Father Knows Best

Jim Anderson copes with the everyday problems of his growing family.
A Day in the Country
S6 E1

The Andersons are not overjoyed at the prospect of going to Margaret's family reunion.

Bud Branches Out
S6 E2

Bud's first day at college is a little more than he can handle.

The Gardener's Big Day
S6 E3

The Andersons' gardener is chosen to make a presentation to the governor.

The Impostor
S6 E4

A young lawyer who just arrived in town tries desperately to meet Betty.

Bud Plays It Safe
S6 E5

Bud dates the daughter of the football coach to ensure he gets on the team.

Bicycle Trip for Two
S6 E6

Jim tries to repeat a remembered bicycle trip.

First Disillusionment
S6 E7

Bud tells Kathy about his first disillusionment.

Margaret's Old Flame
S6 E8

Jim and Margaret decide to attend their college homecoming.

Kathy Becomes a Girl
S6 E9

Kathy is hurt when she realizes that all her girlfriends are shunning her.

Bud, the Willing Worker
S6 E10

Bud takes a job at the same gas station where Betty's boyfriend works.

Turn the Other Cheek
S6 E11

Jim and Kathy both learn a lesson when each is cheated by someone they trusted.

Good Joke on Mom
S6 E12

Margaret tries to convince her family that her new job is a very important one.

Betty's Double
S6 E13

Betty wins a movie star's look-alike contest.

Father, the Naturalist
S6 E14

Margaret recalls an earlier time when Jim went all out to help Kathy with a school project.

Bud Hides Behind a Skirt
S6 E15

When Bud is stopped for reckless driving, he fears he will lose his license.

Togetherness
S6 E16

A magazine writer is asked to write an article on the Anderson family.

Second Best
S6 E17

Betty is dismayed when she realizes that she has never won first place in any event.

Kathy's Big Deception
S6 E18

Kathy is terrified when she realizes that a white lie she started has snowballed.

Cupid Knows Best
S6 E19

Frank asks Margaret's help to romance a girl.

The Big Test
S6 E20

Bud is unfairly accused of cheating.

Jim's Big Surprise
S6 E21

The Andersons are initially disappointed with Jim's surprise.

Time to Retire
S6 E22

Bud tells Jim that he would like to work for him when he gets out of college.

Bud, the Speculator
S6 E23

Betty secretly plans to help Bud out of a jam he's gotten himself into.

Adopted Daughter
S6 E25

Kathy recalls when she thought she was adopted.

Family Contest
S6 E26

The Andersons enter a picture contest with the winners going to Hawaii.

Love and Learn
S6 E27

Margaret gets a tutor for Bud to help him with his English class.

Blind Date
S6 E28

Betty chastizes her friends for poking fun at a college student.

Betty's Career Problem
S6 E29

Betty finds that she is competing with the same young man for several positions.

Bud Lives It Up
S6 E30

Bud tries to impress a girl in Chicago with money he does not have.

Not His Type
S6 E31

Betty's friends almost have a falling out just as they're planning to get married.

Betty's Graduation
S6 E32

Jim recounts to Kathy how Betty once had to face graduating from high school.

Vine Covered Cottage
S5 E1

Ralph, Betty's boyfriend, asks for her hand in marriage.

Be Kind to Bud Week
S5 E2

Betty is assigned to write a theme on devoted brothers and sisters.

Kathy's Romance
S5 E3

Kathy is stricken by puppy love for a neighborhood boy.

Voice From the Past
S5 E4

Bud plans a homecoming week with the accent on the space age.

Frank's Family Tree
S5 E5

The Andersons' gardener lies about his family.

Always Plan Ahead
S5 E6

Jim plans to teach the children a lesson and almost loses the class.

Second Wedding
S5 E7

The Anderson children learn that their parents weren't married in a church and decide to do something about it.

Bud, the Caretaker
S5 E8

Bud is given the responsibility of taking care of a neighbor's car.

