View source for Eight Is Enough

{{Short description|American comedy-drama television series (1977–1981)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Eight is Enough.png
| genre                = {{Plainlist|
* [[Comedy drama]] 
}}
| writer               =
| based_on             = {{based_on|''Eight Is Enough''|[[Tom Braden]]}}
| developer            = [[William Blinn]]
| starring             = {{ubl|[[Dick Van Patten]]|[[Diana Hyland]]|[[Betty Buckley]]|[[Grant Goodeve]]|[[Lani O'Grady]]|[[Laurie Walters]]|[[Susan Richardson]]|[[Dianne Kay]]|[[Connie Needham|Connie Newton]]|[[Willie Aames]]|[[Adam Rich]]}}
| theme_music_composer = {{ubl|[[Fred Werner (American composer)|Fred Werner]] (Season 1 & 2 opening theme)|Song: from Season 3 onwards – "Eight Is Enough" Music by [[Lee Holdridge]]|Lyrics by Molly-Ann Leikin}}
| opentheme            =
| composer             = {{ubl|[[John Beal (composer)|John Beal]]|[[Alexander Courage]]|[[Earle Hagen]]|[[Miles Goodman]]}}
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 5
| num_episodes         = 112
| list_episodes        =
| executive_producer   = Philip Capice<br>Lee Rich
| producer             = {{ubl|Robert L. Jacks|Gary Adelson|Greg Strangis|Phil Fehrle}}
| camera               = [[Single-camera setup|Single-camera]]
| runtime              = 50 minutes
| company              = [[Lorimar Television|Lorimar Productions]]
| channel              = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1977|3|15}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1981|5|23}}
| related              = {{Plainlist|
* ''Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion'' (1987)
* ''Eight Is Enough: A Wedding'' (1989)
}}
}}
'''''Eight Is Enough''''' is an American [[comedy-drama]]/[[sitcom]] television series that aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from March 15, 1977, to May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book by the same title.

==Synopsis==
The show centers on a [[Sacramento, California]], family with eight children (from oldest to youngest: 22-year-old David, 21-year-old Mary, 20-year-old Joanie, 19-year-old Susan, 18-year-old Nancy, 16-year-old Elizabeth, 15-year-old Tommy, and 8-year-old Nicholas). The father, Tom Bradford (based on [[Tom Braden]], played by [[Dick Van Patten]]), is a [[newspaper column]]ist for the fictional ''Sacramento Register''. His wife Joan, based on Joan Braden, was a homemaker and took care of the children.

Joan was played by actress [[Diana Hyland]] (born Diane Gentner) and in early 1977, she was diagnosed with [[breast cancer]]. While performing a [[mastectomy]], doctors discovered her cancer had [[metastasis|metastasized]]. During filming her health suddenly deteriorated, and Hyland died on March 27, 1977, having filmed only four episodes. As a result, her character's death was written into the second season of the series.

The second season begins in the fall of 1977 with Tom as a widower. He eventually meets and falls in love with Sandra Sue "Abby" Abbott ([[Betty Buckley]]), a widowed schoolteacher who comes to the house to tutor Tommy after he breaks his leg in a football game. Abby and Tom marry in one of the series' TV movie broadcasts on November 9, 1977. The role went to Buckley after being approved by network chief [[Brandon Tartikoff]], who felt that the character of Miss Collins, the sympathetic high school gym teacher she had played in the 1976 film ''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]'', would translate seamlessly to the series.<ref name="playbill">{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/155850-ONSTAGE-BACKSTAGE-Cable-Is-a-Harsh-Mistress-Plus-Betty-Buckley-and-Ilene-Kristen|title=ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE: Cable Is a Harsh Mistress, Plus Betty Buckley and Ilene Kristen |website= Playbill.com|publisher= |access-date=2015-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131227051025/http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/155850-ONSTAGE-BACKSTAGE-Cable-Is-a-Harsh-Mistress-Plus-Betty-Buckley-and-Ilene-Kristen|archive-date=2013-12-27}}</ref>

In the fourth season, in another of the series' TV movie broadcasts in September 1979, both David and Susan get married in a double wedding. As the series progresses, Abby receives her Ph.D. in education and starts a job counseling students at the local high school; oldest son David starts his own construction company; second-eldest daughter Joanie works as a TV producer; eldest daughter Mary becomes a medical doctor; third daughter Susan marries a baseball player, Merle "The Pearl" Stockwell, and has a baby; second-youngest son Tommy becomes a musician in a rock-and-roll band. Ralph Macchio also joins the cast as Jeremy Andretti, Abby's orphaned nephew.

==Cast and characters==

===Main===
*[[Dick Van Patten]] as Thomas "Tom" Bradford Sr.
*[[Diana Hyland]] as Joan Wells Bradford (season 1)
*[[Betty Buckley]] as Sandra Sue "Abby" Mitchell Abbott Bradford (seasons 2–5)
*[[Grant Goodeve]] as David Bradford
*[[Lani O'Grady]] as Mary Bradford 
*[[Laurie Walters]] as Joan "Joanie" Bradford 
*[[Susan Richardson]] as Susan Bradford Stockwell
*[[Dianne Kay]] as Nancy Bradford 
*[[Connie Needham|Connie Newton/Needham]] as Elizabeth Bradford (switched to new married name, Needham, at start of season 4)
*[[Willie Aames]] as Thomas "Tommy" Bradford Jr.
*[[Adam Rich]] as Nicholas Bradford

In the [[television pilot|pilot]] (filmed in April of 1976), the role of David was played by [[Mark Hamill]], Nancy was played by [[Kimberly Beck]], and Tommy was played by Chris English. When ABC screened the pilot, they were reportedly unhappy with the performances of Beck and English, who were let go and replaced by [[Dianne Kay]] and [[Willie Aames]].  After the pilot initially failed to sell, Beck wanted to play a prominent role on the ABC miniseries ''[[Rich Man, Poor Man Book II]]'', so the network granted her a release from her ''Eight Is Enough'' contract. Hamill sought to get out of his five-year contract on ''Eight Is Enough'' to take the film opportunities that followed his starring role as [[Luke Skywalker]] in [[George Lucas]]'s ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]''.  After Hamill injured his face in a car crash, Lorimar Productions granted his request and the role was re-cast with [[Grant Goodeve]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZIjGHo4kl0C&dq=eight+is+enough+mark+hamill+grant&pg=PA111|isbn=9780786455041|title=The Show Must Go on: How the Deaths of Lead Actors Have Affected Television Series|date=10 March 2015|publisher=McFarland|access-date=30 March 2022|archive-date=13 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913064624/https://www.google.co.nz/books/edition/The_Show_Must_Go_On/vZIjGHo4kl0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=eight+is+enough+mark+hamill+grant&pg=PA111&printsec=frontcover|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Image:Eight is Enough.gif|thumb|The cast of ''Eight Is Enough'' (seasons 2–5)<br/>Top row (left to right):<br/>Kay, Van Patten, Goodeve, and Walters<br/>Middle row: Richardson, Newton, and Buckley<br/>Bottom row: Rich, O'Grady, and Aames|220px|right]]

===Recurring===
*[[Jennifer Darling]] as Donna (1977–1981)
*Michael Thoma as Dr. Greg Maxwell (1977–1981)
*[[Virginia Vincent]] as Daisy Maxwell (1977–1981)
*[[Janis Paige]] as Vivian "Auntie V" Bradford (1977–1980)
*[[Joan Prather]] as Janet McArthur Bradford (1979–1981)
*[[Brian Patrick Clarke]] as Merle "The Pearl" Stockwell (1979–1981)
*[[Ralph Macchio]] as Jeremy Andretti (1980–1981)
*Micheal Goodrow as Ernie Fields (1979–1981)
*[[James Karen]] as Eliot Randolph (1978–1981)
*[[Michele Greene]] as Jill (1980–1981)
*[[Nicholas Pryor]] as Jeffrey Trout (1979–1981)
*[[Jack Elam]] as Joe Simon (1978-1980)

==Production==
The show was developed by writer [[William Blinn]] and was a [[Lorimar Television|Lorimar]] Production. It was originally distributed by [[Worldvision Enterprises]]. For the first three years the show filmed interior scenes at The Burbank Studios now known as the [[Columbia Ranch|Warner Bros. Ranch]]. From the fourth season the show filmed interiors at [[Sony Pictures Studios|MGM Studios]] in Culver City.

The home featured in the exterior shots was on Chiquita St, near Lankershim Boulevard in Los Angeles. The house has since been demolished and replaced. The interiors for seasons one through three were filmed on Soundstage 9 The Burbank Studio. Seasons four and five were shot on two stages at MGM in Culver City.

The show's team of producers included Robert L. Jacks, Gary Adelson, Greg Strangis, and Phil Fehrle. Executive producers were [[Lee Rich]] and [[Philip Capice]].

