List of My Three Sons episodes

This is a list of episodes from the American sitcom My Three Sons . The show was broadcast on ABC from 1960 to 1965, and was then switched over to CBS until the end of its run; 380 half-hour episodes were filmed. 184 black-and-white episodes were produced for ABC from 1960 to 1965, for the first five years of its run. When the show moved to CBS in September 1965, it switched to color, and 196 half-hour color episodes were produced for telecast from September 1965 to the series' end in 1972.

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally aired			Rank	Rating
			First aired	Last aired	Network
1	36		September 29, 1960 (1960-09-29)	June 8, 1961 (1961-06-08)	ABC	13	25.8 [lower-alpha 1]
2	36		September 28, 1961 (1961-09-28)	June 7, 1962 (1962-06-07)		11	24.7
3	39		September 20, 1962 (1962-09-20)	June 20, 1963 (1963-06-20)		28	21.0
4	37		September 19, 1963 (1963-09-19)	May 28, 1964 (1964-05-28)		27	21.9
5	36		September 17, 1964 (1964-09-17)	May 20, 1965 (1965-05-20)		13	25.5
6	32		September 16, 1965 (1965-09-16)	April 28, 1966 (1966-04-28)	CBS	15	23.8
7	32		September 15, 1966 (1966-09-15)	May 11, 1967 (1967-05-11)		29	20.2 [lower-alpha 2]
8	30		September 9, 1967 (1967-09-09)	March 30, 1968 (1968-03-30)		24	20.8
9	28		September 28, 1968 (1968-09-28)	April 19, 1969 (1969-04-19)		14	22.8
10	26		October 4, 1969 (1969-10-04)	April 4, 1970 (1970-04-04)		15	21.8 [lower-alpha 3]
11	24		September 19, 1970 (1970-09-19)	March 20, 1971 (1971-03-20)		19	20.8
12	24		September 13, 1971 (1971-09-13)	April 13, 1972 (1972-04-13)		42 [1]	17.2 [2]

1. Tied with 77 Sunset Strip
2. Tied with I Spy , the CBS Thursday Night Movie , and The F.B.I.
3. Tied with Ironside and The Johnny Cash Show

Episodes

Season 1 (1960–61)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
1	1	"Chip Off the Old Block"	Peter Tewksbury	George Tibbles	September 29, 1960 (1960-09-29)	101
The main characters are presented, including the three sons: Mike aged 18, Robbie aged 14, Chip aged 7, and Tramp the dog. The basic relationships within the family are established, that Steven Douglas is of Scottish descent, and has been a widower for six years. Chip gets a phone call from Dorine Peters and he is not happy about it. Plus, his brothers tease him. Chip tells Steve that Dorine is always making eyes at him and telling him she loves him. Steve insists Chip be nice and patient with Dorine and she will probably get over her crush. Later, Bub tells the boys that Steve is having dinner with Hal (Harlan Warde) and Nancy Mosby. They apparently are always trying to find a wife for Steve. Hal and Nancy introduce Pamela MacLish (Patricia Barry) to Steve. Pamela invites Steve over to dinner the next night. Steve is under the impression that there will be other people at the dinner, but it is just him and Pamela. Steve starts to feel that Pamela has marriage on her mind. Chip gets invited to a dance with Dorine and Steve wants him to go. Dorine comes by the house and Chip asks Pamela to go to the dance with Steve. At the dance, Chip and Steve agree that they have to find a polite way to get rid of the women. Chip completes his mission, but Steve does not. George N. Neise as Salesman.
2	2	"The Little Ragpicker"	Peter Tewksbury	David Duncan	October 6, 1960 (1960-10-06)	108
The annual school rag drive starts Chip off on a scavenger hunt of the neighborhood. Every time neighbor Miss Cynthia Pitts (Marjorie Eaton) looks out the window she sees strange happenings at the Douglas household. She sees Bub outdoors waving a bottle that looks like whiskey. Later, Robbie and Mike are carrying in a dummy that she thinks is Bub in a drunk state. She tells Irene Sailor (Lois January) that she does not think the boys are getting proper care. Irene thinks Cynthia may be overreacting. When Chip goes to get rags from Miss Pitts, she feeds him and refuses to let him leave. Meanwhile, the Douglas house has no water and Bub sends for a plumber. Steve comes home and everyone is wondering where Chip is. Chip is finally able to sneak out of Cynthia's house. Later Cynthia goes over to talk to Steve about her concerns and sees Chip in his bedroom hitting the dummy. When the dummy accidentally falls out of the upstairs window, she faints on the sidewalk. Steve brings Cynthia in the house and they explain everything. Irene saw Steve carrying Cynthia and gets the wrong impression.
