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Charles in Charge is an American situation comedy television series created by Michael Jacobs and Barbara Weisberg. Charles in Charge follows Charles (Scott Baio), a college student working as a live-in babysitter. In the first season, Charles worked for the Pembroke family. In the second season, the Pembrokes sublet their house to the Powell family, for whom Charles then worked in the remaining seasons.
It premiered on October 3, 1984 and ended on November 10, 1990, with a total of 126 episodes over the course of five seasons. The first season originally aired on CBS from 1984 to 1985 and the remaining seasons originally aired in syndication from 1987 to 1990. All five seasons are available on DVD.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | |||
| 1 | 22 | October 3, 1984 (1984-10-03) | April 3, 1985 (1985-04-03) | CBS | |
| 2 | 26 | January 3, 1987 (1987-01-03) | June 27, 1987 (1987-06-27) | Syndication | |
| 3 | 26 | December 26, 1987 (1987-12-26) | June 18, 1988 (1988-06-18) | ||
| 4 | 26 | December 31, 1988 (1988-12-31) | November 18, 1989 (1989-11-18) | ||
| 5 | 26 | December 30, 1989 (1989-12-30) | November 10, 1990 (1990-11-10) | ||
Episodes
Season 1 (1984–85)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Alan Rafkin | Michael Jacobs | October 3, 1984 (1984-10-03) | 83510 |
| Charles has a date with Gwendolyn Pierce on the same night he has to watch the Pembroke children. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Extracurricular Activity" | Tony Singletary | Michael Jacobs | October 10, 1984 (1984-10-10) | 59302 |
| When Charles encourages the Pembroke siblings to find and join clubs at school, Lila establishes herself as a top candidate for the worst cheerleader in history. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Another Saturday Night" | Tony Singletary | Michael Jacobs | October 17, 1984 (1984-10-17) | 59304 |
| Buddy and Gwendolyn argue over Charles' Saturday night. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "War" | Lee Lochhead | Judy Pioli & Marc Sotkin | October 24, 1984 (1984-10-24) | 59311 |
| Charles shows a young woman, Megan Harper, (Meg Ryan) what it is like to take care of children every day, and kisses her, as well. However, Douglas and Jason declaring war on each other makes thing complex. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Cousin Elliott" | Alan Rafkin | Mike Reiss & Al Jean | November 7, 1984 (1984-11-07) | 59303 |
| The Pembrokes' cousin Elliot (Jerry Levine) arrives, and Charles must keep them out of trouble. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Slumber Party" | Alan Rafkin | Pamela Pettler | November 14, 1984 (1984-11-14) | 59301 |
| Charles wants to escape from women for one night, but Lila has her friends over for a slumber party. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Discipline" | Alan Rafkin | Michael Jacobs | November 21, 1984 (1984-11-21) | 59336 |
| Charles has to go to the school and talk to Douglas' teacher about Douglas' failing grade. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Trick or Treat" | Alan Rafkin | Michael Jacobs | November 28, 1984 (1984-11-28) | 59316 |
| On Halloween, Charles helps Buddy prepare for a date by finding out what she likes. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "A Date with Enid" | Alan Rafkin | Michael Jacobs & Pamela Pettler | December 5, 1984 (1984-12-05) | 59318 |
| Douglas falls in love with Lila's friend, Enid (Mandy Ingber). | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Friends and Lovers" | Alan Rafkin | Judy Pioli & Marc Sotkin | December 12, 1984 (1984-12-12) | 59308 |
