THE CANONICAL "LOU GRANT" EPISODE GUIDE Version 1.9 Copyright (C) 1995 by Tony L. Hill All rights reserved. (May be distributed freely without modification for non-commercial purposes.) Comments: thill@nyx.net or by earth mail to PO Box 14995, Minneapolis, MN 55414 The latest version of this guide is always available as: http://www.nyx.net/~thill/lou_grant.episode_guide "Lou Grant" is a television drama series produced from 1977-1982 by MTM Productions and aired in the United States on CBS. The series was a spin-off of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which was produced from 1970-77. Edward Asner originated the role of Lou Grant and played it throughout the entire run of both series. On the final episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Grant and most of the rest of the cast were fired from their jobs at WJM-TV in Minneapolis. The first episode of the series "Lou Grant" found Lou heading to Los Angeles to interview with his old friend Charlie Hume for a position at the Los Angeles Tribune. One hundred fourteen episodes followed... Regular cast Lou Grant, city editor, Los Angeles Tribune ............. Edward Asner Joe Rossi, reporter .................................... Robert Walden Carla Madigan, reporter (ep. 1-3) .................... Rebecca Balding Billie Newman, reporter (from ep. 4) .................... Linda Kelsey Charles Hume, managing editor ............................ Mason Adams Margaret Pynchon, publisher ........................... Nancy Marchand Art Donovan, assistant city editor ....................... Jack Bannon Dennis "Animal" Price, photographer ................... Daryl Anderson Although never featured in the opening montage, the following appeared frequently enough that they might be considered regulars: Adam Wilson, business editor .......................... Allen Williams Marian Hume, Charlie's wife .............................. Peggy McCay Rubin Castillo, foreign editor ........................ Emilio Delgado Ted McCovey, Billie's husband (from ep. 91) .............. Cliff Potts Laurence Haddon appeared occasionally as the national editor, given as Springerman in #3 and as McGrath in #80. Williams also did various offscreen voices on the show. NOTE: It is acknowledged that non-parallel terms were used to refer to the principal men and women in this series, notably Rossi being called by his last name nearly as exclusively as Billie was addressed by her first name. The author of this episode guide has chosen to have the guide reflect that inequality rather than awkwardly alter it. Episode numbers at left are the order the episodes were originally aired in the United States. The number given after the date is the actual production code assigned by the producers, with the official episode number after the hyphen, when available. In the case of "Lou Grant," rare among television series, the episodes have been syndicated in the order they were originally aired. Note that all of the episodes have one-word "slugs" for episode titles. Date given is that the episode first aired in the United States. For most of the series' run, the episodes also aired in Canada on the same dates, although for the first five months, when the show aired on Tuesdays in the U.S., they were actually aired a day earlier, on Mondays, in Canada. The descriptions have been transcribed from TV Guide magazine, which were themselves abridged versions of the descriptions prepared by the producers. They are primarily from the listings of the original run, although as many as a third came from CBS repeat airings. It is not correct to refer to these as synopses, as they are generally free of "spoilers," that is, descriptions of the plots from start to finish. It is anticipated that in subsequent editions of this episode guide, the abridged descriptions will be replaced or augmented either by the official description issued by the producers or more comprehensive synopses written especially for this guide which would contain "spoilers." One more caveat: The author has seen fewer than half of these episodes in the past eight years, so some of the details recalled from memory may be foggy. The author plans to view the complete series on A&E Cable in the coming months. FIRST SEASON: 1977-78 #1 - "Cophouse" (9/20/77) PC 7501 Writer: Leon Tokatyan; Director: Gene Reynolds Lou Grant scarcely settles in to his new job as city editor of a Los Angeles daily when his leadership is tested by hot-shot reporter Joe Rossi, who claims that a veteran of the police beat is sitting on details of a department scandal. Driscoll: Peter Hobbs. Tim: Wallace Rooney. Did you notice... a map of Minneapolis-St. Paul hanging on the wall in the police press room (to Lou's right as he walked in the door)? Could this be a prop left over from the MTM Show? Did you notice... the similarity between Lou's interview with Mrs. Pynchon ("You don't know me very well. I'll make it fit the other words.") and his interview with Mary Richards on the first episode of the MTM Show ("You've got spunk. I HATE spunk!")? Did you notice... that Mrs. Pynchon always called Lou "Mr. Grant" as Mary had? #2 - "Hostages" (9/27/77) PC 7510 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Charles Durbin A Tribune story reporting the death of a robber during a holdup is challenged by his brother, who holds Rossi at gunpoint to assure that his version sees print. Andrew Martin: John Rubenstein. Lt. Frank Carey: Patrick Tovatt. Springerman: Laurence Haddon. Critic's choice: Your author ranks this among the top ten episodes. Obscure history: In the late '70s, McDonald's had an ad campaign calling on citizens to stop in to cure their "Big Mac attacks." #3 - "Hoax" (10/4/77) PC 7503 Writer: Gordon Dawson; Director: Jay Sandrich Lou must assess the credibility of a former colleague known for passing bad leads when the old-timer comes in with a tip on the whereabouts of a missing tycoon. Jack Riley: Eugene Roche. Norma Cardell: Diana Douglas. Curtis: Booth Colman. Ron Allen: Rod McCary. #4 - "Henhouse" (10/11/77) PC 7509 Writer: Leonora Thuna; Director: Richard Crenna Note: In this episode, Linda Kelsey joins the cast as Billie Newman. Lou and the arts-and-leisure editor squabble over which department should cover a famous writer's murder. Irene Mott: Claudette Nevins. Sheriff: Geoffrey Lewis. Waitress: Ivy Bethune. #5 - "Nazi" (10/18/77) PC 7505 Writer: Robert Schlitt; Director: Alexander Singer A TAUT CHARACTER STUDY Reporter Billie Newman gets a challenging assignment in this well-written episode: to investigate a trouble-making group of Nazis. Billie first visits their downtown headquarters, a sparsely furnished suite where security is tight and Billie learns nothing of importance. Her next gambit, however, pays off. She attends a meeting of the group and hears its leader deliver an impassioned plea for white supremacy. Suddenly, Billie has the key to her story. His name is Donald Stryker. He is Nordic blond, in his late 20s and tight-lipped when it comes to talking to the press. So Billie probes his background and makes a startling discovery: Nazi leader Donald Stryker was raised as an Orthodox Jew. Stryker: Peter Weller. Wilson: Brian Dennehy. Mrs. Sturner: Janet Brandt. Caretaker: Davis Roberts. Critic's choice: One of your author's top five episodes and the best one of this season. #6 - "Aftershock" (10/25/77) PC 7506 Writer: Del Reisman; Director: Jud Taylor Lou's first California earthquake only underscores his emotional upheaval when a reporter's widow accepts his comfort but then grows overly dependent on him. Gloria: Joyce Van Patten. Ralph Tumora: Clyde Kusatsu. Laurette: Betty Anne Rees. Network tip: You can finger quake@scec.gps.caltech.edu to get the information Donovan got on the quakes. ERROR! Billie's statement that she had been a Trib staffer at the time of the 1971 earthquake conflicts with continuity in the rest of the series with regard to Billie's age and experience. #7 - "Barrio" (11/1/77) PC 7504 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Mel Damski Following up on the shooting of a barrio woman, Billie and Lou learn that the victim's son blames gang rivalries for the incident and is after revenge. Henry: Guillermo San Juan. George: Joe Santos. Grandmother: Rose Turich. Classic LG moment: Charlie tells Lou to ease up on the coverage, "The people on the West Side don't care about the East Side, and the people on the East Side don't read the Trib." #8 - "Scoop" (11/8/77) PC 7502 Writer: Gene Kearney; Director: Harry Falk Rossi's zeal for scoring scoops nets two articles on page one - both inaccurate. Winowsky: George Murdock. Jim Keenan: Reni Santori. Chief Rankin: Ted Gehring. Councilman Garbers: Paul Kent. Classic LG moments: Rossi rips out a phone line to keep the Times from getting in on a story; the scene where Rossi and the Times reporter climb over each other is easily the funniest in the entire series. #9 - "Judge" (11/15/77) PC 7508 Writer: Leon Tokatyan; Director: Irving Moore Acting on a lead that an aging Superior Court judge may be growing senile, Lou goes to court as an observer - and gets tossed in the tank by the cantankerous magistrate by trying to exit quietly. Judge Rushman: Barnard Hughes. Lindsay: Phillip Pine. Simmons: Joe Mantell. Murray: Timothy Jerome. Estaban Murrill: Tonyo Melendez. Deputy D.A.: Paul Tulley. Classic LG moment: Barney reacts negatively as Lou demonstrates the judge's raspberry. Who's Who: Barnard Hughes is one of those players who turns up frequently on MTM shows, most notably as the star of "Doc" in 1975-77. #10 - "Psychout" (11/22/77) PC 7515 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Alexander Singer Nagged by Lou to "get into" stories, Rossi commits himself to a mental hospital he is investigating. Doug: Michael Zaslow. Sackler: Philip R. Allen. Resident: Lisle Wilson. Dr. Stanford: Tom Tarpey. #11 - "Housewarming" (11/29/77) PC 7512 Writer: Leonora Thuna; Director: Mel Damski Julie Kavner portrays a battered wife who fears to serve as even an anonymous source for Billie's article on wife-beating. Roger: Edward Winter. Dorothy: Fredi Olster. Sid Arby: Robert Rothwell. Who's Who: Julie Kavner was well-known in 1977 as a supporting player on "Rhoda," another spin-off of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." She has since gone on to greater stardom as the female lead in "The Simpsons." #12 - "Takeover" (12/6/77) PC 7513 Writer: Leon Tokatyan; Director: Gene Reynolds Mrs. Pynchon strikes up a friendship with a man known for buying out respectable newspapers and turning them into sensationalized tabloids. Russell Grainger: John Anderson. Freddie: Jerry Fogel. Colin: William Bogert. Matthew: Paul Kent. #13 - "Christmas" (12/13/77) PC 7507 Writer: David Lloyd; Director: Jim Burrows A week before Christmas, Billie's story of a homeless family brings in thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, Lou hands Rossi a seemingly dull assignment as punishment for unethically quoting a source. Emily: Verna Bloom. Malcolm Findlay: Tim O'Connor. Walter Harper: Ben Hayes. Classic LG moments: Animal snaps Charlie reaching into Mrs. Pynchon's lap for a piece of mail which had fallen there; Lou silences the family's children: "HEY! I'M TALKING ABOUT MY MOM HERE!" #14 - "Airliner" (1/3/78) PC 7514 Writer: Charles Einstein; Director: Mel Damski Coverage of a Los Angeles-bound airliner with faulty landing gear takes on a new dimension when the Tribune staffers learn that Hume's daughter is on board. Aunt Rose: Penny Stanton. Pearson: Allan Miller. Joanie Hume: Laurette Spang. #15 - "Sports" (1/10/78) PC 7516 Writer: Bud Freeman; Director: Harvey Laidman Lou locks horns with a famous Tribune sportswriter and sparks an outcry from angry readers when he attempts to disclose football- recruiting violations by a much-admired college coach. Mike Kessler: David Ackroyd. Eddie Talbert: Sandy Kenyon. Sid Locke: John Randolph. Coach Diehl: Keene Curtis. #16 - "Hero" (1/17/78) PC 7518 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Mel Damski A story about an ex-con who saves a judge's life seems like good human-interest material to Lou - until the hero blames the news of his past for the loss of business and fiancee. William Danvers: Jim McMullan. Joanna Bartlett: Marlene Warfield. Ellen: Lola Mason. Corrie: Marilyn Coleman. Janey: Hazel Medina. #17 - "Renewal" (1/30/78) PC 7511 Writer: Ken Travey; Director: Gene Reynolds Note: With this episode, the series moved to Mondays at 10 p.m., where it remained for the rest of its run. Tribune staffers hope to block the demolition of a newspaper vendor's condemned apartment to save the murals he painted in honor of his late wife. Earl Humfrey: Robert Earl Jones. Tyler Armitage: James Karen. #18 - "Sect" (2/6/78) PC 7517 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Alexander Singer Hume and his wife are distraught over their son's conversion to Krishna. Marian Hume: Peggy McCay. Visnu Das: David Stafford. Orrin Houston: James Beach. Mal Cavanaugh: Richard Erdman. Judge Murphy: John Carter. Bill Ballard: William Boyett. Shirley Ballard: Jean Gillespie. Did you notice... Hume's son is listed in the credits by his Hare Krishna name rather than the one Charles and Marian gave him? A fine example of this show's sterling attention to detail. #19 - "Scandal" (2/13/78) PC 7520 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Mel Damski Rossi is taken off a county supervisor's re-election campaign and replaced by a woman he suspects is romantically involved with the candidate. Liz Harrison: Gail Strickland. Corwin: James Olson. Larry Kean: Brian Farrell. Efros: Paul Jenkins. #20 - "Spies" (2/27/78) PC 7519 Writer: Leon Tokatyan; Director: Charles Dubin The arrest of a businessman's son spawns a complex investigation involving the CIA - and arouses suspicion among Tribune staffers that they're harboring an informant. Driscoll: Peter Hobbs. Joan Hume: Laurette Spang. Kellum: Robert Casper. Sohner: Michael Strong. #21 - "Poison" (3/6/78) PC 7521 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Gene Reynolds A grieving Rossi strives to continue the investigation into radioactive contamination begun by a good friend who met an "accidental" death. Carol: Belinda J. Montgomery. Sam: Guy Boyd. Howard Rindell: Robert Rothwell. Stranger: Arthur Batanides. ERRORS! In this episode, Rossi claims to have attended high school in Burbank. But in several other episodes, he was said to be from New Jersey; also, in every scene, the name "Tucor" has obviously been dubbed in over another company name. #22 - "Physical" (3/20/78) PC 7522 Writer: David Lloyd; Director: Charles S. Dubin Lou reluctantly undergoes a required physical, and learns his diseased thyroid must be surgically removed. David: Garret Pearson. Chris: Thomas Carter. SECOND SEASON: 1978-79 #23 - "Pills" (9/25/78) PC 8502 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Jay Sandrich An episode about medical - and journalistic - responsibility. It opens with a coincidence: just after finishing a story about the flow of illegal pills, Rossi witnesses a teen-age girl collapse from a combination of alcohol and drugs that, tragically, proves to be lethal. Her companion, Peter Tomasso (Steve Nevil), is tortured by guilt: he gave her the pills. But he got them from someone who "should've told me this could happen." That puts Rossi on the trail of Dr. Arnold Bonham (Richard Bull), who runs a thriving clinic that caters to the "needs" of a young clientele. But Rossi doesn't get very far until Peter delivers more than Rossi ever bargained for: stolen medical records from Bonham's office. Gerry: Jean Rasey. Neal: Michael Mullins. Detective Rather: Al Ruscio. Who's Who: Richard Bull played the role of merchant Nels Oleson on "Little House on the Prairie." #24 - "Prisoner" (10/2/78) PC 8501 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Gene Reynolds While Mrs. Pynchon