Webster is an American sitcom produced by Emmanuel Lewis Entertainment Enterprises, Georgian Bay Productions, and Paramount Television, from 1983 to 1989, and was split into two different eras: The ABC era, which ran from 1983 to 1987, and the First-run syndication era, which ran from 1987 to 1989. A total of 150 episodes were produced (100 for ABC, and 50 for First-run syndication). Of the 150 episodes, six episodes, all from the ABC era, did not air until syndication. (These episodes—two from season 2 and four from season 3—are listed here with the seasons during which they were produced even though subsequent episodes of the following seasons aired earlier.) Some of the unaired episodes made their debut on ABC Daytime, which aired reruns of the show from December 22, 1986 to July 3, 1987.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Rating | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | |||||
| 1 | 22 | September 16, 1983 (1983-09-16) | May 4, 1984 (1984-05-04) | ABC | 25 | 17.2 (Tied with The CBS Tuesday Night Movie, Alice, Knight Rider and Hardcastle and McCormick) | |
| 2 | 26 | September 21, 1984 (1984-09-21) | April 5, 1985 (1985-04-05) (+ 2 aired later) | 25 | 17.0 (Tied with Monday Night Football and Remington Steele) | ||
| 3 | 29 | September 20, 1985 (1985-09-20) | May 2, 1986 (1986-05-02) (+ 4 aired later) | — | — | ||
| 4 | 23 | September 19, 1986 (1986-09-19) | May 8, 1987 (1987-05-08) | — | — | ||
| 5 | 25 | September 21, 1987 (1987-09-21) | April 11, 1988 (1988-04-11) | Syndicated | — | — | |
| 6 | 25 | September 9, 1988 (1988-09-09) | March 10, 1989 (1989-03-10) | — | — | ||
- Broadcast history
- September 1983–March 1985, ABC Friday 8:30–9:00
- March 1985–March 1987, ABC Friday 8:00–8:30
- March 1987–April 1987, ABC Friday 8:30–9:00
- May 1987, ABC Friday 8:00–8:30
- June 1987–August 1987, ABC Saturday 8:00–8:30
- August 1987–September 1987, ABC Friday 8:00–8:30
Episodes
Season 1 (1983–84)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Another Ballgame" | Joel Zwick | Stu Silver | September 16, 1983 (1983-09-16) | 001 |
| In the pilot episode, after the untimely death of a young boy's parents, the young boy is sent to live with his father's best friend. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Happy Un-Birthday" | Joel Zwick | Stu Silver | September 23, 1983 (1983-09-23) | 002 |
| In order to get some extra special attention, Webster makes believe that it is his birthday, and he wants a party. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Consulting Adults" | Joel Zwick | Michael Preminger | September 30, 1983 (1983-09-30) | 004 |
| Webster tries out for the football team. Katherine is then afraid that Webster will get seriously hurt especially because of his height and build. Also, we learn that Webster is picked to be on the team only because of George's fame in football. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Katherine's Swan Song" | Bob Claver | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | October 7, 1983 (1983-10-07) | 003 |
| Katherine wants to get some attention from Webster and she tries a few things. Meanwhile, Webster's friend is not getting much attention because her mom just had a baby, so she runs away and Webster hides her in his room. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Saying Goodbye" | Joel Zwick | Fredi Towbin | October 21, 1983 (1983-10-21) | 006 |
| George and Katherine find out that Webster doesn't know that his parents are dead. He originally thought that they had to go away and that they will come back for him, so it's up to George and Katherine to break the news to Webster of what really happened to his parents. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Green-Eyed Monster" | Joel Zwick | Michael Preminger | October 28, 1983 (1983-10-28) | 008 |
| Katherine fears that she is getting old because George and Webster play games with a girl named Molly, who is real young and really pretty. In the light of all this, Katherine gets jealous. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Second Time Around" | Joel Zwick | Russ Woody | November 4, 1983 (1983-11-04) | 007 |
| Thinking that George and Katherine never had an official wedding ceremony, Webster plans to prepare one for them. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Travis" | Joel Zwick | Martin Donovan | November 11, 1983 (1983-11-11) | 005 |
| It is revealed to George and Katherine why Travis, Webster's late father, chose George to be Webster's godparents and legal guardians if something happened to them. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "That's Entertainment" | Joel Zwick | Kay Anderson | November 18, 1983 (1983-11-18) | 011 |
| Webster goes on a TV-benefit show to sing and dance. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Educating Katherine" | Joel Zwick | Susan Borowitz & Richard Raskind | November 25, 1983 (1983-11-25) | 012 |
| Katherine gets a taste of the worst being a volunteer art teacher. She feels that she is boring and failing, so Webster tries to help her. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Teddy Bear Scare" | Joel Zwick | Russ Woody | December 2, 1983 (1983-12-02) | 013 |