As a production of the [[Lorimar Television|Lorimar]] stable, who were concurrently producing CBS's ''[[The Waltons]]'', writers were often contracted by the producers and were shared between both programs. (''Waltons'' co-star [[Will Geer]] also made an ''Eight Is Enough'' guest appearance during season 2.) Regular writers included [[Peter Lefcourt]], the writing teams of Gwen Bagni and Paul Dubov, Rod Peterson and Claire Whittaker, Bill Nuss and Dusty Kay (brother of "Nancy Bradford" Dianne Kay), Nick Thiel and David Braff, J. Miyoko Hensley and Steven Hensley, Bruce Shelly, Sandra Kay Siegel, Gil Grant, Karen I. Hall, and Hindi Brooks, who soon became the show's long-time story editor. In-house directors included [[Philip Leacock]], [[Harry Harris (director)|Harry Harris]], and [[Irving J. Moore]]. As an in-joke, the character name of one of Nicholas Bradford's best friends was Irving Julius Moore, a nod to the director of the same name whose middle name was, in fact, Joseph.

==Music==

===Theme===
For the show's first two seasons, an upbeat instrumental piece written by Fred Werner was used as the show's opening theme. Beginning with the show's third season, this was replaced by a slowed-down vocal theme titled "Eight Is Enough," which was sung by series co-star Grant Goodeve. The song had music by [[Lee Holdridge]] and lyrics by Molly-Ann Leikin, and was first heard in a longer arrangement on the last episode of the second season titled "Who's on First?", which was also performed by Goodeve.

==Score==
Early episodes had instrumental music by Fred Werner and [[Alexander Courage]], but the show's real musical stamp came from composer [[Earle Hagen]], who had a knack of composing memorable cues as he had previously been the in-house composer on ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. He composed a love theme for Tom and Abby, a theme that permeated the show in various incarnations throughout the remainder of the series. Some later episodes were scored by [[John Beal (composer)|John Beal]] and [[Miles Goodman]].

Back-to-back industry strikes in the show's last seasons affected the show's score, with both the 1980 [[SAG-AFTRA|SAG]] actors' strike and [[1981 Writers Guild of America strike|1981 writers' strike]] forcing cost-cutting measures. Some of the later episodes were tracked with a combination of uncredited library music and original music by Hagen, Beal, and Goodman.

==Reception and cancellation==
The series jump-started acting careers for several of its young stars. It cemented [[teen idol]] status for [[Grant Goodeve]] (David), [[Willie Aames]] (Tommy), and [[Ralph Macchio]], who played Abby's orphaned nephew Jeremy later in the show's last season. Aames went on to star with [[Scott Baio]] in ''[[Charles in Charge]]''. Goodeve started a minor singing career, following his rendition of the show's theme song (see [[#Theme|Theme]] section) and initially hosted [[HGTV]]'s ''If Walls Could Talk''. Macchio gained the most fame in feature films, such as ''[[The Karate Kid (1984 film)|The Karate Kid]]'' and its sequels as well as ''[[My Cousin Vinny]]''.

After the end of the show's fifth season (112 one-hour episodes), production costs and declining ratings caused the show to be cancelled with seven other shows that season (including ''[[The Waltons]]''). [[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']]'s headline on the cancellation stated "Eight Shows In, Eight Shows Out". In a 2000 episode of ''[[E! True Hollywood Story]]'', Dick Van Patten stated that no one contacted him to inform him of the cancellation. Instead, he read about it in a newspaper.<ref>E! True Hollywood Story, "Eight Is Enough" (2000)</ref>

The series had two reunion movies on NBC. In ''Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion'' on October 18, 1987, [[Mary Frann]] replaced [[Betty Buckley]] as Abby; Buckley had been filming ''[[Frantic (film)|Frantic]]'' during its production. Then came ''An Eight Is Enough Wedding'' on October 15, 1989, this time with [[Sandy Faison]] as Abby. Both movies aired opposite Game 2 of the [[World Series]] on ABC.

==Nielsen Ratings==

*1976–1977 — #23
*1977–1978 — #12
*1978–1979 — #11
*1979–1980 — #12
*1980–1981 — Not in Top 30

==Series overview==
{{Series overview
| color1       = #000000
| link1        = <includeonly>Eight Is Enough</includeonly>#Season 1 (1977)
| episodes1    = 9
| start1       = {{Start date|1977|3|15}}
| end1         = {{End date|1977|8|10}}

| color2       = bb933c
| link2        = <includeonly>Eight Is Enough</includeonly>#Season 2 (1977–78)
| episodes2    = 26
| start2       = {{Start date|1977|9|14}}
| end2         = {{End date|1978|5|10}}

| color3       = 7A99DF
| link3        = <includeonly>Eight Is Enough</includeonly>#Season 3 (1978–79)
| episodes3    = 27
| start3       = {{Start date|1978|9|6}}
| end3         = {{End date|1979|5|23}}

| color4       = AC1D20
| link4        = <includeonly>Eight Is Enough</includeonly>#Season 4 (1979–80)
| episodes4    = 28
| start4       = {{Start date|1979|9|5}}
| end4         = {{End date|1980|4|30}}

| color5       = 435A41
| link5        = <includeonly>Eight Is Enough</includeonly>#Season 5 (1980–81)
| episodes5    = 22
| start5       = {{Start date|1980|10|29}}
| end5         = {{End date|1981|5|23}}
}}

==Episodes==
===Season 1 (1977)===
{{Episode table |background=#000000 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=30 |director=16 |writer=30 |airdate=13 |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = Never Try Eating Nectarines Since Juice May Dispense
| DirectedBy = [[E. W. Swackhamer]]
| WrittenBy = [[William Blinn]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|3|15}}
| ShortSummary = [[Television pilot|Pilot episode]]: After 15-year-old Elizabeth is arrested for the possession of narcotics, Tom and Joan Bradford are faced with the dual problems of raising money for her defense and trying to understand why 21-year-old David Bradford moved away from home after objecting to the way they handled the drug bust.<br/>''Note'': In the Pilot, David was played by [[Mark Hamill]], Nancy was played by [[Kimberly Beck]], and Tommy played by Chris English. When ABC picked up the show, they were recast, respectively, with Grant Goodeve, Dianne Kay, and Willie Aames.
| LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Schussboomer
| DirectedBy = David Moessinger
| WrittenBy = [[Norman Lessing]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|3|22}}
| ShortSummary = Tom and Joan are reluctant to let Susan go away for an unchaperoned ski weekend; Mary's unwed pregnant friend stays with the Bradfords.
| LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = Pieces of Eight
| DirectedBy = [[Reza Badiyi]]
| WrittenBy = Greg Strangis
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|3|29}}<ref>{{cite news|work=The Post-Star|location=Glens Falls, New York|title=TV Listings|date=April 5, 1977}}</ref>
| ShortSummary = Tom is forced to face a newspaper strike, a wife who wants a job, and a daughter who wants to become a model.
| LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Women, Ducks, and the Domino Theory
| DirectedBy = [[Vincent McEveety]]	
| WrittenBy = [[Peter Lefcourt]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|4|5}}<ref>{{cite news|work=The Berkshire Eagle|location=Pittsfield, Massachusetts|title=TV Listings|date=April 12, 1977}}</ref>
| ShortSummary = Tommy falls in love for the first time and learns life's most difficult lesson; some of the Bradfords question the time-honored tradition of an annual duck-hunting trip.<br/>''Notes'': Main cast member Diana Hyland does not appear in this episode. [[Charlene Tilton]] (as Wendy Spring) guest stars.
| LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Turnabout
| DirectedBy = [[Harvey Laidman|Harvey S. Laidman]]
| WrittenBy = [[Katharyn Powers]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|4|12}}<ref>{{cite news|work=The Morning News|location=Wilmington, Delaware|title=TV Listings|date=April 19, 1977}}</ref>
| ShortSummary = David's romance with an older woman becomes a topic for argument; the family plans a surprise anniversary party for the Maxwells.<br/>''Notes'': 1) [[Adrienne Barbeau]] (as Jennifer Linden) special guest stars. 2) Fourth and final appearance of main cast member Diana Hyland, who died March 27, 1977. 3) Originally scheduled for March 29, 1977, two days after Hyland's death.
| LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = Quarantine
| DirectedBy = [[Harry Harris (director)|Harry Harris]]
| WrittenBy = [[Gwen Bagni]] & [[Paul Dubov]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|4|19}}<ref>{{cite news|work=Santa Ana Register|location=Santa Ana, California|title=TV Listings|date=April 26, 1977}}</ref>
| ShortSummary = When Mary's new boyfriend is hospitalized with an exotic illness, the Bradford family and a visitor are questioned by the health department.
| LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = V Is for Vivian
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Rod Peterson & Claire Whitaker
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|4|26}}<ref>{{cite news|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|title=TV Listings|date=May 3, 1977}}</ref>
| ShortSummary = Tom's swinging sister visits, exciting and influencing the kids to live for the moment.<br/>''Note'': [[Janis Paige]] (as Auntie V) guest stars, and subsequently becomes a recurring character throughout the series.
| LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| EpisodeNumber2 = 8
| Title = Hit and Run
| DirectedBy = [[Ralph Senensky]]
| WrittenBy = C. Robert Brooks and Robert L. McCullough
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|5|3}}<ref>{{cite news|work=The Morning News|location=Wilmington, Delaware|title=TV Listings|date=May 10, 1977}}</ref>
| ShortSummary = Tom finds that Joanie has been blackmailed into asking for a retraction in his newspaper column after she crumples the fender on a classic sports car; Tommy pays penance for breaking a church window; Elizabeth makes multiple dates for a school dance.<br/>''Notes'': [[Peter Coffield]] and [[Molly Dodd]] guest star.
| LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 9
| EpisodeNumber2 = 9
| Title = The Gipper Caper
| DirectedBy = [[William F. Claxton]]
| WrittenBy = [[William Blinn]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|8|10}}<ref>{{cite news|work=Santa Cruz Sentinel|location=Santa Cruz, California|title=TV Listings|date=March 29, 1977}}</ref>
| ShortSummary = ''Filming date: February 23 – March 4, 1977''<br/>A football game becomes a blood-and-guts event.<br/>''Note'': This episode's working title was "What Hath Roone Arledge Wrought?"
This was held back by ABC until the show moved to Wednesday nights, after the series was picked up for the fall schedule.
| LineColor = 000000
}}
}}