| Charles and Gwendolyn decide to see other people, but Charles gets jealous when Gwendolyn makes a date with another man. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Home for the Holidays" | Alan Rafkin | Michael Jacobs | December 19, 1984 (1984-12-19) | 59319 |
| Mr. Pembroke's mother visits the family for Christmas (Rue McClanahan), but she does not like how the children like Charles. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Accidental Puppy" | Alan Rafkin | Judy Pioli & Marc Sotkin | December 26, 1984 (1984-12-26) | 59324 |
| Charles wins two tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert and must decide whether to take Buddy or Gwendolyn. Meanwhile, Jason and Douglas bring home a puppy that they want to keep. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "The Commotion" | Alan Rafkin | George Tibbles | January 2, 1985 (1985-01-02) | 59325 |
| Charles is unable to do his schoolwork because of distractions in the house. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "Mr. President" | Alan Rafkin | Larry Balmagia | January 16, 1985 (1985-01-16) | 59328 |
| Cousin Eliot runs for class president, and Gwendolyn convinces Charles to run against him. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "Jill's Decision" | Alan Rafkin | Judy Pioli & Marc Sotkin | January 23, 1985 (1985-01-23) | 59329 |
| Mrs. Pembroke gets a promotion that means longer hours at work for her and more responsibilities at home for Charles. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Pressure from Grandma" | Alan Rafkin | Marc Sotkin | January 30, 1985 (1985-01-30) | 59327 |
| Grandma Irene visits and offers Charles another job. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "Snowed In" | Alan Rafkin | Jeffrey Ferro & Fredric Weiss | February 6, 1985 (1985-02-06) | 59330 |
| A blizzard traps Charles in the house with the children and a group of Lila's friends. Christina Applegate plays one of Lila's friends. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Charles 'R' Us" | Alan Rafkin | Michael Jacobs | February 13, 1985 (1985-02-13) | 59331 |
| Charles and Buddy start a business to recruit household helpers. Megan Harper (Meg Ryan) reappears as a potential helper. | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "Charles' Spring Break" | Alan Rafkin | Judy Pioli & Marc Sotkin | February 20, 1985 (1985-02-20) | 59332 |
| Everything goes wrong for Charles, Buddy, and Gwendolyn on their trip to Florida for spring break. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "The Wrong Guy" | Alan Rafkin | Jeffrey Ferro & Fredric Weiss | February 27, 1985 (1985-02-27) | 59333 |
| Against her parents' orders, Lila goes out with a boy (Gary Riley) whom Jill and Stan detest...and who proves to be even worse than her dad and mom anticipate. Meanwhile, Douglas is kissed by a girl and wonders how to respond. Matthew Perry guest stars in this episode. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "Mr. Brilliant" | Alan Rafkin | Pamela Pettler | March 13, 1985 (1985-03-13) | 59326 |
| Charles invites Mrs. Pembroke's old friend over for dinner. | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "Meet Grandpa" | Alan Rafkin | Judy Pioli | April 3, 1985 (1985-04-03) | 59334 |
| Grandpa Harry (Dick O'Neill) visits the house unexpectedly. | ||||||
Season 2 (1987)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 1 | "Amityville" | Phil Ramuno | Michael Jacobs | January 3, 1987 (1987-01-03) | 78009 |
| After returning from a trip, Charles finds that the Pembrokes are moving and a new family, the Powells, are living there. Guest stars include Karen Mistal as Heidi, Michael Pearlman as Jason Pembroke, Lisa Donovan as Jill Pembroke, Tammi Caudell as Patti, and Jeff Robie as Sid. | ||||||
| 24 | 2 | "The Naked Truth" | Bob Claver | Seth Weisbond | January 10, 1987 (1987-01-10) | 78001 |