| George and Katherine both try and persuade Webster that he can do without his teddy bear, which is lost. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "A Question of Honor" | Joel Zwick | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | December 16, 1983 (1983-12-16) | 010 |
| All the blame goes to Webster when his friends try to rob the Tracadero, their hangout. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Don't Jump, George" | Joel Zwick | Stu Silver | December 23, 1983 (1983-12-23) | 009 |
| Katherine is too obsessed with winning when she appears on a game show. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "George, the Patient in Spite of Himself" | Joel Zwick | Greg Antonacci | January 6, 1984 (1984-01-06) | 014 |
| Webster has to have his tonsils out, so he tries to be tough just like George. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "Maybe Baby" | Joel Zwick | Roger Garrett | January 13, 1984 (1984-01-13) | 016 |
| Webster wants a baby brother or sister so he goes to George and Katherine and asks them for one. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Missing" | Joel Zwick | Judy Pioli | January 20, 1984 (1984-01-20) | 015 |
| George and Katherine both forget to pick Webster up from school, so he goes with a friend and his parents, leaving a panicking George and Katherine not knowing if something happened to him. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "Secrets of the Night" | Joel Zwick | David Lerner & Bruce Ferber | January 27, 1984 (1984-01-27) | 017 |
| Webster is always nervous and it's resulted with him having a bed-wetting problem. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Special Friends" | Joel Zwick | Diane Messina & Lou Messina | February 3, 1984 (1984-02-03) | 018 |
|
Webster makes a friend when a boy needs a sponsor for the Special Olympics. Special Guest Star: JoJo Starbuck | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "Uncle Phillip" | William P. D'Angelo | Steven Sunshine & Madeline Sunshine | February 24, 1984 (1984-02-24) | 019 |
| After previously appearing as himself in "That's Entertainment", Ben Vereen begins a recurring role as Webster's shady uncle, Phillip. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "More Than a Memory" | Joel Zwick | Fred Fox, Jr. | March 2, 1984 (1984-03-02) | 021 |
| Jerry, Katherine's secretary, quits on account of helping Webster run for class president. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "Dreamland" | Joel Zwick | Bruce Ferber & David Lerner | March 9, 1984 (1984-03-09) | 022 |
|
Webster gets nightmares because the teacher he has a crush on wants to read his composition aloud. Last episode of season one to be produced. | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "Webster Long: Part 1" | Joel Zwick | Steven Sunshine & Madeline Sunshine | May 4, 1984 (1984-05-04) | 020 |
|
Webster's Uncle Phillip, his last surviving relative, comes up to the apartment to take Webster to live with him. The Papadapolises do not think that Uncle Phil can take care of Webster the way they can, so Uncle Phil threatens to take them to court for custody. The opening credits change. | ||||||
Season 2 (1984–85)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 1 | "Webster Long: Part 2" | Joel Zwick | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | September 21, 1984 (1984-09-21) | 023 |
|
Uncle Phil and the Papadapolises all go to court to battle for custody of Webster. Guests James Avery and Ben Vereen can also be seen together in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse". | ||||||
| 24 | 2 | "Webster Long: Part 3" | Joel Zwick | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | September 28, 1984 (1984-09-28) | 024 |
| After losing the court case, Uncle Phil decides to run away to Atlanta, Georgia without consulting George and Katherine. | ||||||
| 25 | 3 | "The Great Walnutto" | Joel Zwick | Mark Masouka | October 12, 1984 (1984-10-12) | 025 |
| Webster helps the school janitor go back to being a magician. | ||||||
| 26 | 4 | "Knock, Knock" | Joel Zwick | Bruce Ferber & David Lerner | October 19, 1984 (1984-10-19) | 026 |
| Webster and his female friend are caught looking at each other naked. Katherine has a tough time trying to explain that they were only curious when she talks to the friend's mother. | ||||||
| 27 | 5 | "Burn Out" | Joel Zwick | Judy Pioli | October 26, 1984 (1984-10-26) | 027 |
|
Webster gets congratulated when he saves George and Katherine from the apartment's fire. Little do they know that Webster actually caused the fire by playing with a chemistry set that he was not supposed to play with. This was the last episode in the apartment. | ||||||
| 28 | 6 | "Moving On" | Joel Zwick | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | November 2, 1984 (1984-11-02) | 030 |
| Mystery and wonder describe the new home George and Katherine are going to rent: a Victorian house replete with secret walls, openings, and more. Also, Webster, Katherine, and George all want to know why the owners don't want anybody to go near their runaway daughter's room. | ||||||
