Father Knows Best Episode Rating Graph

Jim comes home early from work, after a long, hard day, and expects to gain comfort from his family, but is quickly disillusioned when they all are too absorbed in their own interests and tasks to pay attention to him. This just makes his mood more sour and he declares at dinner that if he must, he will become a tyrant. This leads to unwelcome consequences.

Bud must decide if he should stand up for a teacher or join the class in a revolt.

On a dude ranch, Betty falls in love with a cowboy only to discover the relationship won't last.

Bud is having trouble in school and the family are hard-pressed to find out why. Eventually, Jim and Margaret come to the conclusion that, since he’s entered high school, he’s lost his confidence over being constantly compared to Betty and her accomplishments.

Margaret is forced to invite a woman who makes her uncomfortable because she is Jim's friend's wife.

The boss's son goes to work in Jim's office. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin. Ward: Willis Bouchey.

Kathy writes the best poem in the fourth grade on what Thanksgiving means to her, and Jim builds the poem up in his mind to unreasonable expectations for a fourth grader. When he actually finds out what the poem consists of, his hopes for Kathy’s future are deflated and he disparages the poem to Margaret, unwitting that Kathy has overheard.

Margaret enrolls in an English class in college and is put in Betty's class.

Betty is going through a phase where she thinks selfishness is the sole motivator in people's lives.

Betty tutors a football player who will escort her to a dance as payment.

Jim tries discouraging Betty from taking her own apartment. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin. Jean: Donna Jo Gribble.

Jim tells his family to help others which leads to complications.

Betty has recently taken up tennis at school and is chosen for a photo shoot for the paper. This causes friction between her and her doubles partner, Eula, who is the team’s best player.

Jim takes the family into the woods to cut down their own tree, and they become stranded there.

Jim tries to teach Margaret how to drive a car.

Bud gets advice from Jim on how to win over Judy, while she is asking Margaret.

A Spanish immigrant, Frank, fixes the Andersons lawn and then charges a high price.

Margaret admits before the PTA that she can't control her children.

Bud gets irritated by a girl (whom he refers to as “Dumb Dora”) who has a crush on him, hurts her feelings when his irritation leads to cruelty, and must make amends.

Jim has a bet with Betty and Margaret concerning human nature, integrity and the man painting their house—Mr. Everett.

Bud tries to learn how to dance from a book for his first school dance.

The Anderson's gardener, Frank, is forced to get a real job and then winds up in court.

Margaret receives a new house which she plans to rent out.

Bud - a hero? A chain reaction of events, starting with a girl who wants to use Bud to make her boyfriend jealous leads to Bud preventing a bank robbery, making him the hero of the town.

Betty's new boyfriend, a jet pilot, is transferred to Alaska.

Betty announces that she doesn't want a birthday party or presents.

The Andersons entertain an aspiring writer---aspiring for 30 years. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin. Harper: Herb Butterfield.

Bud tries to prove he's not tied to his mother's apron strings. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray, Elinor Donahue, Lauren Chapin. Georgia: Denise Alexander.

Betty gets a job to pay for a new, expensive formal for the Cinderella Ball at the country club.

Betty is indignant when Jim arranges a date for her with an old insurance salesman buddy’s son, Carter.

Bud is accused of cheating because he is suddenly getting high grades in class.

Kathy gets a new magic set, from a trade with a friend, and becomes convinced she can truly wield magic.

Jim is happy to learn his kids are planning to enter him in a Father of the Year contest. But things, of course, don’t go smoothly.

Jim receives a traffic ticket and Bud is appointed to be judge on that day.

Margaret tries to help a young woman overcome her fear of having a baby.

Henry Pruett, a traveling salesman on tour, accidentally knocks on the door of Margaret: she, Jim and Henry attended college together and he was a promising man back then - on his way to become a doctor. But all he is now is the salesman (and a bad one too) and that's embarrassing for him and he decides to keep it a secret. But Margaret and Jim find out about this anyway.

Kippy takes credit for a church donation Bud made, and Bud plans to get even.

When Bud receives a traffic ticket he is forced to become a crossing guard.

The Anderson home is disrupted by a visit from actor Cornel Wilde. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin. Hansen: Lloyd Corrigan.

Bud squanders Jim's money at a carnival. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Lauren Chapin. Burt: Dick Foran. Kippy: Paul Wallace.

The family member who doesn't tattle for one week will receive ten dollars.

Bud gets in trouble when his latest friend turns out to be a kleptomaniac.

When Jim gets an invitation to a dance for his class reunion—class of ‘33—the kids start behaving as if their parents are ancient. Then, when the kids at their alma mater treat them the same, Jim and Margaret deal with the thought of getting older.

Bud learns that the girl he likes is dating his best friend.

A new highway is getting built, and for that the old community hall is going to be pulled down. That's something Jim wouldn't like to see since the hall is a historical monument, and also, memories from his youth are connected with this hall. Everyone from the family sees how much the hall means to Jim, and they use different ways to organize help.

Margaret worries the entire day over what will become of Bud’s future if he doesn’t develop good character. This is tied in with a baseball game Bud is trying to get to play in.

