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The Best Episodes Written By Henry Slesar

Every TV Episode Written by Henry Slesar Ranked from Best to Worst by Thousands of Voters

Henry Slesar Ratings Summary

"Ma Parker" is the best rated episode written by Henry Slesar. It scored 8.333/10 based on 3 votes. It was directed by Oscar Rudolph. It aired on 10/6/1966 and is rated 0.7 points higher than their second-best episode, "The Greatest Mother of Them All".

  • Ma Parker
    8.3/103 votes

    #1 - Ma Parker

    Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 10/6/1966

    Now in charge of the Gotham State Pen, Ma Parker and her jailhouse full of criminal cohorts use it as their base of operations. No one suspects jailed prisoners of the crimes, but a clue picked up by Batman and Robin may lead them right to Ma's whereabouts.

    Director: Oscar Rudolph

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • The Greatest Mother of Them All
    7.7/103 votes

    #2 - The Greatest Mother of Them All

    Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 10/5/1966

    Ma Parker and her delinquent children are pulling off a crime wave in Gotham City. Batman and Robin round up the gang one by one, but when the arrests seem all too easy, the Dynamic Duo suspect something else more sinister may be up.

    Director: Oscar Rudolph

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • The Old Man in the Cave
    7.4/108 votes

    #3 - The Old Man in the Cave

    Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 11/8/1963

    A mysterious guardian helps a tiny community survive after the Bomb destroys much of the Earth.

    Director: Alan Crosland, Jr.

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross
    7.3/107 votes

    #4 - The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross

    Season 5 Episode 16 - Aired 1/17/1964

    A man finds that he can trade characteristics with others.

    Director: Don Siegel

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • I Saw the Whole Thing
    7.2/104 votes

    #5 - I Saw the Whole Thing

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/11/1962

    Michael Barnes is a mystery writer who is accused of causing a fatal car accident. Each eyewitness, however, proves to be unreliable when their testimony is shredded by Barnes who is acting as his own defense attorney. He is exonerated after he shows that each witness only saw what they wanted to see. Ultimately, however, it is revealed that he was not the driver. The driver was his pregnant wife. Barnes arranged to have himself accused because he knew that his wife would not be able to stand the strains of a trial.

    Director: Alfred Hitchcock

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Examination Day
    7.0/103 votes

    #6 - Examination Day

    Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 11/1/1985

    In the far future, twelve-year-old Dickie must pass the government intelligence test. He is very nervous about the outcome of the test but eager to show how smart he is. At the end his parents get the news - Dickie "passed" the test...but the government kills anyone who is too intelligent.

    Director: Paul Lynch

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Forty Detectives Later
    7.0/101 votes

    #7 - Forty Detectives Later

    Season 5 Episode 28 - Aired 4/24/1960

    The forty-first private eye hired by a man to find his wife's killer follows the clues to a suspect, and then realizes that the case is more complex than he had realized.

    Director: Arthur Hiller

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Insomnia
    7.0/101 votes

    #8 - Insomnia

    Season 5 Episode 30 - Aired 5/8/1960

    Lack of sleep is ruining a widower's life, but the real nightmare begins when he finally meets his brother-in-law, a menacing veteran still holding a grudge for his sister's death.

    Director: John Brahm

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • The Money
    7.0/101 votes

    #9 - The Money

    Season 6 Episode 9 - Aired 11/29/1960

    To win the hand of his beautiful girlfriend, a bookie-turned-import agent eyes the main chance with a deceitful ploy. In so doing, he finds himself earning more than the highest prize.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • The Man With Two Faces
    7.0/101 votes

    #10 - The Man With Two Faces

    Season 6 Episode 11 - Aired 12/13/1960

    The theft of a woman's purse is the start of a tale of profit and loss which strikes close to home when the identity of the culprit is sought through a series of conflicting photographs.

    Director: Stuart Rosenberg

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • A Crime for Mothers
    7.0/101 votes

    #11 - A Crime for Mothers

    Season 6 Episode 16 - Aired 1/24/1961

    When a mother returns to seek out her long-lost abandoned daughter, money rather than love seems to be her driving motive. Refusing to pay, the girl's pseudo-adoptive parents call the woman's bluff and demand a court settlement to the matter.

    Director: Ida Lupino

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • The Last Escape
    7.0/101 votes

    #12 - The Last Escape

    Season 6 Episode 17 - Aired 1/31/1961

    An escapologist with a daring new act, a deceitful wife with a passion for music and the musician performing it, and a last escape worthy of Houdini himself, make cheating death a circus act to bend anyone's sanity.