3	3	"Bub in the Ointment"	Peter Tewksbury	Teleplay by: James Leighton, Peter Tewksbury, & George Tibbles Story by: George Tibbles	October 13, 1960 (1960-10-13)	103
Bub disrupts a PTA meeting at Chip's school. Mike tells Steve that a man from a state college is coming by in a couple days to interview him. Mike is worried about what Bub might say. Steve says that when their mother died, Bub came to the home to try and fill her place. They should give Bub a chance. Bub embarrasses Robbie when he comes to his class bringing the sack lunch that Robbie forgot. Bub then proceeds to make suggestions to the teacher. When Robbie complains to Steve, Steve says they should not hurt Bub's feelings. Mr. Finch from the college comes by to speak to Mike. Bub interrupts them. Steve says he will straighten Bub out, and now the boys start to feel bad. Before Steve can say anything, the boys learn that Robbie's teacher liked Bub's suggestions, Mike is in line for the scholarship to the college and no one at the PTA minded Bub's ideas. Plus, Bub buys Robbie a car motor that he wanted.
4	4	"Countdown"	Peter Tewksbury	David Duncan	October 20, 1960 (1960-10-20)	102
A missile launch, sleeping in and daylight saving time make for an interesting Monday morning. The family seems to be unusually tired. The Douglas household is a chaotic affair of lost Indian arrowheads for Chip's turn in show and tell at school, Robbie's missing trumpet and some important lost plans of Steve's that Mike has nearly burned in the incinerator. In the end, they went through all that trouble for nothing. Apparently Bub accidentally set the clocks an hour ahead instead of turning them back one hour with the end of Daylight Savings Time. This episode features the voice talent of Paul Frees narrating the missile lunch for the entire episode. Note: The official DVD of this episode uses the credits from the previous episode in error. David Duncan is the correct writer.
5	5	"Brotherly Love"	Peter Tewksbury	Paul West	October 27, 1960 (1960-10-27)	107
Judy Doucette (Cheryl Holdridge) thinks Mike is really handsome. But Gordy misunderstands and thinks she's taking about Robbie. Gordy tells Robbie that Judy would like to meet him. At the library that night, Gordy introduces Judy to Mike and Mike offers to drive Judy home. Robbie arrives just in time to see this. When Mike and Robbie cross swords over Judy, the issue widens until the whole family is involved in the argument. But it is difficult for Steve to teach his sons that violence solves nothing with a pugnacious father-in-law around. While trying to mediate a peace between Mike and Robbie, Steve and Bub get into a big argument. Seeing what their fight has caused, Mike and Robbie make up and then Steve and Bub make up. Beau Bridges as Russ Burton.
6	6	"Adjust or Bust"	Peter Tewksbury	James Leighton & Peter Tewksbury	November 3, 1960 (1960-11-03)	104
A family argument starts when there is no food in the house for dinner. Mike was unable to drive Bub to the store because many unexpected things came up. Steve says "life is just an endless series of small adjustments". Steve's theory is put to the test in just one day's discovered doings. He needs to borrow Mike's car as Mike will take the station wagon to drive Bub around. Steve must meet with a top Air Force general to discuss plans for a rocket design. The men barely fit into Mike's car. Steve drops off the general and makes plans to have him over for dinner. On the way home, the car dies, and Steve has it towed. He then has to take the bus home. Steve falls asleep and misses his stop. He winds up calling Bub from a house that is having a party. Meanwhile, Mike is waiting at the bus stop for Steve. What follows are more transportation inconveniences and missed connections. It turns out the general had to cancel the dinner plans. Kate Murtagh as Hedwig. Note: An almost unrecognizable Richard Deacon appears as a garrulous fellow bus passenger who shares a seat with Steve.
7	7	"Lady Engineer"	Peter Tewksbury	Dorothy Cooper	November 10, 1960 (1960-11-10)	105
Steve is to be teaming up with another engineer on a project and he expects to meet a man. Steve becomes enamored of his new business associate, engineer Dr. Joan Johnson (Dorothy Green), who is strictly business. Because they have to work late, Steve and Joan discuss the job over dinner. Steve tries to set a romantic mood, but things do not work out. He is tempted to continue to mix business with pleasure but finds that she thinks only about the job at hand and does not have any plans to expand her love life, despite this romantic interlude. Steve is supposed to drive Joan to the airport, but he oversleeps. He is hurt and disappointed when he finds out she left without saying something to him. It turns out Joan did call and spoke with Chip. She left a message suggesting that maybe one day they will cross paths again. John Gallaudet as Mr. Jim Guthrie. Barbra Fuller as Mrs. Phelps. Sam Flint as Dr. Johnson.
8	8	"Chip's Harvest"	Peter Tewksbury	Peggy Phillips	November 17, 1960 (1960-11-17)	109
It is the day before Thanksgiving and the boys each tell who they have invited to dinner. Mike has invited Jean Pearson (Cynthia Pepper) from next door. Robbie is bringing his teacher Miss Benson. Chip befriends Johnny Squanto (Monty Ash), [3] who claims to be a Native American, and invited him. His brothers say he is a bum who lives near the railroad tracks in a run-down old shack. Steve decides to have a talk with Johnny. Steve starts to tell Johnny that Chip made a mistake in inviting him. But seeing his disappointment, Steve tells him he is welcome to dinner. Thanksgiving Day's turkey dinner is threatened when the Douglas' stove breaks down. They cannot get anyone to fix it that day. Johnny starts to roast the turkey in the backyard without a grill. Mike and Robbie make fun of Johnny and he leaves. Johnny returns in traditional Native American clothes. Johnny tells the story of his ancestors living on the land the Douglas house is on. With everyone else's help, the dinner is a success.