| Charles and Buddy take Adam to their art class, where Professor Wycliffe (Jack Fletcher) mistakes Adam for a young art prodigy; Buddy ends up meeting a girl named Rebecca Stansbury (Signy Coleman) who poses nude for art class. | ||||||
| 25 | 3 | "Feud for Thought" | Phil Ramuno | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | January 17, 1987 (1987-01-17) | 78026 |
| Adam becomes the target of a bully, and Charles tries to help. Guest stars are Lisa Aliff as Gina, Robert Costanzo as Hank Holloway, and Mark Venturini as Herman Holloway. | ||||||
| 26 | 4 | "The Egg and Us" | Bob Claver | Mitzi McCall-Brill & Adrienne Armstrong | January 24, 1987 (1987-01-24) | 78017 |
| Jamie and Sarah take care of eggs for their school project; Walter's old friend Gloria (Betsy Palmer) comes to visit him and Walter finds out she is Buddy's grandmother. | ||||||
| 27 | 5 | "The Loan Arranger" | Bob Claver | Chuck Lorre | January 31, 1987 (1987-01-31) | 78024 |
| Charles must talk to a loan officer named Stanley Willard (Ben Stein) when he loses his student loan because of bad grades. | ||||||
| 28 | 6 | "American Teen" | Phil Ramuno | David Wechter | February 7, 1987 (1987-02-07) | 78019 |
| Charles tries to convince Sarah to submit an essay she wrote to American Teen magazine; Adam gets the family involved in a jigsaw puzzle. Guest stars are Nikolette Scorsese as Louise, Julianne McNamara as Paula Thackery, and Jeff Robie as Sid. | ||||||
| 29 | 7 | "Buddy Comes to Dinner" | John Robins | Story by : Mitchell Bank Teleplay by : Marcy Vosburgh & Sandy Sprung | February 14, 1987 (1987-02-14) | 78025 |
| Buddy gets injured at dinner, and Charles must take care of him; Jamie tries to teach Sarah the rules of dating, but instead gets taught a lesson. Guest star is Maylo McCaslin as Lauren Andrews. | ||||||
| 30 | 8 | "A Fox in the Henhouse" | Zane Buzby | Chuck Lorre | February 21, 1987 (1987-02-21) | 78012 |
| Lt. Matty Whitford (Stephen Parr), a shipmate of deployed Commander Powell's, visits Mrs. Powell, but he wants more than her company; Charles and Walter try to combine their food recipes and end up getting sick from them. | ||||||
| 31 | 9 | "Pizza Parlor Protest" | Lee Miller | Story by : Pamela Eells & Maxine Lapiduss Teleplay by : Sally Lapiduss & Maxine Lapiduss | February 28, 1987 (1987-02-28) | 78018 |
| Charles' college plans to turn Sid's Pizza Parlor into a parking lot. Guest stars are James Karen as Harrison Bartlett/Hamburger Harry and Jeff Robie as Sid. | ||||||
| 32 | 10 | "Trade Off" | Phil Ramuno | Jim Fisher & Jim Staahl | March 7, 1987 (1987-03-07) | 78021 |
| The Powell family tries bartering for the things they want. | ||||||
| 33 | 11 | "Dating" | Phil Ramuno | David Rimmer & Ellen Sandhaus | March 14, 1987 (1987-03-14) | 78005 |
| Dating causes problems for Charles and the family. | ||||||
| 34 | 12 | "Music, Music, Mayhem" | Phil Ramuno | Joan Brooker & Nancy Eddo | March 21, 1987 (1987-03-21) | 78029 |
| Charles buys Buddy's old cassette player, which ends up destroying Walter's tape and causes problems between Buddy and Charles. Guest star is Julianne McNamara as Paula Thackery. | ||||||
| 35 | 13 | "Buddy in Charge" | Scott Baio & Madeline Rae Cripe | Story by : Bob Underwood Teleplay by : Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | March 28, 1987 (1987-03-28) | 78033 |
| Buddy takes care of the children. Te guest star is Susan Ursitti as Debbie. | ||||||
| 36 | 14 | "Isn't That What's Her Face?" | Zane Buzby | Mitzi McCall-Brill & Adrienne Armstrong | April 4, 1987 (1987-04-04) | 78032 |
| A famous movie star asks Charles to keep her secret that she is going to Copeland College. | ||||||
| 37 | 15 | "A Date from Heck" | Phil Ramuno | Alan Moskowitz | April 11, 1987 (1987-04-11) | 78023 |
