Every season of It's a Living ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of It's a Living!

The series opens with innocent Vicki contemplating going out on a date with a pilot.  She's even more worried about what's going to happen after the dinner, since she still is a virgin.

Pilot

While her husband and children are away on a camping trip, Lois has Jan stay overnight due to the fact that a burglar has been terrorizing her neighborhood.  It turns into a slumber party when Dot and Vicki insist on sleeping over as well but the fun quickly is dampened when the burglar makes an appearance.

The Intruder

Vicki's plans are ruined when tenants change their minds about moving out of an apartment which is to be hers.  This prompts the other waitresses to talk Cassie into putting her up for a few days.

Roomies

Vicki's father comes to town for a visit and Vicki is worried about his reaction to the skimpy outfits she must wear for work.  However this worry pales in comparison to her discovering her dad and Nancy having a one night stand.

Fallen Idol

After having a big argument with her husband, Lois runs into her high school sweetheart who wants to pick up where they left off.  When he gives Lois his hotel key, a concerned Dot and Vicki follow her and try to stop her from making what could be the biggest mistake of her life.

The Lois Affair

Jan wants to be able to afford to pay for ballet lessons for her daughter, so she picks up a second job, preparing invitations.  However, her second job begins to interfere with her job at the restaurant which prompts Nancy to fire her.

Super-Mom

Cassie is reluctant to stay with her latest boyfriend since falling in love is something that she is uncomfortable with.  Meanwhile to impress him, she decides to cook a meal, with a little help from her fellow waitresses.

Cassie's Punctured Romance

The staff must stay calm when a fire breaks out in the hotel a few floor below the restaurant.  They must also try to keep the customers as calm as possible which proves difficult at times since the customers include a bickering married couple, a money grubbing televangilist and a man who's having an affair on his wife.

Up On the Roof

Jan makes a mistake when she accepts her economics professor's offer to go out on a date.  However, when she tries to break off their romance, he hands her an ultimatum:  sleep with me or I'll give you an F in the course.

Making the Grade

Dot and Vicki begin dating the same man which only aggravates the situation at the restaurant where Nancy imposes a crash diet on Cassie and Jan.

Our Man Barry

Lois learns that an invitation to speak to her daughter's class about working mothers was prompted by her daughter's essay describing her as vice president of a bank.  Meanwhile, Dot tries to cheer up an impotent Sonny.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Jan and Lois have a ongoing debate over the discovery of a girlie magazine in the possesion of Lois's son.

Kids

Nancy is unexpectedly fired from her hostess position at the restaurant.  Her firing is not the only surprise as is the reason she was fired which forces her to come face to face with age discrimination.

You're Not Old, You're Fired

The staff becomes infected with baseball fever, after a baseball team invades the restaurant.

Boys of Summer

Sonny is surprised when a woman from his past surprises him with news that she's been thinking about him for the past 10 years.  However, he is flabbergasted to learn the reason she been thinking of him, he's the father of her 10-year-old child.

All My Son

After Maggie is mugged, the waitress go to lengths to protect themselves and begin carrying mace.  However, after Dot is targeted in the parking garage, she defends herself, but the mugger responds by taking her to court.

Of Mace and Men

A wedding being held at the restaurant is interrupted when the groom spots an old flame across the room, Cassie.

The Wedding

Jan's ex-husband re-enters her life and fans an old flame in Jan, that she thought went out years ago.

Second Time Around, Almost

The entire staff gets disheartening news when it is announced that the restaurant has been sold and will be turned into a fitness center.  This leads everyone to face the reality and depression of unemployment lines, job applications and interviews.  That is except Sonny, who has seemingly been hired at another restaurant.

Off the Top

Sonny's brother, Buddy, flies into town and instantly disrupts Sonny's life when he moves in with him.  Buddy quickly becomes an unwelcome houseguest, one whom Sonny is hesitant to kick out.

Mann is Mann

The girls and especially Nancy make strenuous efforts to keep Dennis from falling apart when his wife leaves him.