Kathy discovers a wounded Sparrow on the windowsill of the house—which she then considers hers—and the whole family becomes involved in trying to help it get better.

Jim and Margaret rarely disagree on anything. But when he finds out Margaret signed them up to take dancing lessons, Jim refuses to do so, and ends up defiantly going to his old club, leaving her to take lessons alone.

Kathy destroys a picture of a family competing against hers in a photo contest

While Kathy is trying to repair her birth certificate frame, she recalls the time she thought she was adopted.

The Andersons get a check from an admirer and must find out which member of the family the check was meant for.

Betty arranges a match between Frank and a worker in a flower shop.

Bud tells Kathy about the job he didn't get when another boy faked his credentials.

Bud gets into hot water when he tries to buy Margaret a bottle of expensive perfume.

The family recalls as they are putting up the Christmas tree, how Jim wanted them to cut their own tree, and in the process got stranded in a cabin.

Kathy's new boyfriend is more interested in Jim than of Kathy.

Bud prepares for the arrival of the homecoming queen.

Strange things begin to happen when Jim's dreams start to come true.

Bud blames his professor when it appears he will not pass Physics.

While on the way to visit Margaret's parents, the car breaks down leaving the family stranded on a deserted road.

Bud falls in love with his college French professor.

Jim's plans for a quiet bicycle trip end up with Jim and Margaret arguing

Betty wins a trip to Hollywood because she looks like a famous movie star.

Betty competes in the college fencing tournament.

Jim attempts to get the family to broaden their horizons and disaster strikes.

Jim becomes the coach of Bud's basketball team.

5Jan59 Bud must do a good deed for an English report and ends up resenting the whole world.

Uncle Charlie believes the children are spoiled when they forget Jim's birthday.

1Jun59 Bud feels that there is no use for tradition so he starts to break all traditions.

The family tries to change Kathy from a tomboy into a beautiful girl.

Both Jim and Kathy are doublecrossed by their friends.

Kathy, desperate for a date at the community picnic, makes up a story about a boyfriend.

When Bud reaffirms and old man's belief in life, he decides to open his own insurance company and hire Bud as his assistant.

When Kathy refuses to graduate from high school, the family tells her about Betty's reluctance to graduate from High School, too. This is a recut version of episode 63. It is not part of the syndication package and is considered ""lost"".

Jim and Margaret takes care of a baby Betty is baby-sitting so she can go out.

An unwanted visitor that won't leave spoils Kathy's birthday party.

Bud is deemed a snob by the girls in school because he won’t speak to any of them. When Jim talks it over with him, he discovers that Bud‘s real problem is that he becomes tongue-tied around them.

Bud injures himself, so Jim delivers the papers on his route to avoid Bud being fired.

After commenting on a sitcom (“Father Does It Again”) the family watches together one night, Jim speaks about how TV fathers are often portrayed as dumb in comparison with their families. Later, he plans on going hunting and starts believing that Margaret and the kids are secretly trying to get him to stay.

Betty decides to become an engineer. Doyle: Roger Smith. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin.

Betty tries to use her feminine wiles on a young man to get him to take her out.

Frank tries to console Kathy by telling her that his family are entertainers.

An Indian exchange student arrives for the weekend from Betty's college.

In a raffle, Margaret wins a car and uses it to help the orphans home.

Kathy is elected by the family to control Bud's lawn moving company.

Jim learns that he is to be appointed as an outstanding person in the community.

Betty is faced with a hard decision that will affect her future.

Margaret must decide to attend a luncheon or go with Jim on an important trip.

This is a recut version of episode 5 with the same name where Bud goes out on his own and tries to make good.

Betty is campaigning for safe driving, while Bud is accused of reckless driving.

Bud falls in love with his English Tutor

Betty becomes frustrated when every college contest she enters, she loses to Cliff Bowman, who may even steal her job, too

At summer camp Kathy rebels after her counselor, Betty, keeps pushing her to do better.

Bud is in trouble when he is accused of causing damage to a neighbor's property.

Jim is bombarded with questions when he is getting ready for a business trip.

Bud is chosen as the most popular boy in his class at school.

Bud has a hard time when he must decide between two girls to take to the prom.

Jim wants to give up his office job in order to move into the country to lead a quiet, and less stressful, life as a farmer. Margaret doesn't think that he means it seriously, but he crosses more lines to fulfill his dream than he ever has before.

Jim tries to help the children regain their confidence.

Jim can either attend a business meeting or see Kathy read his biography.

Betty has two dates for the same night and doesn't plan to break either one.

Bud practices mind reading, and Betty tries to make the debating team.

Bud believes that his father is henpecked when he willingly does everything Margaret wants him to.

Betty and Ralph plan to get married, but find it is not as happy as they thought.

Bud thinks Betty has an ulterior motive when she is kind to him.

Jim tries to teach the children a lesson when they are constantly not planning ahead.

Betty talks Jim and Margaret into getting married again for their anniversary.

Bud finds a dent on the back of the car he is watching for a friend.

Betty plays the founder of Springfield's wife in a play of what really happened.

When Bus refuses dates, the girl launch an anti-Bud campaign.