| Charles has a date with a woman (Diane Franklin)... and her family. | ||||||
| 38 | 16 | "Mama Mia" | Jules Lichtman | Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | April 18, 1987 (1987-04-18) | 78036 |
| Lillian (Ellen Travolta), Charles' mother, visits and takes care of the children. | ||||||
| 39 | 17 | "Weekend Weary" | Judi Elterman | Jim Parker | April 25, 1987 (1987-04-25) | 78031 |
| Mrs. Powell makes Charles take a weekend off. | ||||||
| 40 | 18 | "U.F. Oh No!" | Phil Ramuno | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | May 2, 1987 (1987-05-02) | 78001 |
| Charles and the family have a UFO sighting. | ||||||
| 41 | 19 | "The Case of the Mock-Turtle Mystery" | Jules Lichtman | Leslie Fuller | May 9, 1987 (1987-05-09) | 78020 |
| Charles defends Adam, who is accused killing Sarah's turtle. | ||||||
| 42 | 20 | "Twice Upon a Time: Part 1" | Scott Baio | Story by : Mitchell Bank Teleplay by : Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | May 16, 1987 (1987-05-16) | 78041 |
| Gwendolyn Pierce, Charles' first love, returns. | ||||||
| 43 | 21 | "Twice Upon a Time: Part 2" | Madeline Rae Cripe | Story by : Mitchell Bank Teleplay by : Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | May 23, 1987 (1987-05-23) | 78042 |
| Charles and Gwendolyn get engaged. | ||||||
| 44 | 22 | "A Job from Heck" | Jules Lichtman | Alan Moskowitz | May 30, 1987 (1987-05-30) | 78027 |
| Jamie gets a job as a waitress at Sid's Pizza Parlor. | ||||||
| 45 | 23 | "Baby Doll" | Zane Buzby | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | June 6, 1987 (1987-06-06) | 78039 |
| Sid's Pizza Parlor is getting a new chef, and Charles needs help promoting the introduction party. | ||||||
| 46 | 24 | "Lillian Putts a Round" | Phil Ramuno | Mitzi McCall-Brill & Adrienne Armstrong | June 13, 1987 (1987-06-13) | 78004 |
| Charles' widowed mother meets a man (Hank Brandt) at a golf club. | ||||||
| 47 | 25 | "Her Brother's Keeper" | Thomas Klein | Story by : Seth Weisbord Teleplay by : Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | June 20, 1987 (1987-06-20) | 78003 |
| Charles and Buddy help the shy brother of a woman Charles likes. | ||||||
| 48 | 26 | "The Undergraduate" | Phil Ramuno | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | June 27, 1987 (1987-06-27) | 78034 |
| Mrs. Powell's married cousin (Kay Lenz) wants Charles. | ||||||
Season 3 (1987–88)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 1 | "Yule Laff" | Bob Claver | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | December 26, 1987 (1987-12-26) | 78057 |
| A snowstorm traps Charles and the Powell family in a cabin on Christmas. | ||||||
| 50 | 2 | "Piece of Cake" | Bob Claver | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | January 2, 1988 (1988-01-02) | 78040 |
| Charles prepares for an upcoming visit from Commander Powell. | ||||||
| 51 | 3 | "Dorm Warnings" | Scott Baio | John Vorhaus | January 9, 1988 (1988-01-09) | 78045 |
| The Powell family thinks Charles wants to move out of the house. | ||||||
| 52 | 4 | "Speechless" | Phil Ramuno | Harvey Silberman | January 16, 1988 (1988-01-16) | 78022 |
| Buddy loses his voice, and Charles must overcome his fear to give a speech. | ||||||
| 53 | 5 | "Infatuation" | Bob Claver | Anita Doohan | January 23, 1988 (1988-01-23) | 78037 |
| Charles has a crush on a model. | ||||||
| 54 | 6 | "Role Model" | Bob Claver | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer & Mitzi McCall-Brill & Adrienne Armstrong | January 30, 1988 (1988-01-30) | 78043 |
| Jamie enrolls at a modeling school. | ||||||
| 55 | 7 | "The Extremely Odd Couple" | Zane Buzby | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | February 6, 1988 (1988-02-06) | 78038 |
| Walter and Lillian argue, and Charles is caught in the middle. | ||||||
