6.8/1026 votes#1 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/11/1975
Phyllis' husband, Lars, suddenly dies only to leave Phyllis and her daughter Bess with no money. Desperate, they move to San Francisco to live with Lars' mother Audrey and her new husband Jonathan Dexter. At a reception for Lars' friends, Phyllis meets her new boss Julie Erskine, owner of Erskine Photography. Phyllis later discovers that Julie dated Lars at the same time he was dating her and he proposed to Julie first.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: N/A
- 7.2/1021 votes
#2 - Bess, Is You a Woman Now?
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/1975
Bess goes away on a weekend ski trip. Phyllis makes a phone call to Bess' room to see how she is doing only to find someone else answer the phone, a young man. Phyllis is worried that Bess is no longer her innocent daughter.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/1016 votes
#3 - Up for Grabs
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 9/22/1975
An old friend of Lars is in town to discuss some business with Phyllis. However, he is more interested in Phyllis fpr reasons other than business.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 7.2/1018 votes
#4 - Leaving Home
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 9/23/1975
Mother Dexter is upset that Phyllis and Bess have stolen her guest bedroom, so Phyllis decides to move out on her own. Her new apartment, however, is a total dump.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.9/1015 votes
#5 - The First Day
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 9/30/1975
Phyllis writes to her friend Mary Richards to tell her all about her new life and how hard it was when she first started working.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/1021 votes
#6 - Phyllis Takes Piano Lessons
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/7/1975
Phyllis has always regretted that she never finished her piano recital as a child because she froze on stage. She decides to take lessons again, she discovers that she is the only adult in the children's class.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.1/1015 votes
#7 - Phyllis' Garage Sale
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 10/14/1975
All of Phyllis' belongings arrive from Minneapolis and clutters the house--literally. Phyllis decides to have a garage sale, but has trouble letting go of her things.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.4/1012 votes
#8 - The First Date
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 10/27/1975
Phyllis is going to go on a double date with Julie, for the first time since Lars died and is nervous about getting into the routine again.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/1014 votes
#9 - All Together Now
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 10/30/1975
Phyllis feels that she does not really ""know"" Bess. First, she tries to go out with Bess to a dance club and when that doesn't work. Then, she gets an insane idea of staying up all night and having them tell all kinds of secrets about themselves.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 5.7/1011 votes
#10 - Audrey Leaves Jonathan
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/6/1975
Audrey is upset when she learns that Jonathan had an affair on his first wife while he was in the service. She feels that if he's done it once, he'll do it again. She decides to leave him, only to move next door to Phyllis' room. Jonathan must tell her he loves her because he never has.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.1/1011 votes
#11 - Phyllis Opens Julie's Heart
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 11/17/1975
Phyllis must try to comfort Julie after she sees her boyfriend with another woman.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/1015 votes
#12 - So Lonely I Could Cry
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 11/24/1975
Phyllis finds her self all alone when Bess is gone for the weekend and the Dexter's go on vacation. She must try to entertain herself for the entire weekend with no one else around.
Director: Joan Darling
Writer: Mary Kay Place, Valerie Curtin
- 7.9/1027 votes
#13 - Phyllis and the Little People
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 12/1/1975
Bess announces her plans to marry. Phyllis invites the boy's parents over only to discover that they are little people and must deal with her discomfort throughout the evening.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 6.0/1016 votes
#14 - There's No Business Like No Business
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 12/8/1975
The photo studio is in financial trouble and Phyllis tries to land an account for the company but fails. Jonathan decides to invest some money into the business.
Director: Jay Sandrich
Writer: N/A
- 5.7/1011 votes
#15 - Paging Dr. Lindstrom
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 12/22/1975
Phyllis meets a medium at the studio and discusses the afterlife. Audrey, by chance, meets him and invites him over to have a seance to contact Lars.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 5.3/1012 votes
#16 - The $17,623,419.53 Man
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1/5/1976
Phyllis meets a wealthy business tycoon named Harry Loomis who proposes to her.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 6.8/1012 votes
#17 - Honor Thy Mother Dexter
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 1/12/1976
Phyllis believes that the reason Sally (Judith Lowry) is so grouchy is because she has nothing to do in life. First Phyllis tries to put her in the workforce by getting her a job at the studio. That was a big mistake. Then, Phyllis tries to fix her up with a date.
Director: Stuart Margolin
Writer: N/A
- 6.3/1012 votes
#18 - Phyllis in Love
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 1/19/1976
Phyllis falls in love with a tennis player who just happens to be married.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 6.0/1010 votes
#19 - Crazy Mama
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 1/26/1976
Bess has finally had it with her mother and feels she has no privacy. Thus, Bess moves out and Phyllis must go after her and convince her to return home.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 5.9/1013 votes
#20 - A Man, a Woman, and Another Woman
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 2/2/1976
Phyllis' old lawyer friend Jerome returns to San Francisco with his new young bride.
Director: Joan Darling
Writer: N/A
- 5.3/1011 votes
#21 - Leo's Suicide
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 2/9/1976
Leo gets depressed and takes some of Audrey's pills (which happen to be no more than placebos.)
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 6.6/1012 votes
#22 - Sonny Boy
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 2/16/1976
Jonathan's brother comes to visit and Phyllis must become a middleman between sibling rivalry.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
6.6/1013 votes#23 - Widows, Merry and Otherwise
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 2/23/1976
Audrey's niece, a recent widow, comes to visit, and Phyllis must try to comfort her since she is too a widow.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
- 5.8/1012 votes
#24 - The Triangle
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 3/1/1976
Bess's old boy boyfriend who falls for Phyllis after he is dumped by Bess.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Phyllis Season 1
Every episode of Phyllis Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Phyllis Season 1!
Phyllis is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 8, 1975 to March 13, 1977.
Created by Ed Weinberger and Stan Daniels. it...
Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Pilot" is the best rated episode of "Phyllis" season 1. It scored 6.8/10 based on 26 votes. Directed by Jay Sandrich and written by N/A, it aired on 9/11/1975. This episode is rated 0.4 points higher than the second-best, "Bess, Is You a Woman Now?".