The Care and Feeding of Parents

Mary Richards arrives in Minneapolis-St. Paul and her long-time friend, Phyllis, finds her an apartment. Although this leads to a conflict with the girl living upstairs, Rhoda Morgenstern, who wanted the apartment herself, the two become friends. Mary starts work at a strange new job – associate producer of a news program for a television station. Her boss is Lou Grant. The following day, Mary's ex-boyfriend, Bill, shows up from out of town and she invites him to her apartment that night. The evening proves to be a disaster when Lou shows up intoxicated and insists upon using her typewriter to write a letter to his wife. While Lou is typing, Bill shows up, and before long it is apparent the romance between Mary and Bill will never be rekindled.

Mary Richards is distressed when a report on the demographics of the television news program for which she works makes her realize she is no longer in her 20's. After a discussion with her friend, Rhoda Morgenstern, the two decide that the time has come to involve themselves socially. They each phone an old boyfriend, whom they have not seen for four or five years, and arrange a get-together for drinks at Mary's apartment. Rhoda's old flame, Armand, arrives with his new wife Nancy on his arm. Mary's old flame, Howard, is still single but is a camera bug and insists on taking pictures of everyone. The girls are further distressed when they realize their guests think they were invited for dinner; the only thing in Mary's refrigerator is a raw carrot.

When the husband of Mary Richards' next door neighbor Phyllis comes down with the chicken pox, Phyllis besieges Mary to allow their daughter Bess to stay with her until her father recovers. Several problems arise later to complicate matters between Mary and Bess when it turns out that Phyllis has always raised Bess according to the latest "How To Raise Your Child" psychology book, and Bess has been accustomed to an unlimited amount of freedom and self-expression. The child, however, soon admits that she would prefer a parent who exercises authority. Mary and little Bess become close friends, and when it is learned that her father does not have chicken pox, Bess does not want to return home.

Mary Richards' friend, Rhoda, talks her into joining the "Better Luck Next Time" club so they will qualify for a group airline rate for a trip to Paris. The club appears to consist of divorced people ranging from squares to would-be swingers. One of the founders, a dentist named Dr. Udall, is taken by Mary's beautiful teeth and before she can stop him engineers her election as club vice president. The following day Mary decides she must confess to Dr. Udall that she is not a divorcee and resign as vice president. The dentist is mortified, but tells her he will take care of the situation. At the next meeting, Mary follows the dentist's instructions and informs the group she is reconciling with her husband. When this does not quite work, she decides to tell them the truth – and is amazed by their reaction.

Ex-professional football player Frank Carelli wants to audition for newsroom boss Lou Grant to become the station's sports announcer. Knowing Frank is not qualified for the job, Lou attempts to put him off without hurting his feelings. Frank doesn't understand and feels he needs an inside connection so, after become acquainted with Mary, he pleads with her to be his "contact." Feeling sorry for Frank, Mary attempts to help him, but the job goes to another ex-grid star. Frank is discouraged and despondent, but Mary and her friend, Rhoda, conspire to lift his spirits. Encouraged by their confidence in his ability to find a suitable occupation, Frank goes home to Miami. Several weeks later Mary and Rhoda receive a tape recording from a very happy Frank, who informs them that he has found the idea job – playground director in a city park.

When her mother appears at the apartment building, Rhoda Morgenstern pretends not to be at home and Mrs. Morgenstern is invited to wait in Mary Richards' apartment. Rhoda refuses to see her, afraid she'll start feeling guilty about being on her own and not returning back home to New York. Unable to convince Rhoda to see her mother, Mary allows Mrs. Morgenstern to stay with her a few days. During the course of her stay Mary begins to understand Rhoda's dilemma. Mrs. Morgenstern constantly insists upon doing things for Mary, buying her gifts and trying to get her to think of her as her own mother. But when the older woman decides to return home, Mary makes one last attempt to reconcile mother and daughter.

Famous author Eric Matthews appears on an interview program at the station and makes a dinner date with Mary Richards. Mary does not realize until after she accepts that she is a foot taller than the writer. After the first date she finds she enjoys Eric's company, and the two become very close friends. Mary, however, is unable to take their relationship seriously because, despite her best efforts, she is still bothered by their difference in height. When Eric gives her his latest manuscript to read, she is astonished to learn that it is a humorous treatment of life as a short man. The manuscript, filled with moments of wit and charm, proves to Mary that Eric does not really consider his shortness to be a disadvantage; his philosophy is that everyone has something about his physical being that he dislikes and considers unattractive.

Newsroom boss Lou Grant places Mary Richards in charge of his television station's news coverage of a local election. A blizzard breaks down the teletype and telephone communications and suddenly Mary finds herself faced with a rebellious crew and a voting toteboard that refuses to function. Ted Baxter is forced into a situation, for the first time, where he must ad lib. The newscaster grimly plods through his entire routine of amateurish impressions of famous personalities, his life history, and then a string of recipes. With no election return to quote, Mary decides to fill in with guests who stop by the station, and even her friend, Rhoda Morgenstern, has an opportunity to get on the air. One of the guests turns out to be the local priest arriving to deliver the sermonette. After several hours the priest and Baxter finish just in time for Chuckles the Clown to show up for his morning show. Fortunately for all, Chuckles brings along a newspaper.

Rhoda Morgenstern meets Bob Pedersen in her speed-reading class, brings him home and introduces him to her best friend, Mary Richards. Before the two girls realize what has happened they find that the three of them are constantly together for dates, lunches and dinners. It becomes increasingly apparent that Bob's interest has switched from Rhoda to Mary. When Rhoda forces a showdown, Bob admits her prefers Mary. Rhoda, naturally, is deeply hurt and the girls stop seeing each other although both soon drop Bob. Later, when Mary's television news program is nominated for an award, she invites Rhoda to attend the luncheon with her. Rhoda is reluctant but finally agrees to go along. When the award is announced, the microphone goes dead. Rhoda, sure Mary has won, tells her to stand up. This proves to be a mistake, and now Mary is the one who is deeply hurt.

When the television news program is expanded from a half hour to an hour, newsroom boss Lou Grant tells Mary Richards she can hire an assistant to help her with the paperwork. Mary's neighbor, Phyllis, has become available for the position because she has been fired by her husband after working a few days as his receptionist. When Phyllis puts her application for the job on the basis of their personal friendship, Mary is forced to hire her. Phyllis insists on being referred to as her co-worker rather than her assistant, and immediately begins disrupting the whole news operation. She becomes friendly with newscaster Ted Baxter and encourages him to attempt a one-man revolt and demand a huge salary increase. She also demands that he be given new writers, such as Norman Mailer and Truman Capote, for his show.