| 56 | 8 | "Poppa, the Sailor Man" | Gary Brown | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | February 13, 1988 (1988-02-13) | 78054 |
| Walter's estranged father (Dabbs Greer) visits. | ||||||
| 57 | 9 | "Bottle Baby" | Scott Baio | Mitchell Bank | February 20, 1988 (1988-02-20) | 78053 |
| Buddy's sister, Bunny (Mindy Cohn), visits, but he discovers that she is an alcoholic. | ||||||
| 58 | 10 | "Dear Charles" | Steve Robman | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer & Robert Schechter | February 27, 1988 (1988-02-27) | 78035 |
| Charles becomes a newspaper advice columnist. | ||||||
| 59 | 11 | "The Pickle Plot" | Zane Buzby | Mitzi McCall-Brill & Adrienne Armstrong | March 5, 1988 (1988-03-05) | 78047 |
| Charles' uncle (John Astin) tries to convince him to drop out of school and work for him. | ||||||
| 60 | 12 | "The Buddy System" | Madeline Rae Cripe | Mitzi McCall-Brill & Adrienne Armstrong | March 12, 1988 (1988-03-12) | 78050 |
| After a self-help class, Buddy turns into a different person. | ||||||
| 61 | 13 | "Sarah, Steps Out" | Brian Levant | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | March 19, 1988 (1988-03-19) | 78046 |
| Charles and Buddy spy on Sarah's date (Scott Grimes). | ||||||
| 62 | 14 | "Trading Papers" | Zane Buzby | Adam I. Lapidus | March 26, 1988 (1988-03-26) | 78044 |
| Charles and Sarah accidentally hand in each other's school assignments. | ||||||
| 63 | 15 | "Five Easy Pizzas" | Madeline Rae Cripe | Manny Basanese | April 2, 1988 (1988-04-02) | 78051 |
| A food critic (Vito Scotti) visits the pizza parlor while Charles is managing the restaurant. | ||||||
| 64 | 16 | "Getting In" | Scott Baio & Madeline Rae Cripe | Kevin Parent & Myles Berkowitz | April 9, 1988 (1988-04-09) | 78013 |
| Charles and Buddy pledge a fraternity. | ||||||
| 65 | 17 | "Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow" | Gary Brown | Donald Ross | April 16, 1988 (1988-04-16) | 78048 |
| Charles and Buddy foil a robber at the pizza parlor. | ||||||
| 66 | 18 | "Dutiful Dreamer" | Scott Baio | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | April 23, 1988 (1988-04-23) | 78061 |
| Charles has a dream about the family's problems. | ||||||
| 67 | 19 | "Berkling Up Is Hard To Do" | Bonnie Franklin | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | April 30, 1988 (1988-04-30) | 78049 |
| Some well-intentioned advice causes misunderstandings. | ||||||
| 68 | 20 | "Runaround Charles" | Mary Lou Belli | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | May 7, 1988 (1988-05-07) | 78058 |
| Charles makes too many commitments for the same night. | ||||||
| 69 | 21 | "Where the Auction Is" | Scott Baio | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | May 14, 1988 (1988-05-14) | 78059 |
| The children buy Charles at a charity slave auction. | ||||||
| 70 | 22 | "The Boy Who Loved Women" | Bob Claver | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | May 21, 1988 (1988-05-21) | 78056 |
| Jamie and Sarah go out with the same boy. | ||||||
| 71 | 23 | "Barbelles" | Scott Baio | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | May 28, 1988 (1988-05-28) | 78060 |
| Charles is threatened by his date's ex-boyfriend. | ||||||
| 72 | 24 | "The Blackboard Bungle" | Scott Baio | Lee Aronsohn & Marc Sheffler | June 4, 1988 (1988-06-04) | 78052 |
| Charles becomes a teacher's aide in Jamie's class. | ||||||
| 73 | 25 | "The Heart Burglar" | Madeline Cripe | John B. Collins & Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | June 11, 1988 (1988-06-11) | 78030 |
| Buddy's girlfriend has feeling for Charles, which they hid from Buddy. | ||||||
| 74 | 26 | "May the Best Man Lose" | Pat Fischer-Doak | John Vorhaus | June 18, 1988 (1988-06-18) | 78055 |
