Welcome to the Unofficial The Eight is Enough Section -- Season 4p1

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Season 4p1

Eight is Enough Season 4

Eight is Enough Season Four 1979 - 1980

Dates are mostly from memory, but can be off a week or two. Firstrun dates usually follow a pattern of Sep-Dec, then 2-week reruns in late Dec, then firstruns Jan-early Mar, reruns, then May firstruns. If you know of actual dates or have other stuff to add, please let me know By E-mail and I'll put them in. Thank you. One original episode aired in August 1977, though my memory is fuzzy in remembering the date.

#64 Merle the Pearl

Nicholas and Susan meet Merle the Pearl, a local minor league baseball player.

Nicholas is upset that his young girlfriend is moving out of town and wants to introduce her to Merle the Pearl to impress her before she leaves.

Frustrated by the gas shortage, Tom agrees to buy a new, fuel-efficient car.

Merle falls for Susan and Nicholas gets his first kiss.

Original Air Date: Sep 5, 1979 (Confirmed)

Guests: Brian Patrick Clarke as Merle, Amy Smika as Lou, Michael Goodrow as Ernie, Catherine Gilmour as Rayna, Ben Young as Guard, Bruce Katzman as Lloyd Webster, John Brandon as Eddie Grabbis, Coleman D. Creel Jr. as Ticket Taker, Gene Borkan as Station Attendant, Roy E. Andrews as Baseball Fan

NOTE: David was not in this episode.

#65 The Cupid Crisis

David returns and is determined to win Janet back from her new boyfriend.

Merle confides to Nicholas that he wants to propose to Susan but Susan is upset when the entire Bradford family knows about before she does.

Nicholas acts as the go-between for everyone.

Original Air Date: Sep 12, 1979 (Confirmed)

Guests: Joan Prather as Janet, Brian Patrick Clarke as Merle, ***Terry Lester*** as Reed Ellis, Michael Thoma as Dr. Maxwell, William Lampley as driver

#66 I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

David and Janet set a wedding date but it turns out to be the same day Merle and Susan decided to move up the wedding day to accomodate Merle's ballplaying career move.

Nancy gets a job delivering singing telegrams and is hired to deliver one at the double wedding for David and Janet and Merle and Susan.

Original Air Date: Sep 19, 1979 (Confirmed)

Guests: Joan Prather as Janet, Brian Patrick Clarke as Merle, Michael Thoma as Dr. Maxwell, Rick Casorla as E. David Charles, Emmaline Henry as Sylvia McArthur, Robert Rockwell as George MacArthur, Virginia Vincent as Daisy Maxwell, Stephen Keep as Minister, Joshua Grenrock as Bingo

#67 Ten Ships in the Night

Chaos hits the Bradford house when everyone's activities go around the clock.

In order to get her Ph.D. more quickly, Abby attends school full-time and has little time for the family.

Tom is upset when no one is home when Nicholas gets home from school.

Tired of getting dead-end jobs because of her looks, Nancy gets a job at a brokerage firm.

All this drives Tom bananas and he finally calls a family meeting at 3 a.m. by playing loud music to rearrange the goings on.

Original Air Date: Sep 26, 1979 (Confirmed)

Guests: Kate Woodville as Ms. Chovick, Jennifer Darling as Donna, Renny Temple as Fletcher Patterson, ***Julia Duffy*** as Cindy, Karem Belge as Joey, Ken Smolka as School Director

#68 The Devil and Mr. Bradford

Joannie gets a job in the research department of a TV station.

Mary finds a hidden home pregnancy test and tries to find the owner.

Joannie "scoops" Tom on a story on a porno theater for her new job at a television station. The problem is that the theater is owned by a public corporation and Tom is a stockholder.

Tom is upset that a porno theater has opened in his neighborhood but then discovers that he is part owner of it.

Original Air Date: Oct 24, 1979 (confirmed, not Oct 3 seen elsewhere.)

Guests: ***Nicholas Pryor*** as Jeffrey Trout, Jerrold Ziman as Sidney Vector, Peggy Lee Brennan as Laurie Cassell

#69 Big Shoes, Little Feet

Tom needs a partner for the father/son golf tournament but David, Tommy, and Merle are all busy.

Nicholas's substitute teacher compares him to his older brothers and sisters so Nicholas and Abby discuss how it feels to be compared to someone else.

Nancy tries to help David's construction business by dating a local businessman.

Original Air Date: Oct 31, 1979 (confirmed, originally scheduled for Oct 24)

Guests: Joan Prather as Janet, Meg Wylie as Miss Krutch, Darrell Fetty as Kirk Ashley, Kate Woodville as Ms. Chovick, K.C. Martel as Marvin, ***James Karen*** as Elliott Randolph, Warren Munson as Park Director

#70 Fathers and Other Strangers, pt. 1

Tom thinks that Tommy is spending too much time with his band and is neglecting his school work.

Tom's sister, Vivian, also known as Auntie V, arrives and offers to take the entire family to Hawaii for a vacation.

The real reason is that she has found out that Tom's long-lost father is living there.