Jealousy or Mildred Fierce

A romance develops between 33 year old Jan and Maggie's 23 year old brother.

Young Love

Dot's new play opens and the rest of the staff have no good reviews to give her.

The Garden of Countess Natasha

Maggie is consumed with guilt after she begins a romance with a man, who happens to be the first man she's dated since her husband died.  Meanwhile, cops stakeout the restaurant for bandits.

Falling in Love Again

Gambling fever strikes after Jan overhears a tip from a jockey eating at the restaurant and her and Maggie begin betting. The others quickly become miffed at not being let in. Later, the jockey returns and Maggie overhears him order the special (number 7) and mistakes that number for the winner of the next race.  All is well as that horse wins.

Horsing Around

Dot's in the hospital with a relentless cheery roommate while the hotel is swamped with WWII veterans.

Strange Bedfellows

On the day of the biggest date of her life, Jan literally gets stuck at Maggie's garage sale.

A Farewell to Arm

New to the big city, Amy begins receiving a series of threatening messages from a stalker, something she is totally unprepared for after living her life in the country.

Harassed

Cassie falls in love with a cowboy who is a millionaire and is shocked when she learns she also has to like him to be with him.

Cassie's Cowboy

Amy gets a surprise visit from her father who has come to California to take his little girl back to Texas and away from her new city life.

Amy Big Girl Now

Terrorists from a Third World country take the restaurant hostage.

Desperate Hours

Sonny thinks he has struck gold with a record company and quits his job at the restaurant in a big way.

I Write the Songs

Jan hits it off with a fan repair man who whisks her off her feet.  Their relationship goes faster then she expected when he suddenly proposes.

Jan's Engagment

A Russian, while visiting California, defects and locks himself in Cassie's locker, claiming he loves her.

From Russia with Love

A prom is scheduled to take place at the restaurant but when the entertainment doesn't show up, Dot takes over as the entertainment committee.  Meanwhile, Jan has second thoughts about her engagement to Richie.

The Prom Show

Jan and Richie's wedding may be postponed when the judge fails to appear and it seems that the honeymoon may be a threesome.

The Wedding Show

The President may visit the restaurant and everyone passes the security check, that is except Howard.

Hail to the Chef

Dot serves jury duty and becomes the hold out juror.  Meanwhile, Nancy and the other waitresses must deal with Dot's absence from work.

Eleven Angry Men and Dot

A sex discrimination suit is brought against the restaurant which forces Nancy to hire a obnoxious waiter.

Gender Gap

Cassie's one night stand is a dream for her but it turns into a nightmare when she is publicly humiliated by the man's wife in the restaurant.

Jealous Wife

During a date, Nancy suffers a hernia and when her physician discovers it, he insists that she have it operated on immediately.  However, an old phobia about hospitals surfaces and she flat out refuses treatment.  Meanwhile, Amy tries to get the girls to go in on a shady vacation property venture.

The Doctor Danny Show

A visiting princess becomes the target of terrorists who plan to make off with her extravagant diamond necklace.  However, Dot accidentally intercepts a drugged napkin intended for the princess.

Jewel Heist

The girls are forced to stay late and take inventory.  This leads each girl to tell a story about the worst date they ever had.

The Jerks

Cassie, desperate for a new place to live, temporarily moves in with Sonny, and the rumors fly.

Oddest Couple

Dot gets a noisy puppy after her cat dies and Sonny quits rather than miss a date with a roller derby queen.

Dot's Puppy

Jan is not looking forward to a visit from an old friend who has always outclassed her in every aspect of life.

Dinner with Deedee

Cassie questions a man for the reason why he constantly refuses to leave her a tip only to discover he works for the IRS and serves her with an audit.  Meanwhile, Dot's latest boyfriend makes a public appeal for her love, keep seeing him or he will jump from the roof.

Jump

Dot's relationship with a cartoonist makes the papers when he uses her as a model for a new character in his comic strip.

America's Sweetheart

Sonny contemplates his final days after dating a mobster's moll.  The mobster found out and has made an appointment to visit Sonny.