| Charles, Buddy, and the Powell children compete against each other in a school contest. | ||||||
Season 4 (1988–89)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | 1 | "No Nukes Is Good Nukes" | Scott Baio | Lee Aronsohn | December 31, 1988 (1988-12-31) | 78408 |
| While Commander Powell is home, Sarah is arrested for protesting the nuclear weapons on her father's ship. | ||||||
| 76 | 2 | "Ninny and the Professor" | Doug Rogers | Lee Aronsohn | January 7, 1989 (1989-01-07) | 78403 |
| Charles' professor (Raf Mauro) disagrees with the grade he gives a student. | ||||||
| 77 | 3 | "Dueling Presleys" | Scott Baio | David Ankrum & Jack Lukes | January 14, 1989 (1989-01-14) | 78410 |
| Lillian hires an Elvis impersonator for the diner. | ||||||
| 78 | 4 | "Adam See, Adam Do" | Norman Abbott | Lee Aronsohn | January 21, 1989 (1989-01-21) | 78416 |
| Adam studies Charles' girlfriend (Erika Eleniak) and dating techniques. | ||||||
| 79 | 5 | "Yesterday Cafe" | Phil Ramuno | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | January 28, 1989 (1989-01-28) | 78407 |
| Lillian starts a 1950s-style restaurant called the "Yesterday Cafe". Meanwhile, Charles tutors a couple of football players for an upcoming test. | ||||||
| 80 | 6 | "Fatal Obsession" | Scott Baio | Steven Feld | February 4, 1989 (1989-02-04) | 78414 |
| A woman at camp pursues Charles despite his having a girlfriend (Erika Eleniak). The Happy Days catch phrase "wa wa wa" makes a cameo appearance. A reference to the character Chachi is also made as a joke about Scott Baio. | ||||||
| 81 | 7 | "Walter Gets a Dodo" | Zane Buzby | Adrienne Armstrong | February 11, 1989 (1989-02-11) | 78411 |
| Charles has to entertain his professor's sister (Marcia Wallace), and he sets her up with Walter. | ||||||
| 82 | 8 | "Ladies' Night Out" | Zane Buzby | Scott McGibbon | February 18, 1989 (1989-02-18) | 78412 |
| Jamie and Sarah try to sneak out to go to a nightclub. | ||||||
| 83 | 9 | "Chargin' Charles" | Scott Baio | Jeff Strauss & Jeff Greenstein | February 25, 1989 (1989-02-25) | 78418 |
| Charles cannot use his credit card because of the Powell children. | ||||||
| 84 | 10 | "A Fish Called Buddy" | Zane Buzby | Steven Baio | March 4, 1989 (1989-03-04) | 78413 |
| Buddy goes to the hospital right after an argument with Charles. | ||||||
| 85 | 11 | "Second Banana" | Bob Claver | Bud Wiser | April 22, 1989 (1989-04-22) | 78424 |
| Jamie thinks she will be in a commercial, but Sarah gets the part. | ||||||
| 86 | 12 | "Still at Large" | Dwayne Hickman | Efrem Seeger | April 29, 1989 (1989-04-29) | 78417 |
| Charles and Buddy find out Jamie's teacher (Sally Struthers) is wanted by the FBI. | ||||||
| 87 | 13 | "Poetic License" | Scott Baio | Bruce Teicher & Janice Pieroni | May 6, 1989 (1989-05-06) | 78415 |
| Charles uses one of Sarah's poems to impress a woman, who publishes it in a magazine under Charles' name. | ||||||
| 88 | 14 | "Charles Splits: Part 1" | Scott Baio | Jim Vallely & Ron Zimmerman | May 13, 1989 (1989-05-13) | 78427 |
| When Charles bumps his head, he begins acting strangely and calls himself Chaz. | ||||||
| 89 | 15 | "Charles Splits: Part 2" | Christine Ballard | Jim Vallely & Ron Zimmerman | May 20, 1989 (1989-05-20) | 78428 |
| Chaz gets married. | ||||||
| 90 | 16 | "Curing the Common Cult" | Scott Baio | Al Burton & Mitchell Bank | May 27, 1989 (1989-05-27) | 78423 |
| Jamie joins a cult, and Charles must prove that the leader (Charles Nelson Reilly) is a fake. | ||||||
| 91 | 17 | "Room at the Bottom" | Phil Ramuno | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | July 1, 1989 (1989-07-01) | 78406 |
| Walter remodels the basement; Jamie wants her own room. | ||||||
| 92 | 18 | "A Sting of Pearls" | Mary Lou Belli | Adrienne Armstrong | July 8, 1989 (1989-07-08) | 78402 |