Television news gal Mary Richards receives a notice from the Internal Revenue Service that her last year's tax return is going to be audited and decides that absolute honesty will be the best policy. When agent Robert Brand appears, Mary tries her best to make him feel comfortable. While not exactly a stick-in-the-mud type, Brand proves to be a meticulous individual dedicated to unearthing the last detail of Mary's income. She has kept complete records, however, and she produces data to back up her claimed deduction for taking children on a YWCA picnic and buying them ice cream. She even produces the signed ice cream sticks as receipts. Finding himself attracted to Mary, Brand stretches his investigation over a period of several days. Ultimately, he invites her out to dinner – if she will lend him ten dollars.

Mary Richards allows her friend Phyllis to talk her into getting television newsman Ted Baxter to be a guest speaker at her group meeting of ladies. Phyllis doesn't realize that Ted is totally incapable of ad lib discussion and can only recite what is put before him. Once Ted finishes the prepared material written by Murray Slaughter, the meeting turns into a fiasco when the ladies ask Ted his personal opinions on a number of subjects. The befuddled newsman, unable to respond, goes into a state of shock with a glazed expression on his face. When Phyllis brings him to Mary's apartment, he locks himself in the bathroom and refuses to come out. Mary calls newsroom boss Lou Grant who takes Ted home with him. For the next several days Ted's confidence is shattered and he bobbles practically every line on his news broadcasts.

Allan Stevens is hired as a cameraman at the television station, but the 23-year-old seems to be in hot water constantly with newsroom boss Lou Grant. Mary Richards takes pity on the youth and invites him home for dinner one evening, only to find that Allan misunderstands the invitation and believes it's for a romantic rendezvous. The following day, Allan spreads stories at the station but before Mary can complain to Lou, who has not heard the stories, he tells her Allan is his nephew and pleads with her to be nice to the boy because he had been so gruff with him. When Allan again shows up at Mary's apartment, he finds only Phyllis there. Phyllis has been trying to tell Mary that the best way to handle Allan is to make advances and frighten him off, but when she attempts this ploy, it's Allan who makes the advances.

Mary Richards' plans to spend the holidays with her family are thwarted when she learns she has to work in the television newsroom – alone – on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Determined not to get depressed, Mary puts up a Christmas tree in her apartment and decorates the office with cheery holiday touches, but her heart isn't in it.

Mary Richards is attracted to a man whose brother she used to date and finds herself in an awkward situation with the brothers' parents. Paul Arnell picks Mary up for their first date and tells her they have to drop in to say goodbye to his parents who are leaving for a European vacation. The senior Arnells remember Mary as the girl they thought their favorite son, Howard, was about to marry.

Mary accepts a job as producer of a television talk show for a competitive station. She decides after a great deal of soul-searching, and then finds her last day in the newsroom almost impossible to bear. Mary almost misses her farewell party as she drinks a prolonged farewell luncheon with her co-workers. Then, when she tearfully tries to say her final goodbyes, her boss offers to match her new salary.

John Corcoran, a former newsman at the station, and a close friend of Mary's boss, Lou, begins dating Mary. The two soon find themselves becoming serious about each other. Learning John is married, Mary decides to break the relationship, although John claims he is separated from his wife. Mary accepts an invitation to a party at Murray's home, not realizing that John has also been invited. At the party she attempts to avoid being left alone with John, but finally he forces the issue in front of the other guests. Mary openly terminates their relationship, but the pair part as friends.

Mary arrives home to discover her apartment has been burglarized. After she reports it to the police, two plainclothesmen arrive. One officer seems to find Mary very attractive and prolongs investigation as much as possible. Mary grows despondent when it appears there are not very many clues and the chances are slight she will recover any of her possessions. She grows even more downhearted when she finds out the insurance will only cover part of her loss. Two days later she is dumbfounded to find her apartment has again been burglarized; this time they have taken most of her furniture!

Mary Richards makes her acting debut in a little theater play written by her newsroom cohort, Murray. Excited and proud of Murray's talent, Mary invites the gang from the office to her apartment for a premiere party while they wait to find out how the local critics review the play.

Mary Richards checks into the hospital for a tonsillectomy and finds out her nasty roommate, Loretta, gives her more trouble than the operation. Mary tries to win Loretta over by sharing her chocolates and rental TV set but the situation seems hopeless.

Mary Richards can't understand why her boss, Lou, keeps turning down her dinner invitation – until she has a phone conversation with his wife. After talking to Mrs. Grant and learning that the Grants are separated, Mary inadvertently becomes involved in their domestic affairs because Lou asks for her advice.

One of Mary Richards' childhood friends turns up as the new receptionist at the television station where Mary works, and wastes no time in renewing the friendship. "Twinks" makes a pest of herself with the entire newsroom and insists that Mary be maid of honor at her upcoming wedding, to which everyone in the office receives a mimeographed invitation.

Chuck, a thirty-five-year-old bachelor, is attracted to Rhoda. She pretends she shares Mary's apartment and continues the deception as the romance grows. Rhoda becomes aware that her boyfriend is unemployed and soon begins worrying about the source of his income. Finally he reveals he's resigned the high-paying position of vice president of a large company and plans to begin a brand new career as a forest ranger. The woodcraft enthusiast invites Mary and Rhoda to an overnight hike with some of his friends. Rhoda has a terrible time. Unable to persuade him to return to his old job, Rhoda joins him in studying trees, hoping to translate the knowledge into a more lucrative career.

Mary Richards' boss, Lou Grant, gets in trouble with the new station manager when the news show ratings drop. Mary attempts to organize a strike when the station manager tries to get the newsroom staff to evaluate Grant's work. The strike flops, but Mary is elected to see the owner of the station, an eccentric millionaire and former cowboy actor. The owner storms into the newsroom and unexpectedly hires Lou to be news manager of one of his other stations. When it is pointed out that he already has a man there, the eccentric rehires Lou to his old job. The new station manager gets his just medicine when he gets fired because he cancelled the owner's favorite children's cartoon show.

Mary produces a documentary, "What's Your Sexual I.Q.?", and is suddenly considered an authority on the subject by her friends, fellow workers and anonymous telephone callers. Phyllis pleads with Mary to tell her 12-year-old daughter, Bess, the facts of life, and Mary acquiesces. After running a survey among her friends to discover how they first learned about sex, and how they told their children, Mary tackles the subject with Bess.

