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The Best Episodes of Lou Grant

Every episode of Lou Grant ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Lou Grant!

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The trials of a former television station manager turned newspaper city editor, and his journalist staff.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Lou Grant Season 3 Episode 1 - Cop
    1.0/10(52 votes)

    #1 - Cop

    S3:E1

    Lou is the only witness to a neighborhood murder and is mystified by the way the police handle the case, thereby discovering a touchy area of crime. At the same time, a fatal fire in a gay bar poses a tough question for Lou: should the newspaper publish the names of the victims, knowing people will be hurt by the story. Lou is also puzzled to see a uniformed cop working a homicide case and sends Rossi to find out why, with disturbing results.

    Director:Roger Young
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 1 - Cophouse
    0.0/10(103 votes)

    #2 - Cophouse

    S1:E1

    After landing the city editor job at the Los Angeles Tribune, Lou Grant's first major story is a sex scandal concerning the LAPD and underage girls. However, in order to get it published he must deal with a reporter who is reluctant to bring down the police, and Mrs. Pynchon, who has a difference of opinion with him.

    Director:Gene Reynolds
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 2 - Hostages
    0.0/10(75 votes)

    #3 - Hostages

    S1:E2

    Upset with a story about his brother, who was wrongfully shot by a store-owner during a robbery, a gunman demands a new story and holds the newspaper staff hostage until they comply.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 3 - Hoax
    0.0/10(67 votes)

    #4 - Hoax

    S1:E3

    When Lou gets a tip from a friend who claims to know the whereabouts of a missing millionaire, members of the staff initially have doubts about following it and dismiss it as a hoax. The man begins to gain credibility when he is able to retrieve information that only the missing man would know.

    Director:Jay Sandrich
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 4 - Henhouse
    0.0/10(65 votes)

    #5 - Henhouse

    S1:E4

    Lou clashes with a woman who is the head of the woman's section of the newspaper over whose reporter should cover the alleged murder of a famous playwright in New Mexico.

    Director:Richard Crenna
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 5 - Nazi
    0.0/10(77 votes)

    #6 - Nazi

    S1:E5

    While investigating a group of Nazis, Billie comes upon information that one of their leaders used to be Jewish.

    Director:Alexander Singer
    Writer:Robert Schlitt

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Lou Grant

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  7. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 6 - Aftershock
    0.0/10(61 votes)

    #7 - Aftershock

    S1:E6

    When a staff member passes away, Lou does everything he can to comfort the widow, which causes her to depend more on him and fall in love with him. After a small earthquake hits, Rossi interviews a scientist who claims that his insects are predicting a more serious one in the upcoming days.

    Director:Jud Taylor
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 7 - Barrio
    0.0/10(54 votes)

    #8 - Barrio

    S1:E7

    Surprised by the paper's lack of coverage on the shooting of a Hispanic woman by a gang, Lou allows Billie to go into the Hispanic community to write a story. While in the community, she meets the victim's son who is fueled with anger and seems headed down the wrong path.

    Director:Mel Damski
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 8 - Scoop
    0.0/10(57 votes)

    #9 - Scoop

    S1:E8

    Pressured to get the latest scoop at any cost, Lou ends up in hot water after running two of Rossi's exclusive stories which turn out to be false. So when Billie has information about a possible fake kidnapping, Lou is reluctant to run the story.

    Director:Harry Falk
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 9 - Judge
    0.0/10(63 votes)

    #10 - Judge

    S1:E9

    When Lou goes to a courthouse to look into a report of inappropriate behavior by a senior judge, he angers the judge by trying to leave in the middle of a trial and is put in jail. Upset by this treatment, he gets the newspaper staff to further investigate the judge's erratic behavior.

    Director:Irving J. Moore
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 10 - Psychout
    0.0/10(58 votes)

    #11 - Psychout

    S1:E10

    After Lou tells him that his stories are missing first-hand experience, Rossi checks into a mental institution as a patient under a made-up name to investigate reports of abuse. Lou clashes with a lawyer at the paper because he feels that censorship and fear of possible lawsuits are limiting what the paper can publish.

    Director:Alexander Singer
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 11 - Housewarming
    0.0/10(55 votes)

    #12 - Housewarming

    S1:E11

    Billie uses a battered woman as a source for a story on spousal abuse but has trouble following through with it when the women's husband finds out. She later finds out that a co-worker has a problem with spousal abuse.