| The Powells' old babysitter (Liz Keifer) comes back and tries to get Charles in trouble. | ||||||
| 93 | 19 | "Walter's War" | Bob Claver | Scott McGibbon | September 9, 1989 (1989-09-09) | 78425 |
| Walter tries to impress a woman with war souvenirs. | ||||||
| 94 | 20 | "The Organization Man" | Zane Buzby | Bud Wiser | September 16, 1989 (1989-09-16) | 78432 |
| Charles uses a digital organizer to plan his schedule. | ||||||
| 95 | 21 | "Big Bang" | Scott Baio | Ken Peragine & Howard Friedlander | September 23, 1989 (1989-09-23) | 78434 |
| Charles writes an essay about childhood; Buddy does an experiment. | ||||||
| 96 | 22 | "Triple Threat" | Scott Baio | Al Burton & Mitchell Bank | September 30, 1989 (1989-09-30) | 78429 |
| Charles and Buddy go out with identical twins, but they think they are dating the same girl. | ||||||
| 97 | 23 | "Aunt Vanessa" | Christine Ballard | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | October 28, 1989 (1989-10-28) | 78426 |
| Jamie wants to move to New York and live with Charles' aunt. | ||||||
| 98 | 24 | "It's a Blunderfull Life" | Scott Baio | Michael Manos & Jim Kelly | November 4, 1989 (1989-11-04) | 78409 |
| Charles has a dream about life without him. Donny Most makes an appearance as a lottery winner, and makes a reference to Happy Days as a joke. | ||||||
| 99 | 25 | "Bad Boy" | Brian Levant | Bud Wiser | November 11, 1989 (1989-11-11) | 78430 |
| Charles tutors a 16-year-old ex-con (Rodney Eastman), who has feelings for Jamie. | ||||||
| 100 | 26 | "Buddy's Daddy" | Scott Baio | Willie Aames | November 18, 1989 (1989-11-18) | 78431 |
| Buddy's father (Lewis Arquette) visits and reveals he is getting a divorce. | ||||||
Season 5 (1989–90)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | 1 | "Summer Together, Fall Apart" | Zane Buzby | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | December 30, 1989 (1989-12-30) | 78504 |
| After complaints from the family, Charles tells the children the house has no more rules. | ||||||
| 102 | 2 | "Get Thee to a Nuttery" | Scott Baio | David DiGregorio & Arnie Wess | January 6, 1990 (1990-01-06) | 78505 |
| Buddy decides to become a priest after a near-death experience. | ||||||
| 103 | 3 | "Three Dates and a Walnut" | Scott Baio | Adrienne Armstrong | January 13, 1990 (1990-01-13) | 78506 |
| Walter makes plans with three women on the same night. | ||||||
| 104 | 4 | "Out with the In Crowd" | Christine Ballard | Adrienne Armstrong | January 20, 1990 (1990-01-20) | 78509 |
| Jamie tries to join an exclusive group of girls. | ||||||
| 105 | 5 | "There's a Girl in My Ficus" | Scott Baio | David DiGregorio & Arnie Wess | January 27, 1990 (1990-01-27) | 78508 |
| Charles' girlfriend Jennifer (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen) tells a lie about Buddy to get rid of him. | ||||||
| 106 | 6 | "Judge Not Lest Ye Beheaded" | Scott Baio | David DiGregorio & Arnie Wess | February 3, 1990 (1990-02-03) | 78510 |
| Charles is the judge of a beauty pageant where Jamie, Sarah, and both of Charles' girlfriends are contestants. | ||||||
| 107 | 7 | "Baby Bummer" | Scott Baio | Adrienne Armstrong | February 10, 1990 (1990-02-10) | 78503 |
| Buddy offers to help out Adam with babysitting, but he ends up forgetting the little girl at the diner. | ||||||
| 108 | 8 | "Paper Covers Rock" | Scott Baio | Jim Pond & Bill Fuller | February 17, 1990 (1990-02-17) | 78502 |
| A tabloid shows pictures of Charles with a rock star (Samantha Fox), and everyone thinks they are in a relationship. | ||||||
| 109 | 9 | "Child Hoods" | Christine Ballard | David DiGregorio & Arnie Wess | February 24, 1990 (1990-02-24) | 78507 |
| Charles' old friends come to visit. | ||||||