Betty, the Pioneer Woman
S5 E9

Betty decides to re-enact the town's founding.

Fair Exchange
S5 E10

An Indian exchange student (Rita Moreno) visits.

Bud, the Snob
S5 E11

When Bud phones a girl for a date, Jim thinks he's rude and suggests an apology.

Margaret Wins a Car
S5 E12

Margaret wins a car in an orphanage's raffle.

The Great Experiment
S5 E13

Jim gets the Anderson family into discovering the wonders of modern living.

Christmas Story
S5 E14

The Andersons recall an earlier Christmas they spent out in the country.

The Basketball Coach
S5 E15

Jim offers to coach Bud's basketball team.

Kathy, Girl Executive
S5 E16

Kathy becomes president of a family corporation.

The Ideal Father
S5 E18

Uncle Charlie is sure that Jim has spoiled his children rotten.

Big Shot Bud
S5 E19

Bud finds he cannot replace the money he borrowed.

Hard Luck Leo
S5 E20

Jim tries to help his cousin Leonard find a job.

Bud, the Campus Romeo
S5 E21

Bud gets a swelled head after he hears several girls talking about him.

Crisis Over a Kiss
S5 E22

Bud finds himself with more than one problem when he "rescues" his sister.

Kathy Grows Up
S5 E23

Kathy decides that she wants to be an adult.

A Man of Merit
S5 E24

Jim learns that he is being considered to receive an outstanding citizen award.

Betty Makes a Choice
S5 E25

Betty learns a dance competitor's secret.

It's a Small World
S5 E26

Margaret has a problem of conflicting dates when Jim goes to New York and she has a club meeting planned.

Two Loves Has Bud
S5 E27

Bud has problems deciding between two girls whom he wants to date.

An Extraordinary Woman
S5 E28

Jim and Margaret are pleasantly surprised when they are visited by a mutual college friend.

Art of Romance
S5 E29

The Andersons recall a near catastrophe when Jim decided to "help" Bud with his romance.

Formula for Happiness
S5 E30

Jim is puzzled after he is awakened in the middle of a strange dream.

Bud and the Debutante
S5 E31

Jim and Margaret become alarmed when Bud starts dating the daughter of a very rich man.

The Meanest Professor
S5 E33

Bud is amazed to learn that his class yearbook is to be dedicated to an unpopular teacher.

Live My Own Life
S5 E34

Kathy decides that she's had enough and wants to leave home.

Bud Has a Problem
S5 E35

Bud is told that if he does not pass physics, he will not graduate.

The Great Anderson Mystery
S5 E36

The Andersons are too engrossed in a TV show to pay any attention to Kathy.

The Gold Turnip
S5 E38

Bud wants to break tradition at graduation.

Follow the Leader
S4 E1

Bud is torn in his loyalties when a new teacher comes to school.

The Good Neighbor
S4 E3

Landlord Margaret has a dispute with a neighbor.

Bud, the Executive
S4 E4

Bud lends a strong authoritative hand in organizing a school picnic.

Sentenced to Happiness
S4 E5

The Andersons' former gardener finds himself in trouble with the law.

Mother Goes to School
S4 E6

Betty resents having her mother in her class.

The Indispensable Man
S4 E7

Bud and Jim have a disagreement when Jim insists Bud tell the football coach that he broke training.

Kathy's Big Chance
S4 E8

Kathy thinks she is going to miss her chance to see Greer Garson.

Margaret Learns to Drive
S4 E9

Bud is amazed that his parents do not argue like other parents he knows.

Way of a Dictator
S4 E10

Jim and Margaret are stunned when Bud seems to have more success raising Kathy than they have.

Mr. Beal Meets His Match
S4 E11

Writer Betty casts her family in "Faust."

Kathy Makes a Wish
S4 E12

Kathy takes a horseshoe to bed with her and wishes for a pony.

Man With a Plan
S4 E13

Bud is embarrassed after he implies that he has enlisted in the armed forces.