| 29 | 7 | "You Can't Go Home Again" | Joel Zwick | Lee H. Grant | November 9, 1984 (1984-11-09) | 033 |
| George is called upon to help a losing football team, just when he is about to retire. | ||||||
| 30 | 8 | "Thanksgiving Show" | Joel Zwick | Mark Masouka | November 16, 1984 (1984-11-16) | 031 |
| Webster, George, and Katherine are all trying to have a peaceful Thanksgiving. But things don't turn out the way they plan when George's aggressive father and Katherine's snobby mother arrive for Thanksgiving dinner. | ||||||
| 31 | 9 | "God Bless the Child" | Joel Zwick | Bruce Ferber & David Lerner | November 23, 1984 (1984-11-23) | 029 |
| Webster gets angry at God when he realizes that God took his mommy and daddy away. | ||||||
| 32 | 10 | "Too Much Class" | Joel Zwick | Daryl Nickens | November 30, 1984 (1984-11-30) | 034 |
| After Webster transfers to an advanced learning class, his grades start to slip. | ||||||
| 33 | 11 | "To Tell the Truth" | Joel Zwick | Bruce Ferber & David Lerner | December 7, 1984 (1984-12-07) | 036 |
| Katherine is extremely embarrassed when Webster announces that she was once under the care of a psychiatrist. | ||||||
| 34 | 12 | "Katherine Fights City Hall" | Joel Zwick | Arnold Kane | December 14, 1984 (1984-12-14) | 028 |
|
The Papadapolises and Webster try to save the Tracadero diner from being demolished. First episode taped in the new house, but the seventh aired. | ||||||
| 35 | 13 | "It's a Dog's Life" | Joel Zwick | Mark Masouka | January 4, 1985 (1985-01-04) | 035 |
| George and Katherine will not let Webster get a dog, so he tries to con Uncle Phil into getting him one without telling George and Katherine. | ||||||
| 36 | 14 | "Runaway" | Joel Zwick | Steven Sunshine & Madeline Sunshine | January 11, 1985 (1985-01-11) | 037 |
| After she ran away seven years ago, Bill and Cassie's daughter returns to her parents. | ||||||
| 37 | 15 | "Keep on Truckin', Papa" | Joel Zwick | Mark Masouka | January 18, 1985 (1985-01-18) | 039 |
| George and Katherine find a job for George's visiting father....a truck driver. | ||||||
| 38 | 16 | "The Uh-Oh Feeling" | Joel Zwick | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | January 25, 1985 (1985-01-25) | 032 |
| Webster, on his way back to the classroom, overhears his friend Beth (Alison Sweeney) getting molested by a substitute teacher. After driving the information out of her, he tries to convince her to tell an adult, particularly her mother (Meredith MacRae). | ||||||
| 39 | 17 | "Strike Up the Band" | Joel Zwick | Ross Brown | February 1, 1985 (1985-02-01) | 038 |
| Webster meets Diahann Carroll, who is at Webster's school to raise money to bring musical instruments to the school district. | ||||||
| 40 | 18 | "In the Family Way: Part 1" | Joel Zwick | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | February 8, 1985 (1985-02-08) | 040 |
| Katherine has been acting strange around George and Webster and they both find out that she is pregnant. | ||||||
| 41 | 19 | "In the Family Way: Part 2" | Joel Zwick | Joel Zwick | February 15, 1985 (1985-02-15) | 041 |
| Katherine thinks about life with another baby and then examines the possibility of abortion. | ||||||
| 42 | 20 | "What is Art?" | Joel Zwick | Lee H. Grant | February 22, 1985 (1985-02-22) | 042 |
| Webster makes a mistake by accidentally recycling Uncle Phil's tin can sculpture. | ||||||
| 43 | 21 | "Best of Friends" | Joel Zwick | Jim Mulligan | March 15, 1985 (1985-03-15) | 043 |
| Webster isn't speaking to his best friend David, and George hopes if he apologizes to his friend Bill (with whom he also had a disagreement during a board game), that Webster will make up with his friend too. | ||||||
| 44 | 22 | "It's Academic" | Joel Zwick | Bruce Ferber & David Lerner | March 22, 1985 (1985-03-22) | 044 |
| Katherine develops a desire for a visiting college professor. | ||||||
| 45 | 23 | "Be It Ever So Humble" | Joel Zwick | Daryl Nickens | March 29, 1985 (1985-03-29) | 045 |
| Bill keeps playing pranks on George, and it gets to the point where they are at odds. | ||||||
| 46 | 24 | "The Best Thing I Can Be" | Joel Zwick | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | April 5, 1985 (1985-04-05) | 046 |
| After going to an amusement park, Webster is deeply upset on account of his height. | ||||||
| 47 | 25 | "Blast from the Past: Part 1" | Peter Baldwin | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | February 24, 1987 (1987-02-24) | 047 |
|
Webster gets trapped in a secret room that appears to have no way out. Meanwhile, the gang reminisces through flashbacks to old episodes. This episode did not air until ABC Daytime and syndication. | ||||||
| 48 | 26 | "Blast from the Past: Part 2" | Peter Baldwin | Madeline Sunshine & Steven Sunshine | February 25, 1987 (1987-02-25) | 048 |
|
As the gang are still reminiscing from past shows, they realize that they haven't seen Webster around the house and they start to get worried, not knowing that he is still in the secret room. This episode did not air until ABC Daytime and syndication. | ||||||