9	9	"Raft on the River"	Peter Tewksbury	Paul West	November 24, 1960 (1960-11-24)	106
Feeling left out when Mike and Robbie decide to go camping at Gunman's Gulch, a lonely Chip uses an enclosed raft his brothers helped make in the backyard, on which he and Steve spend a night, pretending to float down the Mississippi. They are accidentally locked out when it begins to rain. Steve begins to worry when he wakes up from a nap and thinks it is way past 4am and thinks that Bub has not yet returned from his pinochle game. Chip hears some strange noises and Tramp starts growling. Turns out there are some cats in the yard. Chip is scared and Steve says there's nothing to be afraid of. The rain starts leaking through the rafts roof. Chip and Steve then see a large black object in the yard and are frightened. It winds up being Bub under a tarp because of the rain. Bub tells them that it's only a little after 10 o'clock. Despite it seeming so much longer, Steve realizes they've only been out there an hour or so. The next day, Chip and Steve figure out what caused a lot of the scary noises they heard.
10	10	"Lonesome George"	Peter Tewksbury	James Allardice	December 1, 1960 (1960-12-01)	110
TV star George Gobel is in town for a benefit. Bub tells the boys that he knows George personally. Robbie and Mike tell Bub to invite George over for dinner. Bub does not think it's a good idea as Steve is out of town for a few days. The boys now do not believe Bub knows George. Meanwhile, Ken Monroe, the public relations VP for the hotel, has a full itinerary for George before the benefit. George would rather just have some quiet time. Bub goes to the hotel. Though George does not know Bub, he uses Bub to get away from Ken and the crowds and goes to Bub's house. George will spend the night at the Douglas house. Bub forgets to tell his son-in-law Steve, who returns from an out of town business trip and arrives home late at night. Neither George nor Steve know the other is there and they keep missing each other while moving about the house. Steve tiptoes around the house only to find a strange man occupying his bed. The next morning, things are a little chaotic with the family, as it usually is. But George likes it as it is just like his house. Nelson Olmsted as Keith Ditmer. Betty Bronson as Mrs. Butler. Ollie O'Toole as Taxi Driver.
11	11	"Spring Will Be a Little Late"	Peter Tewksbury	Jack Laird	December 8, 1960 (1960-12-08)	111
Robbie is baffled when his girlfriend, Peggy 'Pig' Meredith (Marta Kristen), rejects the excitement of his new motor in favor of standard feminine frills. Peggy almost falls off of a step stool and Robbie grabs her to help. But he gets her dress all greasy and she runs off crying. At dinner, Robbie gets upset when the family teases him about falling for a girl. Robbie tells Steve that he's surprised how "Tomboy" Pig suddenly changed. Robbie tries to win her over by telling the boys on the football team that no girls are allowed, knowing this will upset her as she was considered one of the guys. Later, Steve tells Robbie that everything changes including Peggy. Robbie gets flustered when Steve suggests that he ask Peggy out on a date and maybe even kiss her goodnight. Robbie does go out with Peggy, and despite it being a little awkward for him, Robbie starts to see Peggy in a different light.
12	12	"My Three Strikers"	Peter Tewksbury	Arnold Peyser & Lois Peyser	December 15, 1960 (1960-12-15)	112
The Douglas boys call a family meeting at which they demand a raise in their allowances. Steve emphatically says 'No' because the family bills are mounting and they are leaving all of their chores to be done by Bub. Steve suggests that if the boys do not like the way things are, they should go on strike. A night of sharp words is followed by some bad dreams. Chip dreams he is a baseball player. Umpire Steve calls him out and throws him out of the house. Then Chip is locked out. Robbie dreams that he has joined the French Foreign Legion. He had to join because things got bad at home after the fight with Steve and the whole town turned against him. Mike dreams that Steve is chained up and Mike urges the crowd to attack him. But then Mike changes his mind. Steve dreams that the boys are in a daze and cannot respond to him. Steve and Mike wake up and run into each other in the kitchen. They get into a heated discussion about the raises in the boys' allowances. They calm down and come to an understanding.
13	13	"The Elopement"	Peter Tewksbury	Teleplay by: Phil Leslie & John McGreevey Story by: Phil Leslie	December 22, 1960 (1960-12-22)	113
Robbie reluctantly agrees to bring his clock collection to a Women's Club meeting. Robbie then teases Mike about next door neighbor Jean Pearson and when are they getting married. Mike and Jean are working on a Social Studies project on teenage marriages. Because he doesn't actually have any, Robbie is on a clock salvaging attempt to find historic clocks after he gets into a spot of bother with his teacher. Mike and Jean arouse the suspicions of Steve and Bub when secrets are exchanged and the two are seen leaving with suitcases. Steve and Bub go to speak with Jean's parents, Henry and Florence Pearson (Florence MacMichael). Florence finds an application for a marriage license in Jean's room. Steve, Bub and Henry go to the license bureau. They learn from a guard that the couple went to see the Judge. The men now believe the couple are married. Back at the Douglas house, Mike and Jean tell Steve and Bub they were doing research for their project against teenage marriage.