Mike Cooper is a middle-aged bachelor who is intrigued by Mary Richards' telephone voice. He asks his friend, Lou Grant, to fix him up with a date and Lou reluctantly agrees. Mary's blind date with Mike leads to long conversations – between Cooper and Grant – as a result of Lou's decision to go along as chaperone.

Mary Richards discovers that the office vacation schedule forces her to take time off during the winter, so she asks Rhoda to go with her to some sunny, tropical resort. Mary and Rhoda settle for a winter vacation in Mexico, but they are unable to find suitable accommodations. The girls meet Gustavo, the proprietor of a little Mexican restaurant, who promises to get them first-class reservations in his home town – if they will take a package across the border for him.

Mary Richards decides to enroll for a television journalism course at a night school. She gets good vibrations, but not necessarily good grades, from the instructor of the course, Dan Whitfield. Dan is more impressed with Mary's personal charms than with the fact that she is an associate producer, so he exercises his prerogative and keeps her after school.

Mrs. Morgenstern visits her daughter, Rhoda, with whom she is always at odds. In her desire to bridge the generation gap, Mrs. Morgenstern talks to Phyllis and decides to test her theory of being a pal to Rhoda instead of just a mother. Rhoda plays along patiently until she finds herself with an over-amorous date.

Ted Baxter's successful brother, Hal, arrives in Minneapolis and drops by the station for a surprise visit. The brothers have always been very competitive, so Ted, wanting to impress Hal, introduces Mary Richards as his girlfriend. The game of one-upmanship is renewed with vigor when Mary and Rhoda double date the two brothers.

Mary Richards returns to her hometown for a high school class reunion and Rhoda Morgenstern goes along in the hope of finding an eligible bachelor among Mary's ex-classmates. The reunion gets off to a dismal start when Estelle, the class president, needles Mary about being unmarried. The situation is further complicated when Howard Arnell, Mary's un-favorite ex-boyfriend, arrives on the scene.

When a newswriters' union strike hits the station, only Mary Richards and Lou Grant, representing management, are left to prepare and deliver the six o'clock news. Lou fills in for Ted Baxter, while Mary takes Murray's place as the newswriter. Mary's writing style leave Lou terrified and practically speechless in front of the camera.

In the interest of job security, Ted Baxter has not taken a vacation in four years. Finally forced to take two weeks off, Ted worries that his temporary replacement, Rod Porter, a very popular substitute anchor man, will become a permanent fixture. Porter is an immediate hit with the viewers and "The Six O'Clock News" moves the station from last place to second in the ratings. As a result, everybody expects Porter to get the job permanently and Ted pleads with Mary to put in a good word for him with Lou.

Mary Richards receives – of all things – a "chain-letter" from – of all people – her boss, Lou Grant, and doesn't know how to avoid passing it along. When Mary learns everyone else in the newsroom has been similarly victimized by the boss, she systematically goes through her address book for the names of 20 people she can pester. One of them is Armond Lynton, who pesters her until she agrees to date him. Before they leave the apartment, Rhoda shows up followed by Roy Martoni, a cookware salesman, who has also received one of the letters.

Because he's lonely while his wife is out of town, Lou Grant takes Mary and Rhoda to a movie, where they run into Lou's son-in-law with a girl who is not Lou's daughter. Embarrassed at the confrontation, Lou, Mary and Rhoda leave the movie and spend a long evening while Lou plays the outraged father determined to protect his daughter and teach his son-in-law a lesson.

Rhoda Morgenstern loses her job as window decorator and, when a job opens up at the television station, Mary Richards has mixed emotions about telling her friend about it. Mary is reluctant to work in the same office as Rhoda so ultimately tells her that the job at the station has been filled. Later on, Mary's conscience gets the better of her and she confesses, but Rhoda is indifferent. She appears to be spending more time watching television than job hunting. After three weeks, Mary decides to get tough with Rhoda. But it doesn't work – and Rhoda's reaction is a complete surprise to Mary.

When editor Lou Grant decides to do a little redecorating in his home – specifically, the living room, as a surprise for his wife – reporter Mary Richards suggests that her friend, Rhoda Morgenstern, could help him. Lou turns the whole job over to Rhoda. She makes a gallant effort, but good taste and Lou's taste don't necessarily go hand-in-hand and the end result leaves a lot to be desired. Rhoda tries to pacify the angry newsman by changing practically everything back to its original style.

Is Ted Baxter, the inadequate anchorman, really in love? He begins to show all the symptoms when he borrows fresh roses from Mary Richards' desk to give to the daughter of Chuckles the Clown, on whose show he recently appeared. Ted denies to Mary that he is dating Betty Bowerchuck, Chuckles' daughter, but finally confesses that his denial is prompted by his fear that his new girlfriend may reject him. Betty, however, has fallen head-over-heels in love with Ted, but she tearfully confesses to Mary and Rhoda Morgenstern that there are certain things about him she doesn't quite understand. So Mary takes Ted aside to explain a few things about the facts of life – and love.

Newswoman Mary Richards accepts a date with the governor's executive adviser, whom she had met while covering a local community affairs meeting. The demands of his job force him to cancel the date at the last minute, however, and each successive date – a total of four – winds up in the same manner – him bowing out for business reasons just before he is to pick her up. When the governor goes out of town, it seems that the two will finally get together, but again, at the last minute, the governor calls requesting his aid to represent him at a local meeting. Mary slowly begins to realize that perhaps political life is a lot less glamorous than she first thought.

When Randy Wilner does a really rotten job of waiting on her table in a restaurant, Mary Richards complains to the owner, who promptly fires Randy. The following day Randy appears in the television newsroom to apply for a secretary's job and Mary, feeling guilty about what she had done the night before, hires Randy as her assistant. The girl soon proves to be as incompetent in the newsroom as she was in the restaurant and Mary finds herself doing extra work to cover up for Randy's mistakes. When editor Lou Grant learns of the situation, he fires Randy. But Mary still feels responsible for the girl and tries to get her a job at another television station.

Newsman Murray Slaughter decides to buy a small, but expensive, foreign car as a gift for his wife, Marie, and takes a job at night to earn the necessary extra money. Because the car is to be a surprise, Murray does not tell anyone in the office about what he is doing and editor Lou Grant nearly fires him for coming in each day too tired to do his work. When Mary Richards finally learns Murray's secret, she tries to help him. But all this does is to make Marie suspect that Mary and her husband are having an affair. So Mary tells Marie the truth and Murray quits his second job. He also starts looking for what might be available in a used car lot.

