The Best Episodes of Father Knows Best
Every episode of Father Knows Best ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Father Knows Best!
Family man Jim Anderson copes with the everyday problems among his wife Margaret and their three children as they experience day-to-day changes.
Top Episode Ratings Summary
The best episode of "Father Knows Best" is "Short Wave", rated 8.8/10 from 86 user votes. It was directed by Peter Tewksbury and written by N/A. "Short Wave" aired on 1/30/1957 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Persistent Guest".
8.8/10 86 votes#1 - Short Wave
Season 3 Episode 21 - Aired 1/30/1957
While listening to Buds short wave radio the family overhears a distress call from a boat.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.7/10 82 votes
#2 - The Persistent Guest
Season 2 Episode 26 - Aired 3/7/1956
Bud new friend won't leave the Anderson house because he has no family.
Director: William D. Russell
Writer: N/A
- 8.7/10 55 votes
#3 - An Evening to Remember
Season 3 Episode 25 - Aired 2/27/1957
The Anderson home is disrupted by a visit from actor Cornel Wilde. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin. Hansen: Lloyd Corrigan.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/10 53 votes
#4 - Follow the Leader
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 9/25/1957
Bud must decide if he should stand up for a teacher or join the class in a revolt.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/10 52 votes
#5 - Mr. Beal Meets His Match
Season 4 Episode 11 - Aired 12/11/1957
Betty is going through a phase where she thinks selfishness is the sole motivator in people's lives.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/10 54 votes
#6 - Bud and the Debutante
Season 5 Episode 31 - Aired 4/13/1959
Bud tries to impress a wealthy girl by taking her to an expensive restaurant.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/10 57 votes
#7 - Blind Date
Season 6 Episode 28 - Aired 4/18/1960
Betty dates a boy everyone regards as a loser
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.4/10 50 votes
#8 - The Spelling Bee
Season 3 Episode 30 - Aired 4/17/1957
No description available
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.4/10 49 votes
#9 - The Great Anderson Mystery
Season 5 Episode 36 - Aired 5/18/1959
The Andersons act out a detective story when the television breaks down.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.3/10 40 votes
#10 - The Good Neighbor
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/1957
Margaret receives a new house which she plans to rent out.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.3/10 41 votes
#11 - The Meanest Professor
Season 5 Episode 33 - Aired 4/27/1959
Bud regrets writing a bad article about a professor after the professor finds the article.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.3/10 41 votes
#12 - Time to Retire
Season 6 Episode 22 - Aired 3/7/1960
When Bud reaffirms and old man's belief in life, he decides to open his own insurance company and hire Bud as his assistant.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/10 93 votes
#13 - The Christmas Story
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/19/1954
Jim takes the family into the woods to cut down their own tree, and they become stranded there.
Director: William D. Russell
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/10 63 votes
#14 - Woman in the House
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 9/28/1955
Margaret is forced to invite a woman who makes her uncomfortable because she is Jim's friend's wife.
Director: William D. Russell
Writer: Roswell Rogers
- 8.2/10 47 votes
#15 - Family Reunion
Season 2 Episode 27 - Aired 3/14/1956
The family tries to think up excuses to keep from going to Margaret's family reunion.
Director: William D. Russell
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/10 45 votes
#16 - Betty's Birthday
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 10/24/1956
Betty announces that she doesn't want a birthday party or presents.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/10 53 votes
#17 - Brief Holiday
Season 3 Episode 19 - Aired 1/16/1957
No description available
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/10 47 votes
#18 - Crisis Over a Kiss
Season 5 Episode 22 - Aired 2/9/1959
Bud tries to save Betty from her boyfriend but Betty resents the help.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/10 48 votes
#19 - Formula for Happiness
Season 5 Episode 30 - Aired 4/6/1959
Strange things begin to happen when Jim's dreams start to come true.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/10 46 votes
#20 - Bud, the Willing Worker
Season 6 Episode 10 - Aired 12/7/1959
Bud wants a part-time job at a service station in order to get enough money to buy a boat.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.1/10 57 votes
#21 - The Big Test
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 10/26/1955
Bud is accused of cheating because he is suddenly getting high grades in class.
Director: William D. Russell
Writer: Roswell Rogers
- 8.1/10 59 votes
#22 - The Bus to Nowhere
Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 2/8/1956
The last few days Betty has no fun, she's sullen and does nothing. No one gets through to her, not even her parents. Betty faces a personal crisis when she has to find answers, basically, to the meaning-of-life question. The only way out for her is to put Bud's story (which he has written as an assignment) into reality: Enter a bus and go as far as the money takes her.
Director: William D. Russell
Writer: N/A
- 8.1/10 47 votes
#23 - The Great Guy
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 11/21/1956
No description available
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.1/10 58 votes
#24 - The Angel's Sweater
Season 3 Episode 15 - Aired 12/19/1956
No description available
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A
- 8.1/10 49 votes
#25 - Carnival
Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 2/6/1957
Bud squanders Jim's money at a carnival. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Lauren Chapin. Burt: Dick Foran. Kippy: Paul Wallace.
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Writer: N/A