14	14	"Mike's Brother"	Peter Tewksbury	John McGreevey	December 29, 1960 (1960-12-29)	114
Steve can barely park his car in the garage because of all the junk in there. Mike mentions how he might have a part time job, but it's between him and another boy. Robbie didn't make the basketball team and complains about how the coach thinks Mike was so great. Constant comparisons to his brother, Mike, leaves Robbie feeling inferior and angry. Steve wants Mike and Robbie to build some shelves in the garage. Mike works on it one day and Robbie should finish it the next day. Robbie wants to meet up with his friend Trish so he cuts some corners finishing the shelves. Meanwhile, Mike is not doing too well at his job try out. After Steve parks his car in the garage, the shelves collapse on the car. When Steve questions Robbie about the shelves, Robbie starts complaining about Mike. Steve tells Robbie that any time he fails to do something right, he uses being compared to Mike as an excuse. Something else Steve says makes Robbie realize he's got the wrong attitude. And when Mike says he didn't get the job, Robbie realizes that his brother isn't always perfect.
15	15	"Domestic Trouble"	Peter Tewksbury	James Leighton & Peter Tewksbury	January 5, 1961 (1961-01-05)	116
In the middle of the night, Bub is suddenly called out of town. When some of the local ladies can't help the family, Steve seeks an agency to get temporary help. Steve has to get ready for work so he asks Mike to call an agency. With his older brothers passing the buck, Chip accidentally rings Domestic Bliss, Inc., a marriage seeking department. Steve gets on the phone and speaks with Mrs. Barr (Anne Seymour), who will send out a woman inspector right away. On his way to work, Steve goes to the Domestic Aide Service, who he thought he was talking to on the phone, to cancel the inspector. Mrs. Barr comes by the Douglas house and speaks with Chip. Chip shows her around the house. Steve calls Mike and tells him the Domestic Aide Service is sending a woman and be ready to meet her. Once again, the older brothers pass the buck leaving Chip to meet her. Leona shows up and Chip has her move into Steve's room. Steve comes home and Mrs. Barr shows up again. The two have a confusing conversation and then they run into Leona. Things get straightened out and Leona stays as housekeeper. Steve tells the boys no more passing the buck.
16	16	"Bub Leaves Home"	Peter Tewksbury	Teleplay by: Arthur Dales & John McGreevey Story by: Arthur Dales	January 12, 1961 (1961-01-12)	117
Bub tells this story while waiting at the bus station. Bub complains to Steve that the boys don't pay attention to him. Steve invites his second cousin Selena Bailey (Mary Jackson) to come and visit. Selena arrives and everyone is happy to see her, she even fixes Mike's car. Selena starts doing things around the house and spending a lot of time with the boys. Bub gets the strange impression that he is being neglected and isn't really needed. He decides to take up the offer of managing a movie theater in Plainview. He tells Steve he'll be leaving that night, and nothing the boys say or do can make him change his mind. At the bus station, Selena suddenly sits next to Bub. Selena finds a subtle way to make Bub change his mind about leaving. George Dunn as Listener. Note: Arthur Dales was a pseudonym of writer Howard Dimsdale.
17	17	"Mike in a Rush"	Peter Tewksbury	AJ Carothers	January 19, 1961 (1961-01-19)	115
Mike prepares for the transition from high school to college and the question of joining a fraternity is one that complicates his life considerably. Mike and Jean attend a party as prospective applicants and Mike tells several of the guys he's not sure yet that he's going to college. When he says this, they stop talking to him. After meeting Jean, Art Landis invites Mike to his frat get together the next day. Mike tells Steve he's definitely going to college and he wants to join the frat that Art is in. Art calls the Douglas house and leaves a message that he couldn't get Mike an invite to the frat party. Mike doesn't get the message and goes to the party. Mike finds out that Jean and him have been dropped from the waiting list and he tells off Art. When Mike gets home, Jean is there. Art comes by to talk to Mike. Art explains things to Mike and they part as friends. Skip Young as George Collingwood.
18	18	"The Bully"	Peter Tewksbury	Robert Bassing	January 26, 1961 (1961-01-26)	118
Chip falls afoul of the school bully, Ralph Cole. That night at dinner, Steve mentions how he'll be away for two weeks and he hopes things will run smoothly at home. Chip isn't eating and Robbie says that he heard Ralph was picking on Chip. Steve says that while he doesn't condone fighting, Chip has a right to defend himself. Chip keeps coming home from school all bruised and tattered. One day, he comes home with a black eye. Chip also brings a note from the principal because he's getting bad grades. Bub goes to speak with Mrs. Wisbee (Mary Adams) and mentions what's going on with Ralph. Steve comes back early from his trip and goes to pick up Chip from school. He witnesses Chip attacking Ralph, who isn't interested in fighting with him. Steve soon realizes that Chip is deliberately provoking the boy each day in the school yard to prove a point. Steve also learns that Ralph has been put on probation. An unintended incident in front of Mrs. Wisbee causes Ralph to get into trouble. Knowing it could cost him detention in the principal's office, Chip confesses to her that he was the one starting the fights, not Ralph. Mrs. Wisbee decides to not punish either child, and the boys start to get along.
