belle and Riley wants them to buy the Gillis house. But soon, after spending some time with Dudley, Riley has second thoughts and sabotages the house so the Dudleys will decline.
Episode 33
Live Modern
Fri, May 9, 1958
Peg is off to spend a couple of days with Babs but she mentions to Riley that she's tired of their home decor and would like to renovate. So when Riley gets a visit from Donna Gibson with Strata-Dream Decorator and Associates, he buys their line of sutro-modern futuristic furniture for their living room. When Peg returns home, she enters into a state of despair.
Episode 34
Help for Honeybee
Fri, May 16, 1958 30 mins
Gillis and Honeybee have an argument and Riley spreads the rumor at work that they're splitting up. To teach Riley a lesson, they agree to stage another big fight in front of Riley but it soon turns into the real thing.
Episode 35
Here Comes Constance
Fri, May 23, 1958
Riley and Gillis balk at attending cultural events with their wives.