plays hostess to the wife of a Latin ruler, Rossi and Billie investigate charges of repression in her country - and Hume is oddly reluctant to print their findings. Amanda Baroja: Silvana Gallardo. Vargas: Tony Perez. Flores: Enrique Nova. Perez: Tonyo Melendez. Bazan: Frank Ramirez. Juan Luis: Ron Castro. Marian Hume: Peggy McCay. Classic LG moment: Charlie confronts Mrs. Baroja about the conditions in "El Hotel." #25 - "Hooker" (10/16/78) PC 8508 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Alexander Singer While investigating a prostitute's murder, Billie befriends a massage-parlor harlot who wants a better life. Patti: Dee Wallace. Phelps: Paul Lambert. Sergeant Roche: Michael Alldredge. Who's Who: Michael Alldredge makes his first appearance as a cop. He also appeared in episodes 47, 68, 74, and 95 (possibly others as well), although in all those episodes, his character was named McPhee. #26 - "Mob" (10/23/78) PC 8505 Writer: Leon Tokatyan; Director: Corey Allen While organizing the Tribune's annual tennis tournament at a California resort, Lou and Rossi become suspicious over the presence of "vacationing" underworld bosses. Patsy Reese: Nicholas Colasanto. Jack Patterson: Dennis Holahan. Paul Thackery: Phillip Pine. Leone: Carmen Argenziano. Who's Who: Nicholas Colasanto had yet to achieve his greatest fame (as "Coach" on "Cheers") when this episode was produced. Carmen Argenziano also played a pornographer in #51, "Charlatan." #27 - "Murder" (10/30/78) PC 8504 Writer: Gary David Goldberg; Director: Mel Damski Note: This episode was originally slated to be the show's second season opener on September 18, 1978, but it was pre-empted on that date by CBS's coverage of the Camp David summit between Egypt and Israel. Rossi's piece on a dowager who fought off four thieves with a golf club gets front-page coverage, while Billie's story about the murder of a young mother is "buried" on a back page. Mrs. Walker: Jane Rose. Detective Collins: Alan Fudge. Sara: Ketty Lester. Thomas: Ralph Wilcox. Becky Hartman: Saundra Sharp. Aunt Barbara: Veronica Redd. Sara's mother: Betty Cole. Who's Who: Jane Rose is another MTM favorite who played Cloris Leachman's mother-in-law on "Phyllis," the second of the three "Mary Tyler Moore Show" spin-offs. #28 - "Dying" (11/6/78) PC 8509 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Alexander Singer Despite Lou and Billie's efforts to help, a frazzled Donovan is unable to cope with the fact that his mother is dying. Peggy Donovan: Geraldine Fitzgerald. Dr. Chase: Joan Hotchkis. Dr. Relph: Larry Gates. Matt Calloway: Stephen Johnson. From the TV Guide close-up accompanying the repeat: A drama about death and dignity. Assistant city editor Art Donovan can accept the fact that his mother suffers from leukemia. What he can't accept is that she is going to die, even though his newsroom colleagues - especially Lou and Billie - try to help him face reality. Their efforts, though, only alienate him, and his frazzled nerves begin to interfere with his work, leading to a blow-up with Rossi over a minor editorial matter. Finally, acting on her own, Billie brings the director of a local hospice to Mrs. Donovan's bedside, and only then does she express her frustration. "It makes me angry," she says. "This hospital keeps poking me, the nurses dislike me, my son won't let me talk - with all this going on, how can I die in peace?" #29 - "Schools" (11/20/78) PC 8510 Writer: Gary David Goldberg; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff While Rossi and Billie probe high-school violence, Lou and a guidance counselor share an interest in a student vying for a Tribune college scholarship. Included: a rousing awards-ceremony speech by the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Jenny Davis: Lee Chamberlin. Wesley: Kevin Hooks. Larry Dawson: Lorry Goldman. Wesley's mother: Veronica Redd. Critic's comment: The Jackson speech completely disrupted the flow of this episode and was totally unnecessary to the plot. #30 - "Slaughter" (11/27/78) PC 8503 Writer: Bud Freeman; Director: Roger Young On what is supposed to be a vacation, Lou and his former boss - the editor of a small-town newspaper - investigate a mysterious cattle disease that may affect humans. Chip Murphy: Stephen Elliot. Karl Mueller: Mel Gallagher. John Harper: Sandy McPeak. Lucy Harper: Sybil Scotford. Henry Dreyfuss: John Petlock. Jerry Harper: Tony Becker. Dr. Eilene Peterson: Sally Kirkland. Prof. Pober: Danny Goldman. #31 - "Singles" (12/4/78) PC 8506 Writers: Gina Frederica Goldman & Sally Robinson; Director: Michael Zinberg Lou is skeptical as Billie and Rossi "check out" the L.A. singles scene at the urging of a media consultant bent on giving the Tribune a youthful look. Barton: Peter Donat. Susan: Frances Lee McCain. Phillip: Phillip Charles MacKenzie. Erin: Karen Landry. Classic LG moment: The first woman Rossi dates on this episode incredulously asks him if he's never been on a date before. #32 - "Babies" (12/11/78) PC 8512 Writer: David Lloyd; Director: Alexander Singer Rossi and Billie pose as husband and wife to investigate a baby- selling racket. Karlan: Russell Johnson. Dr. Davidson: John Carter. McIntyre: Joseph Mascolo. Mary: Anna Mathias. Vicky: Virginia Bingham. Carl: David Brandon. Critic's choice: Your author ranks this among the top ten episodes. Classic LG moments: Charlie closes the elevator doors as he tells Mrs. Pynchon of the baby-sellers' increased demands for money; Billie lets slip that she is divorced; Billie chides Rossi for watching porno movies in the motel, then catches another scene and says, "now _that's_ erotic." Who's Who: Russell Johnson will forever be remembered as the Professor on that intellectual antithesis of "Lou Grant," "Gilligan's Island." #33 - "Conflict" (12/18/78) PC 8513 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Mel Damski Mrs. Pynchon is infuriated by the Trib's derogatory piece on the director of a charity with which she is affiliated; and Rossi ruffles more feathers when, as the paper's new media critic, he accuses city- room staffers of having conflicts of interest. Marian Hume: Peggy McCay. Ferguson: Fred Holliday. Franklin Nash: Normann Burton. Mildred Colbert: Helen Kleeb. Mary Alice Roper: Eve Roberts. National Editor: Alan Haufrect. Jayson: Michael Irving. Classic LG moment: Animal runs a betting pool on who harms Rossi and when, "The smart money is on Billie." #34 - "Denial" (1/1/79) PC 8507 Writer: Leonora Thuna; Director: Charles Dubin The refusal of Lou's daughter to accept her son's advancing deafness is threatening to destroy her marriage. Ellen: Ann Sweeny. Burt: Robert Pine. Nick: Meeno Peluce. Dr. Wyatt: Fred Beir. Kevin: Dennis Redfield. Wendy: Alba Francesca. #35 - "Fire" (1/8/79) PC 8514 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Roger Young City-room staffers suspect an insurance scam in a string of apartment-house fires. Frank Durning: Tom Atkins. Lind: Tom Bower. Debbie Dexter: Ann Ryerson. Fire Marshal: William Joyce. Emmaline: Ellen Blake. Carlo: Richard Balin. Critic's choice: Your author ranks this among the top ten episodes. Who's Who: Tom Atkins made two other appearances on "Lou Grant," in episodes 83 and 97. This was the largest of the three roles. #36 - "Vet" (1/15/79) PC 8511 Writer: Leon Tokatyan; Director: Alexander Singer The Vietnam War isn't stale news to Tribune staffers: Animal is getting accusing calls from the widow of a soldier he served with, and Lou is trying to find a job for a down-and-out veteran. Sutton: Lionel M. Smith. Jack: B.J. Bartlett. Larry: Joe Spano. Don: Charlie Robinson. Howard: John Wyner. #37 - "Scam" (1/22/79) PC 8515 Writer: Gary David Goldberg; Director: Gerald Mayer Lou is toying with how to spend a $15,000 gift when he stumbles onto what may be an investment scam involving Hume's financial counselor. David Milburn: John Considine. Marian Hume: Peggy McCay. Dr. Barnes: Barney Phillips. Larry: Hal England. Terhune: J. Pat O'Malley. Critic's choice: Your author ranks this among the top ten episodes. Classic LG moment: Lou is put off by a salesman who hypes an expensive car as "not just a car, it's a way of life," and then tells Rossi, when the latter confronts him with a $75 toaster ("It's not just a toaster, Lou."), "I know. It's a way of life." Who's Who: John Considine also played in #74, "Sting." #38 - "Sweep" (2/5/79) PC 8517 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Charles Dubin Rossi, Billie, and Animal probe the influx of illegal aliens to Southern California, while Lou breaks in a new copy "boy" - Mrs. Pynchon's niece. Tiffany: Maureen McCormick. Jesus: Rafael Campos. Cyrus: Jonathan Banks. Rosa: Maria-Elena Cordero. Raul: Ron Joseph Godines. Sergeant Holmby: Eric Server. Who's Who: Maureen McCormick shines as Mrs. Pynchon's illiterate niece in this, one of her non-Marcia Brady roles. #39 - "Samaritan" (2/12/79) PC 8516 Writer: Eliot West; Director: Paul Leaf The Tribune receives an ominous letter signed "Samaritan," the name of a psychopathic killer who once stalked the city and threatens to do so again. McCrea: Ben Piazza. Jack Towne: Richard B. Shull. Nancy Rhoden: Marcia Rodd. Newsome: William Watson. Classic LG moment: Lou gives the hitchhiker a lecture, "They might never find _your_ _body_..." (This scene was played at the 1979 Emmy Awards.) #40 - "Hit" (2/19/79) PC 8519 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Peter Levin A woman's two-year search for her son's hit-and-run killer intrigues Rossi. Martha Emmett: Allyn Ann McLerie. Judge Cromwell: Ivan Bonar. Adam: Allen Williams. Gary: Edwin Owens. Ernie Womack: Bart Burns. Red Keough: Michael Champion. Chief Delacorte: Louis Felder. Critic's choice: One of your author's top five episodes and the best one of this season. Who's Who: Allyn Ann McLerie was a musical theatre star on Broadway, making her debut in 1948 opposite Eddie Albert in Irving Berlin's "Miss Liberty." ERROR! This episode contains the only significant continuity error in the series. Rossi and Martha check with Billie on the original story she did about the accident in 1976. But ... fans will recall that Billie only became a news reporter in episode #4 in 1977. #41 - "Home" (2/26/79) PC 8520 Writer: Gary David Goldberg; Director: Alexander Singer Lou befriends a retiree who yearns to be productive again, while Billie takes a job in a nursing home to investigate mistreatment of patients. Fred: Jack Gilford. Mrs. Keaton: Jessamine Milner. Bertram: Edward Grover. Barbara Corwin: Nina Wilcox. From the TV Guide close-up accompanying the repeat: "A bureaucratic tug-of-war with an 80-year-old woman." That's how Lou, in this controversial episode, sums up the plight of Sara Ford (Ann Nelson), who, unable to pay for her own nursing-home care, is dumped on the doorstep of a county welfare agency. The incident so concerns the city-room staffers that Billie goes "underground" as a nursing home aide to get a first-hand look at a place that could expel a dying old woman. Meanwhile, Lou strikes up a friendship with a retired neighbor named Fred who has outlived his wife and children, and is bored out of his wits. The solution, as Fred sees it, is simple: work. But the prospects for a septuagenarian who yearns to be productive again are, at best, bleak. Classic LG moments: Charge nurse reminds Billie not to drink any of the spiked orange juice; Billie forgets she's a reporter and chews the doctor out when he arrives for work in the morning. #42 - "Convention" (3/5/79) PC 8522 Writer: David Lloyd; Director: Charles Dubin Lou accompanies Hume and Mrs. Pynchon to a newspaper convention, where rumor has it that terrorists plan to kidnap a prominent publisher. Jack Riley: Kenneth MacMillan. Nelson: Ivor Francis. Lois Craig: Amanda McBroom. Hanlon: Robert Rothwell. Who's Who: Amanda McBroom is also a successful songwriter, having written words and music to "The Rose"; Jack Riley is played by a different actor from the one in "Hoax" ... and did you know that Jack Riley is the name of the actor who played Mr. Carlin on "The Bob Newhart Show," another MTM series? #43 - "Marathon" (3/19/79) PC 8518 Writer: Gene Reynolds; Director: Alexander Singer A day inside the city room. It begins rather inauspiciously for Lou when a new summer intern tells the city editor how valuable the internship will be to his future career - in television news. And from there, things only get worse. The day's major story soon breaks: a tunnel collapse at a construction site that buries workers and a group of archaeology students. As Lou calls for a TV set to monitor the rescue, it's obvious he foresees a marathon news day. But the tunnel isn't the only thing occupying the city room: the harried staffers are visited by a group of junketing Swedish businessmen (none of whom speak English). And Lou's assistant, Donovan, tired of Grant's second-guessing of his editorial judgments, contemplates leaving the Tribune to accept a job offer as the Governor's press secretary. Driscoll: Peter Hobbs. Andrew: Michael Warren. Dreyfus: John Petlock. Jayson: Michael Irving. #44 - "Bomb" (3/26/79) PC 8521 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Gene Reynolds Terrorists send Rossi their blueprint for an atomic bomb, which they threaten to detonate in Los Angeles unless their demands are met. Jack Ridgeway: Joe Spano. Joanie Hume: Dinah Manoff. Oguns: Frank Marth. Sloan: Terry Wills. Roger Winant: Paul Kent. Bovic: Norbert Weisser. Who's Who: Dinah Manoff became in this episode the second actor to play Joanie Hume. "Empty Nest" was still nearly a decade away. #45 - "Skids" (4/2/79) PC 8523 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff Coverage of a string of skid-row stranglings proves disturbing to Rossi, whose father died of alcoholism; and to Lou, who meets an old friend who's now a bum. Doc: Andrew Duggan. Carmine: Al Ruscio. Minister: Scoey Mitchlll. Who's Who: You might recognize Virginia Gregg ("Dirty Donna") from any number of episodes of "Dragnet." #46 - "Loves" (5/7/79) PC 8524 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Roger Young Lou and his lady friend contemplate cohabitation; and Billie tries to talk a high-school girl out of having a baby just to escape an unhappy home life. Susan: Frances Lee McCain. Wendy: Terri Nunn. Jill: Lark Geib. Lindsey: Shannon Terhune. Tannenberg: Robert Costanzo. Classic LG moment: A rare reference to the MTM Show days, which only a true blue fan is apt to catch: "Boxes marked 'Edie,' boxes marked 'Lou'..." Who's Who: Terri Nunn, the 15-year-old trying to become a mother, later turned up on death row in episode #92, "Execution." THIRD SEASON: 1979-80 #47 - "Cop" (9/17/79) PC 9504-50 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Roger Young Lou Grant begins his third season as city editor puzzled by the unusual assignment of a uniformed police officer to a murder investigation. Mike Tynan: Joe Penny. Robert Dennahy: Edward Winter. Maxine Kintner: Mariclare Costello. McPhee: Michael Alldredge. Slade: Gene Bua. Lester: Don Draper. #48 - "Expose'" (9/24/79) PC 9507 Writer: David Lloyd; Director: Gene Reynolds The Trib's coverage of a local politician's alcoholic husband coincides with a gossip sheet's expose on the city-room staff. Mark Worth: William Schallert. Mike Norvette: Richard Brestoff. Bonita Worth: Louise Troy. Barbara Benedict: Julie Cobb. Office Geer: Steve Tannen. Georgia: Barbara Jane Edelman. Water Deliveryman: G.W. Bailey. Who's Who: William Schallert, who is probably on the top ten list of actors who have played in the most series, is best known for playing the father of both Dobie Gillis and Patty Lane (Duke). He also played a Trib reporter in episode #107; Julie Cobb played a single mother in "Charles in Charge" and is also remembered as the "older woman" Greg tried to hustle in an episode of "The Brady Bunch." #49 - "Slammer" (10/1/79) PC 9501 Writer: Johnny Dawkins; Director: Alexander Singer Crime and publishing: Mrs. Pynchon accepts jury duty on a felony case; Lou gets involved in the shutdown of a prison newspaper. J.D.: Kene Holliday. Warden Goffman: Alan Fudge. Hector: Robert Davi. Turner: J. Jay Saunders. Chris: Eric Helland. Angela Cariaga: Rosana Soto. Leroy: Danny Glover. Who's who: Danny Glover is said to be getting better work in Hollywood these days than his role in this episode. #50 - "Charlatan" (10/15/79) PC 9505 Writer: Michael Vittes; Director: Roger Young First Amendment freedoms are at issue in dilemmas involving two Tribune editors. A naked man perched on a church steeple, carrying a sign that reads "God sees all," sets city-room staffers on the trail of a religious crusader. But although their investigation hints the man may be a charlatan, religion editor Marcus Prescott (Meshach Taylor) balks at supporting the inquiry - in part because of his own unwavering religious faith. Meanwhile, Lou hesitantly backs a pornography-magazine publisher's fight against a prior-restraint suit: the pornographer plans to print the names and addresses of narcotic agents - despite the Government's contention that such an action would endanger the men. Dr. Chamberlain: Michael Fairman. Arnold Zinner: Carmen Argenziano. Smithfield: Kenneth Tigar. Crossley: William H. Bassett. Agnes Carson: Ruth Silveira. Classic LG moment: Marcus is irritated by Rossi's questioning of the minister, "Hey, Joe, if you were taking a tour of the Sistene Chapel, is that the kind of question you'd ask the Pope?" #51 - "Frameup" (10/22/79) PC 9508 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff The Trib is taken to court and Billie is taken to task after her expose on a manufacturing firm turns out to be based on a forged document. Folger: Stephen McHattie. Nell Wheeler: Wendy Phillips. Councilman Naughton: Paul Kent. Classic LG moment: Rossi tells Lou, "I know more people in Detroit than I do in L.A." #52 - "Hype" (10/29/79) PC 9503-49 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Peter Levin Lou's participation in a cancer-research study leads the Trib into a story on industry funding of university programs. Todson: David Huffman. Duncan: Harold Gould. Michael Avenik: Craig Wasson. Nakajima: James Saito. Rita Silvera: Silvana Gallardo. Who's who: Gallardo also played the wife of a Latin American ruler in #24, "Prisoner." #53 - "Gambling" (11/5/79) PC 9510 Writer: Bud Freeman; Director: Alexander Singer Gambling fever strikes the Trib as Lou is touted on a longshot, Animal learns the meaning of vigorish and Billie makes a risky loan to a gambler. Mort: Charles Lane. McIvor: Michael Shannon. Ken Navaretti: John Karlen. #54 - "Witness" (11/12/79) PC 9502-48 Writer: Gary David Goldberg; Director: Peter Levin Billie is given police protection after the death of her source for a story about a beating. Staley: Richard Jaeckel. McQueen: Peter Marshall. Robinson: William Bryant. Wilke: Charles Hallahan. Korkus: Jack Lukes. Note: People probably remember this episode better for its subplot, not included in the TV Guide description. A drunken peddler fell on Lou's steps. He then sued Lou, whose insurance had lapsed. Classic LG moment: Billie is talking on the phone, when suddenly we see the light across the threshold of the door behind her turn to shadow. #55 - "Kidnap" (11/26/79) PC 9514 Writer: Bud Freeman; Director: Alan Cooke While the city-room staff covers the story of a missing plane, Mrs. Pynchon ponders an offer from a large newspaper chain. Sheriff Burkhardt: Parley Baer. Clay Starkes: Jonathan Banks. Patty: Virginia Bingham. Richardson: Michael Currie. Schultz: Jordan Rhodes. Niles: Stanley Kamel. Castillo: Emilio Delgado. #56 - "Andrew (Part I): Premonition" (12/3/79) PC 9509 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Roger Young Donovan's cousin Andrew (Bruce Davidson) is on the verge of a potentially violent psychological breakdown. Edna: Barbara Barrie. Terry Mills: Ellen Regan. Dr. Myrdal: Joan Hotchkis. Lana Barkley: Nita Talbot. Vern Eggley: Robert Hirschfield Who's Who: Joan Hotchkis also played a doctor in #28, "Dying." #57 - "Andrew (Part II): Trial" (12/10/79) PC 9515 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Peter Levin Donovan's cousin (Bruce Davidson) is charged with the murder of a young woman. Edna: Barbara Barrie. Mendelsohn: Charles Aidman. Bradley Gordon: Michael McGuire. Dr. Myrdal: Joan Hotchkis. Sergeant Ackroyd: Nick Angotti. Dr. Sontag: Russ Marin. Note: This was the only two-part episode in the series. #58 - "Hollywood" (12/17/79) PC 9513 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff Lou's fascination with an abandoned Tinsel Town nitery prompts the Trib to take another look at an unsolved murder committed there some 30 years earlier. Edward Asner also narrates this homage to Hollywood detective fiction. Mrs. Polk: Nina Foch. Coral Mayberry: Marie Windsor. Wild Man Moran: Howard Duff. Thea Taft: Margaret Hamilton. Laura Sinclair: Laraine Day. Kenneth Homes: Paul Stewart. Lieutenant Bergin: John Larch. Critic's choice: The author regards this as the finest hour of the series. Who's Who: A Hollywood star of the era covered in this episode, Margaret Hamilton reprised her role as Thea Taft in #102. #59 - "Kids" (12/24/79) PC 9511 Writers: Michael Vittes & Shep Greene; Director: Alexander Singer Problem children and children's problems are examined in encounters with a young boy in need of attention, a shy child star reluctant to tell her story and a lawyer specializing in youngsters' rights. Carly Mitchell: Elizabeth Bliss. Mark Donner: Matthew Laborteaux. Barbara Hodges: Barbara Jane Edelman. Mitchell: Nicholas Pryor. Meg Donner: Jenny Sullivan. Classic LG moment: Lou gloats that Rossi was outfoxed by a 12-year-old girl, "You didn't let the _governor_ speak off the record." #60 - "Brushfire" (1/7/80) PC 9517 Writers: Allan Burns & Gene Reynolds; Director: Donald A. Baer A brush fire disrupts the lives of many Trib employees, and consequently affects the paper's coverage of it. Newman: Marshall Thompson. Sweeney: Brian Farrell. Bergman: Jeff Corey. Mike Ramirez: Tony Perez. Critic's choice: Your author ranks this among the top 5 episodes. #61 - "Indians" (1/14/80) PC 9512 Writer: April Smith; Director: Ralph Senensky The Trib's research on urbanized American Indians gains insight when Animal befriends a youngster running away from a boarding school. Raymond: David Yanez. Howard Sweetwater: Ned Romero. Teresa: Julie Carmen. Gordon Davis: Ray Tracey. Duryea: Tom Rosqui. Ken Marks: Alex Kubic. #62 - "Coverup" (1/21/80) PC 9518-63 Writer: Paul Ehrmann; Director: Gerry Mayer Rossi is taken off a probe of movie-industry kickbacks when a producer interested in one of his stories is implicated. Alex Brubaker: Edward Power. Danzinger: William Jordan. Jeff Lindsey: Andrew Rubin. McClintock: Booth Colman. Robustelli: Ron Gilbertt. Bryan: David Hollander. Note: TV Guide neglected to mention the main plot of this episode: A teacher (Lindsey) at a private school where Mrs. Pynchon serves on the board is wrongly accused of sexual abuse. #63 - "Inheritance" (1/28/80) PC 9519-64 Writer: April Smith; Director: Roger Young Billie's research into the effects of synthetic estrogen on unborn children leads her to suspect that her mother may have taken the hormone. Betty Newman: Allyn Ann McLerie. Paul Newman: Marshall Thompson. Jessica: Sands Hall. Sarah: Carol Bagdasarian. Leon: Buck Kartalian. Jamal: Gregory Rozakis. Lavenia: Magda Harout. Did you notice... Allyn Ann McLerie also played the desperate mother in "Hit"? #64 - "Censored" (2/4/80) PC 9516 Writer: Joanne Pagliaro; Director: Alexander Singer The issue is censorship as the Trib considers dropping a controversial comic strip, while Rossi is sent to a small town to cover a series of book burnings. Marilyn Keefer: Laurie Heineman. Mitchell Webster: Richard Dysart. Irene Teel: Karen Ingenthron. Ernie Rasmussen: Dan Spector. Hank Selby: James