19	19	"Organization Woman"	Peter Tewksbury	James Leighton & Peter Tewksbury	February 2, 1961 (1961-02-02)	119
Steve's ever efficient sister Harriet (Joan Tewkesbury) arrives for a visit. Steve, however, will be out of town for the first part of her stay. Harriet would like to surprise Steve by transforming the chaos of the household into efficient calm. She gives each family member a time chart with what to do all day, which immediately changes and complicates the entire Douglas household. The challenging aspect to the whole deal is a decision that Harriet soon regrets, especially once Steve returns home early. Steve and Harriet get into an argument and Steve says something that he regrets. To make up for it, Steve tries to fit himself into the time chart. Harriet tears up all the charts. She decides that the family should act like people and not machines. Soon the happy chaos returns and something in her private life changes for the better.
20	20	"Other People's Houses"	Peter Tewksbury	John McGreevey	February 9, 1961 (1961-02-09)	120
Robbie sees his new friend Hank Ferguson's home and is envious of what he thinks is really the perfect teenage home. Robbie complains to the family about how noisy and cluttered the Douglas house is. Steve tells Bub that Robbie may have a point. Meanwhile, Hank talks to his parents about going to military school. His father, George (David White), reluctantly agrees. His mother Laura thinks he might be running away from something. The Ferguson's invite Robbie over for dinner. When a scheduling conflict arises between Hank's parents, Robbie invites Hank to stay at his house for the weekend. Hank becomes envious of the turbulent, happy-go-lucky Douglas household. Both George and Laura start to second guess their method of raising Hank. George stops by the Douglas house and sees how wild things are and how much fun Hank is having. This reinforces his feeling that he and Laura need to be less rigid at home. Something George says before he leaves makes Hank think he'll skip going to military school.
21	21	"The Delinquent"	Peter Tewksbury	Diane Honodel & James Menzies	February 16, 1961 (1961-02-16)	121
Mike and the family mongrel Tramp keep disappearing at night. Turns out Mike and his friend Tim Weede are building Jean a hi-fi set for her upcoming birthday as a surprise. They are building it in Tim's basement. Meanwhile, Jean is waiting for Mike at the Douglas house and is wondering why he's so late. She tells Bub she hasn't seen Tim in days and she thinks he has another girl. Jean goes home and late that night sees Mike coming home. He doesn't answer any of her questions as he's very tired. Things get confusing when Chip and Robbie are talking about Tramp and what he may be doing at night and Bub and Jean think they're talking about Mike. While driving Jean home from school, Mike and Tim are talking cryptically about electronics. But, Jean somehow thinks they're talking about a motorcycle gang. She then sees a police officer going to the Douglas house, but he's actually bringing Tramp home. Jean mentions the police to Mike and Tim and they perpetuate the gang story. Steve comes back from a trip and Jean tells him about the police. Steve and Jean catch Mike and Tim in the Douglas garage with the hi-fi. Andy the policeman comes by with Tramp and things get straightened out. Jean finds out about the hi-fi. She yells at Mike because she feels the fool for believing the gang story. Jean and Mike make up.
22	22	"Man in a Trenchcoat"	Peter Tewksbury	AJ Carothers	February 23, 1961 (1961-02-23)	122
Robbie is studying with Judy Doucette and he doesn't want his girlfriend Vivian Gibson (Cindy Carol) to find out. They walk past a car that has a hubcap that fell off. Robbie tries to put it back on and a man confronts him. Robbie and Judy run away. When Robbie gets home, Steve asks him why he's been reading so many mystery novels lately. Robbie sees Vivian and she makes a remark about Judy. Robbie goes to see Judy again and tells her someone in a trenchcoat is following him. Back at home, Robbie tells Mike someone is following him and points the man out across the street. Robbie asks Mike's help. Robbie leaves the house and the man starts to follow him. Mike then comes out and follows the man. The man runs off and Robbie and Mike run after him, but they lose him. The next day, Jean tells Mike that a man came to school to look through student pictures. He picks out Robbie's. Judy and Vivian each get mysterious letters. The two girls both wind up in the Douglas house cellar. Jean and her father show up. Robbie shows up and no one knows what's going on. Mike arrives and reveals he was the one that sent everyone the letters. Mike explains who the man following Robbie is and then the lights go out. But it turns out the person who was following Robbie was actually Vivian's brother, Andy. Vivian had Andy follow Robbie because she thought there was something going on between Robbie and Judy. Things do get straightened out.
23	23	"Deadline"	Peter Tewksbury	David Duncan	March 2, 1961 (1961-03-02)	123
Chip and Bub complain to Steve about things Robbie has done. Meanwhile, Mike is highly vocal in his criticism of the sports page of the high school newspaper. Edgar Loos (Woodrow Chambliss), the faculty advisor for the paper, is looking for a substitute sports editor. Agnes Finley (Charlotte Stewart) suggests Mike. Stu Walters (Mark Slade) calls Mike and overhears Mike bad mouthing him. Thinking he'll fail and to get back at him, Stu tells Mr. Loos Mike would be perfect for the job. Knowing he's been given one shot at revamping the sports page, Mike tackles the job with gusto. Things don't go well with Mike's staff. Mike has to finish the layout and write a sports article by himself in between running in a track meet and going to a dance with Jean. But it gets complicated when he's late to the dance, Jean tells him off and his layout gets messed up because of wind from an open window. Jean helps Mike fix the layout, but then Agnes walks into the room and the layout gets ruined again. Mike is about to give up, but the girls help him fix the layout before the printing deadline. Mike is glad that the job was only temporary, but then Mr. Loos assigns the editor job to him permanently. Beau Bridges as Russ Burton.