    Director:Mel Damski
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 12 - Takeover
    0.0/10(56 votes)

    #13 - Takeover

    S1:E12

    Staff members become nervous when a multi-millionaire with a penchant for ruining the credibility of newspapers makes an attempt to take over the Tribune.

    Director:Gene Reynolds
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 13 - Christmas
    0.0/10(54 votes)

    #14 - Christmas

    S1:E13

    Lou gets homesick with Christmas approaching. Billie does a story on a family that is homeless for the holidays and public donations begin to pour in. After Rossi improperly uses a quote, Lou punishes him by assigning him to a boring story that turns out to be a juicy story.

    Director:James Burrows
    Writer:David Lloyd

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  15. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 14 - Airliner
    0.0/10(57 votes)

    #15 - Airliner

    S1:E14

    News breaks of an airplane carrying over 300 people that is unable to land. Members of the staff scour the list of passengers aboard and find out that Charlie's daughter is on that flight.

    Director:Mel Damski
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 15 - Sports
    0.0/10(49 votes)

    #16 - Sports

    S1:E15

    The paper faces a public backlash after Lou runs a story about an NCAA investigation into the possible recruiting violations by a popular local college football team.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 16 - Hero
    0.0/10(56 votes)

    #17 - Hero

    S1:E16

    When a man saves a judge's life and then flees the scene, the paper launches a campaign to find his identity. When they find him and write a story revealing that he has a criminal record, he blames the paper for hurting his business and ruining his engagement. Billie is upset at the lack of support for a halfway house that is on the verge of closing due to lack of funding.

    Director:Mel Damski
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 17 - Renewal
    0.0/10(53 votes)

    #18 - Renewal

    S1:E17

    The paper does a story on a senior citizen whose apartment, decorated with art that reflects his life's work, is in danger of being torn down.

    Director:Gene Reynolds
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 18 - Sect
    0.0/10(54 votes)

    #19 - Sect

    S1:E18

    Charlie is devastated when his son joins a cult.

    Director:Alexander Singer
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 19 - Scandal
    0.0/10(50 votes)

    #20 - Scandal

    S1:E19

    Rossi gets upset when a new female reporter comes in and is given the story about a possibly corrupt politician that he had unsuccessfully been investigating.

    Director:Mel Damski
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 20 - Spies
    0.0/10(51 votes)

    #21 - Spies

    S1:E20

    When the paper finds out about the son of a wealthy businessman being secretly detained by authorities, Lou decides to have Rossi investigate. However, when a CIA agent thwarts the investigation before it begins, everyone begins to suspect there is a CIA informant working at the paper.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 21 - Poison
    0.0/10(52 votes)

    #22 - Poison

    S1:E21

    After Rossi's friend reveals that he has damaging information about the unsafe conditions at a nuclear plant, he is "accidentally" struck and killed by a car. Eager to prove that it was no accident, Rossi continues the investigation into the nuclear plant.

    Director:Gene Reynolds
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Lou Grant Season 1 Episode 22 - Physical
    0.0/10(51 votes)

    #23 - Physical

    S1:E22

    Lou reluctantly goes for a physical and finds out that he has a thyroid condition that requires surgery. At the paper, he offers advice to an intern who wants to become a reporter. Rossi learns that he has a good chance at a Pulitzer prize for his story on mental hospitals.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:David Lloyd

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  24. Lou Grant Season 2 Episode 1 - Pills
    0.0/10(49 votes)

    #24 - Pills

    S2:E1

    Rossi is handed records which prove that a doctor is illegally prescribing drugs. When the story runs and it is suspected that the records may have been obtained by illegal means, Rossi is told to either reveal his source or go to jail.

    Director:Jay Sandrich
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Lou Grant Season 2 Episode 2 - Prisoner
    0.0/10(50 votes)

    #25 - Prisoner

    S2:E2

    When Mrs. Pynchon plays host to the wife of the leader of a controversial Latin American country known for its torturing practices, Charlie Hume is anything but inviting to her.

    Director:Gene Reynolds
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Cop" is the best rated episode of "Lou Grant". It scored 1/10 based on 52 votes. Directed by Roger Young and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/17/1979. This episode scored 1.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Cophouse".