Original Air Date: Nov 7, 1979 (Confirmed, originally scheduled for Oct 31)

Guests: Joan Prather as Janet, Brian Patrick Clarke as Merle, ***Janis Paige*** as Auntie V, ***David Wayne*** as Matt, Robert Donner as man on the bus, Gary H. Imhoff as Dennis, Richard Molinare as Nick, Lloyd Alann as Dave, Michael Goodrow as Ernie, Jennifer Darling as Donna, Casey King as messenger, Morgan Kester as tour guide, Josie Over as tour guide, Victoria Leighton as tour guide, Joann Gordon as rest relations clerk, Dennis M. Chun as bellman, Deena Starr Spencer as girl at beach, Nicole Ericson as girl at beach, Kelly Palzis as girl on beach, Chris Needels as beach rental man, Audrey Meyers as singer at hula show

#71 Fathers and Other Strangers, pt. 2

Joannie and Mary think they are being followed by a strange-looking tourist.

Elizabeth and Nancy meet two men who claim to be native Hawaiians.

Tom is upset to learn that Vivian and Abby have conspired to have him meet his father - who he hasn't seen in 40 years.

Tears, understanding and good cheer as Tom and his father finally make up when the family tries to get them together.

Original Air Date: Nov 7, 1979 (Confirmed, was combined with part 1 for a two-hour episode.)

Guests: See Part 1 for Guests

#72 Letter to One Bradford

Nicholas feels responsible when bad luck seems to run in the family after he breaks a chain letter. Nicholas really believes that bad luck followed afterwards. He finally learns that it is nonsense after putting the family through the ringer.

Merle and Susan argue about his choice of friends and her neglect of household duties.

Tom, Abby, and the rest of the Bradfords are worried when Tommy is hospitalized for a ruptured spleen.

Original Air Date: Nov 14, 1979 (100% sure) (the card says originally Oct 17, but a World Series game on ABC-TV pre-empted it and was rescheduled to this date)

Guests: Joan Prather as Janet, Brian Patrick Clarke as Merle, ***John Lone*** as Chang, K.C. Martel as Marvin, Michael Thoma as Dr. Maxwell, Anna Garduno as Rona, David Ellenstein as Harry, Leone James as Linda, Channing Clarkson as Chuck, Aileen Fitzpatrick as Nurse

#73 Separate Ways

Note: This is part one of two broadcast separately.

Elizabeth and Mary try to fix the furnace when David doesn't have time to fix it, and try to bill Tom.

Merle is excited when he is asked to play dealing with winter ball in Puerto Rico but Susan doesn't want to quit school to go with him.

Tom is up to his ears with kids when Susan returns home after a spat with Merle.

Tom deals with Nicholas on strike for more allowance.

Original Air Date: Nov 21, 1979 (Confirmed)

Guests: Joan Prather as Janet, Brian Patrick Clarke as Merle, ***Jonathan Frakes*** as Chapper, K.C. Martel as Marvin, Frank Downing as Mac, Robert Hanley as Bob

#74 Arrivals

Note: This is part two of two broadcast separately.

Tom and Abby believe that Susan is depressed because Merle is gone but learn that she is pregnant. The girls try to cheer her up.

Joannie meets a psychic and holds a seance to help Susan.

Merle arrives to win her back and finds out she is going to have their baby.

Ernie and Tommy use Nicholas as bait to meet girls.

Original Air Date: Nov 28, 1979 (Confirmed)

Guests: Joan Prather as Janet, Brian Patrick Clarke as Merle, ***Bruce Solomon*** as Andre, Michael Thoma as Dr. Maxwell, Michael Goodrow as Ernie, Pamela Bryant as Girl, Patricia Brooks as Ginger, Jonni Robin as Alice

#75 The Night They Raided Bradfords

Things are not as they seem at the Bradfords when Merle's sister, Linda Mae, comes from the farm and visits the Bradfords and is shocked at what she finds.

Joannie talks Nancy into playing a stripper in her play.

Susan panics when she hears that Merle was injured in a game.

It's a comedy of errors when Linda Mae calls the police after misunderstanding the family's crazy life style.

Original Air Date: Oct 3, 1979 (confirmed...note that the actual air dates don't always follow the production sequence.)

Guests: Joan Prather as Janet, Sondra West as Linda Mae (Merle's sister), Brian Patrick Clarke as Merle, Michael Thoma as Dr. Maxwell, Howard Witt as Harris, Jeff Maxwell as Officer Caldmaris, Michael Goodrow as Ernie, Noel Conlon as Dilnik, Bill Smillie as Doctor, Penelope Willis as Nurse, Joe Carafallo as Calaway

#76 Brotherhood, Sisterhood

Tom talks David into hiring Tommy as a construction worker but Tommy has to prove himself to his fellow workers by standing up to them on his own.

Nicholas needs to write a speech about Tom and follows him around for a day at the office to get material.

Elizabeth is looking for advice on how to meet men in college.

Original Air Date: Dec 5, 1979

Guests: Joan Prather as Janet, ***Shawn Stevens*** as Jack Binder, Michael Goodrow as Ernie, Robert Rosen as Herb, James Carrington as Gene, Michael Horsley as Craig, Betty McIvor as Cathy, Chris Hagan as Greg, Nicholas Shaffer as Tom, Joe Galliani as Concerned Friend, Matthew Dunn as Fraternity V.P., Karen Knotts as Sheila