Mary Richards agrees to baby-sit with Bess Lindstrom for a weekend but gets a phone call from a former boyfriend who says he'll be in town for only one night. Mary calls several agencies, but no sitter is available. Rhoda Morgenstern can't help because she already has a date. Mary finally calls her television newsroom boss, Lou Grant, to ask if he knows of anyone and, to her surprise, he volunteers for the job because his television set is broken and he wants to watch a big fight. Lou, however, finds that baby-sitting is a little more complicated than he first thought.

When the apartment directly below Mary Richards' becomes available, she spreads the word at the television news office where she works. Newsman Ted Baxter looks the apartment over, likes it and, to Mary's chagrin, decides to move in. He is encouraged repeatedly to do so by Phyllis Lindstrom, who would like a "celebrity" living in the building. The finicky Ted brings in a law student to check the lease and newsroom boss Lou Grant tries to help Mary by pointing out to Ted all of its disadvantages. Ted is not fazed, however, until Lou reminds him of the moving expenses he will incur. As a result of this, Ted reconsiders his decision to move.

Young Bess Lindstrom has written an essay for her English class which her mother, Phyllis, decides should be shared with the world. The essay is titled, "The Care and Feeding of Parents." Bess badgers Mary Richards, who finally agrees to take it to a publishing firm in her office building. When she is unable to get an appointment with the publisher, she turns to television newsroom head, Lou Grant, her boss, for assistance. He tells her the essay doesn't contain enough material for a book. Phyllis is eager to have Bess add to the composition and even offers to help her. But Mary learns that Bess is tired of writing and that her mother is the only one pushing it.

When a fire breaks out in Rhoda Morgenstern's apartment and she loses all her possessions, her friend Mary Richards insists that Rhoda move in with her for a few days. Unfortunately, Mary's apartment seems to get smaller and the friendship thinner as the days drag by. The difference in Rhoda's and Mary's living habits become painfully apparent when Mary can't sleep because Rhoda's watching the late movie on television and doesn't clean up the kitchen after she has used it to cook. Their longtime friendship seems doomed – until Rhoda gets a date with one of the firemen who tried to save her apartment.

Mary Richards meets architect Matt Bryan when he comes to sketch her apartment building. After several dates, the two appear to be on the verge of becoming serious, but Mary notices that Matt avoids discussing the possibility of marriage. She is surprised one day when a young man shows up at her office and introduces himself as Matt Jr. She knows that Matt has been married and divorced and had a son, but she was expecting a nine-year-old boy, not a 24-year-old man. Matt Jr. takes Mary to lunch and tells her not to worry if his father seems ill at ease, because he always does when he becomes serious about a girl. Later, Matt Sr. tells Mary he suspects his son has told her of his fear of a second failure in marriage. Nevertheless, he proposes to her.

Joanne Forbes accidentally collides her car with Mary Richards' and the girls become friends. When the two begin to spend a great deal of time together, Rhoda Morgenstern, Mary's longtime friend, becomes jealous. Joanne invites Mary to join her and two other friends for a game of tennis at a local private club, but when one member of the group doesn't show up, Mary suggests that Rhoda substitute. To Mary's surprise, Joanne begins to make excuses for not inviting Rhoda. Mary discovers that Joanne belongs to a restricted tennis club and that, despite her denials, Joanne is prejudiced. Realizing how much she values Rhoda's friendship, Mary decides that she and Joanne should go their separate ways.

When Mary Richards gets city councilman Peter Peterson to appear on "Face the People," she learns that he's not ready to face the people – he's completely ignorant of current events. Mary, along with Peterson's aides, desperately try to bring Councilman Peterson up to speed with the latest news so he doesn't embarrass himself.

Lou Grant is bypassed by the television station manager, who assigned Mary Richards the task of giving the "Six O'Clock News" a new look. Lou has his doubts about the wisdom of changing the show's format, but Mary plunges ahead with bold plans for giving the show a lighter, more informal look. Her fatal mistake is her decision that the show should have two anchormen, which infuriates Ted Baxter, who is reluctant to share the spotlight with Mary's choice for the job – Gordy Howard, the weatherman.

A local newspaper columnist, who Lou is convinced loves to destroy people’s reputations, interviews Mary about being the only woman in the newsroom at WJM.

Lou’s promotion to program manager leaves Murray in charge of the newsroom, a task which (it is quickly apparent!) he is totally unqualified to handle.

Mrs. Morgenstern, Rhoda's mother, pays another visit to Minneapolis, and this time, brings her husband along. After a few days, Mrs. Morgenstern tells Rhoda and Mary that her marriage is on the rocks. Convinced that her husband is seeing another woman, Mrs. Morgenstern moves in with Rhoda and Mary. The girls, however, are certain it's all a misunderstanding and are determined to get the couple back together again.

A snowstorm keeps Lou Grant from joining some gambling pals in Las Vegas, so he insists Mary set up a poker game at the station, even if the only round table in the building is on the set of a kiddie program. Mary hurriedly rounds up Gordy, the weatherman, Ted Baxter and Pat, the bartender, but for some strange reason has a hard time getting Murray Slaughter to join the group. When Mary finds out why, she's in big trouble with Murray's wife.

Rhoda has lost twenty pounds and looks great, but inside she still feels fat. Mary is determined to help Rhoda realize how attractive she has become. Just when it looks like Rhoda is losing the game psychologically, her ego gets a tremendous boost when she is picked as a candidate for beauty queen of Hempel's Department store.

Dotty and her recently retired husband, Dr. Walt Richards, move to a home in town to be near their only daughter. Mary is delighted to see her parents, but when they find a place to live right around the corner, and start planning her evenings and weekends, Mary calls on Rhoda for advice on how to turn off over-solicitous parents.

When writer Wes Callison quits his job at the station writing for Chuckles the Clown, Mary tries to help him develop a five minute humorous spot on the news show, but it fails. Wes decides to try out a comedy routine at a small nightclub and invites Mary, Lou, Murray, Ted and Rhoda. Mary and her friends do the best they can in the audience, but Wes is a flop and decides to return to writing for Chuckles.

Ted Baxter tricks Lou Grant into giving him an exclusive contract as newscaster, and suddenly starts appearing in commercials on several local stations. Lou calls a halt to Ted's extracurricular activities, however, when he does a commercial on his own news show. Lou gives Ted a choice: give up doing commercials in exchange for a small salary increase, or take a punch in the nose. Ted takes the salary increase.

Mary's favorite couple, both long-time friends, are splitting up, and it looks as if Mary is going to be the other woman in a love triangle. When Jack Foster asks Mary to go out to dinner with him after his separation, Mary thinks he just wants a friend to talk with, but soon discovers he wants to be much more than friends.