Mann Act

On a night when everyone wants to leave early, the majority of the staff systematically becomes trapped on the roof, leaving Amy, Nancy and Howard to deal with a mob of customers.

The Roof Show

Amy is feeling lonely so to pick up her spirits, the girls take her out to a singles bar.  However, each one of the girls encounter a man who is far from Mr. Right.

The Bar

Newly married Jan is set to attend her high school reunion and is thrilled that she will get to see her old boyfriend, one who still holds a torch for her and her for him.  Meanwhile, Nancy tries a new trick to lure Howard home.

The Reunion Show

Jan's birthday is coming up but Amy has not such a nice surprise for Jan, after she becomes convinced that Richie is having an affair with Ginger.

Surprise

Nancy is not to pleased with a visit from her sister, Gloria, and things don't improve when Nancy becomes convinced that Gloria is trying to take Howard away from her.

Nancy's Sister

After their car breaks down, while on a trip to Las Vegas, Sonny and the girls check into a hotel.  A hotel that is run by a mysterious man and his unseen mother.

Night at the Iguana

Divorcees are coming out of the wood work when Dot's mother and Jan's father come for a visit and hit it off.

Family Feud

After going out one evening to a social event, Dot and Howard begin a series of dates that everyone becomes convinced that Dot and Howard's relationship has turned into something other then platonic.

The Dot and Howard Show

The hotel hosts a murder mystery but things turn surprisingly real when Sonny becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

Farewell, My Sonny

A long time rival and food critic of Howard's visits the hotel which puts Howard's job and relationship with Nancy in jeopardy.

Critic's Choice

Richie's new sculpture is a smash success and agrees to let it be displayed in the restaurant.  His success crumbles, however, when Jan allows the sculpture to be sold to a tourist, only later Jan learns it isn't his sculpture.

Richie's Sculpture

Sonny strikes oil and with the help from a shady investor, tries to convince the girls to go in on an oil investment.

Sonny's Oil (a.k.a.) The Oil Show

Nancy drops heavy hints about her upcoming birthday and expects a party to be thrown. Meanwhile, Jan and Richie fight and Sonny pleads to join Dot's car pool.

Nancy's Birthday Party

Thanks to Jan's advice, Ginger is evicted from her apartment after withholding the rent to force the landlord to repaint it. Ginger then moves in with Amy, who lives in a ""No Men Allowed"" apartment building, but Ginger's love-life soon conflicts with that rule.

The Evictables

Ginger babysits for a friend who later strands Ginger with the baby who takes him to work.  Meanwhile, Sonny car-sits for a friend, but picks up the wrong the wrong car, one that belongs to a gangster.

Ginger's Baby

Howard's naive niece visits and begins dating Sonny.  Something Howard is determind to put an end to.

Bachelor Party

Amy feels guilty for being unwed so she decides to reunite with an old flame.  Meanwhile, Dot sells skin care products.

Amy's Rusty

Dot is slightly unnerved by an old boyfriend who's becoming a priest and is questioning his commitment.

Dot's Priest

Jan Murray plays a former children's show host whose fan club dinner clashes with Nancy's meeting with a vice president from the restaurant chain.

The Dickie Doodle Show

South Pacific natives arrive to worship the person they consider a supreme being, Howard.  Meanwhile, Nancy challenges the waitresses to a contest.

The Howie Show

Dot quits to become a full-time unemployed actress.  Meanwhile, Sonny writes a musical based on Attila the Hun and Ginger's footwear fetish spreads to Amy.

The Dot Quits Show

Ginger weighs the merits of two boyfriends while Howard weighs offers from other restaurants.

The Two Guys Show

A romantic evening alone in the hotel is anything but for Jan and Richie, who weather interruptions from the restaurant staff.

A Romantic Comedy

Fur flies after Ginger buys Jan's car and Amy asks Dot to act as a go-between with a handsome new employee.

Manhandling

Nancy reviews her relationships with her employees during a visit to her psychiatrist.