===Season 2 (1977–78)===
{{Episode table |background=#BB933C |overall=5 |season=5 |title=30 |director=16 |writer=30 |airdate=13 |prodcode=8 |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 10
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = Is There a Doctor in the House?
| DirectedBy = [[Harry Harris (director)|Harry Harris]]
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=[[Gwen Bagni]] & [[Paul Dubov]] & John Kubichan|t= Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|9|14}}
| ProdCode = 188367 
| ShortSummary = The widowed Tom and the temporarily single Doctor Maxwell try their luck as middle-aged swinging singles; the kids cull their meager finances together to help David pay off a gambling debt. [[Beth Howland]] appears in this episode.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 11
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Trial Marriage
| DirectedBy = [[Philip Leacock]]
| WrittenBy = Leonard Stadd & Toni Van Horne
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|9|21}}
| ProdCode = 188366
| ShortSummary = Tom disapproves when Mary moves in with her boyfriend. Enter a teacher named Sandra Sue "Abby" Abbott to sort all this out while tutoring Tommy. <br/>''Note'': [[Don Johnson]] (as Doug, Mary's boyfriend) guest stars. [[Betty Buckley]]'s (as Sandra Sue "Abby" Abbott) first appearance.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 12
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = Triangles
| DirectedBy = Philip Leacock
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|9|28}}
| ProdCode = 188368
| ShortSummary = David's roommate dates both Joanie and Susan; Tom spends quality time with Nicholas as well as goes on his first official date with Abby; Tommy hosts a garage sale.<br/>''Note'': [[John Shea]] (as Jonathan Moracci, David's roommate) guest stars. 
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 13
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Double Trouble
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Joyce Perry
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|10|5}}
| ProdCode = 188379
| ShortSummary = Problems develop when Tom and Abby break up and he begins dating divorcee Ellen Manning; Nancy enters a beauty contest; David attempts to meet women at a laundromat.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 14
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Mortgage Burnin' Blues
| DirectedBy = [[William Wiard]]
| WrittenBy = Parke Perine
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|10|19}}
| ProdCode = 188372
| ShortSummary = A party at the Bradfords' spirals out of control; Nicholas tries to get arrested in order to be paid attention to. [[Gerald McRaney]] appears in this episode.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 15
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = Dark Horse
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = [[Bill Nuss]] & Dusty Kay
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|10|26}}
| ProdCode = 188369
| ShortSummary = Tom and Abby decide to get married after having put aside their own problems to help Mary run for the board of education.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 16
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = The Bard and the Bod
| DirectedBy = [[Irving J. Moore]]
| WrittenBy = Michael Weinberger
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|11|2}}
| ProdCode = 188373
| ShortSummary = The family tries to hide from Tom Joanie's upcoming nudity onstage in a local Shakespearean production; David purchases jewelry from a co-worker, not knowing it is stolen.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| NumParts = 2
| EpisodeNumber_1 = 17
| EpisodeNumber_2 = 18
| EpisodeNumber2_1 = 8
| EpisodeNumber2_2 = 9
| Title = Children of the Groom
| DirectedBy = Philip Leacock
| WrittenBy = Hindi Brooks
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|11|9}}
| ProdCode = 188377A-188377B
| ShortSummary = Tom and Abby decide to marry despite complications caused by his children.<br/>''Note'': [[Louise Latham]] (as Katherine Mitchell, Abby’s mother), [[Dennis Patrick]] (as Harry Mitchell, Abby’s father) and [[Sylvia Sidney]] (as Evelin, Abby’s aunt) guest star.<br/>''Note'': This was a special 2-hour episode; syndicated versions of this episode split it into two hour-long parts, cutting some scenes out.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 19
| EpisodeNumber2 = 10
| Title = I Quit
| DirectedBy = [[David Swift (director)|David Swift]]
| WrittenBy = Greg Strangis
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|11|16}}
| ProdCode = 188382
| ShortSummary = Tom Bradford "resigns" as father when the kids accuse him of being a dictator. Nevertheless, the family members travel to San Francisco for their own individual reasons.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 20
| EpisodeNumber2 = 11
| Title = All's Fair in Love and War
| DirectedBy = David Swift 
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=[[Marion Hargrove]]|s=[[Matt Robinson (actor)|Matt Robinson]]}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|11|23}}
| ProdCode = 188370
| ShortSummary = Tom's liberal attitudes are put to the test when Mary dates the black son of his old military friend; Nicholas tries to avoid confronting bullies at school; the girls try to hire a maid for the household.<br/>''Note'': [[Dorian Harewood]] (as Colonel Richard Connelly) guest stars. 
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 21
| EpisodeNumber2 = 12
| Title = The Return of Auntie V
| DirectedBy = Ray Marsh 
| WrittenBy = Rod Peterson & Claire Whitaker
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|11|30}}
| ProdCode = 188381
| ShortSummary = Tom's flamboyant sister gives the newlyweds the down-payment on a new mansion.<br/>''Note'': [[Janis Paige]] (as Aunt Vivian) guest stars.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| NumParts = 2
| EpisodeNumber_1 = 22
| EpisodeNumber_2 = 23
| EpisodeNumber2_1 = 13
| EpisodeNumber2_2 = 14
| Title = Yes, Nicholas, There is a Santa Claus
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Hindi Brooks
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1977|12|14}}
| ProdCode = 188374-A/B
| ShortSummary = A present Joan hid before her death restores the Bradfords' spirit after a Christmas burglar steals their gifts.<br/>''Note'': This was a special 2-hour episode; syndicated versions of this episode split it into two hour-long parts, cutting some scenes out. [[Will Geer]] and [[Judy Strangis]] guest-star.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 24
| EpisodeNumber2 = 15
| Title = A Hair of the Dog
| DirectedBy = [[Alf Kjellin]]
| WrittenBy = [[Peter Lefcourt]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|1|4}}
| ProdCode = 188383
| ShortSummary = On Tom's birthday, the family gives him a unique present; Tommy uses David's empty apartment for a drunken party. [[Danny Bonaduce]] appears in this episode.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 25
| EpisodeNumber2 = 16
| Title = Author! Author!
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = David Hurwitz & Larry Arnstein
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|1|11}}
| ProdCode = 188384
| ShortSummary = Tom receives unexpected resistance from his family when he decides to write a novel.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 26
| EpisodeNumber2 = 17
| Title = Much Ado About Garbage
| DirectedBy = [[Harvey Laidman|Harvey S. Laidman]]
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=Greg Strangis & Peter Lefcourt|s=Parke Perine & [[Bob Holt (actor)|Robert Holt]]}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|1|18}}
| ProdCode = 188389
| ShortSummary = Tom has been suspended from his job without pay after accusing the city officials and garbage company of corruption and refusing to reveal his sources to a grand jury; Nicholas is caught in the middle of a controversy over his new BB gun.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 27
| EpisodeNumber2 = 18
| Title = Dear Miss Dinah
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=Paul Dubov & Gwen Bagni|s=Paul Dubov & Gwen Bagni and Carole & Michael Raschella}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|1|25}}
| ProdCode = 188371
| ShortSummary = Tom doles out sage advice in the hometown newspaper's advice-to-the-lovelorn column but loses his cool when Elizabeth asks if she should take "The Pill"; Abby takes a leave of absence from her job, upsetting her relationship with Tom; David gives Tommy lessons in auto shop.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 28
| EpisodeNumber2 = 19
| Title = Hard Hats and Hard Heads
| DirectedBy = [[Barry Crane]]
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=Gary Adelson and Greg Strangis & Peter Lefcourt|s=Gary Adelson}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|2|1}}
| ProdCode = 188390
| ShortSummary = Encouraged by his friend's success, David trades in his hard hat for a newsman's notepad; Joanie, Nancy and Susan try to out-diet one another; Tommy tries out for the football team.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 29
| EpisodeNumber2 = 20
| Title = Seven Days in February
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore 
| WrittenBy = Bill Nuss & Dusty Kay
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|2|8}}
| ProdCode = 188386
| ShortSummary = Dating woes: Nancy decides to convert to Judaism when she falls in love with a man she believes is Jewish; Susan falls for a bore; Joanie is attracted to a sullen poet; David reluctantly agrees to a blind date.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 30
| EpisodeNumber2 = 21
| Title = The Boyfriend
| DirectedBy = [[Earl Bellamy]]
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=Larry Arnstein & David Hurwitz|s=Robert L. McCullough & Joel Tappis}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|2|15}}
| ProdCode = 188388
| ShortSummary = Susan's boyfriend and Abby are suspected of having an affair when they work together on a project; Tommy and his friend try to gain access to the girls' locker room at school; Nicholas is appointed "Water Monitor" of the household.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 31
| EpisodeNumber2 = 22
| Title = Great Expectations
| DirectedBy = [[Arnold Laven]]
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|2|22}}
| ProdCode = 188391
| ShortSummary = Tommy cheats in school in order to meet his father's expectations; the kids pool together their money to buy another car; Joanie directs her first play...at Nicholas' elementary school.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 32
| EpisodeNumber2 = 23
| Title = Long Night's Journey into Day
| DirectedBy = Philip Leacock 
| WrittenBy = Greg Strangis & Gary Adelson & Peter Lefcourt
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|3|1}}
| ProdCode = 188394
| ShortSummary = Members of the Bradford family are forced to take shifts to keep Abby awake for 24 hours after she falls and suffers a concussion.<br/>''Note'': This show is a retrospective, composed largely of scenes from past episodes. Nicholas does an on-camera introduction.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 33
| EpisodeNumber2 = 24
| Title = The Lost Weekend
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Peter Lefcourt & Greg Strangis
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|4|28}}
| ProdCode = 188393 
| ShortSummary = The Bradford children quickly transform an idyllic holiday away from parents.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 34
| EpisodeNumber2 = 25
| Title = Poor Little Rich Girl
| DirectedBy = Philip Leacock
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=Kathy Donnell & Madeline DiMaggio and Paul M. Belous & Robert Wolterstorff|s=Kathy Donnell & Madeline DiMaggio}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|5|3}}
| ProdCode = 188395
| ShortSummary = ''Filming date: February 8–17, 1978'' <br/>The self-assured daughter of a prominent contractor showers David with expensive gifts in an attempt to buy his affections; Joanie forces her new-found philosophy on the family; Tom and Nicholas build a go-kart in the garage.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 35
| EpisodeNumber2 = 26
| Title = Who's on First?
| DirectedBy = Ray Marsh
| WrittenBy = Bill Nuss & Dusty Kay
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|5|10}}
| ProdCode = 188392
| ShortSummary = The Bradfords stage a talent show to support a local orphanage; Nicholas runs away from home, making it as far as David's apartment.<br/>''Note'': The first appearance of the season three theme song, as performed by David during the talent show.
| LineColor = BB933C
}}
}}