Season 3 (1985–86)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 50 | 1 2 | "How the West Was Once" | Joel Zwick | Bruce Johnson, Dave Hackel, April Kelly & William P. D'Angelo | September 20, 1985 (1985-09-20) | 049-050 |
|
Part 1: The Papadapolises visit Lizard Flatz, Arizona and encounter Dusty, a man with interesting stories, a ranch, and Moonhunter, a horse that seems to be a legend, but ends up a reality after saving Webster from a rattlesnake. Moonhunter is caught by some greedy no-gooders, and Webster is almost killed. Part 2: George wants to live on the ranch, and Webster wants to save Moonhunter and set him free, but after all the excitement, they decide to head back to Chicago. This two-parter originally aired as a one-hour episode. It was broken into two parts and edited for ABC Daytime and syndication. | ||||||
| 51 | 3 | "And Baby Makes Breakfast" | Joel Zwick | Ann L. Gibbs & Joel Kimmel | September 27, 1985 (1985-09-27) | 051 |
| For a class project, Webster gets married and ends up with a bunch of problems with himself and his snotty, controlling "wife". | ||||||
| 52 | 4 | "Big Problems" | Joel Zwick | April Kelly | October 4, 1985 (1985-10-04) | 052 |
| Webster's friend Rob is upset because he feels that he is too tall. | ||||||
| 53 | 5 | "Alien" | Joel Zwick | Dave Hackel | October 11, 1985 (1985-10-11) | 056 |
| Webster's friend Rob picks up a tabloid and asks him some questions from it. Based on his responses, the tabloid states that Webster is an alien from Jupiter, and he starts to believe it. | ||||||
| 54 | 6 | "Parent Trap" | Joel Zwick | Ken Kuta | October 18, 1985 (1985-10-18) | 055 |
| As a lesson in teaching Webster responsibility, George and Katherine switch roles to where they are the kids, and Webster is the parent. | ||||||
| 55 | 7 | "Good Grief" | Joel Zwick | April Kelly | October 25, 1985 (1985-10-25) | 061 |
| Katherine is very upset when she finds out that her mother has died. | ||||||
| 56 | 8 | "One More Shot" | Joel Zwick | Ken Kuta | November 1, 1985 (1985-11-01) | 053 |
| George takes Webster to a New York Knicks game and introduces him to Patrick Ewing. | ||||||
| 57 | 9 | "Great Expectations: Part 1" | Joel Zwick | Ann L. Gibbs & Joel Kimmel | November 8, 1985 (1985-11-08) | 057 |
| Webster goes to Hollywood with Uncle Phil and his girlfriend. Matters turn worse after Uncle Phil's girlfriend cheats with Phil's producer. Meanwhile, Katherine gets sick while she and George are on their second honeymoon. | ||||||
| 58 | 10 | "Great Expectations: Part 2" | Joel Zwick | Joel Kimmel & Ann L. Gibbs | November 15, 1985 (1985-11-15) | 058 |
| After cheating on Phil, the producer gives Phil's part to his now ex-girlfriend, which leaves Phil fired. Meanwhile, at George and Katherine's second honeymoon the power and heat go off. | ||||||
| 59 | 11 | "Who's to Blame" | Joel Zwick | Gene Braunstein & Bob Perlow | November 22, 1985 (1985-11-22) | 060 |
| Robbers break into the house while Webster is home alone and he has to know how to act. | ||||||
| 60 | 12 | "Chained" | Shelley Jensen | April Kelly | November 29, 1985 (1985-11-29) | 062 |
| Webster gets a chain letter. George throws it away and things mysteriously go wrong: Webster does bad on his test, there is a spider, and Papa Papadapolis falls down the stairs. | ||||||
| 61 | 13 | "The Triangle" | Joel Zwick | Judy Pioli | December 6, 1985 (1985-12-06) | 054 |
| Webster takes a picture and shows it to Katherine, who then starts to think that a neighbor is having an affair. | ||||||
| 62 | 14 | "The Truth Hurts" | Shelley Jensen | Daryl G. Nickens & Mike Scott | December 13, 1985 (1985-12-13) | 063 |
| Webster makes Katherine a dress for her birthday. She says that she likes it, but avoids wearing it when she is asked to put it on when they go out. She then tells Webster how she really feels about her gift. | ||||||
| 63 | 15 | "Hello, I Must be Going" | Joel Zwick | Mike Scott & Daryl G. Nickens | January 10, 1986 (1986-01-10) | 059 |
| Webster tries to set up Katherine's Aunt Charlotte and Papa Papadapolis. | ||||||
| 64 | 16 | "That's Rich" | Joel Zwick | Ken Kuta | January 17, 1986 (1986-01-17) | 064 |
| Webster learns that you can be rich without having a lot of money after he gets struck with lottery fever. | ||||||
| 65 | 17 | "TV or Not TV" | Joel Zwick | April Kelly & Dave Hackel | January 24, 1986 (1986-01-24) | 065 |
| When George is assigned to children's sports after a popular segment on Webster's hockey team, he worries his career will be damaged. | ||||||
| 66 | 18 | "Borrowed Time" | Joel Zwick | Judy Pioli | January 31, 1986 (1986-01-31) | 066 |
| Rob's dad kidnaps him, and Webster attempts to rally up support to try to find him. | ||||||
| 67 | 19 | "A Friend in Need" | Shelley Jensen | Ann L. Gibbs & Joel Kimmel | February 7, 1986 (1986-02-07) | 068 |
| Jerry dresses up like a clown and takes Webster to the leukemia ward at the children's hospital, where he makes a new friend and realizes how lucky he is to be healthy. | ||||||
| 68 | 20 | "Love Papadapolis Style" | Joel Zwick | Dave Hackel | February 14, 1986 (1986-02-14) | 067 |
|