Mary Richards' parents are having a difficult time adjusting to their new home in the city. Mary's father misses his old chums and Mary tries to help him make new friends. Mary takes her father to lunch with Lou Grant, but the two have nothing in common. Mary decides she will invite her father to have dinner with her so they can talk it over. A family crisis arises, however, when Mary has to tell her mother that the dinner invitation doesn't include her.

When young Bess Lindstrom's boyfriend meets Mary Richards, he falls madly in love with her, and the generation gap has never before seemed so wide. Young William Campbell, plays hooky from school to visit Mary in the newsroom, using the excuse that he has been assigned to do a story for his school newspaper. It isn't until much later that Mary realizes his friendly manner is based on something more like a severe teen-age crush than just friendship and, by this time, Bess has begun to think of Mary as the "other woman."

Lou checks into a hospital for minor surgery and puts Mary in charge of the newsroom while he's gone. While trying to do a good job in Lou's absence, Mary overdoes it a bit in correcting Murray's copy, which puts a strain on their relationship. And Ted is driving Lou up the wall with his daily visits to the hospital.

Rhoda comes back from a vacation in New York to announce that she has accepted a job in New York and plans to leave within the week. At first, Mary doesn't take Rhoda's plans seriously. When Rhoda quits her job, starts packing and shows her apartment to prospective renters, Mary realizes she has only a few days to talk Rhoda out of moving. Finally accepting the inevitable, Mary plans a surprise farewell party for Rhoda.

Mary meets an old boyfriend in a crowded elevator as he's taking his new fiancée to get a marriage license. This unexpectedly sets off a chain of events which puts Mary in the role of the "other woman." Dan Whitefield, professor of television journalism at the university, insists Mary come to the engagement party he and his fiancée are giving - which brings out some qualities in his would-be bride he never dreamed existed.

When Lou buys a popular neighborhood bar and begins to lose customers, he decides it is because he does not have the proper personality for a boniface. His forced efforts to become a jovial extrovert lead to disaster – and the sale of the bar.

Phyllis Lindstrom has decided she wants her brother to marry Mary. Mary is giving a party, which suits Phyllis' plan perfectly, since she intends for her brother, Ben, to fall in love with Mary. But Ben ruins the plan by going for Rhoda instead.

Ted Baxter's romance with Georgette, the ding-a-ling blonde he met at Mary's party, seems to be getting serious. Mary feels partly responsible, since she brought the couple together. She and Rhoda think Ted is taking Georgette too much for granted. They take Georgette to dinner for a heart-to-heart talk, and afterwards, Ted finds himself confronted by a "liberated" girlfriend.

Rhoda's boyfriend arranges a date for Mary with Warren Sturges, who begins a whirlwind campaign to win Mary's hand in marriage. Mary tries to avoid Warren, but he pops up everywhere she goes, even renting a giant billboard across from her office to proclaim his love. Warren disappears for a few days, but appears again at a restaurant where Mary and her date are dining. Mary promptly starts to tell Warren off, and when a cake arrives with "Will you marry me?" written on it, she spoils it by writing "No" in the icing with her finger. Mary's date abandons her when Warren introduces his new girlfriend, the one for whom the cake was actually intended.

Lou Grant is in big trouble. Not only is his new boss at the television station a woman, but she thinks she's in love with him. The new program director Barbara Coleman's frequent meetings with Lou lead to a bad case of attraction on her part. Lou talks to Mary, and Mary talks to Barbara about how much Lou is in love with his wife, but nothing seems to ward off a showdown which could cost Lou his job or his marriage.

Murray Slaughter becomes depressed when he learns a former writing classmate has won a Pulitzer Prize in journalism while Murray is still writing one-syllable words for Ted Baxter to mispronounce. Mary Richards and Lou Grant try to talk Murray out of his depression, but he seems determined to either quit or get Lou to fire him. Then Ted Baxter pitches in and takes Murray out on one of Ted's typical "bachelor nights on the town."

Problems develop when one of Mary Richards' ex-boyfriends returns to town. Mary discovers the flames of an old love can be difficult to extinguish, and she finds herself getting romantically involved again – against her better judgment. Tom Vernon is the charming but irresponsible man who broke Mary's heart before and threatens to do it again unless her friends can rally around to save her from herself.

Mary is nominated for an award for a show she produced, but from there on her luck seems to snowball downhill from bad to worse. She starts making mistakes at work, spills coffee on a new sweater, slips and sprains her ankle, has her best dress ruined by the cleaners and ends up attending the awards dinner with Ted Baxter after her date cancels out. She is announced the winner as producer of the best public affairs program, and with embarrassed apologies accepts the award limping on one foot, wearing a borrowed ill-fitting dress, sporting an unkempt hairdo, a false eyelash ornamenting her cheek and tears welling in her eyes.

Rhoda Morgenstern's green thumb and her incredible ability to restore all her friends' dying plants back to life convince her that she should get out of the fashion window and into the house-plant scene. Mary helps back Rhoda's new venture with money she was saving for a new car. It looks like a good investment because Rhoda's business flourishes; but Rhoda is so busy she forgets to repay the loan for a while, putting a strain on her friendship with Mary.

Phyllis Lindstrom discovers her dermatologist husband Lars is having an affair with the star of WJM-TV's "Happy Homemaker Show," and demands Mary's help in saving her marriage.

Mary dates a much younger man – despite the advice of friends. Should the fact that the woman is seven years older than the man keep them from having a happy relationship? Mary Richards doesn't think so, and she ignores advice from her friends and co-worker to the contrary.

Lou Grant unhappily tells Mary Richards and the newsroom gang that he and his wife, Edie, are having marital problems and have been seeing a marriage counselor who has suggested a trial separation.

When Mary complains to Lou that she wants more responsibility in the newsroom, he is only too happy to give her the responsibility of hiring a new sports announcer – if she will fire the present one.

A phone call from his long-lost father, who had abandoned him as a baby, throws unflappable anchorman Ted Baxter into an emotional turmoil.

Jerry Van Dyke guest stars as one of Mary's ex-boyfriends, who gets a job in the newsroom with a desk right across the room from Mary and tries to turn the old romance on again.

Lou has not had a date since his wife Edie left him, but he has an important banquet coming up, and Mary promises to find him a date.

Rhoda has good news: she's madly in love with someone who shared her lunch table. And bad news: the man she loves owns the store she works in, and she has no idea how he feels about her.

Rhoda and Mary fly to New York for the wedding of Rhoda's younger sister, but the credibility gap between Rhoda and her mother almost turns the happy event into a disaster.