Big Sister
S4 E14

Betty becomes Kathy's weekend-camp counselor.

Calypso Kid
S4 E15

Bud thinks that learning the bongos will make him the life of the party.

Father's Biography
S4 E16

Kathy is disappointed when she learns that Jim won't be able to hear her read her biography of him.

The Rivals
S4 E17

Betty is at first elated when she is invited to the same concert by two different suitors.

Bud, the Mind Reader
S4 E18

Bud decides that he would like to be a mind reader.

Margaret's Other Family
S4 E19

The rest of the Anderson family becomes indignant when Margaret shows special attention to another family.

The Trial
S4 E20

Bud is accused of causing $100 worth of damage to a neighbor's property.

Revenge Is Sweet
S4 E21

Betty is concerned over Bud's failure to present himself in a socially acceptable manner.

Country Cousin
S4 E22

Betty is concerned that her cousin will present a bad impression to her friends.

Poor Old Dad
S4 E23

Bud teases his father about being married.

Betty's Crusade
S4 E24

Betty takes up the cause to save a popular restaurant from being closed.

Young Love
S4 E25

Bud is struck with puppy love when he sees a woman in the supermarket.

Tell It to Mom
S4 E26

Margaret is an eyewitness to a mole hill rising into a mountain all by itself.

A Friend in Need
S4 E27

The Andersons are bewildered when a dog rings their doorbell in the middle of the night.

A Medal for Margaret
S4 E28

Margaret secretly takes fly-casting lessons in hopes of winning a contest.

The Weaker Sex
S4 E29

Betty is ashamed to learn that her plot to ensnare a local boy has been discovered.

Jim, the Answer Man
S4 E30

Jim tries desperately to finish his work before he has to leave on a trip.

Bud Quits School
S4 E31

After Bud sees a successful man, he decides to quit school and go to work.

A Matter of Pride
S4 E32

Bud suffers in cramped, but stylish, shoes.

Betty Finds a Cause
S4 E33

Betty leads the fight to have a nearby hedge removed from a dangerous intersection.

No Apron Strings
S3 E1

Bud develops a crush on a girl from "the wrong side of the tracks.".

Betty Goes to College
S3 E3

When Jim and Margaret decide Betty should go to college, they make all the plans for her.

Man About Town
S3 E4

Bud tries to seem older for a beautiful date.

The Homing Pigeon
S3 E5

Betty decides it is time she went out on her own, so she moves in with a friend of hers.

Spaghetti for Margaret
S3 E6

The Andersons arrange a face-saving banquet for a poverty-stricken author.

Betty's Birthday
S3 E7

Betty asks her family not to celebrate her birthday when she learns that gift giving has become meaningless.

The Old Days
S3 E9

The Andersons have a dispute over fashion.

Whistle Bait
S3 E10

Betty learns a valuable lesson while teaching others at college.

The Great Guy
S3 E11

Bud gets a job at the local newspaper, much to Margaret and Jim's disapproval.

The Promising Young Man
S3 E16

Jim has problems handling a young man he is supposed to be helping.

Margaret Hires a Gardener
S3 E17

A kindly Spanish man adopts the Andersons and becomes their gardener.

Swiss Family Anderson
S3 E18

Jim considers buying an island when the family starts complaining at home.

Brief Holiday
S3 E19

Margaret takes an impulsive shopping trip.

The Lawn Party
S3 E20

Jim and Margaret are tired of always chaperoning the neighborhood parties.

Short Wave
S3 E21

Bud's short-wave radio picks up a distress call from a ship at sea.

Carnival
S3 E22

Bud learns what it is like to be suckered when he's taken in twice by the same man.

Betty and the Jet Pilot
S3 E23

Betty falls in love with an Army pilot stationed at the local base.

Trip to Hillsborough
S3 E24

Bud's plans to go to Hillsborough go astray, but he doggedly persists.