Gallery. Classic LG moment: The controversial cartoonist is named Diefenbaker. Very intelligent camouflage! #65 - "Lou" (2/11/80) PC 9520 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Roger Young Lou's single-minded devotion to his job begins to wear on his stamina, causing concern among his co-workers. Jack Towne: Richard B. Shull. Sam Huntington: Michael Bond. Regina Kelly: Elta Blake. Adrienne Brundig: Rae Dawn Chong. Obscure history: News at the time was that Jimmy Carter had aged considerably in his three years as President, hence the mistaken dialogue between Billie and Donovan at the vending machines. Who's Who: Rae Dawn Chong turned up (much) later on "Melrose Place" as an obsessive organizer who was briefly Rhonda's roommate and later her rival. #66 - "Blackout" (2/18/80) PC 9521 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Allen Williams The Trib has never missed a press deadline, a record it may lose after power is knocked out by a combination of lightning and earth tremors. Marcy: Margie Impert. Kirby: Paul Jenkins. Walker: Richard Evans. Jarret Longworth: Stanley Grover. Riggie Washburn: Walter Brooke. Critic's choice: Your author ranks this among the top ten episodes. #67 - "Dogs" (3/3/80) PC 9522 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff Rossi infiltrates a dog-fighting ring when the disappearance of Mrs. Pynchon's Yorkshire terrier is linked to trainers suspected by the Humane Society. Jim Lawrence: Geoffrey Lewis. Len Huskie: Alan Vint. Max Galt: Michael Jeter. Marc Pauley: John Blyth Barrymore. #68 - "Influence" (3/10/80) Writer: April Smith; Director: Gene Reynolds While Mrs. Pynchon listens to influence peddlers seeking her support for an airport project, Lou becomes increasingly aware that Adam has a drinking problem. Nick Boyer: James Whitmore Jr. Dutch Van Deusen: Bartlett Robinson. Rosalie Wilson: Sheila Larken. Carmine Rossi: Al Ruscio. Classic LG moment: Is "Dutch Van Deusen" a subtle swipe at a contemporary presidential candidate? #69 - "Guns" (3/17/80) PC 9525-70 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Bob Sweeney St. Patrick's Day is the occasion for an episode examining "the troubles" in Northern Ireland and Irish-American support for the IRA. Maggie McKenna: Rue McClanahan. Fitzgerald: Redmond Gleeson. Lt. McPhee: Michael Alldredge. Parrott: Jack Dodson. Deirdre: Deirdre Lenihan. #70 - "Hazard" (3/24/80) PC 9524-69 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff Checkbook journalism is at issue when Rossi can't get the facts about dangerous motorbikes unless he pays his informant. Kramer: Tom Rosqui. David Marcus: Phillip R. Allen. The following two episodes may be interpreted to be part of either the third or fourth season. They were produced along with the third season and aired before the fourth season, delayed by an actors' strike, had actually started. #71 - "Nightside" (9/22/80) PC 0504 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Gene Reynolds The series' fourth season begins with an anatomy of the Trib's late shift, whose denizens become Lou's responsibility when the night editor phones in sick. Roy: David Paymer. Hal: Richard Erdman. Corinne: Millie Slavin. #72 - "Harassment" (9/29/80) PC 0501 Writer: April Smith; Director: Roger Young Billie turns the tables on the Trib's male staffers after she's assigned to report on job-related sexual harassment. Karen: Marilyn Jones. Catherine Marks: Lynn Carlin. Lloyd: David Spielberg. Warren: Michael Talbot. Classic LG moment: Too bad we never got to see the aftermath of Billie working with Lloyd. FOURTH SEASON: 1980-81 #73 - "Pack" (10/27/80) PC 0502 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff Billie hits the campaign trail with a Senatorial candidate, where the toughest part of the assignment is dealing with the politics of the press corps. National Editor: Emilio Delgado. Flo Meredith: Eileen Heckart. Carlisle: Ed Nelson. Sturbridge: John Hillerman. Stephens: James Callahan. Haywood: Ivor Francis. Benson: Joe Regalbuto. Sheriff: Jorge Cervera Jr. Who's who: The Meredith-Heckart character was the only carryover (other than Lou) from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Flo Meredith was Mary Richards's aunt. Sadly, there was no episode of this series in which Mary or any of the old gang came to visit. (Thanks to Rob Means [rm@delphi-int.org] for reminding me of this.) #74 - "Sting" (11/17/80) PC 0503 Writers: Patt Shea & Harriet Weiss; Director: Peter Levin The Humes move to an apartment and rent their house to a couple who, it turns out, have extraordinary plans for the residence. Marian Hume: Peggy McCay. Thatcher: Larry Linville. Lt. McPhee: Michael Alldredge. Garvey: John Considine. Mrs. Lacy: Jacquelyn Hyde. Critic's choice: One of your author's top five episodes and the best one of this season. Who's Who: John Considine, David Milburn from #37 "Scam," manages to play another character in trouble here. #75 - "Goop" (11/24/80) PC 0507 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Alexander Singer Billie takes a job with a chemical company suspected of illegally dumping toxic wastes, raising a question of whether subterfuge is a legitimate tool of journalism. Teri Wilk: Dominique Dunne. Marvin Galosh: Alex Henteloff. Haggarty: Parley Baer. Lester Fields: Jordan Rhodes. Ragsdale: Vernon Weddie. #76 - "Libel" (12/8/80) PC 0506 Writer: William Hopkins; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff The Trib's story on a scandal sheet earns a libel suit from the paper's publisher. Monica Daniels: Irena Ferris. George Lester: Alan Oppenheimer. Marvin Hartley: Dean Santoro. Ted Hollister: Logan Ramsey. Daniels: James Van Patten. Janet Hart: Marie Windsor. #77 - "Streets" (12/15/80) PC 0505 Writer: Bud Freeman; Director: Donald A. Baer Rossi and a black reporter are at odds over the way to approach a story on two deaths in the ghetto: the slaying of a respected policeman and the death of his black assailant in a SWAT-team shoot- out. Milt: Carl Franklin. Eddie: Mark Bell-James. Oscar: Larry B. Scott. Gloria: Beverly Todd. Lt. Hughes: Lawrence Cook. Mary: Veronica Redd. Etta: Esther Sutherland. Officer Collins: Steven Gagnon. Arthur: Davis Roberts. #78 - "Catch" (1/5/81) PC 0511 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Roger Young Billie has trouble separating business from pleasure after interviewing a cocky but endearing baseball player. Ted McCovey: Cliff Potts. Karl Buckner: Jordan Charney. Vern Eggly: Robert Hirschfield. Clare: Eve McVeagh. #79 - "Rape" (1/12/81) PC 0516 Writer and Director: Seth Freeman Rape becomes more than just a news story to the Trib staff when a reporter is assaulted in her apartment. Sharon: Lynne Moody. Carol: Linda Carlson. Intruder: Jonathan Banks. Kibbee: Macon McCalman. Classic LG moment: Rossi demands of the cop, "What difference does that make?" #80 - "Boomerang" (1/19/81) PC 0512 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Alexander Singer The Trib staff and a visiting hot-shot reporter tackle a story on "dumping," foreign sales of goods that are banned in the U.S. as dangerous. Sidney Kovac: Michael Constantine. Hollingsworth: Roger Newman. Kirkwood: Drew Snyder. Loggins: Charles Parks. Rubin Castillo: Emilio Delgado. McGrath: Laurence Haddon. Who's Who: Michael Constantine also played in #112, "Beachhead." #81 - "Generations" (1/26/81) PC 0514 Writer: Johnny Dawkins; Director: Harvey Laidman An episode examining the problems of the elderly: Charlie's father moves in with the Humes after a shoplifting arrest, and Lou's elderly neighbor has several run-ins with prankish teenagers. Rupert Hume: Charles Lane. Harvey: Arthur Space. Marian: Peggy McCay. Fred Jenkins: Whitman Mayo. ERROR! In episode #41, "Home," Charlie stated firmly that his father had died at age 86. #82 - "Search" (2/9/81) PC 0515 Writers: Everett Greenbaum & Elliott Reid; Director: Allen Williams A staff photographer (Alley Mills) appeals to city-room