Webster falls in love with a girl on Valentine's Day and he thinks she's taken, but he tries to ask her out to a Valentine's party anyway. Title is a play on the TV show Love, American Style, another ABC sitcom that was produced by Paramount Television. | ||||||
| 69 | 21 | "Almost Home" | Joel Zwick | Steven Sunshine & Madeline Sunshine | February 21, 1986 (1986-02-21) | 069 |
|
Webster visits his Uncle Jack, who runs a foster home with a woman, but a conflict may force him to quit the home. This was intended to be the pilot for a spin-off series. | ||||||
| 70 | 22 | "Farewell to Arms" | Joel Zwick | Bob Perlow & Gene Braunstein | March 7, 1986 (1986-03-07) | 070 |
| Webster asks for permission to buy a BB gun and, after getting one, accidentally kills a bird. He takes on the responsibility of raising the bird's babies. | ||||||
| 71 | 23 | "There Goes the Bride" | Joel Zwick | Daryl G. Nickens & Mike Scott | March 14, 1986 (1986-03-14) | 071 |
| Katherine's aunt is getting married, and George and Katherine decide to reenact their wedding vows. | ||||||
| 72 | 24 | "Gotcha" | Art Dielhenn | Lee H. Grant | March 28, 1986 (1986-03-28) | 072 |
| Webster and Katherine hatch a scheme to try and rid a habit that George has. | ||||||
| 73 | 25 | "My Family's Honor" | Gerren Keith | Janette Kotichas Burleigh & Teena M. Heim | May 2, 1986 (1986-05-02) | 075 |
| Webster and Katherine both end up cheating on some school-related projects at the same time. | ||||||
| 74 | 26 | "Special Delivery" | Art Dielhenn | Judy Pioli | June 4, 1987 (1987-06-04) | 073 |
|
George and Katherine both hire a maid who happens to be pregnant and goes into labor. This episode did not air until ABC Daytime and syndication. | ||||||
| 75 | 27 | "Cuckoo's Nest" | Gerren Keith | Doodles DuBois | January 24, 1988 (1988-01-24) | 074 |
|
Katherine hosts a therapy session at the house. This episode did not air until syndication. This was the only previously unaired episode not to air on ABC Daytime. | ||||||
| 76 | 28 | "Rear View Mirror: Part 1" | Art Dielhenn | Dave Hackel & April Kelly | March 30, 1987 (1987-03-30) | 076 |
|
Webster and Papa Papadapolis reminisce through flashbacks. Then, they find out that George and Katherine are caught in a hurricane. This episode did not air until ABC Daytime and syndication. | ||||||
| 77 | 29 | "Rear View Mirror: Part 2" | Art Dielhenn | Dave Hackel & April Kelly | March 31, 1987 (1987-03-31) | 077 |
|
As they continue to reminisce, Webster, Papa Papadapolis and Jerry receive news that George and Katherine have both survived the hurricane. This episode did not air until ABC Daytime and syndication. | ||||||
Season 4 (1986–87)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 1 | "McGruff" | Art Dielhenn | Bob Brunner & Ken Hecht | September 19, 1986 (1986-09-19) | 078 |
| Webster starts buying his lunch, and the school bully keeps taking Webster's money. George and Katherine attempt to end the extortion through a class presentation with a police officer in a dog costume. | ||||||
| 79 | 2 | "The Landlords" | Art Dielhenn | Ken Hecht & Bob Brunner | September 26, 1986 (1986-09-26) | 079 |
| The Papadapolis family rents a room to a man after Cassie and Bill have officially moved out, not knowing that he is a clown. | ||||||
| 80 | 3 | "The Derby" | Mel Ferber | Nancy Steen & Neil Thompson | October 3, 1986 (1986-10-03) | 080 |
| George is so obsessed with Webster winning a derby, that he builds the car without him, hurting his feelings since Webster wanted to build the car together. | ||||||
| 81 | 4 | "A Run for the Money" | Art Dielhenn | Jane Gould & Shelly Landau | October 17, 1986 (1986-10-17) | 084 |
| Katherine decides to run a 6-mile marathon for a fundraiser, but a can of tomato juice falls on her foot, so Webster takes on the challenge himself. | ||||||
| 82 | 5 | "Read It and Weep" | Dick Martin | Fred Rubin | October 24, 1986 (1986-10-24) | 082 |
| The family learns that Papa Papadapolis is illiterate, and he is greatly ashamed of it. To try to ease the tension, George and Katherine enroll him in a class, after some manipulation and persuasion. | ||||||
| 83 | 6 | "Witchbusters" | Lee Bernhardi | Jane Gould & Shelly Landau | October 31, 1986 (1986-10-31) | 085 |
| Webster discovers that a new neighbor who is rumored to be a witch whose house he and a friend break into is really lonely and needs someone to care for her. | ||||||
| 84 | 7 | "The Tribute" | Lee Bernhardi | Neil Thompson & Nancy Steen | November 7, 1986 (1986-11-07) | 088 |
| Webster talks about his late father when the school staff is looking to name the campus after a famous sports hero. Ron Reagan guest-stars. | ||||||
| 85 | 8 | "Kiss Me, Kate" | Lee Bernhardi | Barry Rubinowitz | November 14, 1986 (1986-11-14) | 086 |
| A former teammate of George's makes a pass at Katherine, and Webster witnesses it. | ||||||
| 86 | 9 | "Play Ball" | Art Dielhenn | Kenny Rich | November 21, 1986 (1986-11-21) | 087 |
| Katherine coaches Webster's baseball team and assigns him to right field, but he has his heart set on pitching. | ||||||
| 87 | 10 | "The Big Sleepover" | Lee Bernhardi | Shelly Landau & Jane Gould | December 5, 1986 (1986-12-05) | 081 |