An Evening to Remember
S3 E25

The Anderson household is turned upside down when Cornel Wilde comes to talk with Jim.

Bud Buys a Car
S3 E26

Bud's purchase of a used car causes dissension in the Anderson household.

Safety First
S3 E27

Bud learns a lesson in safety when he is sentenced to crossing-guard duty for dangerous driving habits.

Bud, the Hero
S3 E28

Bud's heroic deed was really an accident.

Betty, Track Star
S3 E29

Betty faces a dilemma when a promise threatens to keep her from winning the Flower Queen title.

The Spelling Bee
S3 E30

Kathy is nervous when she learns that she is to compete in the county spelling contest.

Bud, the Philanthropist
S3 E31

Bud wants his donation to be known.

Baby in the House
S3 E32

The Andersons agree to let Betty baby-sit for a neighborhood child.

Class Prophecy
S3 E33

A friend of Jim's comes to his house on a business matter, and it proves to be embarrassing.

Art of Romance
S3 E34

Jim's helpful suggestions to Bud about romancing a woman backfire.

Margaret Disowns Her Family
S3 E35

Margaret decides to sell the family's baby crib and scales.

Grandpa Retires
S3 E36

Margaret's father gets restless when people start suggesting that he retire.

Shoot for the Moon
S3 E37

An unknown workman helps the Andersons restore their faith in themselves.

Art of Salesmanship
S2 E1

Bud makes his point to Jim as they each learn that there are some things that you just aren't cut out to do.

Father's Private Life
S2 E2

Jim decides that his children should solve their own problems.

Lesson in Civics
S2 E3

The Andersons try to save a historic landmark that is marked for destruction.

First Disillusionment
S2 E4

After Bud is refused a job because of another's dishonesty, Bud decides that dishonesty is the key to success.

Woman in the House
S2 E5

The Andersons invite the wife of a close friend to be their house guest.

New Girl at School
S2 E6

Bud falls for a flirtatious new classmate.

Kathy Makes Magic
S2 E7

Kathy thinks she has put a magic curse on Bud.

Advantage to Betty
S2 E8

Betty is picked as queen of the sports banquet because of her beauty instead of her ability.

The Big Test
S2 E9

Bud is wrongfully accused of cheating in school.

Father Is a Dope
S2 E10

Jim suspects that his family is conspiring to keep him from a hunting trip.

Spirit of Youth
S2 E11

Jim and Margaret feel that they are being relegated to the roles of "old fogies.".

Bud, the Lady Killer
S2 E12

Bud tries to rid himself of the unwanted attentions of a girl.

Margaret's Premonition
S2 E13

Margaret believes that she has premonitions.

Stage to Yuma
S2 E14

A man (Robert Young) boards a stage to free a prisoner.

Bad Influence
S2 E15

Bud befriends a boy who is a compulsive thief.

Jim, the Tyrant
S2 E17

Jim and Kathy go on a free-for-all to determine who will be the family tyrant.

Betty's Brother
S2 E18

Bud is faced with academic failure while Betty shines in school.

Betty Earns a Formal
S2 E19

When Jim refuses to buy Betty a gown for a special dance, she sets out to earn the money herself.

The House Painter
S2 E20

Jim is upset when his attempt to prove a point in faith toward mankind apparently fails.

Bud, the Wallflower
S2 E21

Bud is disappointed when he doesn't get an invitation to a Sadie Hawkins dance.

The Bus to Nowhere
S2 E22

When Betty decides that life is devoid of significance, she prepares to leave home.

Kathy, the Indian Giver
S2 E23

Jim decides he will never understand women, regardless of age, when he runs head on with Kathy.

The Historical Andersons
S2 E24

Bud is astounded when he learns that his revolutionary forebear was a scoundrel.

The Grass Is Greener
S2 E25

The Andersons learn that Jim is one of the "Four Musketeers" of his college days.

The Persistent Guest
S2 E26

Jim is intrigued by a friend of Bud's who never seems to go home.