staffers to help her locate her natural parents. Corinne: Millie Slavin. Margaret: Carolyn Coates. Mario: Antony Ponzini. #83 - "Strike" (2/16/81) PC 0510 Writer: April Smith; Director: Gene Reynolds Lou reluctantly sides with management when the Trib's employees, including his reporters, strike over plans to automate the paper's layout. Gus Murray: Bruce Kirby. Jim Bronsky: Tom Atkins. Bart Franklin: Ray Wise. Ivy Norris: Nancy Malone. Burroughs: Ray Oliver. #84 - "Survival" (2/23/81) PC 0517 Writer: April Smith; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff A run-in with gun-toting children puts Rossi on a story about survivalists, whose skills could come in handy for a team from the Trib when they get caught in a deluge in the wild. Ralph Cooper: Ed Harris. Wild Bill: Keene Curtis. Burroughs: Ray Oliver. Henrietta: Doreen Lang. Morton Leonard: Buck Young. #85 - "Venice" (3/9/81) PC 0509 Writers: Patt Shea & Harriet Weiss; Director: Paul Stanley Animal becomes obsessed with the suicide of a young woman who seemed to have everything going for her. John Becker: James Callahan. Ellison: Frank Aletter. Helen: Claire Malis. Frank Harris: Terry McGovern. Jim Bishop: Colby Chester. Carol Bishop: Elizabeth Halliday. #86 - "Campesinos" (3/16/81) PC 0513 Writer: Michael Vittes; Director: Peter Levin A tip sends Rossi to a small farm town to investigate an explosive labor dispute. Tommy Hernandez: James Victor. Hugh Holstrum: Jeff Corey. Paul Geyer: Bill Lucking. Castillo: Emilio Delgado. Garcia: Pepe Serna. #87 - "Business" (3/23/81) PC 0518 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Alan Cooke The Trib wages a war of words with an electronics firm that declines to disclose details of its financial situation. Davidson: Ed Winter. Rick Havens: David Spielberg. Sorenson: Philip Abbott. Hal Hennecker: Richard Erdman. Gary Hall: Kenneth Tigar. Who's Who: Winter made his third "Lou Grant" appearance, having played a wife beater in #11, "Housewarming" and a cop in #47; Spielberg had played a sexual harasser in #72 only several months earlier. Did you notice ... Billie's sling suddenly disappears before the scene in Mrs. Pynchon's office? #88 - "Violence" (4/6/81) PC 0519 Writer: Johnny Dawkins; Director: Georg Stanford Brown Rossi and Billie cover different aspects of the sports-violence issue, while Lou haggles with a movie critic over on-screen mayhem. Crusher Carter: Fred Williamson. Melissa Cummings: Tyne Daly. Mike Hauser: Fred Dryer. Clarence Harvey: Chick Hearn. Jacquie Templeton: Fay Hauser. Spike: Dwayne McGee. Who's Who: Tyne Daly is best known for playing the latter half of Cagney and Lacey, in the series which took over LG's time slot. #89 - "Depression" (4/13/81) PC 0508 Writer: Gene Reynolds; Director: Peter Levin Aging's stark inevitability is driven home to Trib staffers when a middle-aged reporter (Peter Hobbs) tries to kill himself because he fears he has outlived his usefulness. Elizabeth: Priscilla Pointer. Amanda: Sands Hall. #90 - "Stroke" (5/4/81) PC 0520 Writer: April Smith; Director: Roger Young Mrs. Pynchon suffers a disabling stroke during negotiations to purchase a magazine, a deal that her heir considers a mistake. Fred Hill: Alan Fudge. Hartley: Phillip R. Alan. Dana: Victoria Lynn Johnson. Rick Henshaw: Harris Kal. Professor Williams: Jim Antonio. Dr. Goren: Paul Sparer. Who's Who: Alan Fudge made three appearances in "Lou Grant," having played Detective Collins in #27, "Murder" and the prison warden in #49, "Slammer." FIFTH SEASON: 1981-82 #91 - "Wedding" (11/2/81) PC 1501 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Alexander Singer Billie ponders a marriage offer from baseball scout Ted McCovey (Cliff Potts) as the presses roll for Lou's fifth season. Janie: Barbara Dirickson. Stiefel: Parley Baer. Chetwynd: Arthur Rosenberg. Tyler: Michael Griswold. Lvoff: Joe Rassulo. Chaney: Fran Bennett. #92 - "Execution" (11/9/81) PC 1502 Writer: April Smith; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff Rossi becomes engrossed in a story on a murderer who refuses to appeal her death sentence. Kitty Larsen: Terri Nunn. Peter Witter: Christopher Cazenove. Jeff Benedict: George Wyner. Louise Larsen: Mariclare Costello. Beth MacDougall: Sheila Frazier. Jeanette Pepper: Sharon Spelman. Who's Who: Terri Nunn played a high school student trying to get pregnant in episode #46, "Loves." #93 - "Reckless" (11/16/81) PC 1503 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Alexander Singer Charlie works to implement the Trib's news-tip hotline, while Lou takes part in an experiment on drunken driving. Bob Jurgenson: William Schilling. Sandler: Michael McGuire. Marvin: Michael Tucci. McElwain: Milt Kogan. Cop: Chip Lucia. #94 - "Hometown" (11/23/81) PC 1504 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Gene Reynolds Lou returns to the Midwestern town where he grew up and finds a community struggling with a declining population and economic blight. Paul: Robert Prosky. Howard: Kenneth Kimmins. Carol: Georgann Johnson. Frank Blankenship: Hal Landon Jr. Tim Switzer: Anthony Costello. Classic LG Moment: When a woman makes a dubious claim to some of the deceased's belongings, Lou tells her, "I want you to have them. I hope you outbid everybody here." #95 - "Risk" (11/30/81) PC 0521 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Allen Williams A 9-year-old girl's life is at stake when a Trib reporter (Lynne Moody) refuses to reveal her source for a story on child pornography. McPhee: Michael Alldredge. Gloria: Sandy Martin. Larry Hockney: Ken Smolka. Frederick Gibbs: J. Jay Saunders. Mike: Kario Salem. #96 - "Doublecross" (12/7/81) PC 0522 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Roger Young Billie learns that a famous gold cross contained in a 50-year-old time capsule is a fake. Michael Shepherd: Nigel Bullard. Alex Matheson: Linwood McCarthy. Alex Matheson Jr.: Jeff Lester. Who's Who: Lynne Thigpen, who played the nurse who actually stole the cross from the Mathesons, later played the L.A. County district attorney on "L.A. Law" and now supervises the young detectives on PBS's "Carmen Sandiego." #97 - "Drifters" (12/14/81) PC 1505 Writer: Bud Freeman; Director: Peter Levin Charlie takes in his disturbed nephew (W.K. Stratton), unaware of the extent of his illness. Steve Hume: James Callahan. Dr. Sorenson: Tom Atkins. Marian Hume: Peggy McCay. #98 - "Friends" (12/28/81) PC 1510 Writer and Director: Seth Freeman Tests of friendships emerge from Rossi's relationship with an ambitious young politician, and an altercation involving Donovan and a reporter. Burton Cary: Larry Breeding. Hollister: Logan Ramsey. Shillitoe: Paul Kent. Bella: Jill Jaress. Who's Who: At this count, Paul Kent is the most frequent guest star on "Lou Grant," having appeared also in episodes 8, 12, 44, and 51; Jennifer Holmes, who played the young politico Rossi tried to date, played the Loudons' maid on the first season of "Newhart." #99 - "Jazz" (1/4/82) PC 1506 Writer: Rogers Turrentine; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff Rossi tracks down members of a once-great jazz quartet (played by jazz greats Ray Brown, Joe Williams, Louie Bellson and Med Flory). Crosley: Todd Susman. Banks: Richard Erdman. Vince: Danny Wells. Anita: Paula Shaw. #100 - "Ghosts" (1/11/82) PC 1507 Writer: April Smith; Director: Roger Young Billie investigates a mysterious death in a "haunted" house. Dr. Haas: Jacqueline Brooks. Claude Cunningham: Milton Selzer. Josephine: Penelope Windust. Rose: Ellen Blake. Sgt. Roche: Lionel Smith. Who's Who: The murdered woman was played by Pat Finley, another MTM veteran: She played Ellen Hartley Borden, Bob's sister and Howard's wife, on the 1970s "Bob Newhart Show." #101 - "Cameras" (1/25/82) PC 1509 Writer: David Lloyd; Director: Peter Levin A story about a robbery and kidnaping assays the influence of live TV coverage on volatile situations and trial proceedings. Mrs. Hamlin: Marcia Rodd. Peggy Daye: Robin Rose. Judge Strohmeyer: Jack Collins. Who's Who: Jack Collins is a veteran actor who made several appearances as Mike's boss on "The Brady Bunch"; Marcia Rodd also played in #39, "Samaritan." #102 - "Review" (2/8/82) PC 1512 Writer: Jeffrey B. Lane; Director: Neil Cox A media review board might censure the Trib because of an article by Rossi; Billie ghostwrites an autobiographical piece for an evasive Mrs. Pynchon. Meredith Hall-Sutton: Karen Carlson. Thea Taft: Margaret Hamilton. Carole Fuller: Diana Douglas. Did you notice... Mrs. Pynchon discussed Veal Prince Orloff with Billie? This is likely a reference to a memorable episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." On that episode, Mary threw one of her typically lousy parties, and Sue Ann served Veal Prince Orloff, of which Lou took half. Mary made him put it back. "You know what? I'm not as hungry as I thought I was." (Does anyone know if it's even a real dish?) Who's Who: Margaret Hamilton makes the second of her two appearances as retired city editor Thea Taft. The "Wizard of Oz" veteran was also a seminal part of #58, "Hollywood." #103 - "Immigrants" (2/15/82) PC 1511 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Alexander Singer The plight of Vietnamese refugees in the U.S. is explored in a story involving black-market food stamps and a photographer Animal met during the war. Tam: Le Tuan. Cy Wood: Raleigh Bond. Anh: Kieu Chinh. Hector: Gregory Sierra. Norman Diggs: J.D. Hall. Critic's Comment: The series came very close to implausibility here, with Tam getting a retention bonus only hours after nearly being fired for unreliability. #104 - "Hunger" (3/1/82) PC 1508 Writer: Gene Reynolds; Director: Peter Levin Rossi becomes obsessed with his story on world hunger - to the irritation of his editors. Sister Louise: Uta Hagen. Springerman: Ivan Bonor. Jaun: Tonyo Melendez. #105 - "Recovery" (3/8/82) PC 1521 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Roger Young Mrs. Pynchon is questioned about her late husband's land dealings with Japanese-Americans interned during World War II. Ken Watanabe: Clyde Kusatsu. Iris Rooney: Eunice Christopher. Ike Tatsumi: Pat Morita. Willoughby: Lee McDonald. Critic's choice: Your author regards this as the best of the season. Classic LG Moment: How many takes do you suppose it took to get the "crushed milk carton" scene down? Where's Where: We get a pretty good identification of the building used as the Tribune Building. In the scene where the camera follows Rossi and Mrs. Pynchon out of the building and across the street into Pershing Square, one can clearly see that the structure in question is the Equitable Building at 5th and Hill. #106 - "Obituary" (3/22/82) PC 1514 Writer: April Smith; Director: Paul Stanley Billie is called back to the office just before boarding a plane that later crashes, killing all aboard. Meanwhile, Animal tracks a nearly extinct moth. Pomeroy: William Jordan. Helen: Rae Allen. O'Brian: Peter Michael Goetz. #107 - "Blacklist" (4/5/82) PC 1515 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff While researching a story about a scientist who was blacklisted in the '50s, Rossi learns that his girl friend's father was a folk singer who suffered the same fate. Abby: Freddye Chapman. Obler: William Schallert. Price: Graham Brown. Valentine: Rick Lenz. Who's Who: Prolific actor William Schallert, veteran of episode #48, plays another tragic figure in this episode. #108 - "Law" (4/12/82) PC 1516 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Burt Brinckerhoff The Trib's law firm is breaking up and Mrs. Pynchon doesn't know which half to retain; Billie's story on a recall movement results in the politician suing its organizers; and Lou sues his plumber for tearing up his kitchen. Gruber: Harold J. Stone. Garbers: Charles Cioffi. Chuck: Charles Hallahan. Elvira: Mary Louise Wilson. #109 - "Fireworks" (4/19/82) PC 1517 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Jeff Bleckner An assignment in the state capital reunites Billie with her ex- husband - a shrewd lobbyist out to make Billie's job as difficult as possible. Greg: Vincent Baggetta. Ray: Parley Baer. Lupton: Sandy McPeak. #110 - "Unthinkable" (5/3/82) PC 1519 Writer: April Smith; Director: Allen Williams Atomic-age paranoia hits the Trib when a revolution in the Middle East signals hostilities between the U.S. and Russia - and a threat of nuclear war. Claire: Bonnie Bartlett. Dr. Lawrence: Lane Smith. Sutherland: Warren Kemmerling. Who's Who: Lane Smith now plays a newspaper editor himself -- Perry White on "The Adventures of Lois and Clark"; Bonnie Bartlett became a regular on another MTM series, "St. Elsewhere." ERROR! During the scene where Claire lectures Charlie and Marian at 2:30 a.m., you can clearly hear someone else's voice dubbed in for Claire. #111 - "Suspect" (5/17/82) PC 1522 Writer: Seth Freeman; Director: Alan Cooke A cub reporter's life is threatened when he investigates the hit- and-run death of a noted ecologist; Lou is involved with a woman (Dixie Carter) who's also dating a married man. Lance: Lance Reinecke. Elsa: Christina Pickles. Tenney: Maurice Woods. Karly: Ren Woods. Classic LG moment: Lance asks the dead man's lover for a reaction to his death; she didn't know. Implausible LG moment: Those of us who used desktop computers in those days can tell you how unlikely Lance was to encounter such a user-friendly machine: "Hello! Insert Disk. Would you like a list of prostitutes?" #112 - "Beachhead" (5/24/82) PC 1520 Writer: Gene Reynolds; Director: Roy Campanella A Trib story on rival surfer turfs touches off gang fights; and Billie and Ted discover their new home is next to a halfway house for mental patients. Lombardi: Michael Constantine. Panface: Robert Peirce. Moose: Bill Ostrander. Who's Who: This is Michael Constantine's second appearance, having played Kovac in #80, "Boomerang." ERROR!? In every episode where Lou's home has been discussed, it has been north or northeast of Downtown L.A.: Eagle Rock, South Pasadena, Echo Park. So why was Lou jogging on the beach ... twenty miles from his home? The following two episodes, left over from the fifth season, were shown as a sort of coda to the series at the start of the 1982-83 season. They were never rerun on the network. #113 - "Victims" (8/30/82) PC 1513 Writer: Steve Kline; Director: Peter Bogart An armed holdup in the Tribune parking lot leaves Lou the victim and a policeman tormented with a guilty conscience. Vince DeMayo: Steve Marachuk. Shackley: Bruce Kirby. Stapler: Barry Primus. Ellen: Ann Sweeny. Dave Rabowsky: James Gallery. Who's Who: Bruce Kirby also played in #81, "Strike." #114 - "Charlie" (9/13/82) PC 1523 Writer: Michele Gallery; Director: Seth Freeman It may be routine for Charlie when he has to fire two incompetents, lend a sympathetic ear to Donovan and consider assignments for Billie and Rossi, but for a cub reporter, the story he's working on is anything but routine. Lance: Lance Guest. Abby: Freddye Chapman. Dory: Richard Lineback. Dolph Masterson: Macon McCalman. Did you notice... there were really only two episodes in which "Charlie's secretary" actually spoke... this episode and the very first one. Obscure history: The abortion subplot reminds us of the relative ease with which this issue was broached in 1982. Abortions are actually quite rare on TV these days, in contrast to the 1970s during which CBS characters Gloria Stivic and Emily Hartley pondered terminating their pregnancies and Maude Findlay actually did so. To this day, abortions are not allowed on NBC. Critic's comment: This episode was a horrible ending to TV's greatest dramatic series. EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER was shown in a negative light in this "bad day" episode. Ugh. What a dilemma that must have been for the CBS programmer who had to decide whether to show this one or the previous one (where Lou is shot) as the series' final installment.