===Season 3 (1978–79)===
{{Episode table |background=#7A99DF |overall=5 |season=5 |title=30 |director=16 |writer=30 |airdate=13 |prodcode=8 |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 36
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = Who's Crazy Here?
| DirectedBy = [[Harry Harris (director)|Harry Harris]]
| WrittenBy = J. Miyoko Hensley & Steven Hensley
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|9|6}}
| ShortSummary = Tom secretly sees a psychiatrist, which makes Abby fear Tom is having an affair and the kids fear their father has heart trouble; Tommy takes the definition of "double-date" to a whole other level.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 37
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Nine is Too Much
| DirectedBy = [[Stan Lathan]]
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s=Shirl Hendryx & Earle Doud & John Agnew|t= Bruce Shelly & [[Peter Lefcourt]] and Shirl Hendryx|order=t}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|9|13}}
| ProdCode = 188655
| ShortSummary = When Abby manages Nicholas' Little League team, Tom provides unwanted coaching from the bleachers, and America's favorite pastime becomes the Bradfords' biggest headache; the girls lobby for more phone lines in the household.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 38
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = Here We Go Again!
| AltTitle = Oh, No...Not Again!
| DirectedBy = [[Arnold Laven]]
| WrittenBy = Peter Lefcourt
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|9|20}}
| ProdCode = 188664 
| ShortSummary = All the Bradfords wonder if there is going to be a new Bradford; Tom is audited by the IRS; Joanie begins talking to her plants; Nancy becomes a telemarketer; Nicholas plays "post office" with a girl at school. 
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 39
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Cinderella's Understudy
| DirectedBy = [[Marc Daniels]]
| WrittenBy = Nick Thiel & David Braff
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|9|27}}
| ProdCode = 188656
| ShortSummary = Joanie's debut as an actress becomes a conflict of interests for Tom, torn between his role of proud parent, and his unexpected role as theater critic; Abby is reluctant to allow the kids to drive her antique MG; Susan meets a guy more attracted to the MG than to her; Nicholas tries to avoid a schoolgirl who cannot stop calling him at home.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 40
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Milk and Sympathy
| DirectedBy = [[Irving J. Moore]]
| WrittenBy = [[Barbara Elaine Smith]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|10|11}}
| ProdCode = 188654
| ShortSummary = Nicholas falls head-over-heels in puppy love with his fourth-grade teacher; the family acquires a painting that may be a lost masterpiece; Tommy has a case of trenchmouth before a hot date.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 41
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = The Flunked and the Funked
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|10|18}}
| ProdCode = 188653
| ShortSummary = Nancy drops out of school to get a job and finds that excitement and wealth are not part of the life of an unskilled worker; Tom begins teaching a journalism class; Nicholas and his friend make crank calls.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 42
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = Cops and Toddlers
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = Sandra Kay Siegel
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|10|25}}
| ProdCode = 188658
| ShortSummary = Nancy brings home a group of toddlers for her nursery job; Susan gets rejected at the police academy; Joanie inadvertently meddles in David's personal life. [[Corey Feldman]] appears in this episode.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 43
| EpisodeNumber2 = 8
| Title = The Hipbone's Connected to the Thighbone
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = Parke Perine
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|11|1}}
| ProdCode = 188659
| ShortSummary = Mary is frustrated with what she perceives as sexism in medical school; Tommy is anxious to earn his driver's license; Nicholas learns how to flip cards.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 44
| EpisodeNumber2 = 9
| Title = Fast and Loose
| DirectedBy = Stan Lathan
| WrittenBy = Greg Strangis
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|11|8}}
| ProdCode = 188666
| ShortSummary = David struggles to cope with the loss of a close friend, and ends up being arrested for bar-room brawling; Nicholas takes in a stray cat.<br/>''Note'': This is the first appearance of recurring character Janet McArthur, the future Mrs. David Bradford (and future divorcée). She is played by [[Meridith Baer]] in this episode, but from her next appearance in "Moving Out" onward, the character is played by [[Joan Prather]].
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 45
| EpisodeNumber2 = 10
| Title = War Between the Bradfords
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Dusty Kay
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|11|15}}
| ShortSummary = Abby's schoolboard speech on modern women in society creates a Bradford battle of the sexes; Nancy's job as a gas station attendant comes with a lesson in male chauvinism as well.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 46
| EpisodeNumber2 = 11
| Title = All the Vice-President's Men
| DirectedBy = [[Harvey Laidman|Harvey S. Laidman]]
| WrittenBy = Robert L. McCullough & Jacqueline Simmel-McKane
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|11|22}}
| ProdCode = 188663
| ShortSummary = Thanksgiving for the Bradford clan arrives in a storm of red tape when the Vice-President of the United States accepts an invitation from Nicholas to visit their home for the holiday; Tommy gets ripped off by a shifty used car salesman; Elizabeth considers getting a nose job.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| NumParts = 2
| EpisodeNumber_1 = 47
| EpisodeNumber_2 = 48
| EpisodeNumber2_1 = 12
| EpisodeNumber2_2 = 13
| Title = You Won't Have Nicholas to Kick Around Anymore
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Hindi Brooks
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|11|29}}
| ProdCode = 188657
| ShortSummary = When Nicholas accidentally starts a fire that destroys the celebration of Tom and Abby's first anniversary, the unhappy youngster leaves home in search of a new family.<br/>''Notes'': This was a special 2-hour episode; syndicated versions of this episode split it into two hour-long parts, cutting some scenes out. [[Jack Elam]] guest stars.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 49
| EpisodeNumber2 = 14
| Title = Alone at Last
| DirectedBy = Harvey S. Laidman
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s=Martin Roth|t= J. Miyoko Hensley & Steven Hensley|order=t}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1978|12|6}}
| ProdCode = 188652
| ShortSummary = After bundling their brood off to the mountains for a camping trip, Tom and Abby soon find their romantic weekend alone disturbed by too much peace and quiet. But first, household routines are disrupted by a precocious little girl Susan brings home from her daycare center.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 50
| EpisodeNumber2 = 15
| Title = The Yearning Point
| DirectedBy = Stan Lathan
| WrittenBy = Larry Arnstein & David Hurwitz
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|1|10}}
| ProdCode = 188660
| ShortSummary = Elizabeth's dream of going to a posh Eastern dance school conflicts with the Bradford household budget, not to mention her abilities; Nancy trains to be a hair stylist at home, with no Bradfords volunteering to be guinea pigs; Tommy becomes a con in order to score concert tickets.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 51
| EpisodeNumber2 = 16
| Title = Moving Out
| DirectedBy = Arnold Laven
| WrittenBy = Nick Thiel & David Braff
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|1|17}}
| ProdCode = 188671
| ShortSummary = When Tom gets upset about Susan's boyfriend taking a shower in the upstairs bathroom, Joanie coming in after curfew and Nancy sunbathing topless in the backyard, the girls move out of the house into their own apartment; Nicholas develops a complex about his stature.<br/>''Notes'': This was part one of a special 2-hour episode (part two bearing the title, "Mother's Rule"); syndicated versions of this episode split it into two hour-long parts, cutting some scenes out. This is also Joan Prather's first appearance as Janet.
| LineColor = 7A99DF 
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 52
| EpisodeNumber2 = 17
| Title = Mother's Rule
| DirectedBy = [[Earl Bellamy]] 
| WrittenBy = Sandra Kay Siegel
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|1|17}}
| ProdCode = 188669
| ShortSummary = The second part of this two-hour episode deals with the fallout from Susan, Joanie and Nancy moving out: their collective first step into independence runs into a snag when it comes to sharing the apartment equally. Back at home, Tom abolishes all curfews, using reverse psychology to get the remaining Bradfords to honor theirs; this, too, goes awry.<br/>''Note'': This was part two of a special 2-hour episode (part one bearing the title, "Moving Out"); syndicated versions of this episode split it into two hour-long parts, cutting some scenes out.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 53
| EpisodeNumber2 = 18
| Title = Inlaws and Outlaws
| DirectedBy = [[Vincent McEveety]]
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|1|24}}
| ProdCode = 188672
| ShortSummary = The mutiny by Susan, Joanie and Nancy continues, and Abby's parents announce their marital estrangement.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 54
| EpisodeNumber2 = 19
| Title = Horror Story
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = Chris Manheim & Pat Green
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|1|31}}
| ProdCode = 188676
| ShortSummary = When a thunderstorm causes a power failure, the Bradford children use their vivid imaginations to transform the old homestead into a hysterical haunted house.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 55
| EpisodeNumber2 = 20
| Title = Just the Ten of Us
| DirectedBy = Stan Lathan 
| WrittenBy = J. Miyoko Hensley & Steven Hensley
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|2|14}}
| ProdCode = 188673
| ShortSummary = When David and his girlfriend decide to live together, their decision threatens Tom's chance to win the "Father of the Year" award, along with an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii for the entire Bradford family; Tommy makes the van he inherits from David his own, inside and out.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 56
| EpisodeNumber2 = 21
| Title = Best of Friends
| DirectedBy = Gerald Mayer
| WrittenBy = David Braff & Nick Thiel
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|2|21}}
| ProdCode = 188676
| ShortSummary = Tommy rocks the Bradford family foundation with the shocking news of his impending marriage and fatherhood; Nicholas faces fierce competition from a rival lemonade stand around the block run by two girls. [[Rosanna Arquette]] and [[Tracey Gold]] (alongside younger sister [[Missy Gold]]) guest star.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 57
| EpisodeNumber2 = 22
| Title = The Kid Who Came to Dinner
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = Chris Manheim & Pat Green
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|2|28}}
| ProdCode = 188678
| ShortSummary = When Nicholas discovers that his new playmate has no parents, the youngest Bradford tries to turn friendship into brotherhood; Abby and a colleague research the family for their psychology course.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 58
| EpisodeNumber2 = 23
| Title = The Better Part of Valor
| DirectedBy = Vincent McEveety
| WrittenBy = Dusty Kay
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|3|7}}
| ProdCode = 188674
| ShortSummary = Abby finds her relationship with Tommy threatened when she returns to teaching and flunks the school basketball star, causing Tommy -- and herself -- peer-group problems; Tom does what he can to avoid David's girlfriend's visiting, and very boring, parents. [[James Cromwell]] appears in this episode.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 59
| EpisodeNumber2 = 24
| Title = Dads, Daughters, Different Drummers
| DirectedBy = Robert L. Friend
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|3|14}}
| ProdCode = 188679
| ShortSummary = When Tom forbids Joanie to see her new boyfriend, she runs away from home to be with the handsome young writer she loves; Tom hires David to remodel the living room; Nicholas' teacher recommends he take up a musical instrument.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 60
| EpisodeNumber2 = 25
| Title = The Final Days
| DirectedBy = Vincent McEveety
| WrittenBy = Nick Thiel & David Braff
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|5|2}}
| ProdCode = 188681
| ShortSummary = Tom's editorial, on "Passing the torch to a younger generation", ignites a Grey Power demonstration by Sacramento's indignant senior citizens...in the Bradford's front yard; Tommy tries to use Elizabeth's influence to book his band for her prom. [[Abe Vigoda]] guest stars.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| NumParts = 2
| EpisodeNumber_1 = 61
| EpisodeNumber_2 = 62
| EpisodeNumber2_1 = 26
| EpisodeNumber2_2 = 27
| Title = Marriage and Other Flights of Fancy
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Greg Strangis
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|5|9}}
| ShortSummary = David, despite the family's concern and his father's objections, teams up with an outspoken female in a cross-country quest for new beginnings; Tom's ego is deflated when his story gets published in an adult magazine.<br/>''Note'': This was a special 2-hour episode; syndicated versions of this episode split it into two hour-long parts, cutting some scenes out. [[Noah Beery Jr.]] guest stars.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 63
| EpisodeNumber2 = 28
| Title = The Graduates
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Sandra Kay Siegel
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|5|23}}
| ProdCode = 188682
| ShortSummary = Graduation is hardly what the Bradfords expected —- with Joanie upset over her future, Elizabeth suspended from her commencement exercises where her father is to be the guest speaker, and Tommy unable to decide what hairstyle to adopt next.
| LineColor = 7A99DF
}}
}}