Family Reunion
S2 E27

The Andersons' annual trip to Margaret's family reunion is threatened.

Family Dines Out
S2 E28

The Andersons are divided when they receive two dinner invitations for the same night.

Bud, the Boxer
S2 E29

Bud takes up boxing and decides on it as a career.

Betty, Girl Engineer
S2 E30

Betty meets opposition to her plans to be an engineer.

The Martins and the Coys
S2 E31

A family feud threatens to separate friends when Jim and a friend have a business falling out.

Dilemma for Margaret
S2 E32

Margaret thinks Betty participated in a prank.

Hero Father
S2 E33

Bud promises Jim's help in getting an all-star ball team to town.

Father, the Naturalist
S2 E34

Jim's unselfishness in helping Kathy inspires Betty and Bud to help each other more.

The Ten Dollar Question
S2 E35

Jim accuses the children when $10 is missing.

Adopted Daughter
S2 E36

Kathy fears that she is an adopted child.

Betty's Graduation
S2 E37

Betty realizes that her graduation from high school will bring an end to many things.

Bud Takes Up the Dance
S1 E1

Bud's first dance is threatened when he learns that his parents are going to be there.

Lesson in Citizenship
S1 E2

Jim's definition of citizenship gets the Andersons into trouble.

The Motor Scooter
S1 E3

Bud finally gets Jim's permission to get a scooter, but he doesn't get Margaret's permission.

Football Tickets
S1 E4

Jim has too many guests and not enough tickets to a football game.

Live My Own Life
S1 E5

Bud decides that he would be happier if he got his own apartment.

Grandpa Jim's Rejuvenation
S1 E6

Jim is convinced that he has one foot in the grave.

Bud's Encounter With the Law
S1 E7

After Bud gets a summons to appear at the police station, the family panics.

Thanksgiving Day
S1 E8

Jim's plans to celebrate Thanksgiving fall apart.

Second Honeymoon
S1 E9

Jim and Margaret plan to get away from the children for a second honeymoon.

Typical Father
S1 E10

Jim's over-reactive imagination takes control of his actions when he fears his daughter is about to elope.

Margaret Goes Dancing
S1 E11

Jim and Margaret go their separate ways when Margaret signs up for dancing lessons.

The Christmas Story
S1 E12

Jim is disappointed by his family's attitude toward Christmas and decides to do something about it.

Boy's Week
S1 E14

When Jim gets a traffic ticket, his court day coincides with Bud's appointed day as judge.

A Friend of Old George's
S1 E15

A total stranger arrives at the Anderson household on the verge of a birthday celebration.

Bud the Snob
S1 E16

When Bud's shyness with girls causes a misunderstanding, he is branded a snob.

The Promised Playhouse
S1 E17

When Jim decides the family should start living up to its promises, he ends up having to spend a night in the playhouse.

Jim the Farmer
S1 E18

Jim goes through an identity crisis when he decides he wants to lead the simple life.

Father of the Year
S1 E19

The Anderson children enter an essay into a contest nominating Jim as "Father of the Year.".

The Mink Coat
S1 E20

Jim finds his life being controlled by circumstances when he buys a mink coat for Margaret.

The Matchmaker
S1 E21

A young man's helpful suggestion to Betty backfires when his own plan is used to ensnare him in matrimony.

Bud the Bridesmaid
S1 E22

Bud's refusal to help out in a wedding rehearsal plays an important part in a couple's reunion.

Proud Father
S1 E23

Jim tells his family that their lack of courage is responsible for his lack of confidence.

Father Delivers the Papers
S1 E24

Jim learns what it's like to deliver papers when Bud is ordered to bed for a few days.

No Partiality
S1 E25

Jim refuses to interfere when Kathy sets her sights on Betty's boyfriend.

Close Decision
S1 E26

Jim decides that Bud can't play in the church baseball game because he hasn't done his chores.