Show cover for Payne

The Best Episodes of Payne

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

Payne is an American television series, patterned after the British program Fawlty Towers. It starred American actor John Larroquette, who portrayed assistant district attorney Dan Fielding on the American television program Night Court. Larroquette was also an executive producer for the series. Payne was a mid-season replacement on CBS and aired in March and April 1999. The show also starred JoBeth Williams, Julie Benz and Rick Batalla. Despite fairly positive reception, and receiving the blessing of John Cleese, who agreed to take a recurring role if the show was renewed, Payne was quickly cancelled. Nine episodes were filmed; eight were aired. The show is not available on DVD.

Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS

Top Episode Highlight

The best episode of "Payne" is "Wedding Fever", rated 6.4/10 from 12 user votes. It was directed by Dorothy Lyman and written by N/A. "Wedding Fever" aired on 4/28/1999 and is rated 0.2 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The J. Edgar Hoover Pin Story".

  • Wedding Fever
    6.4/10 12 votes

    #1 - Wedding Fever

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 1999-04-28

    Royal, who is hosting an expensive wedding at Whispering Pines, begins to panic when the father of the bride won't pay until after the ceremony. Determined that the wedding will go smoothly, Royal is frantic when he discovers that Breeze and the groom have the hots for each other, and desperately attempts to intervene -- which leads to disastrous results.

    Director: Dorothy Lyman

    Writer: N/A

  • The J. Edgar Hoover Pin Story
    6.2/10 12 votes

    #2 - The J. Edgar Hoover Pin Story

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 1999-03-15

    Royal panics when he realizes he forgot to buy an anniversary present for his wife, Connie. Breeze saves the day when she finds a pricey antique pin left behind by a guest, and Connie is thrilled with her gift. Royal is also ecstatic since he didn't have to spend a cent on it -- until the frantic guest returns to Whispering Pines offering a $1,000 reward for the heirloom. Royal can't resist stealing the ""gift"" back from Connie in order to collect the money but then finds himself setting up his own reward fund when Connie discovers that her new pin is missing.

    Director: Dorothy Lyman

    Writer: Gail Parent

  • I Never Forget a Face-Lift
    6.2/10 12 votes

    #3 - I Never Forget a Face-Lift

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 1999-04-21

    When a bandaged woman recovering from a face-lift mistakes Whispering Pines for the luxurious Sand Dunes Inn down the street, Royal has her check in and lets her continue with her false assumption. Figuring the woman will have bandages over her eyes during the recovery process, Royal has Mo play nursemaid to her. The situation becomes tricky, however, when the guest's husband shows up looking for her.

    Director: Craig Zisk

    Writer: N/A

  • Whatever Happened to Baby Payne?
    4.0/10 14 votes

    #4 - Whatever Happened to Baby Payne?

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 1999-03-24

    A representative from Family Friendly Travel pays a visit to evaluate Whispering Pines, and Royal attempts to dupe her into believing that the inn is a wholesome establishment. Unfortunately, Royal is busy trying to dupe the Family Friendly woman during a week in which the inn is coping with a cross-dressing guest and a lost child.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: N/A

  • Trouble in Room 206
    3.3/10 21 votes

    #5 - Trouble in Room 206

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 1999-04-14

    Payne gets himself into trouble when he rents a room -- already occupied -- to a young couple desperate to be together. Payne is forced to evict the young couple when the original guests return earlier than expected -- but finds that it's not so easy. He seems to be stuck with them.

    Director: John Rich

    Writer: N/A

  • Sexual Intercom
    NaN/10 0 votes

    #6 - Sexual Intercom

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 1999-03-17

    The Whispering Pines' new telephone system has an added feature that Royal and Connie unexpectedly discover -- an intercom that allows them to listen in on the guests' conversations. Connie is thrilled to discover this new form of entertainment, and Royal decides to ""use the power for good"" -- satisfying their guests' requests before the requests are made -- a plan that inevitably catches Payne with his pants down.

    Director: Michael Zinberg

    Writer: N/A

  • Gossip Checks In and a Cat Checks Out
    NaN/10 0 votes

    #7 - Gossip Checks In and a Cat Checks Out

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 1999-03-31

    Livid about Connie's continual barrage of banal banter with anyone who'll listen to her, Royal attempts to prove that he's above all the gossip. However, when a mysterious guest checks in, it's Royal who is falling all over himself -- literally -- to learn ""her story.""

    Director: John Pasquin

    Writer: N/A

  • Pacific Ocean Duck
    NaN/10 0 votes

    #8 - Pacific Ocean Duck

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 1999-04-07

    Royal laments the quality of his clientele. He longs to play host to presidents and kings but rather he gets blue collar families and philandering husbands with their mistresses. His ire is piqued when he learns that his competition, the Sand Dune, has received two stars in the Mobile guide while Whispering Pines wasn't even ranked. Royal resolves to put Whispering Pines on the map by adding a ""gourmet night"" to the hotel's attractions. After he accuses the Mobile Guide critic of being a tart and comes to believe that his four-star chef has expired, it begins to look as though success is not on the menu.

    Director: Andrew D. Weyman

    Writer: N/A