    Director: Paul Henreid

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • The Horse Player
    7.0/101 votes

    #13 - The Horse Player

    Season 6 Episode 22 - Aired 3/14/1961

    On a wing and a prayer, a gambler with a mission thinks he has a hotline to God in praying for a string of successful winners. Convincing a naive minister to play the odds with the parish funds, could this be the race which beats the horse player?

    Director: Alfred Hitchcock

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • A Woman's Help
    7.0/101 votes

    #14 - A Woman's Help

    Season 6 Episode 24 - Aired 3/28/1961

    When you're handsome and attractive, the ladies will always pay you the sort of attention you want. For Arnold Bourdon, there's only one problem: how to get rid of his shrewish but wealthy wife. Perhaps her new companion and nurse hold the key.

    Director: Arthur Hiller

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Servant Problem
    7.0/101 votes

    #15 - Servant Problem

    Season 6 Episode 34 - Aired 6/6/1961

    Good staff are hard to come by and, once found, are as priceless as one's own wife when it comes to their talent in the kitchen. At least, for handsome and distinguished Kerwin Drake, this is certainly the case when the arrival of his dowdy down-at-heel wife is a mere hors d'ouevres for the murderous meal that follows.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Coming Home
    7.0/101 votes

    #16 - Coming Home

    Season 6 Episode 35 - Aired 6/13/1961

    When an armed robber is released from prison, beaten down by the system and wanting to retreat to his long-lost family life, his homecoming makes for a shocking revelation.

    Director: Alf Kjellin

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • The Hatbox
    7.0/101 votes

    #17 - The Hatbox

    Season 7 Episode 1 - Aired 10/10/1961

    When caught cheating on a test, Perry Hatch visits his college Professor to plead his case before a letter is sent to his parents. But upon witnessing the Professor disposing of a brand new ladies hat box, Perry thinks he may be onto something sinister.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Final Vow
    7.0/101 votes

    #18 - Final Vow

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/25/1962

    Sister Pamela suffers a crisis of conscience just as she is about to take her final vows. Is her belief real or is she just hiding from the rest of the world? The sisters in the convent give her time to think everything over by letting her pick up a valuable statue from a reformed gangster. As she is returning, however, the statue is stolen by a young criminal named Jimmy Bresson. In order to get the statue back she leaves the convent and hunts Jimmy down. She arranges to have a date with him to get into his apartment. Unfortunately, she discovers that he has pawned the statue. She takes the pawn ticket and heads for the pawn shop. As she is about to get it back, Jimmy catches her. Jimmy and the dishonest pawn shop owner want to kill Pamela, but they want to have the statue appraised first. They call an appraiser, but it turns out to be the man who originally offered the statue to the convent. He tells them that the statue is worthless and convinces them to let Pamela go. Having confr

    Director: Norman Lloyd

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • House Guest
    7.0/102 votes

    #19 - House Guest

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/8/1962

    John and Sally Mitchell offer a stranger named Ray Roscoe a place to stay after Roscoe saves the life of their son Tony. When Roscoe turns out to be a womanizing freeloader, they begin to believe that they made a terrible mistake. One night Roscoe wrecks their car and hits on a camper's wife. Angry, John punches him and knocks him to the ground. John is shocked, however, when the camper examines Roscoe's body and declares that Roscoe is dead. The camper suggests that they bury the body in the woods and forget the whole thing. John agrees and lets the camper deal with the body. Later, John is disturbed to discover that the woods are going to be excavated as a part of a new highway construction. Since he doesn't know exactly where the body is, he calls the camper and tells him that they must move the corpse. The camper agrees, but demands $20,000. He tells John that he will go to the police if he does not pay the money.

    Director: Alan Crosland, Jr.

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • What Really Happened
    7.0/101 votes

    #20 - What Really Happened

    Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1/11/1963

    Over the protests of his wife Eve, Howard Raydon fires Addie the family maid when her son breaks a valuable antique. Unwilling to leave, she poisons Howard's milk and kills him. An autopsy reveals the poison, but Eve is the chief suspect after she is fingered by Howard's mother. Believing that Eve's innocence will come out in trial, Addie remains silent about any wrong doing. Unfortunately, the prosecution reveals that Addie's 'son' is really Eve's son from a previous marriage. They claim that Eve killed her husband to prevent being seperated from the boy. As things begin to look worse for Eve, Addie confesses her guilt in a note and attempts suicide. Her suicide attempt is stopped in time and she is forced to stand trial.