| 110 | 10 | "Advice and Contempt" | Scott Baio | David DiGregorio & Arnie Wess | March 3, 1990 (1990-03-03) | 78514 |
| Jamie gets upset when she thinks Charles is trying to make her boyfriend (Byrne Offutt) stop seeing her. | ||||||
| 111 | 11 | "Daffy Doc" | Bob Claver | R.W. Self & Willie Aames | April 28, 1990 (1990-04-28) | 78513 |
| Buddy enters a mental hospital to do research, but they make him a patient. | ||||||
| 112 | 12 | "Buddy Flips a Disc" | Scott Baio | J. David Shapiro | May 5, 1990 (1990-05-05) | 78501 |
| Buddy wins a contest to be a disc jockey for a day at the diner. | ||||||
| 113 | 13 | "Brain Man" | Scott Baio | Adrienne Armstrong | May 12, 1990 (1990-05-12) | 78517 |
| Buddy gets tested for extrasensory perception and starts to predict the future. | ||||||
| 114 | 14 | "Don't Rock the Vote!" | Christine Ballard | David DiGregorio & Arnie Wess | May 19, 1990 (1990-05-19) | 78516 |
| Jamie and Sarah run for class president against each other. Buddy and Charles start fighting again, which leads to a food fight erupting in the diner. | ||||||
| 115 | 15 | "Let's Quake a Deal" | Scott Baio | H.B. Atwater, Jr. | May 26, 1990 (1990-05-26) | 78518 |
| Charles invents a device that will help people prepare for earthquakes. | ||||||
| 116 | 16 | "Up Your I.Q." | Christine Ballard | Adrienne Armstrong | June 2, 1990 (1990-06-02) | 78519 |
| When a boy thinks Jamie is shallow, she talks to Charles' intelligent girlfriend. | ||||||
| 117 | 17 | "All That Chaz" | Scott Baio | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | June 9, 1990 (1990-06-09) | 78521 |
| An accidental bump on the head turns Charles into Chaz again. | ||||||
| 118 | 18 | "Frankie and Mommy" | Scott Baio | Adrienne Armstrong | August 25, 1990 (1990-08-25) | 78512 |
| Lillian sees an old boyfriend (Robert Ridgely). | ||||||
| 119 | 19 | "Lost Resort" | Scott Baio | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | September 1, 1990 (1990-09-01) | 78522 |
| Charles works at a hotel in Hawaii with Buddy's cousin. (This was a pilot for a possible spin-off, which never materialized.) | ||||||
| 120 | 20 | "Dead Puck Society" | Zane Buzby | Kit Wilkinson & Dennis Capps | September 8, 1990 (1990-09-08) | 78511 |
| As a substitute teacher for Sarah's class, Charles partners her with cute-but-manipulative Russell Davis (Paul Walker), who cons Sarah into doing all the work on their "joint" assignments. Yet, Russell is not lazy at all; he is illiterate. | ||||||
| 121 | 21 | "La Cage Aux Fools" | Scott Baio | Adrienne Armstrong | September 15, 1990 (1990-09-15) | 78515 |
| Charles and Buddy protest animal testing at their college. | ||||||
| 122 | 22 | "Teacher's Pest" | Kit Wilkinson | Martie Cook | September 22, 1990 (1990-09-22) | 78525 |
| Walter takes a history class that Charles teaches. | ||||||
| 123 | 23 | "Almost Family" | Scott Baio | Mario Baio & Scott Baio | October 20, 1990 (1990-10-20) | 78526 |
| Charles visits his aunt Sally at her car wash. (This was another pilot to a possible spin-off, which never materialized.) | ||||||
| 124 | 24 | "Seeing Is Believing" | Christine Ballard | Mitchell Bank | October 27, 1990 (1990-10-27) | 78524 |
| Charles gets trapped in an elevator with a blind woman. | ||||||
| 125 | 25 | "Fair Exchange" | Scott Baio | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | November 3, 1990 (1990-11-03) | 78523 |
| Sarah visits her relatives in Albuquerque, and a foreign exchange student who is living with them. (Another pilot to a possible spin-off, which never materialized) | ||||||
| 126 | 26 | "Charles Be DeMille" | Scott Baio | Jennifer Burton & David Lang | November 10, 1990 (1990-11-10) | 78520 |
| Sarah puts on a show to raise money, and Charles directs while preparing for an interview to get into Princeton. | ||||||