24	24	"The Lostling"	Peter Tewksbury	David Duncan	March 9, 1961 (1961-03-09)	124
Steve tells Bub that he's late coming home because he lent his car to Bernadene Foote, who works at his office. The Hawkins family moves into the vacant house across the street from the Douglas house. They have a station wagon identical to Steve's. Meanwhile, Chip begins to think it would be great to be an older brother, so he wishes for a little sister. Mary Hawkins (May Heatherly) tells her mother, Laura Thompson, to put Baby Betty in the back of the car where it's quiet. Laura mistakenly puts Betty in Steve's car. Robbie finds the baby and Chip thinks he got his wish. Bernadette calls the Douglas house and a wild sequence of events results in a improbable case of mistaken identity, the baby is somehow confused with a leg of lamb Bernadette left in Steve's station wagon. Robbie goes to the Hawkins house and borrows some baby food. John Hawkins thinks that a doll in a bassinet in his car is baby Betty. Bernadette comes to the Douglas house to pick up her leg of lamb and they learn the baby is not hers. Robbie and Steve figure out that baby Betty belongs to the Hawkins. They manage to get the baby back into the Hawkins car before it is noticed missing. Steve and Bub can't find the leg of lamb because Mike accidentally took it with him on a field trip.
25	25	"Off Key"	Peter Tewksbury	David Duncan	March 16, 1961 (1961-03-16)	125
Robbie and Steve have a conversation about how Chip always comes to Robbie with questions about things and Robbie doesn't always have an answer. Chip brags to his new playmate, Huey 'Sudsy' Pfeiffer, that his genius brother Robbie can fix and do almost anything. Chip tells Sudsy how well Robbie can play the piano and they start yelling at each other about it. Bub kicks Chip, Sudsy and Robbie out of the house. The boys go to Sudsy's house and Robbie plays the piano there. Robbie breaks one of the keys on the piano. Chip says that Robbie can fix it, but Robbie has already snuck out of the house. Robbie is looking at the inside of the Douglas piano and then heads back to Sudsy's house. Steve plays a few keys on the piano and one doesn't work, so he starts to take the piano apart. At Sudsy's house, Robbie is taking that piano completely apart. Steve fixes his piano and then gets a call from Robbie. Robbie asks a couple questions about the piano and then learns from Steve that Sudsy's mother is on the way home. Ruth Pfeiffer pulls up to the house in her car and Chip and Sudsy go out to stall her a little. Robbie gets the piano put back together before Ruth comes in. She sits down to play and wonders how the one dead key now works. Turns out Robbie didn't break the key after all. Chip tells Ruth that Robbie fixed it and she tells Robbie he's a genius. She then asks Robbie to fix several other things in the house. Steve also gets in over his head when he agrees to fix something for Ruth.
26	26	"Small Adventure"	Peter Tewksbury	Dorothy Cooper Foote	March 23, 1961 (1961-03-23)	126
Steve is away in Seattle on a business trip. He would like to call home, but figures it's too early on a Saturday morning. Bub is woken up by a dynamite blast from where they're working on a new road. Then the boys are all making noise and he can't get back to sleep. Meanwhile, Ed (Ken Christy), one of the construction workers, finds a large stick of dynamite that has somewhere and somehow survived since the end of the Second World War. The Douglas household's version of man's best friend has been known to drag home anything he can get his jaws into. This time Tramp slinks in with the large stick of dynamite Ed found. Thinking it's just a wooden stick, Mike tries to get the dynamite away from Tramp, but can't. The dynamite winds up in various places in the house. Steve gets worried when for one reason and then another he can't get through to the house by phone. Steve finally reaches Bub, but then there's a loud explosion and he is cut off. The noise was actually a thunder clap as it started to rain by the Douglas house. Tramp leaves the dynamite outside in the rain. Steve gets a hold of Robbie and finds out the noise he heard was the thunder storm. Paul Trinka as Art, construction worker. Note: From this point onwards writer Dorothy Cooper will now go by her married surname of Cooper-Foote.
27	27	"Soap Box Derby"	Peter Tewksbury	John McGreevey	March 30, 1961 (1961-03-30)	127
Trish Markle fawns all over Andy Gibson because he's building a race car for the soap box derby. Robbie decides to build a car as well. Meanwhile, Steve is in a rush to help a missile manufacturer get his project off the launch pad in a race to beat a rival company. Both Robbie and Steve are coming under increased pressure to make their projects better than their competitors. With time running short and things not going as planned, both of them quit the projects. It's not long before both are back to finish where they left off. Robbie wins his first race. But, Robbie loses his next race which happened to be against Andy. Steve's missile launch winds up being a failure and the missile had to be destroyed. Back at home, Steve and Robbie console each other on their failures. A little mishap in the garage somehow cheers them up. Richard McKenzie as Quinn. Fred Sherman as Chief Accountant. Joe Higgins as Junk Dealer.
