5.0/1027 votesLoading...#1 - Marriage and Other Flights of Fancy (2)
Season 3 Episode 27 - Aired 5/9/1979
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
5.2/1024 votesLoading...#2 - Maltese Airline Bag
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 12/10/1980
Nicholas and his friend, Melvin, start a messenger service to earn money and get more than they bargained for. One of their first deliveries turns out to be an airline bag full of money to be used for political bribes. David is frustrated when another construction company keeps underbidding him. Abby and Donna plan a surprise party for Tom.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
5.5/1025 votesLoading...#3 - Strike
Season 5 Episode 8 - Aired 12/17/1980
Caught up in a newspaper strike and laid-off, Tom tries to bring the feuding parties together thanks to something Nicholas says about giving and compromise. To save everyone money, Nicholas starts a barter system for the family. The Bradford's have a five car pile-up in their driveway.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
5.8/1024 votesLoading...#4 - Bradfordgate
Season 5 Episode 9 - Aired 1/7/1981
Tom is nominated for a political post by the governor. A political appointment for him ends up more than he can live with. Joannie goes undercover to do a story on a video dating service. Nicholas tries to get rid of his ""cute"" image.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
5.9/1035 votesLoading...#5 - Roll Over Bradford
Season 4 Episode 25 - Aired 4/2/1980
Tom is upset that Tommy hasn't sent in any college applications but Tommy wants to be a musician and is not interested in college. Auntie V brings her new fiance to meet the Bradfords. Auntie V encourages Tommy to pursue his musical dreams. Tommy wants to be a professional musician rather than go to college. Though Tom disagrees, he still is able to encourage him, which brings them closer.
Director: Stan Lathan
Writer: Gil Grant
5.9/1025 votesLoading...#6 - David's Rib
Season 5 Episode 12 - Aired 1/28/1981
Joannie involves David in the renovation of an old opera house. However, Janet is the legal counsel for the developer who wants to build low-income housing on the site. Nicholas gets a horse from Joe Simons and Abby help him find a way to keep it. Merle returns home from the New York Mets, but Susan is too tired from taking care of Sandra Sue to enjoy his visit.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.0/1026 votesLoading...#7 - Father Knows Best
Season 5 Episode 22 - Aired 5/23/1981
Finally ready to be a father, Jeremy's father returns for a visit and wants to take him back to Los Angeles. David relives old memories when four of his old high school buddies return to Sacramento for their 10 year high school reunion. Tom and Abby fight with Jeremy's dad for custody of Jeremy.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.1/1022 votesLoading...#8 - Starting Over
Season 5 Episode 20 - Aired 5/9/1981
Jeremy is suspicious when he finds a skull while digging in the garden. David and Janet consider getting back together. Nicholas assumes he's a shoo-in for the basketball team when Elizabeth dates the coach.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
6.2/1027 votesLoading...#9 - Memories
Season 4 Episode 22 - Aired 3/5/1980
Abby needs time to deal with memories of her late husband after a fellow prisoner of war shows up in Sacramento. She works out her feelings and returns to the family. Nicholas goes steady for the first time, and finds going steady is not all fun when the girl is more interested in the bracelet he gives her than in him. Nancy gets tired of loaning money to the other Bradford children.
Director: Vincent McEveety
Writer: N/A
6.3/1027 votesLoading...#10 - Holly
Season 5 Episode 6 - Aired 11/26/1980
Ernie introduces Tommy to a slightly older songwriting woman who has a 4-year old son. When he falls for her, she has second thoughts. The Bradford's convert the garage into an apartment for Susan and Merle. Nicholas supervises the conversion job. Jeremy begins to feel like part of the family when Abby enrolls him in school and Tom makes him follow the household rules.
Director: N/A
Writer: Gil Grant
6.4/1032 votesLoading...#11 - Jeremy
Season 5 Episode 3 - Aired 11/5/1980
Abby goes to a funeral in San Francisco and returns with her nephew, Jeremy, who has nowhere else to go. His behavior upsets the family, referring the Bradfords as that other family (The Brady Bunch), but all ends well as he becomes the newest member of the Bradfords. Joannie is promoted to sports anchor. Nicholas gets into trouble for selling peeks at Mary's medical books.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.4/1023 votesLoading...#12 - Second Thoughts
Season 5 Episode 11 - Aired 1/21/1981
Joannie is tired of not getting any serious assignments at work and Abby encourages her to take a leave of absence to evaluate her career, and falls for a co-worker. Nancy finds out fame has a price when she becomes the ""Sunshine Soda Girl."" Tommy needs a ticket to a rock concert and Nicholas has one to sell.
Director: Harry Harris
Writer: N/A
6.5/1026 votesLoading...#13 - The Way We Were
Season 5 Episode 14 - Aired 3/4/1981
Tommy and Ernie, back from college with a ""preppy"" look, run into Jill, Tommy's old girlfriend. When Jill picks Ernie over Tommy, David helps him realize that reliving the past is not the real world. David moves into a singles-only apartment building. Upset by Tom's refusal to give him money, Nicholas gets a job delivering a rival newspaper
Director: Vincent McEveety
Writer: N/A
6.5/1028 votesLoading...#14 - The Best Little Telethon in Sacramento
Season 5 Episode 16 - Aired 3/28/1981
Jeremy wants to manage Tommy's band and tries to get him a gig. Joannie is chosen to organize a charity telethon and tries to get celebrities to appear on the show. She recruits the family to perform and Nicholas saves the day with his on-the-air speech and performance. David gets a new roommate to save money on the rent.
