Seasons & episodes
S3 · E12You Won't Have Nicholas to Kick Around Anymore (1) 1978-11-29
The Bradford children plan a party for Tom and Abby's anniversary and Nicholas fell left out. Tom and Abby unknowingly bid against each other for ""A Christmas Line"" tickets for their anniversary. Nicholas accidents set fire to his room, destroying the anniversary present Tommy was making for Tomand Abby. Feeling like the family doesn't want him around anymore, Nicholas runs away to find Sam in San Diego.
S3 · E13You Won't Have Nicholas to Kick Around Anymore (2) 1978-11-29
In San Diego, Nicholas is taken in by Joe Simmons, an old con man and bum who was a friend of Sam's. He then performs his best scam trying to get Nicholas back to the Bradfords. Believing that Nicholas is at a friend's house, the Bradford's work on repairing Tommy and Nicholas room.
S3 · E14Alone At Last 1978-12-06
Tired of not having time to themselves, Tom and Abby conspire to get rid of the kids so they can spent the weekend alone.They send the kids camping for the weekend. Susan brings a nine year old girl home from the day care center. Tommy gets a date with a popular girl at school.
S3 · E15The Yearning Point 1979-01-10
Both Elizabeth and Tommy learn that there is no easy way to success. Elizabeth wants to go to an expensive college in Vermont with a good dance program but Tom can't afford the tuition. Nancy takes a correspondence course in hair stying. Abby discovers a dance scholarship. Elizabeth can compete for Elizabeth starts studying dance with a professional dance compoany. Tommy tries to earn some sxtra money.
S3 · E16Moving Out 1979-01-03
Tired of Tom's strict rules, Nancy, Susan, and Joannie look for an apartment of their own because Tom has trouble accepting that his daughters are growing up. David buys a new truck and agrees to sell Tommy his van. Tom is upset when Abby loans the girls the money to get their own apartment.
S3 · E17Mother's Rule 1979-01-10
In an effort to keep the remaining Bradfords at home, Tom repeals all curfews but Abby doubts his wisdom. Tom shows everyone that it is possible to have too much of a good thing. The girls learn that having their own apartment isn't as great as they thought it would be. Nicholas has a hard time adjusting to having his own room.
S3 · E18Inlaws and Outlaws 1979-01-24
Abby's mother arrives for a visit and Abby is upset to learn that her parent are breaking up. Abby's father arrives shortly, and musical rooms becomes the name of the game. The girls want to move back home after their rent is raised but are afraid to tell Tom. Tom is picked up by the police after the kids rack up $170 worth of parking tickets on the station wagon
S3 · E19Horror Story 1979-01-31
On a rainy night in Sacramento, the Bradford house is turned upside-down when the power goes out and leaves the Bradfords stuck at home with Nancy's blind date - a Norman Bates look-alike. Joannie is studying the film ""Psycho"" and the lights go out when her date shows up -- a look-alike for Tony Perkins. Tommy and Elizabeth think ""Perkins"" is an escaped convict. Tom is scheduled to participate in a debate on population control but he and Abby get stuck in an elevator when the power goes out. Nicholas and Irving play secret agent. Susan gets stuck.
S3 · E20Just the Ten of Us 1979-02-14
Nicholas tries to avoid a young lady who has a crush on him. Tired of saying goodnight to each other every night, David and Janet decide to live together. Tom is nominated for ""Father of the Year"", but his chance grows slim after David and Janet decide to become roommates.
S3 · E21Best of Friends 1979-02-21
Tommy offers to marry a pregnant friend who was a girl, Lori, even though he's not the father of her baby. The Bradfords rally to support Tommy's taking of responsibility. Nicholas and Irving open a lemonade stand in front of the Bradford house but face stiff competition when a lavish lemonade stand is opened by the Cappleton sisters around the corner. David and Janet spend a night in the Bradford house when their apartment is sprayed for bugs.
S3 · E22The Kid Who Came to Dinner 1979-02-28
Abby uses the family as subjects in a research project for school. Nicholas's new friend, Bobby, runs away from his foster family because he wants to become part of the Bradford family. They decide to sail down the Sacramento river. Abby's friend and his wife begin to consider adopting bobby. Tommy and Elizabeth debate the merits of cosmetic surgery
S3 · E23The Better Part of Valour 1979-03-07
While substitute teaching at the high school, Abby refuses to pass the star basketball player, and troubles begin for Tommy. It's an awkward meeting when Tom meets Janet's parents. Tommy is pressured by the basketball player to get the answers to Abby's test. Tommy learns to stand up for what is right.