===Season 4 (1979–80)===
{{Episode table |background=#AC1D20 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=30 |director=16 |writer=30 |airdate=13 |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 64
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = Merle the Pearl
| DirectedBy = [[Stan Lathan]]
| WrittenBy = Nick Thiel & David Braff
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|9|5}}
| ShortSummary = Nicholas' plan to impress his girlfriend backfires when star pitcher Merle Stockwell (Brian Patrick Clarke, in his debut appearance) ignores them at the ballpark, but Merle falls for Susan instead; Tom tries to have the family conserve gas; Tommy's plan to set up his friend Ernie on a date backfires.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 65
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = The Cupid Crisis
| DirectedBy = [[Leslie H. Martinson]]
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|9|12}}
| ShortSummary = When Tom makes a "losers pay for the dinners" bet on a touch football game between his family and the Maxwells, it's a wild "hut, hut, hut". Complicating matters: David returns home, determined to win Janet back; and Merle wants to propose to Susan.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 66
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
| DirectedBy = [[Harry Harris (director)|Harry Harris]]
| WrittenBy = Sandra Kay Siegel
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|9|19}}
| ShortSummary = David and Janet set a wedding date, which turns out to be the same day Merle and Susan choose, to accommodate Merle's ball-playing career move; Nancy delivers singing telegrams.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 67
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Ten Ships in the Night
| DirectedBy = [[Arnold Laven]]
| WrittenBy = Steven Hensley & J. Miyoko Hensley
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|9|26}}
| ShortSummary = When Abby decides to return to school full-time, Nicholas winds up left out with no one home after school; Nancy decides to seek out a more serious career.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 68
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = The Night They Raided Bradfords
| DirectedBy = David Moessinger
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s= Jock Paritz|t= Chris Manheim & Pat Green}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|10|3}}
| ShortSummary = Merle's sister from Arkansas pays the Bradfords a visit, unaccustomed to the family's diverse eccentricities.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 69
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = The Devil and Mr. Bradford
| DirectedBy = Arnold Laven
| WrittenBy = Gil Grant
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|10|24}}
| ShortSummary = Tom makes a hasty exit from a movie theater with little Nicholas in tow after he discovers too late that this version of "Snow White..." is X-rated; Mary finds a pregnancy test kit hidden in the linen closet; Joanie faces an existential crisis when assigned to a story at the local news station. 
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 70
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = Big Shoes, Little Feet
| DirectedBy = Carl Kugel
| WrittenBy = Linda Elstad
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|10|31}}
| ShortSummary = Nicholas [[Truancy|cuts]] school when his new teacher holds the successes of his siblings over his head as motivation; Tom's looking for a partner for a father-son golf tournament...only to come up one son short; Nancy burns the candle at both ends for David's sake.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| NumParts = 2
| EpisodeNumber_1 = 71
| EpisodeNumber_2 = 72
| EpisodeNumber2_1 = 8
| EpisodeNumber2_2 = 9
| Title = Fathers and Other Strangers
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Gil Grant
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|11|7}}
| ShortSummary = Aunt Vivian comes up with a plan to take the entire Bradford clan to Hawaii. Her plan: to reunite Tom with their estranged father. Meanwhile, Tom clashes with Tommy over his schoolwork conflicting with his band.<br/>''Notes'': This was a special 2-hour episode; syndicated versions of this episode split it into two hour-long parts, cutting some scenes out. Janis Paige and [[David Wayne]] guest star.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 73
| EpisodeNumber2 = 10
| Title = Letter to One Bradford
| DirectedBy = [[Jack Bender]]
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s= [[Juliet Law Packer|Juliet Packer]]|t= Sandra Kay Siegel}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|11|14}}
| ShortSummary = Because he broke a chain letter, Nicholas believes he is to blame for the family's run of bad luck, culminating in Tommy being hospitalized; Nancy hosts a Chinese foreign exchange student.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 74
| EpisodeNumber2 = 11
| Title = Separate Ways
| DirectedBy = Jack Bender
| WrittenBy = Nick Thiel & David Braff
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|11|21}}
| ShortSummary = Susan and Merle reach an impasse regarding their careers; Tom is reluctant to let the women attempt to fix the household heater; Nicholas goes on strike, insisting on a higher allowance.<br/>''Notes'': This is part one of a two-part episode, concluded with the episode titled, "Arrivals." [[Jonathan Frakes]] guest stars.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 75
| EpisodeNumber2 = 12
| Title = Arrivals
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|11|28}}
| ShortSummary = Due to her separation from Merle, a depressed Susan comes home to the Bradfords...but the secret she's carrying is a surprise to the family; Joanie bonds with a practitioner of [[Extrasensory perception|E.S.P.]]; Tommy uses Nicholas as a "babe magnet".<br/>''Note'': This is part two of a two-part episode, preceded by the earlier episode, "Separate Ways."
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 76
| EpisodeNumber2 = 13
| Title = Brotherhood, Sisterhood
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s= Ken Berg & [[Mitzi McCall]] & Anne Convy|t= Nick Thiel & David Braff}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|12|5}}
| ShortSummary = Tom convinces David to hire Tommy on at the construction company, but Tommy struggles as the boss's brother; Elizabeth seeks advice about making friends and meeting guys at college from her sisters, with unfortunate results; Tom brings Nicholas to work for a school report.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 77
| EpisodeNumber2 = 14
| Title = Mary, He's Married
| DirectedBy = [[Irving J. Moore]]
| WrittenBy = [[James Schmerer]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1979|12|12}}
| ShortSummary = Mary's friendship with a married doctor begins to develop into a romance; Nicholas dabbles in sales with face cream; Joanie tries to produce a documentary on her family for a promotion at work.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 78
| EpisodeNumber2 = 15
| Title = My Son, The Prom Queen
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s= Parke Perine|t= Bruce Shelly}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|1|9}}
| ShortSummary = When Tommy gets embroiled in a battle of the sexes, he runs for the title of Prom Queen at his high school...and gets support from the female population at the school; Joanie has her say after a humiliating audition; Abby and Janet attempt to bond in a Bradford-less Sacramento -- a geographical impossibility.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 79
| EpisodeNumber2 = 16
| Title = The Courage to Be
| DirectedBy = Jack Bender
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s= [[John Wirth (television producer)|John Wirth]]|t= Gil Grant}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|1|16}}
| ShortSummary = Tommy tries to help Ernie with his drinking problem; busy Abby and the Bradford girls pool their resources to hire a maid; Nicholas and his friend want to be "famous".
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 80
| EpisodeNumber2 = 17
| Title = Semi-Centennial Bradford
| DirectedBy = [[Bernard McEveety]]
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s= J. Miyoko Hensley & Steven Hensley & [[Max Hodge]]|t= J. Miyoko Hensley & Steven Hensley}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|1|23}}
| ShortSummary = It's a less-than-happy 50th birthday for Tom when, already bothered by his age, he believes the newspaper is trying to replace him with a younger columnist; Nancy is keen to drop her current beau...until Elizabeth begins to show interest in him.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 81
| EpisodeNumber2 = 18
| Title = The Commitment
| DirectedBy = Jack Bender
| WrittenBy = Nick Thiel & David Braff
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|1|30}}
| ShortSummary = Tommy and his girlfriend Jill ([[Michele Greene]]) find their ideas of commitment do not necessarily match each other, as Tommy finds himself attracted to Mary's older friend; Nicholas tries to play Cupid for a friend, but finds himself as a target of unrequited love in return; Tom and David plan a surprise for Susan's baby shower. [[Markie Post]] guest stars.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 82
| EpisodeNumber2 = 19
| Title = Seven More Days in February
| DirectedBy = [[John Patterson (director)|John Patterson]]
| WrittenBy = Gil Grant & [[Gary Adelson]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|2|6}}
| ShortSummary = Cupid runs amok in the Bradford household during Spring Break, causing Mary to fall for a young psychiatrist who really wants to be a stand-up comic, Nancy to swoon over an archaeologist on his way to his first dig and Joanie to be swept away by an S.A.P. (self-analysis programmer).
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 83
| EpisodeNumber2 = 20
| Title = The Return of Joe Simons
| DirectedBy = Jack Bender
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|2|13}}
| ShortSummary = Tom questions the motives of both Joe Simons (promising Nicholas gold nuggets) and his new secretary (promising Tom eternal devotion); Joanie tries in vain to come up with an on-camera gimmick for David's fledgling business. [[Jack Elam]] returns as Joe Simons.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 84
| EpisodeNumber2 = 21
| Title = Bradford vs. Bradford
| DirectedBy = Leslie H. Martinson
| WrittenBy = Nick Thiel & David Braff
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|2|27}}
| ShortSummary = Janet and David's marriage is threatened when she starts working overtime at the office with a handsome lawyer; Tommy doesn't like the idea of Ernie hanging out with Elizabeth; Nicholas learns to appreciate what he has via his schoolfriend Jackson.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 85
| EpisodeNumber2 = 22
| Title = Memories
| DirectedBy = [[Vincent McEveety]]
| WrittenBy = [[Channing Gibson]] 
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|3|5}}
| ShortSummary = A visiting ex-[[prisoner of war|POW]] revives painful memories for Abby, who leaves for [[Carmel, California|Carmel]] to make peace with the past; Nicholas goes steady with a girl who seems to like his present to her more than she likes him; Nancy gets tired of loaning money out to her siblings.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 86
| EpisodeNumber2 = 23
| Title = Official Positions
| DirectedBy = Leslie H. Martinson
| WrittenBy = [[Paul Schneider (writer)|Paul Schneider]] & Margaret Schneider
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|3|19}}
| ShortSummary = Tough coach Merle recruits the girls for a charity basketball team; Tom gets jealous when a publisher offers to publish Abby's thesis instead of his book; Nicholas gets his friend Jackson's mom a job helping with Abby's book.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 87
| EpisodeNumber2 = 24
| Title = A Matter of Mentors
| DirectedBy = Vincent McEveety
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s= Pat Green & Chris Manheim & E. F. Wallengren|t= Pat Green & Chris Manheim}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|3|26}}
| ShortSummary = Joanie gets an important assignment at work but Jeffrey believes that the boss will be expecting a favor in return; Nicholas has a problem with a bully that he can't hit back; Tommy is appointed the Bradford household accountant believing he can do the job better than his father.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 88
| EpisodeNumber2 = 25
| Title = Roll Over Bradford
| DirectedBy = Stan Lathan
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s= Gary Adelson & Gil Grant & William Daley |t= Gary Adelson & Gil Grant}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|4|2}}
| ShortSummary = Tom hits the roof when Tommy gets more interested in a music career than college, so Tommy and Ernie drive to Los Angeles for an audition; Aunt Vivian returns, with a blah fiancé in tow. [[Janis Paige]] returns as Auntie V.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 89
| EpisodeNumber2 = 26
| Title = A Little Triangle
| DirectedBy = Vincent McEveety
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|s= Nick Thiel & David Braff & Gail Honigberg|t= Nick Thiel & David Braff}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|4|9}}
| ShortSummary = Nancy dates a widower with a young daughter...and feels a greater connection with her; Tommy tries to get Ernie a prom date; Nicholas starts a dog-grooming business.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 90
| EpisodeNumber2 = 27
| Title = Grad Night
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = Chris Manheim & Pat Green
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|4|30}}
| ShortSummary = The Bradford clan vacates the house for Tommy, Ernie and their girlfriends on Graduation Night. [[Eric Stoltz]] guest stars.
| LineColor = AC1D20
}}
}}