| Webster invites a girl (Caryn Ward) over for a sleepover. | ||||||
| 88 | 11 | "The Man in the Red Flannel Suit" | Lee Bernhardi | Barry Gold | December 12, 1986 (1986-12-12) | 090 |
| Supposed to be Santa Claus for a Christmas parade, George loses his part and is upset about it. | ||||||
| 89 | 12 | "Secrets" | Lee Bernhardi | Robert Jayson & A. Dudley Johnson, Jr. | January 9, 1987 (1987-01-09) | 091 |
| George gets angry after finding out that the son (Brandon Call) of his new station manager (David Ruprecht) is bullying Webster. | ||||||
| 90 | 13 | "Leave It to Diva" | Lee Bernhardi | John B. Collins | January 16, 1987 (1987-01-16) | 094 |
| George and Katherine have different ideas on how to celebrate Webster's birthday: George wants to take him to a professional wrestling match, and Katherine wants to take him to an opera. Julia Migenes guest-stars. | ||||||
| 91 | 14 | "A Test of Characters" | Barbara Schultz | Story by : Paul Lander & Susan Kessler Teleplay by : Janna Lowell | January 23, 1987 (1987-01-23) | 089 |
| A teacher takes credit for Webster's winning photograph. | ||||||
| 92 | 15 | "Freedom of the Press" | Lee Bernhardi | Barry Gold | January 30, 1987 (1987-01-30) | 095 |
| Webster writes stories about teachers' love lives in the school paper, but the information puts Katherine's teaching job at risk because it is gossip which Webster overhears from another boy. | ||||||
| 93 | 16 | "Honor Thy Grandfather" | Lee Bernhardi | Ken Kuta | February 6, 1987 (1987-02-06) | 093 |
| When children make fun of Papa Papadapolis at the community center, Webster gets fed up and decided to bail on an upcoming banquet there to save face. | ||||||
| 94 | 17 | "Seeing It Through" | Art Dielhenn | Robert Jayson & A. Dudley Johnson, Jr. | February 13, 1987 (1987-02-13) | 083 |
|
Webster gets a job walking neighborhood dogs, and Katherine tries to fix things around the house. This episode is also known as "It's a Dog-Eat-Dog World". | ||||||
| 95 | 18 | "Our Song" | Lee Bernhardi | Neil Thompson & Nancy Steen | February 20, 1987 (1987-02-20) | 098 |
|
Webster and Jerry both invite the Four Tops to perform at George and Katherine's anniversary party. The first of three appearances in the series by the Four Tops, followed by "The Four Tops: The Sequel" in season 5 and "Thanksgiving with the Four Tops" in season 6. | ||||||
| 96 | 19 | "The K.O. Kid" | Lee Bernhardi | Sylvia Allen & Susan Lee | February 27, 1987 (1987-02-27) | 092 |
| Webster gets an autograph from Mike Tyson on a pair of boxing gloves, but the autograph accidentally gets wiped off. | ||||||
| 97 | 20 | "Games People Play" | Lee Bernhardi | Fred Rubin | March 6, 1987 (1987-03-06) | 096 |
| Trouble starts to brew when a girl suggests a kissing game at Webster's party. | ||||||
| 98 | 21 | "Katherine the Brave" | Lee Bernhardi | Robert Jayson & A. Dudley Johnson, Jr. | March 20, 1987 (1987-03-20) | 097 |
| Webster is pressured by his friends to fire Katherine from being their Junior Troops leader. | ||||||
| 99 | 22 | "The A++ Parents" | Lee Bernhardi | Shelly Landau & Jane Gould | March 27, 1987 (1987-03-27) | 099 |
| Webster writes an essay praising and appreciating the love and leadership that George and Katherine have given him throughout the years, until he feels guilty he doesn't rather write about his birth parents. | ||||||
| 100 | 23 | "What Price Friendship?" | Lee Bernhardi | Brad Isaacs | May 8, 1987 (1987-05-08) | 100 |
|
Two of Webster's friends hurt him and take his hard-earned money. Final episode to be aired on (and produced for) ABC. | ||||||
Season 5 (1987–88)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | 1 | "San Francisco: Part 1" | Lee Bernhardi | Brad Isaacs | September 21, 1987 (1987-09-21) | 101 |
| Webster helps an old man who wants to be reunited with his jazz band in San Francisco. | ||||||
| 102 | 2 | "San Francisco: Part 2" | Lee Bernhardi | Bob Brunner & Ken Hecht | September 28, 1987 (1987-09-28) | 102 |
|
Katherine is accused of extorting Henry's savings after he disappears. Includes the first of Al Fann's two unrelated roles on Webster. He can also be seen in the season 6 episode "Heaven". | ||||||
| 103 | 3 | "San Francisco: Part 3" | Lee Bernhardi | Story by : Brad Isaacs Teleplay by : Bob Brunner & Ken Hecht | October 5, 1987 (1987-10-05) | 103 |
| Katherine is bailed out of jail in time to catch Henry's comeback performance. | ||||||
| 104 | 4 | "Hello, Nicky" | Lee Bernhardi | Sally Rogers & Buddy Sorrell | October 12, 1987 (1987-10-12) | 104 |
| George's nephew Nicky (Corin Nemec) is not too crazy about moving to Nigeria with his family. | ||||||
| 105 | 5 | "Grab Bag" | Lee Bernhardi | Susan Hunter & Liz Martin | October 19, 1987 (1987-10-19) | 105 |
| Katherine's purse is stolen, prompting Webster to create a crime prevention program. | ||||||
| 106 | 6 | "Breaking Away" | Lee Bernhardi | Barry Gold | October 26, 1987 (1987-10-26) | 109 |
| George's fishing plans get in the way of Webster's original plans. | ||||||
| 107 | 7 | "The Strike" | Lee Bernhardi | Marley Sims & Elyce Wakerman | November 2, 1987 (1987-11-02) | 106 |
| George does not approve of the way Webster's teacher teaches. | ||||||