S3 · E24Dads, Daughters, Different Drummers 1979-03-14
Tom and Abby are surprised to learn that Nicholas is musically talented but Abby is upset when Tom gets him a drum set. Joannie falls for the local drama critic who gave her a good review. Tom thinks he is a phony and tries to break up their romance. An unemployed David decides to open his own construction business and the whole family pitches in to help him
S3 · E25The Final Days 1979-05-02
Abby and the children are frustrated when they are trying to study for finals and a youth-oriented article Tom wrote in his column runs into trouble with a senior citizen and inspires a picket line in their front yard. Elizabeth panics when she discovers she has to take an algebra final. Tommy puts a band together after hearing that the prom committee will pay $300 for a band.
S3 · E26Marriage and Other Flights of Fancy (1) 1979-05-09
Tom is proud when Elizabeth and Joannie are graduating the same week (Joannie from college and Elizabeth from high school). Joannie doesn't know what to do with her life after graduation. Tom is invited to give the commencement address at Elizabeth's High School graduation. Abby talks to the principal on Elizabeth's behalf after she is excluded from the graduation ceremony for taking part in a dangerous senior prank. Tommy is offered the perfect summer job as a lifeguard but has to cut his hair if he accepts the job.
S3 · E27Marriage and Other Flights of Fancy (2) 1979-05-09
Tom finally realizes his dream of being a published author when a magazine prints his short story, but finds it published in a man's magazine more famous for its ""illustrations"" than its literature. David and Janet announce their engagement but David leaves Janet and takes off on a cross-country trip when he gets cold feet. Elizabeth is paired with a real nerd for a make-believe marriage assignment at school.
S3 · E28The Graduates 1979-05-23
David and his traveling companion continue on their cross-country trip and he gets involved in a hang-gliding competition and learn a few lessons about life.
S4 · E1Merle the Pearl 1979-09-05
Nicholas and Susan meet Merle the Pearl, a local minor league baseball player. Nicholas is upset that his young girlfriend is moving out of town and wants to introduce her to Merle the Pearl to impress her before she leaves. Frustrated by the gas shortage, Tom agrees to buy a new, fuel-efficient car. Merle falls for Susan and Nicholas gets his first kiss
S4 · E2The Cupid Crisis 1979-09-12
David returns and is determined to win Janet back from her new boyfriend. Merle confides to Nicholas that he wants to propose to Susan but Susan is upset when the entire Bradford family knows about before she does. Nicholas acts as the go-between for everyone
S4 · E3I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do 1979-09-19
David and Janet set a wedding date but it turns out to be the same day Merle and Susan decided to move up the wedding day to accomodate Merle's ballplaying career move. Nancy gets a job delivering singing telegrams and is hired to deliver one at the double wedding for David and Janet and Merle and Susan.
S4 · E4Ten Ships in the Night 1979-09-26
Chaos hits the Bradford house when everyone's activities go around the clock. In order to get her Ph.D. more quickly, Abby attends school full-time and has little time for the family. Tom is upset when no one is home when Nicholas gets home from school. Tired of getting dead-end jobs because of her looks, Nancy gets a job at a brokerage firm. All this drives Tom bananas and he finally calls a family meeting at 3 a.m. by playing loud music to rearrange the goings on.
S4 · E5The Night They Raided Bradfords 1979-10-03
Things are not as they seem at the Bradfords when Merle's sister, Linda Mae, comes from the farm and visits the Bradfords and is shocked at what she finds. Joannie talks Nancy into playing a stripper in her play. Susan panics when she hears that Merle was injured in a game. It's a comedy of errors when Linda Mae calls the police after misunderstanding the family's crazy life style.
S4 · E6The Devil and Mr. Bradford 1979-10-24
Joannie gets a job in the research department of a TV station. Mary finds a hidden home pregnancy test and tries to find the owner. Joannie ""scoops"" Tom on a story on a porno theater for her new job at a television station. The problem is that the theater is owned by a public corporation and Tom is a stockholder. Tom is upset that a porno theater has opened in his neighborhood but then discovers that he is part owner of it.
S4 · E7Big Shoes, Little Feet 1979-10-31
Three Bradfords struggle to meet the expectations of others: Nicholas turns truant to escape the long shadow of his siblings; Tom's boss pressures him to participate in a father-son golf tournament; Nancy feels compelled to date a stockbroker uniquely positioned to help David's slumping business.