Director: Irving J. Moore
Writer: N/A
6.6/1026 votesLoading...#15 - Long Night's Journey into Day
Season 2 Episode 23 - Aired 3/1/1978
Abby suffers a concussion when she falls off a ladder. Tha Bradfords take turns keeping Abby awake by telling her stories and sharing memories, which are flashbacks from previous episodes.
Director: Philip Leacock
Writer: N/A
6.6/1025 votesLoading...#16 - A Matter of Mentors
Season 4 Episode 24 - Aired 3/26/1980
Joannie gets an important assignment at work but Jeffrey believes that the boss will be expecting a favor in return. Joannie blows her chance at a big story. An experienced reporter makes her his partner and the result is an important scoop. Nicholas has a problem with a bully that he can't hit back. Fed up with the way that Tom divvies up the family's discretionary funds, Tommy takes over budgeting for it.
Director: Vincent McEveety
Writer: Chris Manheim, Patricia Green
6.6/1028 votesLoading...#17 - Darlene Dilemma
Season 5 Episode 10 - Aired 1/14/1981
Abby is proud of the progress one of her students has made and invites her to the house for dinner. Jeremy falls for 16-year-old Darlene, who likes to flirt and cause trouble (shades of Melrose Place), and he refuses to listen to Abby's advice about her. Nancy gets a modeling job as the spokesperson for a shady heating and cooling company. Nicholas tries to impress a 12-year-old girl with his cooking ability.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.6/1024 votesLoading...#18 - If The Glass Slipper Fits
Season 5 Episode 15 - Aired 3/11/1981
Nancy's modeling career is about to take off but she needs to make an important decision as she later finds out she has to pose topless for a jeans ad. Elizabeth is trying to attract Alan Anderson, who only sees her as a friend. David hires Nicholas to find him a new apartment.
Director: Stan Lathan
Writer: N/A
6.6/1027 votesLoading...#19 - Idolbreaker (2)
Season 5 Episode 19 - Aired 4/18/1981
Ellen tells Tommy that she doesn't want to marry him and Tommy isn't sure what he wants to do. At the last minute, they both realize it is not the right thing to do. Joannie is jealous when the station hires a female anchor. Jeremy drops hints about his upcoming birthday. Nicholas plans a surprise birthday for Jeremy.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.7/1033 votesLoading...#20 - Fast and Loose
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 11/8/1978
David starts living gangerously after a close friend dies oif a heart attack at a young age. The kids try to help and eventually David cleans up his act. Nicholas tries to help by offering David a kitten from a litter of a stray cat he has taken kn. He soon discovers that the cat is pregnant.
Director: Stan Lathan
Writer: N/A
6.7/1024 votesLoading...#21 - Goals
Season 5 Episode 21 - Aired 5/16/1981
Merle suffers a career-ending shoulder injury and doesn't know what to do if he can't play baseball. Merle comes upon Nicholas and his friends playing ball. He is offered a job of assistant coach of the High School team. One of Mary's patients falls in love with her and won't leave her alone. Eager to earn more money, Jeremy gets a job convincing people to try experimental products.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.8/1027 votesLoading...#22 - Dads, Daughters, Different Drummers
Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 3/14/1979
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
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.8/1026 votesLoading...#23 - The Return of Joe Simons
Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 2/13/1980
Tom's new temporary secretary is overly attentive. Joe Simons, the con man who helped Nicholas return from San Diego, shows up pretending to have struck it rich in the Yukon and drives the family bonkers. He claims to have found a gold mine. Joannie offers to produce a TV commercial for David's construction company.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.8/1029 votesLoading...#24 - Idolbreaker (1)
Season 5 Episode 18 - Aired 4/11/1981
Just as Tommy's career is about to take off, his old girlfriend returns to tell Tommy she is pregnant after it is announced that his band has been booked for a national tour. Nicholas wins a girl's heart by standing up to a bully. Mary, Nancy, Elizabeth, and Joannie adopt a bum named Max, and bring him home for dinner.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.9/1045 votesLoading...#25 - The Return of Auntie V
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 11/30/1977
Tom's eccentric sister Auntie V returns for another visit with the Bradfords. She surprises Tom and Abby with a new house as a wedding present. The kids are excited, but as they fix up the house for sale they begin to fall in love with it again. Nancy wants to expand her horizons by going on a cruise with Auntie V. Nancy falls for the estate agent who is trying to sell the Bradford house.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Worst Episodes of Eight Is Enough
Every episode of Eight Is Enough ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Eight Is Enough!
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled...
Genres:DramaComedy
Network:ABC
Worst Episodes Summary
"Marriage and Other Flights of Fancy (2)" is the worst rated episode of "Eight Is Enough". It scored 5/10 based on 27 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 5/9/1979. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Maltese Airline Bag".