28	28	"Unite or Sink"	Peter Tewksbury	Art Friedman	April 6, 1961 (1961-04-06)	128
Robbie and Mike want some extra pocket money but Steve tells them that they will have to earn it by themselves. Steve also mentions that sometimes it's nice to do something just for the sake of helping someone. Robbie asks milkman Harry (Robert Gothie) if he knows any way to make some money. Harry says the Jensen's need their fence painted. Bub mentions how run down their yard is. Robbie gets the job from Mr. Jensen, but it turns out that Mrs. Jensen gave the job to Mike. The brothers argue over whose job it is. Neighbor Verna Foster (Ann Morgan Guilbert) tells the boys that they need to sand the fence first and offers to get some sandpaper. Then neighbor Mr. Kincaid (Malcolm Atterbury), milkman Harry and Bub come by and everyone has a different opinion on the proper way to paint the fence. Before long several more neighbors pitch in together to help restore the yard to its former glory. While everyone's working, there's also a lot of gossip and disagreements. The day is over and the yard is beautiful. Steve finds out that Robbie and Mike didn't charge the Jensen's for their work. Bill Idelson as Pete.
29	29	"The Wiley Method"	Peter Tewksbury	John McGreevey	April 13, 1961 (1961-04-13)	129
Robbie can't seem to arouse the interest of the affairs of the heart with his new classmate Maribel Quinby. Back at home, Robbie mentions that his history teacher, Jeff Wiley, really makes the class fun. Robbie then says how much he likes Maribel, but she won't even talk to him because he's so dull. Steve tells Robbie that he should use the Wiley method to make himself more interesting. So with the help of his best friend Hank Ferguson, Robbie proceeds to try and get Maribel's attention. But the first attempt fails when Hank almost hits teacher Cynthia Pitts (Marjorie Eaton) with a bicycle. After class, Robbie and Hank try another stunt, but Maribel has already walked away. Plus, Hank gets into trouble with Mr. Wiley. Robbie manages to get Hank off the hook. He then explains to Mr. Wiley that he was trying to use the Wiley method to make himself more interesting to Maribel. Mr. Wiley tells Robbie he has to relax and be himself. Mr. Wiley asks Robbie to pick up a book for him at the library. Robbie runs into Maribel at the library. She says that she did notice him in school, but thought he wasn't interested in her. Turns out Mr. Wiley sent her to the library to get the same book that Robbie went for.
30	30	"The National Pastime"	Peter Tewksbury	Mathilde Ferro & Theodore Ferro	April 27, 1961 (1961-04-27)	130
Robbie, Mike and Bub are finding some of Chips baseball stuff in places it shouldn't be. Chip is so discouraged by his batting slump that he quits the baseball team. His brothers encourage him to return and offer to help him practice, but Chip just doesn't seem interested. Steve tells Chip to just go to the coach and tell him he wants back on the team. Chip talks to Coach Townsend (William Leslie) and the coach says he'll try to work Chip in. Steve gets a call and is told one of the parents, a volunteer umpire, has called in sick and Steve is asked to substitute. At the game, Coach puts Chip in and he gets on base. Chip thinks this will be the perfect opportunity to become the team hero. When the next player gets a hit, Chip tries to get all the way to home plate despite the Coach yelling at him to stop at third. Steve calls him out at home plate. Back at the house, Steve and Chip have a talk and Chip will still try to have fun playing baseball.
31	31	"The Croaker"	Peter Tewksbury	Arnold Peyser & Lois Peyser	May 4, 1961 (1961-05-04)	131
Chip brings in the house a bullfrog that he named Malcolm. He's going to bring him to school for show and tell on Monday. Steve is in a hurry and as he leaves, he knocks over the box that Malcolm was in, freeing the frog. Bub finds the frog. Bub discerns a marked resemblance to his Uncle Brian O'Casey in Malcolm's face. Bub then sings When Irish Eyes Are Smiling to the frog. He puts the frog in a cage and feeds him. Later, Robbie thinks Bub is talking to himself, but he's actually talking to Malcolm. Bub hides the frog, but things get confusing and the frog winds up in a pot on the dinner table. It's Monday morning and Chip goes to get Malcolm, but he's not in his cage. The boys and Bub look for the frog, but soon the boys have to leave for school. Bub comes to Chip's classroom with a bag. Bub describes the frog to the class, but then says he couldn't find Malcolm. Bub gets Chip and the class to realize that Malcolm was better off free and not in a cage.
32	32	"The Musician"	Peter Tewksbury	Dorothy Cooper Foote	May 11, 1961 (1961-05-11)	132
Robbie meets Elizabeth Martin (Sandy Descher) while she's practicing the piano. She plays very well and Robbie tells her that he plays the trumpet, even though he isn't very good. To impress her he tells her he really digs classical music, but in fact he doesn't know the difference between Puccini and Presley. She invites him to her house and Robbie sees that she lives in refined and elegant style. This causes Robbie to turn a critical eye on his own home life. Because Robbie has been to her house several more times, when she calls him, Bub invites her to dinner. Robbie's worried about what she'll think of the Douglas household. Steve tells him that if he's going to continue to see Elizabeth, she better see what the Douglas family is really like. But when she does come for dinner, the table is set up very fancy and the family are all wearing suits. Things are very awkward and Robbie just freaks out. In the end, the family and Elizabeth play a jazzy tune together. Much to his relief, Robbie learns that Elizabeth is not as high-brow as he thought. Marion Burns as Mrs. Martin.