    Director: Jack Smight

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Blood Bargain
    7.0/101 votes

    #21 - Blood Bargain

    Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 10/25/1963

    Jim Derry is a hit man who is hired to kill a bookie named Eddie Breech. He begins to have second thoughts when he finds out that Eddie's wife Connie is confined to a wheelchair and is being cheated on by her husband. He talks to the Breechs and agrees to help the two fake Eddie's death so that Derry can get paid for the hit and the two can start over in Mexico. Derry goes to the morgue and aquires a body. He puts Eddies wallet and wedding ring on the corpse and starts it on fire after putting it in a car. Derry gets paid, but is arrested by the police. The police found the car and believe Eddie is dead. Derry tells the police that Eddie is in Mexico. The police then bring Connie into the room. She accuses Derry of shooting Eddie the night before. Derry has been set up. Connie killed her husband and set up Derry to take the fall.

    Director: Bernard Girard

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Starring the Defense
    7.0/101 votes

    #22 - Starring the Defense

    Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 11/15/1963

    Miles Crawford is a former actor turned lawyer. He gets an oppotunity to practice both professions when his son Tod is arrested an put on trial for murder. Tod is guilty but Miles makes an impassioned summation that manages to sway both the judge and the jury. Unfortunately, the prosecutor is a movie fan and he points out that Miles's summation was lifted word for word from a old movie in which Crawford played a defense attorney in charge of a case very similar to the one he is in charge of now.

    Director: Joseph Pevney

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Behind the Locked Door
    7.0/101 votes

    #23 - Behind the Locked Door

    Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 3/27/1964

    Newlyweds Dave and Bonnie Snowden visit the abandoned home of Bonnie's late father. In the home, Dave finds a locked door and comes to believe that there is something valuable inside. Later, Dave and Bonnie tell Bonnie's elderly mother Mrs. Daniels that they are married. Bonnie's mother is convinced that Dave is after her daughter inheritance. She tries to bribe Dave to annull the marriage. Dave refuses, but he is desperate for money. In an effort to convince Bonnie's mother of his good intentions. He convinces Bonnie to fake a suicide attempt by overdosing on sleeping pills. Dave hopes that Mrs. Daniels will see him caring for her and change her mind about him. Unfortunately, Bonnie is allergic to sleeping pills and accidently dies. After the funeral, Mrs. Daniels tells Dave that she has had a change of heart. She gives him the abandoned house. Dave heads to the home and again wonders what is behind the locked door. As he talks to himself,

    Director: Robert Douglas

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • Who Needs an Enemy?
    7.0/101 votes

    #24 - Who Needs an Enemy?

    Season 2 Episode 28 - Aired 5/15/1964

    Charlie Osgood has been robbing his partner Eddie Turtin for years. When Eddie finds out, he threatens to go to the police unless Charlie can give him back what he stole. Determined not to ply, Charlie and his girlfriend Danielle decide to fake Charlie's suicide and then leave the country. Charlie gives Eddie hints of suicide and then throws an explosives laden dummy over a bridge. After blowing up the dummy in the water, Eddie becomes convinced that Charlie is dead. Eddie gives the eulogy at Charlie's memorial service as Charlie heads to the office to pick up his stolen cash. He grabs the money and, afterwards, he and Danielle celebrate with drink. Charlie passes out after the drink and awakens to find Eddie and Danielle. Charlie realizes that he has been set up. Eddie planned to take the money and blame the theft on his dead partner. Eddie and Danielle get rid of Charlie for good by pushing him off a pier and blowing him up in the water.

    Director: Harry Morgan

    Writer: Henry Slesar

  • The Second Verdict
    7.0/101 votes

    #25 - The Second Verdict

    Season 2 Episode 30 - Aired 5/29/1964

    Ned Murray is a lawyer who gets Lew Rydell off on a murder charge, but later learns that he is guilty. Knowing that Lew cannot be tried twice for the same crime, Ned seeks out other ways to bring the man to justice. He talks to a gangster Tony Hardeman who misinterprets Ned's concern and decides to have Lew killed. Ned suspects that a murder is about to take place and tries to save Lew. He arrives at Lew's house too late and discovers that Lew is still alive. He managed to kill Tony before he could kill him. Ned realizes that he can now have Lew sent to prison since he can now be tried for another murder. Guilt overwhealms him, however, and Ned decides to defend Lew in court once again.

    Director: Lewis Teague

    Writer: Henry Slesar