| 108 | 8 | "George's Brush with Life" | Lee Bernhardi | Fred Rubin | November 9, 1987 (1987-11-09) | 107 |
| George begins to think about his own life upon learning all of his old school friends are dead. | ||||||
| 109 | 9 | "The Importance of Being Worthy" | Lee Bernhardi | Fred Rubin | November 16, 1987 (1987-11-16) | 108 |
| Webster is upset when funds raised for sports equipment are stolen. | ||||||
| 110 | 10 | "A Hell of a Weekend" | Lee Bernhardi | Shelly Landau & Jane Gould | November 30, 1987 (1987-11-30) | 110 |
| On a weekend trip, George and Katherine's hosts literally reveal themselves as nudists on a relaxing getaway. | ||||||
| 111 | 11 | "Katherine, the Greek" | Lee Bernhardi | Paul Lander | December 7, 1987 (1987-12-07) | 111 |
| Katherine proves surprisingly good at picking football winners when a struggling George asks for her help. | ||||||
| 112 | 12 | "Simple Gifts" | Lee Bernhardi | Brad Isaacs | December 14, 1987 (1987-12-14) | 113 |
| Katherine disapproves of the overly expensive gifts her wealthy uncle chooses to give the family. | ||||||
| 113 | 13 | "The Four Tops: The Sequel" | Lee Bernhardi | Neil Thompson & Nancy Steen | January 4, 1988 (1988-01-04) | 112 |
| The Four Tops visit their pal Webster. | ||||||
| 114 | 14 | "Nerds Are People, Too" | Lee Bernhardi | Robert Jayson & A. Dudley Johnson, Jr. | January 11, 1988 (1988-01-11) | 114 |
| After finding out that a bunch of nerds are in the same school group Webster just joined, he starts to have second thoughts. | ||||||
| 115 | 15 | "Taming of the Stew" | Lee Bernhardi | James Belcher & Mary Lynn Kaitiss | January 18, 1988 (1988-01-18) | 115 |
|
When Katherine demonstrates some of her cooking 'skills' on television, George and Webster try to prevent trouble from brewing. Includes the first of Steve Vinovich's two unrelated appearances on Webster. He can also be seen in the season 6 episode "The Chelsea Cat". | ||||||
| 116 | 16 | "The Couch Potato Must Die" | Lee Bernhardi | Shelly Landau & Jane Gould | January 25, 1988 (1988-01-25) | 116 |
| The family takes care of Jerry after he sprains his ankle, and they find out that he's no picnic to wait on, especially given a very big surprise. | ||||||
| 117 | 17 | "The Cruise" | Lee Bernhardi | Susan Hunter & Liz Martin | February 1, 1988 (1988-02-01) | 117 |
| Katherine and George look back at the time they first met after Webster is assigned a project about famous lovers. | ||||||
| 118 | 18 | "Dial K for Katherine" | Lee Bernhardi | Marley Sims & Elyse Wakerman | February 8, 1988 (1988-02-08) | 118 |
| Katherine is frightened when a ex-prisoner she testified against leaves a message on the Papadapolis's answering machine. | ||||||
| 119 | 19 | "Homecoming" | Lee Bernhardi | Robert Jayson & A. Dudley Johnson, Jr. | February 15, 1988 (1988-02-15) | 119 |
| George discovers two boys on Nicky's football team shouldn't be playing for them. | ||||||
| 120 | 20 | "Basketball Blues" | Lee Bernhardi | Stephen Langford | February 22, 1988 (1988-02-22) | 120 |
| George encounters a promising basketball player, but he must help him deal with a cocaine addiction. | ||||||
| 121 | 21 | "Love Letters" | Lee Bernhardi | Sylvia Alan & Susan H. Lee | March 14, 1988 (1988-03-14) | 121 |
| Webster plays matchmaker to a romance-seeking Nicky. | ||||||
| 122 | 22 | "The Talk Show" | Lee Bernhardi | Robert Jayson & A. Dudley Johnson, Jr. | March 21, 1988 (1988-03-21) | 122 |
| Katherine's jealousy over George's successful Love in the Afternoon talk show—which he co-hosts with a sexy woman—makes Webster worry divorce may be in their future. | ||||||
| 123 | 23 | "Parental Guidance Suggested" | Lee Bernhardi | Fred Rubin | March 28, 1988 (1988-03-28) | 123 |
| Wanting to see George's cameo in a movie he's been forbidden to see, Webster sneaks into a showing, but soon regrets his decision. | ||||||
| 124 | 24 | "Rub-A-Dub-Dub" | Lee Bernhardi | Neil Thompson & Nancy Steen | April 4, 1988 (1988-04-04) | 124 |
| The family wins a spa from a shady dealer who tricks George into endorsing his product. | ||||||
| 125 | 25 | "See George Run" | Lee Bernhardi | Susan Hunter & Liz Martin | April 11, 1988 (1988-04-11) | 125 |
| George is perplexed when he mysteriously loses an endorsement as a candidate for the Board of Education. | ||||||
Season 6 (1988–89)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 126 | 1 | "The Wild, Wild, Webster" | Lee Bernhardi | Shelly Landau & Jane Gould | September 9, 1988 (1988-09-09) | 132 |
| After being bullied around, Webster fantasizes that he is in the Wild West to take care of his bully. | ||||||
| 127 | 2 | "The Painting" | Lee Bernhardi | Marley Sims & Elyce Wakerman | September 16, 1988 (1988-09-16) | 128 |
| Katherine is appalled when she sees a nude portrait of her in an art gallery, especially since she never posed that way. | ||||||
| 128 | 3 | "The Quiz Show" | Lee Bernhardi | Nancy Steen & Neil Thompson | September 23, 1988 (1988-09-23) | 127 |
| Webster and his classmates appear on a TV game show. | ||||||
| 129 | 4 | "Papa's Big Romance" | Lee Bernhardi | Susan H. Lee | September 30, 1988 (1988-09-30) | 126 |