===Season 5 (1980–81)===
{{Episode table |background=#435A41 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=30 |director=16 |writer=30 |airdate=13 |prodcode= |episodes=
{{Episode list
| NumParts = 2
| EpisodeNumber_1 = 91
| EpisodeNumber_2 = 92
| EpisodeNumber2_1 = 1
| EpisodeNumber2_2 = 2
| Title = And Baby Makes Nine
| DirectedBy = [[Harry Harris (director)|Harry Harris]]
| WrittenBy = Hindi Brooks
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|10|29}}
| ProdCode = 189041
| ShortSummary = A very pregnant Susan is in an automobile accident; Elizabeth moves in with her boyfriend behind Tom's back; Merle pitches for the [[New York Mets]]; Tom unwittingly becomes Scout Master of Nicholas' troop.<br/>''Notes'': This was a special 90-minute episode; syndicated versions of this episode split it into two hour-long parts, cutting some scenes out. This season started later than normal due to the actors' strike of 1980.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 93
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = Jeremy
| DirectedBy = [[Jack Bender]]
| WrittenBy = Gil Grant
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|11|5}}
| ProdCode = 189045
| ShortSummary = There's trouble brewing when the newest member of the Bradford household -- Abby's troubled nephew Jeremy -- shares a smoke with Nicholas; Jeremy's father tries to explain his absence; Joanie's on-air news anchor debut does not go as planned.<br/>''Notes'': Although [[Ralph Macchio]] very briefly appears, without any lines, at the end of part two of "And Baby Makes Nine", this is the first proper appearance of the character Jeremy in the show. [[Bubba Smith]] also appears in the episode.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 94
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Welcome to Memorial, Dr. Bradford
| DirectedBy = [[Bernard McEveety]]
| WrittenBy = [[Channing Gibson]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|11|12}}
| ProdCode = 189043
| ShortSummary = Abby gets a job as a school guidance counselor at one of the most violent schools in the city; the Bradfords become Tom's chauffeur after he fails his driver's exam; Nicholas is dared to steal from a store.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 95
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Generations
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=[[Karen Hall]] & Michael Marks and J. Miyoko Hensley & Steven Hensley|s=Michael Marks and J. Miyoko Hensley & Steven Hensley}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|11|19}}
| ProdCode = 189046
| ShortSummary = While baby Sandra Sue comes home from the hospital, Abby finds herself the target of criticism from the father of Tom's late wife Joan; Tommy finds a job...at a strip club.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 96
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = Holly
| DirectedBy = Jack Bender
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=[[Robert Shayne|Bob Shayne]] and [[Gary Adelson]] & Gil Grant|s=Bob Shayne}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|11|26}}
| ProdCode = 189050
| ShortSummary = Tommy falls for a young mother who's a lyricist for their band; the Bradford garage is transformed into a small nursery for Susan and her baby.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 97
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = The Maltese Airline Bag
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = [[Lee Sheldon (writer)|Lee Sheldon]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|12|3}}
| ProdCode = 189049
| ShortSummary = Nicholas and his friend Marvin come into possession of an airline bag a mysterious woman gave them to deliver to an equally mysterious man who drove off before they could finish their mission; Tom senses a conspiracy against him at the office.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 98
| EpisodeNumber2 = 8
| Title = Strike
| DirectedBy = Seth Pinsker
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly 
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1980|12|17}}
| ProdCode = 189062
| ShortSummary = A newspaper strike -- which Tom finds himself sympathizing with both sides -- finds finances tight at the Bradfords, until Nicholas suggests [[bartering]] as a way to survive. 
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 99
| EpisodeNumber2 = 9
| Title = Bradfordgate
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Gil Grant
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|1|7}}
| ProdCode = 189060
| ShortSummary = Tom's nomination to the Board of Education makes him compromise his beliefs...and a target of a smear campaign; Joanie goes undercover as a TV reporter; Nicholas tries to change his "cute" image.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 100
| EpisodeNumber2 = 10
| Title = The Darlene Dilemma
| DirectedBy = Rowe Wallerstein
| WrittenBy = Jeff Wilhelm
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|1|14}}
| ProdCode = 189058
| ShortSummary = A girl student Abby is counseling at her school comes between Jeremy and Tommy; Nancy lands a modeling job for a heating and cooling company with shady business practices; Nicholas turns to cooking to impress a girl.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 101
| EpisodeNumber2 = 11
| Title = Second Thoughts
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = Karen Hall
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|1|21}}
| ProdCode = 189056
| ShortSummary = Nancy's modeling career takes off, but the price of her new fame has a downside; Joanie takes a leave of absence from work to reassess her career; Nicholas has a concert ticket which Tommy is eager to get his hands on.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 102
| EpisodeNumber2 = 12
| Title = David's Rib
| DirectedBy = [[Irving J. Moore]]
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=Bruce Shelly|s=Pat Green & Bob Shayne}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|1|28}}
| ProdCode = 189061
| ShortSummary = When Joanie gets David work renovating an opera house, it generates a court battle: David vs. Janet; Nicholas receives a horse as a gift, which Abby tries to help him keep; Merle comes home from New York City, but finds new mom Susan is more than a little too tired to celebrate.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 103
| EpisodeNumber2 = 13
| Title = Vows
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = Gil Grant & Gary Adelson
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|2|18}}
| ProdCode = 189063
| ShortSummary = It's a matter of vows, alright: Tom and Abby want to renew theirs for their third anniversary, but David and Janet try to hide the fact their marriage may have come to an end; Jeremy's new girlfriend comes between him and his schoolmates. 
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 104
| EpisodeNumber2 = 14
| Title = The Way We Were
| DirectedBy = Vincent McEveety
| WrittenBy = Sandra Kay Siegel
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|3|4}}
| ProdCode = 
| ShortSummary = Tommy tries to get back with Jill when she starts liking Ernie; David's depressed over his new bachelor apartment complex; Nicholas & Jeremy deliver newspapers for the ''Sacramento Tribune'', Tom's work rival.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 105
| EpisodeNumber2 = 15
| Title = If the Glass Slipper Fits
| DirectedBy = [[Stan Lathan]]
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=Karen Hall|s=Daryl Busby & Gerry Kroll and Karen Hall}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|3|11}}
| ProdCode = 189066
| ShortSummary = Nancy is asked to pose topless for an ad; Elizabeth wants to date a guy who only seems to want friendship; Nicholas becomes David's apartment-hunting guide.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 106
| EpisodeNumber2 = 16
| Title = The Best Little Telethon in Sacramento
| DirectedBy = Irving J. Moore
| WrittenBy = Bruce Shelly
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|3|28}}
| ProdCode = 189072
| ShortSummary = Joanie organizes a telethon for Channel 8; Tommy thinks twice about Jeremy managing his band; David's roommate spawns an overbearing girlfriend who works herself into another roommate.<br/>The episode features song & dance performances by Willie Aames, Connie Needham, Betty Buckley, Grant Goodeve, Dianne Kay & Adam Rich.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 107
| EpisodeNumber2 = 17
| Title = Yet Another Seven Days in February?
| DirectedBy = Rowe Wallerstein
| WrittenBy = Gary Adelson & Gil Grant
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|4|4}}
| ProdCode = 189069
| ShortSummary = The Bradford guys are the ones finding love this winter break: Tommy dates the daughter of a radio-station owner to get exposure for his band; David falls victim to the girl's mother's sexual aggressiveness; Jeremy struggles to keep up with the girl's athletic cousin. [[Heather Locklear]] guest stars.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 108
| EpisodeNumber2 = 18
| Title = The Idolbreaker: Part 1
| DirectedBy = Jack Bender
| WrittenBy = Gary Adelson & Karen Hall
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|4|11}}
| ProdCode = 189073
| ShortSummary = Tommy's band gets the biggest gig of its career when the group's agent signs them for a national tour with a top star, but it gets derailed when his ex-girlfriend has some breaking news of her own; the girls try to rehabilitate a homeless man; Nicholas defends a girl's honor against a bully.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 109
| EpisodeNumber2 = 19
| Title = The Idolbreaker: Part 2
| DirectedBy = Jack Bender
| WrittenBy = Gary Adelson & Karen Hall
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|4|18}}
| ProdCode = 189074
| ShortSummary = Tommy moves into Ellen's apartment and makes plans for their future wedding; a new sexy female reporter stirs jealousy in Joanie; Jeremy is frustrated when the Bradfords are unaware of his upcoming 16th birthday.