A Congresswoman with whom Mary worked on a news show accepts Mary's very casual invitation to dinner and suggests that it be the next evening.

Since being separated from his wife, Lou has grown accustomed to having dinner every night at Mary's apartment. Though she doesn't want to meddle, Mary is determined to try to get them back together – if only for the sake of her own sanity.

Ted quits his job at WJM to pursue a political career after Phyllis convinces him that he’d make an ideal city councilman.

Murray Slaughter's teenage daughter needs a job, and Lou Grant wants Mary to hire someone to make coffee and help out with typing and filing, so Mary thinks the problem is solved – but she's wrong.

Georgette visits boyfriend Ted Baxter at WJM-TV, only to find him kissing another woman in his dressing room; so she decides to become a nun.

Mary learns it's Lou's birthday and decides to surprise him with a party. What she doesn't learn until too late is that Lou hates birthdays and surprise parties.

Mary starts to have doubts about WJM’s relatively small-time operations when she begins dating the anchorman from Minneapolis’s top-rated station and finds herself doubling as a spy.

Mary and Rhoda are thrilled with the opportunity to produce a new show for WJM, until they learn that the show must star Ted and Sue Ann, who quickly make things difficult.

Mary's neighbor Phyllis, who now has a real-estate license and is hungry for clients. She zeroes in on Lou Grant as a likely prospect to sell his house.

It looks like Mary's friendship with Rhoda is going down the drain after Rhoda makes what Mary thinks is an unkind remark.

Mary writes a humorous obituary as a joke, but when it’s mistakenly read on the air, she’s suspended from the newsroom.

Ted Baxter always dreamed that some day he'd meet his idol, famous newscaster Walter Cronkite, and that the meeting would lead to his own fame and fortune in New York. Well, Baxter does meet Cronkite – but the occasion is not as auspicious in reality as it is in Ted's dream.

Lou and Rhoda begin dating casually, and everyone—especially Mary—wonders just how serious the relationship is getting.

When Ted Baxter learns that Mary is attending a night-school class in creative writing, he enrolls in the same course and insists on being introduced to the class.

Mary spends every night for a week at a singles bar, researching material for a special news show, and gets an eyebrow-lifting view of the swinging-singles scene.

Mary faces the possibility of a term behind bars when she refuses to reveal her source of a story about corruption in high places.

Mary's new romance with a tall, dark and very handsome man seems to be progressing quite well until her friends convince her that she's attracted to him only because he's so attractive.

After Lou loses his temper with Ted, Mary’s advocacy of non-violence backfires when Ted takes advantage of Lou’s new disposition and becomes more insufferable than ever.

Lou’s romance with a brassy lounge singer has him feeling like a new man—until the guys in the newsroom begin to joke about her questionable past.

Tensions mount and morale drops when a young consultant, hired by Lou Grant to boost the ratings, begins usurping Mary's responsibilities and ordering changes in Ted's on-the-air delivery and Murray's copy.

The happily-married Murray considers having an affair when he meets an attractive, single woman at one of Mary’s parties.

Everyone keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop when Sue Ann Nivens plays the "good sport" while a sweet young thing with a terrific figure and no television experience manages to take over her show.

Looking for intellectual stimulation, Phyllis begins to date a man platonically, but the situation heats up when he takes an interest in Mary.

When the staff is trapped in the newsroom, Sue Ann decides that it’s time for a little Christmas cheer—no matter that it’s only November.

When Mary and Sue Ann attend a broadcaster's convention in Chicago, Mary learns that Sue Ann is actually a very lonely person.

Ted is flabbergasted when his mother decides to move in with her boyfriend rather than marry the man.

The newsroom is divided when Murray, the father of three daughters, decides that he wants a son even though his wife doesn’t want to have another baby.

Lou Grant moves into Rhoda's old apartment and takes over Mary's private life in much the same way he runs things at the office.

Lou decides to add a female newscaster to his staff and gives orders to find a "girl like Mary," which leads Mary, as well as Sue Ann Nivens, to audition for the job.

Who would believe that Ted and Mary are having an affair? Maybe no one, but that doesn’t stop Ted from spreading rumors around the newsroom.

Producer of WJM-TV's news program in name only, Mary asks Lou for the chance to actually produce the show on her own, and she gets it – along with the last minute problems and decisions that go with the job.

Gambling fever takes over the WJM newsroom when Ted, who knows nothing about gambling, invents a "can't-miss" system for betting on football games.

Phyllis suffers the ultimate indignation when she's forced to seek a job after Lars suggests she live within a budget and cuts off her credit cards.

Longing for his dynamic days as a crusading reporter, Lou launches a misguided investigation into corruption in big-city politics.

Ted gets swept up in the spirit of Murray's 20th wedding anniversary party and chooses the most public place possible to pop the question to Georgette.

Mary takes on the frustrating task of helping Sherry Ferris, a girl with whom she once shared a jail cell, "go straight," even though the girl herself doesn't seem too thrilled with the idea.

Lou wins an award that he doesn’t want and is terrified at the thought of making an acceptance speech.

When Ted is tricked by a smooth-talking con man into opening his own broadcasters’ school, the WJM staff is recruited to be the faculty.

Mary’s new boyfriend seems like a keeper, but there’s just one small problem—his obnoxious son is absolutely intolerable.

Lou happily makes the announcement to the news staff that Edie is going to march down the marriage aisle again, but not with him. Hoping to keep Lou as a friend, Edie invites her ex-husband to her wedding – which brings out all the animosity over her remarriage Lou has tried so hard to hide.

Depression sets in when Mary Richards looks around and discovers she is leading a very boring and predictable life. Frustrated in her efforts to spice up her life, Mary thinks she has found the key to changing the monotony by moving into a new high-rise apartment. Hoping to pull Mary out of her depressed state of mind, her friends and co-workers try different tactics to cheer her up.

Father Brian and Mary develop a professional closeness by working together on a children's documentary for WJM-TV News, but Mary feels their relationship is getting too close when Father Brian tells her about a friend who left the monastery because of a woman, right after he (Brian) breaks the news to her that he wants to leave too.

Murray wants to tell Mary his deepest, most intimate secret, which has been bottled up inside him for years, but he can't find the words to say he's in love with her. Almost exploding with anxiety, Murray tells his secret to Lou. Instead of lending a sympathetic ear, Lou takes a protective, fatherly stand about the possibility of Mary becoming involved with a married man. Preoccupied with her own problems – two pushy and nosey neighbors – Mary is completely oblivious to Murray's feelings.