| The family supports Papa's techniques with a belly dance instructor. | ||||||
| 130 | 5 | "The Election" | Lee Bernhardi | Robert Jayson & A. Dudley Johnson, Jr. | October 7, 1988 (1988-10-07) | 134 |
| Webster is in charge of campaigning for a class presidential candidate. | ||||||
| 131 | 6 | "Sale Away" | Lee Bernhardi | Shelly Landau & Jane Gould | October 14, 1988 (1988-10-14) | 129 |
| While gathering things for a garage sale, the family reminisces. | ||||||
| 132 | 7 | "The Crush" | Lee Bernhardi | Simon Munteer | October 21, 1988 (1988-10-21) | 130 |
| Katherine gives dating advice to a teenager who wants to date an older woman, but she is in for a surprise when the older woman is her. | ||||||
| 133 | 8 | "The Chelsea Cat" | Lee Bernhardi | Simon Munteer | October 28, 1988 (1988-10-28) | 137 |
| George and Katherine find out that their friend Chelsea is a cat burglar. | ||||||
| 134 | 9 | "Take My Cousin, Please" | Lee Bernhardi | Jane Gould & Shelly Landau | November 4, 1988 (1988-11-04) | 135 |
| Webster's rich aunt plans on adopting a boy, but Webster thinks that he's just interested in her money. | ||||||
| 135 | 10 | "Heaven" | Unknown | Unknown | November 11, 1988 (1988-11-11) | 131 |
| Webster is upset when his turtle dies. He then gets even more upset after a friend tells him that the turtle will not be in heaven for him. | ||||||
| 136 | 11 | "The Web-touchables: Part 1" | Unknown | Unknown | November 18, 1988 (1988-11-18) | 139 |
| Webster daydreams that he's in a 1920s-set musical, with him after a root-beer racketeer. | ||||||
| 137 | 12 | "The Web-touchables: Part 2" | Unknown | Unknown | November 25, 1988 (1988-11-25) | 140 |
| While his daydream continues, Webster finds that he was set up by a gangster and moves in on the culprit. | ||||||
| 138 | 13 | "Rich Man, Poor Man" | Unknown | Unknown | December 2, 1988 (1988-12-02) | 133 |
| When Katherine's rich uncle falls in love with the leading lady of a theatrical performance (Susan Blanchard), Webster and Katherine's debuts are in danger. | ||||||
| 139 | 14 | "Doing Time at the Community Center" | Unknown | Unknown | December 9, 1988 (1988-12-09) | 136 |
| Webster encounters a convicted gambler undergoing rehabilitation, but he has an influence on Webster. | ||||||
| 140 | 15 | "Bowled Over" | Unknown | Unknown | December 16, 1988 (1988-12-16) | 143 |
| Not realizing what terrible people its sponsors are, Katherine joins a bowling league in hopes of getting them to help a program of hers. | ||||||
| 141 | 16 | "Thanksgiving with the Four Tops" | Unknown | Unknown | January 6, 1989 (1989-01-06) | 138 |
|
The Four Tops, who are friends of George, are invited for Thanksgiving after snow strands them away from home. This episode is also known as "Pass the Potatoes, Obie". | ||||||
| 142 | 17 | "Here Come the Jets" | Unknown | Unknown | January 13, 1989 (1989-01-13) | 146 |
| Katherine is so determined to get Webster tickets to a sold-out concert by The Jets that she soon finds herself on the wrong side of the law. | ||||||
| 143 | 18 | "A Camping We Will Go" | Unknown | Unknown | January 20, 1989 (1989-01-20) | 141 |
| To try and spice up their romance and bring back their youth, George and Katherine go camping together. | ||||||
| 144 | 19 | "Ticket to Ride" | Unknown | Unknown | January 27, 1989 (1989-01-27) | 144 |
| Webster gets a brand new bike, but ends up getting a ticket from a cop. | ||||||
| 145 | 20 | "The Science Project" | Unknown | Unknown | February 3, 1989 (1989-02-03) | 145 |
| Webster's very smart friend gets depressed because her science project didn't come in as number one. | ||||||
| 146 | 21 | "The Gospel Truth" | Unknown | Unknown | February 10, 1989 (1989-02-10) | 148 |
| Webster arranges for a gospel group, thinking that it is a rock group, to perform at a party. | ||||||
| 147 | 22 | "They Don't Shoot Horses, Do They?" | Unknown | Unknown | February 17, 1989 (1989-02-17) | 142 |
| Webster tries to save the life of a racehorse marked for death because it can't compete anymore. | ||||||
| 148 | 23 | "The Visitor" | Lee Bernhardi | Jeffrey Bender & Bailey Williams | February 24, 1989 (1989-02-24) | 147 |
| Webster's pen pal, an adult butler from England, visits to meet Webster in person. | ||||||
| 149 | 24 | "Flood of Memories: The Final Chapter" | Unknown | Unknown | March 3, 1989 (1989-03-03) | 149 |
| A flood hits the basement and everyone realizes that most of the contents are pretty much ruined, including family mementos that bring back memories. | ||||||
| 150 | 25 | "Webtrek" | Lee Bernhardi | Sylvia Alan | March 10, 1989 (1989-03-10) | 150 |
|
Webster's video game transports him to a daydream in which he find himself on board the Enterprise from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Special Guest Star: Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf | ||||||
References
- Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 1493. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
External links
- tv.com episode guide
- SitcomsOnline episode guide
- CBS Syndication bible information for the show: Includes all episodes listed by production order