Note: Final regular series appearance of Willie Aames as Tommy Bradford. 
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 110
| EpisodeNumber2 = 20
| Title = Starting Over
| DirectedBy = Harry Harris
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=Hollace White & Stephanie Garman|s=Hollace White & Stephanie Garman and Philip Taylor & [[Bruce Kalish]]}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|5|9}}
| ProdCode = 189070
| ShortSummary = David and Janet begin to see each other again, but is reconciliation in the cards? Jeremy digs up a human skull in the front yard; Nicholas tries to use Elizabeth's relationship with his basketball coach as a means to an end.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 111
| EpisodeNumber2 = 21
| Title = Goals
| DirectedBy = Jack Bender
| WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits|t=Stephanie Garman & Hollace White|s=Bruce Shelly}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|5|16}}
| ProdCode = 189071
| ShortSummary = When he suffers a shoulder injury, Merle's playing career is in jeopardy; Mary's the target of an overzealous lovesick patient; Jeremy finds a job selling questionable products of an experimental nature.
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 112
| EpisodeNumber2 = 22
| Title = Father Knows Best?
| DirectedBy = Gary Adelson 
| WrittenBy = Gil Grant
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1981|5|23}}
| ProdCode = 189064
| ShortSummary = ''Filming date: March 21–27, 1981''<br/>Jeremy's father shows up to assert his parental rights; David's old high school classmates arrive for their reunion.<br/>''Note'': This is the second appearance of Jeremy's father in the season, but he is played by a different actor ([[John Considine (actor)|John Considine]] in the episode, "Jeremy" and [[George DiCenzo]] in this episode).
| LineColor = 435A41
}}
}}

==Post-series movies==
{{Episode table |background=#FF9900 |overall=10 |title=30 |director=16 |writer=30 |airdate=13 |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = M1
| RTitle = ''Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion''
| DirectedBy = [[Harry Harris (director)|Harry Harris]]
| WrittenBy = [[Gwen Bagni|Gwen Bagni-Dubov]]
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1987|10|18}}
| ShortSummary = Tommy, David, Mary and the other Bradford siblings come home for Tom's 50th birthday.<br>''Note'': [[Mary Frann]] replaced series regular Betty Buckley in the role of Abby Bradford.
| LineColor = FF9900
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = M2
| RTitle = ''An Eight Is Enough Wedding''
| DirectedBy = [[Stan Lathan]]
| WrittenBy = Greg Strangis
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|10|15}}
| ShortSummary = The Bradfords bring their family home for David's wedding, which is open to discussion.<br>''Note'': [[Sandy Faison]] replaced series regular Betty Buckley and replacement Mary Frann in the role of Abby Bradford.
| LineColor = FF9900
}}
}}