33	33	"The Horseless Saddle"	Peter Tewksbury	Teleplay by: Arthur Kober, James Leighton & Peter Tewksbury Story by: Arthur Kober	May 18, 1961 (1961-05-18)	133
Bub gets a C.O.D. package from Nebraska with no return address that contains a horse saddle. Meanwhile, Chip's girlfriend Dorine Peters is talking to George (Arthur Hunnicutt), who gives pony rides. He has three ponies, but Cyclone is unrideable. Because Bub wants nothing to do with it, Chip takes possession of the saddle. Flo Afton (Betsy Jones-Moreland) visits George looking for obscure items to decorate her husband's office with. Mike drives Chip to George's place to meet up with Dorine and brings the saddle with. Chip is upset when Mike sells the saddle to Flo. Cyclone breaks free and wanders off. The pony follows Flo's car. The saddle falls out of Flo's car and winds up in a garbage truck. Steve sees the saddle out of his office window and thinks he's imagining it. The pony follows the garbage truck. It's not long before Flo, George and a policeman are chasing the pony. The saddle falls out of the garbage truck by the Douglas house and Chip finds it. The pony and the crowds following it arrive. Chip winds up riding Cyclone with his saddle. Turns out Cyclone came from an old friend that sent the saddle to Bub.
34	34	"Trial by Separation"	Peter Tewksbury	AJ Carothers	May 25, 1961 (1961-05-25)	134
Graduation for Mike and his girlfriend Jean is a week away. At a dance, the two get into a little fight over Mike teasing Jean about her hair being in curlers earlier. Jean then tells Mike that her graduation present was a trip to Europe. She'll be leaving in two weeks and will be gone all summer. Jean will then be going to a different college and the two may never see each other again. Mike asks her if they are in love. They decide to try the strength of their affection by not seeing each other the week before graduation. Mike asks Bub about love and Bub starts singing a song. Mike then asks Steve about love and Steve does his best to explain it. Jean's mother Florence talks to Steve about Jean not seeing Mike in days and that something must be wrong. They decide the two families should have dinner together. At dinner, Mike and Jean explain to their parents about their experiment. While trying to plan to go to the same college, Mike and Jean wind up in another fight. But it's not long before they make up.
35	35	"The Sunday Drive"	Peter Tewksbury	AJ Carothers	June 1, 1961 (1961-06-01)	135
Robbie is trying to avoid the clutches of a girl named Mary Lou Miller. Because it's such a lovely spring day, neighbor Henry Pearson would like to take a quiet Sunday drive in the country with his wife. Jean has been studying poetry with Mike and decides to have Mike and her go on the drive as well. Steve is trying to get some work done, but Chip and Sudsy playing spacemen is distracting him. Steve asks if Chip and Sudsy could go along on the drive with the Pearson's. To avoid answering more phone calls from Mary Lou, Robbie talks his way into joining the others for the drive. Because there are now so many people, Mike says that Mr. Pearson can drive Steve's station wagon. Before they can leave, Mary Lou comes by and asks Florence Pearson if she's seen Robbie. Robbie is hiding under a blanket in the back of the car. The trip is delayed by people getting sweaters, others getting food and Florence answering a phone call. Mary Lou then asks Henry for a ride home and gets in the car. Not being able to see behind him because of all the people, Henry backs into another car. Mary Lou finds Robbie.
36	36	"Fire Watch"	Peter Tewksbury	Paul West	June 8, 1961 (1961-06-08)	136
Mike gets a summer job with the Forestry Service and he thinks it's going to be a barrel of fun. Mike's boss is Joe Mitchell (William Boyett), Steve's old Air Force buddy. The men are up in the watchtower and Mike soon realizes there isn't much to do. Several weeks pass and nothing is happening. One day two young hikers, Shirley (Candy Moore) and Roger (Tiger Fafara) come by. Mike comes down from the tower to talk to them. Joe comes back from an errand and reprimands Mike for leaving his post. More time passes and Mike is becoming restless and agitated. There is a storm approaching. Mike tells Joe that he's quitting and Joe says quit after the storm. Joe leaves the tower to check the river level. The power goes out in the tower and the wind is causing the tower to sway quite a lot. Joe is stranded down at the creek and Mike spends a harrowing time trying to stay calm. Something Joe does, helps Mike make it through the night.

Season 2 (1961–62)

"The TV Ratings Guide: 1971-72 Ratings History".

"The TV Ratings Guide: 1971-72 Ratings History".

"Monty Ash". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 23 November 2023.

External links

• My Three Sons at IMDb
• My Three Sons
• TV Special: A Thanksgiving Reunion with The Partridge Family and My Three Sons

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No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code