Ted Baxter has auditioned to host a game show in New York, something the WJM-TV news staff treats very lightly until he gets the job and they find their pompous anchorman is really going to leave. Ted drives everyone up the wall with his impatience, wondering if he will be known as a New York quiz show host. But when he wins the job, a melancholy wave flows through the newsroom.

The WJM-TV news staff is excited when Mary's renowned Aunt Flo - a prestigious newspaper journalist and an overwhelming prima donna - comes to visit their newsroom, except for Lou Grant, who isn't particularly impressed. Despite Aunt Flo's belittling, then trying to take over the WJM-TV news operation, Mary is determined to convince Mr. Grant that behind the old die-hard, steam-rolling newswoman, is a very nice lady.

The circus is in town, and Ted's wish has finally come true. He is invited to reign as Grand Marshal for the circus parade. But Lou decides the anchorman's ambition is not in keeping with a newsperson's image and refuses to let him participate. Ted is humiliated by Lou's decision, as well as being replaced by Chuckles the Clown – although his feelings change abruptly when something funny, though fatal, happens to the substitute Grand Marshal. The WJM team can't stop laughing over Chuckles' demise, and Mary castigates them all for their lack of respect. But Mary finally starts to see the funny side... at the most inappropriate moment possible.

Mary Richards and Sue Ann Nivens, WJM-TV's "Happy Homemaker," volunteer their services as big sisters to two delinquent girls. Running out of ideas to keep the young ladies entertained, Mary and Sue Ann invite them to spend the day at station WJM-TV. But Mary doesn't quite know how to handle the situation when money turns up missing from Murray Slaughter's desk, and all fingers point to Francie, Mary's "little sister."

A quiet luncheon Mary hosted just for Ted and Georgette turns into an erratic spontaneous wedding. The newsman has proposed to Georgette numerous times before throughout their courtship, but after she accepted, he took no further steps toward matrimony. This time, when he proposes, it happens to be in Mary's apartment, with the couple agreeing they should get married at that very instant, making Mary Richards the involuntary hostess of the whole hasty, bizarre but hilarious affair.

After 30 years have passed, Lou Grant's old flame, Veronica, comes back into his life. Veronica was bad news three decades ago when she wrote Lou a "Dear John" letter, and she's bad news now. Once more, he intends to tell her so, and even better yet, show her.

It isn't spring, but Mary's heart couldn't care what season it is when she falls in love with Joe Warner, who believes in expressing his emotions publicly, a gesture that makes Mary uncomfortable. Feeling this is the real thing, Rhoda and Joe, of the Rhoda series, make special guest-star appearances when Mary calls and tells them about her wonderful guy.

The notoriously tight-fisted Ted splurges on expensive gifts for Mary, Lou, and Murray with his income tax refund, only to discover that he is being audited.

Trapped, hooked and reeled in, Lou Grant discovers he's been had when Sue Ann Nivens, WJM-TV's "Happy Homemaker," finally maneuvers him to her apartment for a romantic dinner. Sue Ann realizes that she's getting absolutely nowhere in chasing Lou -- he's outrunning her -- so she decides to use some special bait and pressure Mary into helping her.

Mary finds herself in a complicated situation when she is pursued by two charming bachelors, each of whom is seeking her constant companionship. Joe Warner, who has been a steady romantic figure in Mary's life, finds his confidence shaken when Mary decides to go out for an evening with an ex-boyfriend to whom she was once almost engaged.

Murray gives up his job as a news writer to work for his chief antagonist, as producer of Sue Ann Nivens' cooking show. After Mary turns down Sue Ann's offer to produce her show, Murray accepts the position, visualizing advancement and especially the raise – but not the trouble.

Georgette confides to Mary her heartbreaking decision that she is going to leave Ted. The new bride concludes her husband doesn't love her anymore, since Ted has recently been making his bed on their couch.

Lou refuses to admit he has lost touch with the prestigious contacts he once knew in Washington, D.C., when he takes Mary to the capital for a press seminar. Anxiety is overwhelming Mary after her boss has promised her the time of her life in Washington and he sits waiting for his old friends to return his call.

Lou Grant finds that a secret love is a hard thing to keep secret after he regretfully takes part in a romantic fling with Sue Ann Nivens. Trying to keep the WJM-TV station people from finding out about Sue Ann puts Lou's nerves through an elasticity test.

Lou suffers an acute case of jealousy when an ex-girlfriend, whom he is still very fond of, arrives at Mary's party with a male companion. Not about to take a back seat, Lou plots a counter-attack.

The new owner of the WJM-TV station adopts new procedures that raise disapproval from the news staff, though no one dares to speak out – except Murray, who takes a stand. Murray doesn't care if his job is in jeopardy; he is determined to voice his opinion. This maverick stand baffles the news staff. They can't determine if the news writer's action was brave or stupid.

Lou's journalistic abilities are challenged by Mary's arrogant Aunt Flo, a noted newspaperwoman who believes she can write a better story than Lou any day. The heated contest has split the WJM-TV news staff into teams. Each side is waiting for the network to choose the winner by which story it will decide to air.

Mary has discovered some incriminating news about an old friend who is seeking re-election to Congress. With election day so close, Mary decides to keep the story from the press until after the ballots have been counted, but Lou overrules her decision, creating some hard feelings. Lou is a hard-nosed journalist from the old school who believes in reporting news as soon as it breaks, though Mary is afraid this news might break the man, which prompts her into taking drastic action.

Sue Ann's life is bubbling over with excitement. The "Happy Homemaker" show has been nominated for a local television award as best daytime program, and she has fallen in love with a handsome, rugged man. But at the same time, Mary's life is full of gloom. She's faced with telling Sue Ann some horrible news. Unbeknown to the "Happy Homemaker," her new love is also pursuing Mary.

Ted and Georgette Baxter are afraid they will never have children when a doctor proclaims the egocentric anchorman is physically unable. Helpless against the crushing news, Ted browbeats himself and declares he is an incomplete man. While the Baxters are convinced they'll never hear the patter of little feet around their house, Lou Grant fears he'll never get rid of the big feet stomping around his house. He's stuck with a Saint Bernard dog that's driving him up the wall.

Mary invites the WJM group to a party and suddenly Georgette begins to have labor pains. Unable to move the expectant mother to the hospital, everyone panics except Lou Grant, who, with the help of Mary, delivers the baby without a miscue.

Mary Richards tries her hand at creative writing, although she is very insecure about her new venture. Hoping to get encouragement on her finished article, Mary shows it to Mr. Grant, who really deflates her ego when he classifies her writing as anything but professional.