==Syndication==
Reruns of all 112 episodes of ''Eight Is Enough'' have aired sporadically since the show's syndication debut in September 1982.<ref name="americanradiohistory">{{cite web |title=Our Shining Hour |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-BC-IDX/81-OCR/1981-10-12-BC-OCR-Page-0011.pdf#search=%22eight%20enough%22 |access-date=2015-09-06 |publisher=americanradiohistory.com}}</ref> The show aired on [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] from 1994 to 1997, on [[Ion Television|PAX]] in 1998, and as part of a [[Marathon (media)|marathon]] celebrating the 50th anniversary of [[Warner Bros. Television Studios|Warner Bros. Television]] on [[TV Land]] in 2005. ''Eight Is Enough'' also aired on the Chicago-based [[MeTV]] and MeToo, a sister station of MeTV, from 2008 to 2010<ref>{{cite web|title=Chicago's Me-TV and Me-Too Winter 2009 Schedules; BET January 2009|url=http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2008/12/chicagos-me-tv-and-me-too-winter-2009.html|website=Sitcoms Online|access-date=24 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125045141/http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2008/12/chicagos-me-tv-and-me-too-winter-2009.html|archive-date=25 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Watching Classic Television on Television|url=http://www.tvobscurities.com/2010/06/watching-classic-television-on-television/|website=Television Obscurities|date=2 June 2010|access-date=24 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125110410/http://www.tvobscurities.com/2010/06/watching-classic-television-on-television/|archive-date=25 November 2016}}</ref> before MeTV spread to other markets around the U.S.

During its network run, the show was distributed by [[Worldvision Enterprises]] (also internationally in rebroadcasts), and later by [[Lorimar-Telepictures]]. All syndication rights are now held by Lorimar's successor, [[Warner Bros. Television]].

From 2006 until 2009, the series was formerly available for streaming online on [[AOL]]'s [[In2TV]] service.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.warnerbros.com/news/press-releases/aol-and-warner-bros-announce-%E2%80%98in2tv%E2%80%99-new-broadband-network-aolcom-delivering-largest|title=AOL and Warner Bros. Announce 'In2TV'|publisher=Warner Bros.|date=November 14, 2005|access-date=February 9, 2024|archive-date=September 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914011908/https://www.warnerbros.com/news/press-releases/aol-and-warner-bros-announce-%E2%80%98in2tv%E2%80%99-new-broadband-network-aolcom-delivering-largest|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/the-forgotten-story-of-aols-in2tv-which-helped-invent-binge-tv-way-before-netflix-2018-3|website=Business Insider|date=March 24, 2018|access-date=February 9, 2024 | title=The forgotten story of AOL's In2TV, which helped invent binge TV way before Netflix }}</ref>

The series is also available for purchase online on [[Amazon Prime Video]] and [[Apple TV (device)|Apple TV]].

Beginning in 2023, the series is available for streaming online on [[Tubi]] via the [[Warner Bros. Television Studios|WBTV]] All Together Now [[Free ad-supported streaming television|FAST]] channel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tubitv.com/series/300010076/eight-is-enough|title=Watch Eight is Enough|website=Tubi|access-date=November 4, 2023}}</ref>

As of 2024, the complete series is also available on [[The Roku Channel]], a free service and includes limited commercials.

===International===
In Italy, [[RAI]] public networks aired the first season of ''Eight Is Enough'' under the title ''Otto Bastano'' in 1978,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tv-pedia.com/primatv/scansioni%20maxi/otto%20bastano_primatv_sorrisi.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-09-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225212006/http://www.tv-pedia.com/primatv/scansioni%20maxi/otto%20bastano_primatv_sorrisi.jpg |archive-date=2013-12-25 }} ''[[TV Sorrisi e Canzoni]]'' # 33, 1978</ref> the literal Italian translation of the original title. The remaining seasons were aired in the 1980s on [[Retequattro]], a commercial network from [[Fininvest]] (now [[Mediaset]]), under the title ''La Famiglia Bradford''. The Italian version excludes the laugh track.

The French version, ''Huit, ça suffit!'', which excludes the laugh track, was successful in the 1980s in France and Quebec, and with the [[francophone]] [[Canadian]] audience in general.

In Spain during the same period, ''Con Ocho Basta'' (Spanish for "Eight Is Enough") ran on {{lang|es|[[Televisión Española]]|i=no}}'s Friday night line-up.

In the Philippines, ''Eight Is Enough'' aired on [[GMA Network|GMA Radio-Television Arts]] from 1978 to 1981.

==Home media==
On April 17, 2012, [[Warner Home Video]] released the complete first season of ''Eight Is Enough'' on [[DVD-Video|DVD]] in [[DVD region code|Region 1]].<ref name="tvshowsondvd">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-1-Press-Release/16393|title=Eight Is Enough DVD news: Press Release for Eight Is Enough - The Complete 1st Season &#124; TVShowsOnDVD.com|publisher=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=2015-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711033334/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-1-Press-Release/16393|archive-date=2015-07-11}}</ref> The release includes the pilot episode (featuring [[Mark Hamill]] in the role of eldest son David) and a cast reunion special which occurred on the ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' show in 2012 (sans Richardson, Rich and the late O'Grady). Several of the episodes have the wrong end credits, and the [[Lorimar Television|Lorimar]] Productions logo has also been edited out of the end credits.

On November 13, 2012, [[Warner Bros.]] released season 2, parts one and two on [[DVD recordable|DVD-R]] via their [[Warner Archive Collection]].<ref name="tvshowsondvd2">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-2/17739|title=Eight Is Enough - Warner Archive Releases - The Complete 2nd Season, Part 1 and Part 2|publisher=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=2015-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717062939/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-2/17739|archive-date=2015-07-17}}</ref> These are [[build-on-demand|Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD)]] releases and are available through Warner's online store and Amazon.com. Season 3, Parts One and Two were released on April 30, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-3/18386|title=Your Plate of Homemade Wishes Comes True: Season 3 DVDs are Out!|publisher=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=2015-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711034748/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-3/18386|archive-date=2015-07-11}}</ref>

Season 4, parts one and two were released on August 13, 2013.<ref name="tvshowsondvd3">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-4/18822|title=Eight Is Enough DVD news: Announcement for Eight Is Enough - The Complete 4th Season &#124; TVShowsOnDVD.com|publisher=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=2015-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711033344/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-4/18822|archive-date=2015-07-11}}</ref> The fifth and final season was released on March 11, 2014.<ref name="tvshowsondvd4">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-5/19560|title=Eight Is Enough DVD news: Announcement for Eight Is Enough - The Complete 5th Season &#124; TVShowsOnDVD.com|publisher=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=2015-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028014848/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eight-Enough-Season-5/19560|archive-date=2015-10-28}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
! colspan=2| DVD name
! Episodes
! Release date
|-
| style="width:5px; background:#000000"|
| align="left"| ''The Complete First Season''
| 9
| April 17, 2012<br/>July 16, 2019 (re-release)<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07T2GN9K4/tvshowsondvd0d-20|title = Amazon.com: Eight Is Enough: The Complete First Season : Dick Van Patten, Betty Buckley, Grant Goodeve, Willie Aames, Diana Hyland, Adam Rich, Connie Needham, Dianne Kay, Susan Richardson, Laurie Walters: Movies & TV|website = Amazon|access-date = 2019-07-16|archive-date = 2022-09-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220913064626/https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07T2GN9K4/tvshowsondvd0d-20|url-status = live}}</ref>
|-
| bgcolor="bb933c"|
| align="left"| ''The Complete Second Season, Part 1''
| 14
| November 13, 2012
|-
| bgcolor="bb933c"|
| align="left"| ''The Complete Second Season, Part 2''
| 12
| November 13, 2012
|-
| bgcolor="7A99DF"|
| align="left"| ''The Complete Third Season, Part 1''
| 14
| April 30, 2013
|-
| bgcolor="7A99DF"|
| align="left"| ''The Complete Third Season, Part 2''
| 14
| April 30, 2013
|-
| bgcolor="AC1D20"|
| align="left"| ''The Complete Fourth Season, Part 1''
| 14
| August 13, 2013
|-
| bgcolor="AC1D20"|
| align="left"| ''The Complete Fourth Season, Part 2''
| 13
| August 13, 2013
|-
| bgcolor="435A41"|
| align="left"| ''The Complete Fifth Season''
| 22
| March 11, 2014
|}

==See also==
* ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Just the Ten of Us]]'' (1988)

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=0075500|title=Eight Is Enough}}
*{{IMDb title|id=0092952|title=Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion}} (1987 reunion movie)
*{{IMDb title|id=0097266|title=An Eight Is Enough Wedding}} (1989 reunion movie)

{{People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama |state=collapsed}}

[[Category:1977 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1981 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1970s American comedy-drama television series]]
[[Category:1980s American comedy-drama television series]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:American television series about families]]
[[Category:Television series about journalism]]
[[Category:Television series about widowhood]]
[[Category:Television series based on books]]
[[Category:Television series by Lorimar Television]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Sacramento, California]]
[[Category:1970s American single-camera sitcoms]]
[[Category:1980s American single-camera sitcoms]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company sitcoms]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company comedy-dramas]]