Nancy's Shrink

Sonny's in love and plans to marry if his fiancee can get to the church on time.  Meanwhile, Howard prepares for a visit from his high-school sweetheart.

Till Death Do Us Part

As the staff prepares for a wedding reception, Nancy dozes off and has a bizarre dream about her own marriage, ten years in the future to Sonny.

Her Back to the Future

When Ellen, Jan's daughter, has a date with a senior, all the waitresses worry.  Meanwhile, Howard asks Nancy for $900 to pay back a loan shark.

No, My Darling Daughter

Dot's in charge of a children's play ""Little Red Riding Hood"" but when the cast is quarentined with the chicken pox, the restaurant staff is asked to fill the roles.

Sweet Charity

Dot is thrilled about her new part on a soap opera until she realizes her character is in imminent danger of being killed off.

Killing of Sister Dot

Nancy has just the solution to Howard's mid-life crisis: she invites him to a square dance, and she won't take no for an answer.

The Date Show

Nancy is having a bad week: hotel management wants her to search the waitresses' lockers, and Howard wants her to back off.

Search and Strike

When singer Jack Jones checks into the hotel for a few days, he strikes up a friendship with Nancy and invites her to Las Vegas for a long weekend.

The Vegas Show (1)

When a jealous Howard follows Nancy to Las Vegas, he's horrified to find her gambling at a blackjack table with a lounge lizard named Chick.

The Vegas Show (2)

Sonny's dreading an impending visit from his mother: she's never forgivin him for becoming a lounge singer instead of a classical pianist.

The Sonny's Mother Show

Dot doesn't get quite the response she had hoped for after placing an ad in the personals column.

Strictly Personal

The prison pen pal whom Amy has been writing too has surprising news for her, he's getting out of prison.  The even bigger news is that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her.

A Pen Pal for Your Thoughts

Sonny manages to infuriate an entire table of feminists while Dot starts dating one of Amy's ex-boyfriends.

Twelve Angry Women

After seeing Howard flirting with a much younger woman, Nancy begins considering having a face lift.

Skin Deep

Dot has a monumental case of jitters on the opening night of her new play on account of her journalist boyfriend is assigned to review her performance.

Everyone's a Critic

Richie hits the big money which lands Jan in a mink coat.  However, is his sudden success short lived?

Take Back Your Mink

Nancy's cousin, Grace, stops by for a visit but that's not the only surprise for Nancy, her cousin is covered from head to toe in tatoos.

The One About the Tattooed Lady

Jan has hopes of reuniting her divorced parents but there is one hitch in her plan, her father is newly engaged.

Daddy's Little Girl

Ginger's grandmother shows up on Ginger's doorstep, complaining that her son won't let her drive anymore.  Meanwhile, Sonny decides to make a music video in the restaurant.

Ginger's Grandmother Show

When Dot's friend comes to Hollywood  seeking fame and fortune, Dot gets her a job in the restaurant washing dishes.

Dot's Hope

Sonny sees red when Amy finally agrees to go on a date, but not with him but with his friend Louie.  Meanwhile, Ginger is dreading her blind date with an egg salesman named Wilbur.

The Amy and Louie Show

Ginger's efforts to campaign for her favorite senator makes front-page news when she's photographed sitting on his lap.

Ginger and the Senator

Sonny becomes an instant hero after saving a choking victim by administering the Heimlich maneuver.  Meanwhile, Nancy and Howard contemplate taking seperate vacations.

Healings, Nothing More Than Healings

Ginger's in quandry: her perfect boyfriend wants to tie the knot, but she's not ready to settle down.

The No Guys Show

The waitresses wax philosophic when a journalist interviews them about the pros and cons of their careers.

The Waiting Game

Jan feels that her relationship with Richie is in a rut, so to spice it up, she borrows a blond wig from Dot.  However, the results are not exactly what she intended.  Meanwhile, a TV is installed in the lounge.

The Best Seasons of It's a Living

The Best Seasons of It's a Living

Season 1

Season 4

Season 6

Season 2

Season 3

Season 5