When her sister comes to town, Sue Ann confesses to Mary that the two have always been very competitive, and Lila usually ends up with what Sue Ann wants. When Lila gets a job on a competing station as their homemaker star, Sue Ann takes to her sickbed, believing that the WJM staff has turned against her. Mary forces the others to visit the stricken star in her bizarre, sexually oriented bedroom to convince her to return to her job. Sue Ann is soon out of bed and off to station WJM.

Producer Mary Richards exercises her authority to hire anyone she wants to at WJM-TV, although Lou, along with Ted and Murray, begins to doubt her judgment when she hires a woman sportscaster. Mary feels that Barbara Jean Smathers, an ex-Olympic swimmer, would be the perfect person to add something unique and exciting to the news concept. The staff at WJM-TV admire Barbara as a swimmer, but wonder if she can stay afloat as a sportscaster.

Ted is stricken with a mild heart attack while on the air, and is taken off to the hospital. He soon recovers, but goes through a personality change reflecting his newfound attitude, which is, "It's great to be alive and I have to enjoy and live every moment." The WJM gang quickly become fed up with the new Ted, and long for the old days. True to his real nature, Ted quickly slides back into his pre-heart attack obnoxious self within a few weeks.

Pandemonium erupts in a usually smooth television news operation when Murray takes a step up to co-produce the news with Mary.

Georgette is forced to cope with the two extremely opposite I.Q.s of the men in her life when the Baxters' adopted son, David, is failing every subject in school and his concerned parents find out it's because he has the brain of a genius, quite a contrast to papa Ted. Meanwhile, Mary is trying to solve a problem of her own as she seeks a reason why she gets stuck babysitting for Mr. Grant's elderly Uncle Morris.

A frightened Mary Richards faces a contempt charge for refusing to reveal a news source, and her lawyer doesn't make the legal battle any easier as he spends more time researching ways to win her than on the case.

Mary's Aunt Flo, a driven, well-known newswoman, and Lou Grant have constantly challenged each other's journalistic abilities, though things seem to soften between them long enough for Lou to make a marriage proposal.

The annual Teddy Awards has the newsroom bubbling over with anticipation, except for a distraught Murray who has never won an award and is sure this year is not going to prove any different. Mary Richards' added chore has not lessened the commotion around WJM-TV. She's in charge of entertainment for the Awards show, and just as Lou expected, the newsroom turns into a vaudeville stage.

Lou Grant is afraid Mary Richards is becoming addicted to sleeping pills when, after nights of suffering from insomnia, Mary turns to a doctor's prescription for help.

Mary, Ted and Murray are sent to Hollywood for a convention, and while there, pretty newspaper reporter, Whitney Lewis, insist Ted give her a personal in-depth interview. When Ted agrees to the interview in his room, he is shocked to find Whitney nude in bed with the obvious intention of seducing him. A terrified and befuddled Ted talks his way out of the situation with help from a disbelieving Mary.

Desperate for a salary increase, Lou Grant suggests that he and Mary will have more leverage against the station if they join forces to demand a raise. However, the scheme backfires when the station refuses to increase their salary and allows them to walk out. After being out for several weeks, negotiations are reopened and Mary and Lou get their raise and return to work.

With high hopes of boosting WJM-TV's evening news ratings, station manager Mel Price hires a renowned critic who verbally and viciously attacks Minneapolis and the people who live in the city. Highly displeased with the new once-a-week addition to the news team, Mary, Lou, Ted and Murray are more than upset when Mr. Price hires the critic to appear as a regular, nightly on the news.

After 30 years have passed, Lou's army buddy, Ben, finally thinks of a way he can be repaid for covering once for an A.W.O.L. Lou. He wants a date with Mary Richards. After a few dates, Ben is convinced he can stay the night with Mary, but finds he is very much mistaken and ends up thrown out of her apartment by both Mary and Lou. Lou also faces another problem in handling Georgette, Ted's new agent, who is negotiating a raise for him.

When the star of station WJM's variety show suddenly quits, Ted Baxter convinces the station manager that he and Georgette can do the show as a team. To everyone's astonishment, they become a hit. However, Georgette soon tires of the grind and wants to return to being a housewife. Ted resists, but finally gives in when he sees how much it means to Georgette.

Out of a job when told that her "Happy Homemaker" show is not being renewed, Sue Ann refuses station WJM's offer to buy out her contract for a pittance. The station attempts to break her down by assigning her to degrading menial jobs. However, she outwits them by conning Lou and Mary into giving her a job in the newsroom where she immediately becomes a continual and permanent source of irritation.

Gordy Howard, former weatherman for WJM-TV, returns to Minneapolis for a visit after signing a contract to host a morning network show in New York. Thrilled over his success, the news staff can barely await his arrival, especially Ted, who plans to con Gordy into letting him co-host the network show.

Out of town visitor Doug Booth stops by the WJM newsroom looking for Murray, who is out of the office at the time, and introduces himself to Mary. Doug charms Mary into accepting a date with him, but she is stunned moments later when Murray returns and she learns Doug is his father. After several dates with Doug they become the butt of numerous May-December romance jokes and Mary blows her top and tells everyone off at a party. Returning to her own apartment, she learns the effort has been in vain as Doug has just made up with a former girlfriend in Europe and plans to return to her.

Murray suffers the pains of being Ted's ghostwriter when a small article he writes for the anchorman for $200 turns out to be worth $2,500 to Reader's Digest, not to mention the fame and glory Ted is gobbling up.

While discussing Mary's single status, her three WJM co-workers begin to imagine themselves as Mary's husband. Murray sees her as the eager helpmate who supports him as he struggles with the writing of the great American novel. Ted's vision is of himself as the great lover, while Lou has problems reconciling their previous relationship, and also their age difference.

Johnny Carson visits Minneapolis for a benefit performance and, through an involved set of circumstances, agrees to be Mary's guest at her party.

After yet another disastrous date, Mary takes Georgette’s unlikely advice and decides to ask Lou out.

In the final episode, WJM-TV is sold, and the new owner, anxious to bring the fourth-rated news broadcast to a number-one position, begins by re-evaluating the news operations. On learning of the new emphasis on news, the news team fears Ted will be the first casualty. Much to their dismay, however, Ted is the only one the new owner approves of, and Mary, Lou, Murray and Sue Ann are fired. Crushed to see years of dedicated hard work end in unemployment, Mary faces a difficult task of keeping self control. Hoping to ease the shock, Lou Grant attempts to cheer up the disheartened ex-producer by sending for her best friends, Phyllis Lindstrom and Rhoda Gerard.