The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

30min

Comedy

Family

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 through March 26, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and television for a few years. The series stars Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Nelson, and their young sons, David and Eric "Ricky" Nelson. Don DeFore had a recurring role as the Nelsons' friendly neighbor "Thorny".

Episodes

Cast

The Rivals

1. The Rivals

3rd Oct 1952

David has a rival, and his name is Will Thornberry - his next door neighbor.

The Poet

2. The Poet

10th Oct 1952

Ozzie and Harriet read the newspaper and talk about Nancy Walker.

The Pills

3. The Pills

17th Oct 1952

Ozzie decides to diet so he can fit into a pair of size 33 pants.

The Fall Guy

4. The Fall Guy

24th Oct 1952

Ozzie quickly regrets advising David against allowing people to take advantage of his good nature.

Halloween Party

5. Halloween Party

31st Oct 1952

On Halloween night, Ozzie and Thorny make plans to attend a non-costume party as Satan and a Scotsman. Meanwhile Ricky and David attend a Halloween Party at school and the Nelson household is besieged by children demanding candy - or else.

Riviera Ballet

6. Riviera Ballet

7th Nov 1952

Ozzie has tickets to the Riviera Ballet, but Harriet doesn't want him to go because the actresses will be wearing skimpy bathing suits.

David the Babysitter

7. David the Babysitter

14th Nov 1952

David gets a babysitting job and Ozzie is worried about David and the baby.

Rick Goes To A Dance

8. Rick Goes To A Dance

21st Nov 1952

Ricky receives a perfumed letter from his neighbor, Julie Thornberry, inviting him to his first dance.

Day After Thanksgiving

9. Day After Thanksgiving

28th Nov 1952

Having come home the previous day from Aunt Ellen's without any Thanksgiving leftovers, Ozzie and the boys become obsessed with a craving for more turkey

Thorny's Gift

10. Thorny's Gift

5th Dec 1952

Ozzie is outraged after he doesn't receive a timely 'thank you' for the birthday gift he sent to Thorny.

Harriet's Hairdo

11. Harriet's Hairdo

12th Dec 1952

Harriet decides to try a new hair style but it doesn't go over well with the Nelson men. Ozzie gently tries to suggest he wants her to go back to the look he's used to.

The Boys' Christmas Money

12. The Boys' Christmas Money

19th Dec 1952

The boys want to earn extra money for Christmas, so Ozzie gives them permission to look for work.

The Late Christmas Gift

13. The Late Christmas Gift

30min

26th Dec 1952

Ozzie and David receive Christmas gifts after Christmas from Grandma Nelson.

Newspaper Write-up

14. Newspaper Write-up

2nd Jan 1953

Ozzie becomes upset, and increasingly obsessed, by a newspaper tribute to him that messes up his name.

Basketball Players

15. Basketball Players

9th Jan 1953

Ozzie and Thorny's discussion about basketball escalates until they challenge each other to a game. They include their sons in the grudge match but then begin having second thoughts.

Stop Worrying

16. Stop Worrying

16th Jan 1953

Ozzie discovers his family worrying about different things, and admonishes them, as well as rationalizing them out of their concerns. But later he reads a magazine article and seems to have trouble fighting off worry himself.

The Tuba Affair

17. The Tuba Affair

23rd Jan 1953

Ozzie wants to establish that he's head-of-the-household, and Harriet wants to be a good wife. Marital strife ensues.

The Rover Boys

18. The Rover Boys

30th Jan 1953

While discussing The Rover Boys' books with Thorny, Ozzie takes off to check out a book at the library, hoping to prove Thorny wrong. But when he's caught with a big book, one of his boys' teachers is convinced he knows a lot about the Peloponnesian War and asks him to lead a book discussion. Ozzie is just too proud to admit the truth and decides to learn everything he can before the PTA meeting.

Separate Rooms

19. Separate Rooms

6th Feb 1953

David and Ricky finally get their own separate rooms - with hilarious results.

The Valentine Show

20. The Valentine Show

13th Feb 1953

Ozzie and Harriet are concerned that David will blow all the money he's saved on a new girl he's taking to a Valentine's Day dance.

The Traffic Signal

21. The Traffic Signal

20th Feb 1953

There's a new traffic signal, and no one knows who should take the credit or get the blame.

The Dental Receptionist

22. The Dental Receptionist

27th Feb 1953

Ozzie soon regrets a flirtatious moment shared with his dentist's new southern belle receptionist.

The Speech

23. The Speech

6th Mar 1953

Ozzie painstakingly rehearses for a speech.

The Safecrackers

24. The Safecrackers

13th Mar 1953

While in Herb Dunkle's empty office, Ozzie teaches Ricky how to crack a safe.

Brother Beesley's Philosophy

25. Brother Beesley's Philosophy

20th Mar 1953

Andy Beesley gives Ozzie a new outlook on life: Enjoy life, while you can. Ozzie takes this philosophy to heart and sends the family on a spending spree down at The Emporium - a spending spree he soon regrets.

The Bowling Alley

26. The Bowling Alley

27th Mar 1953

Fearing that Ozzie is coming down with a cold, Harriet orders her husband to spend the evening convalescing and then goes shopping with a friend. Ozzie manages a rapid recovery when Thorny reminds him of a date they made to go bowling.

The Orchid and the Violet

27. The Orchid and the Violet

3rd Apr 1953

It's spring, and love is in the air, so Ozzie wants to surprise Harriet by having a bunch of violets delivered to her. When orchids show up, instead, Ozzie suspects they're from an old rich boyfriend of Harriet's.

The Pancake Mix

28. The Pancake Mix

10th Apr 1953

Hasty Tasty Pancake Company is offering a double-your-money-back guarantee, so Ricky decides to apply for a refund.

Whistler's Daughter

29. Whistler's Daughter

17th Apr 1953

Ozzie has some fast talking to do, after Harriet falls under the impression that he was taken in by an attractive young door-to-door saleswoman.

The Fish Story

30. The Fish Story

24th Apr 1953

To prove a point, Ozzie starts a rumor in the neighborhood by tricking his best friend Thorny into believing that the fish are biting like crazy in Mud Basin.

Night School

31. Night School

1st May 1953

Ozzie finds out from Thorny that he is taking adult education courses at the local high school in the evenings. So Ozzie decides to take some classes and Harriet signs up too.

The Traders

32. The Traders

8th May 1953

Ozzie tries to teach Ricky and David how to get a good deal in the swap trades they make with friends.

Boxing Matches

33. Boxing Matches

15th May 1953

Ozzie gets roped into agreeing to fight Thorny in a boxing exhibition match to be held at an evening Boy Scout rally.

Door Key for David

34. Door Key for David

22nd May 1953

David is given his first house key and the responsibility that goes with it.

The Play's the Thing

35. The Play's the Thing

29th May 1953

Ozzie is brimming with enthusiasm about appearing in the PTA pageant's play, until he learns that his role is the front end of Robin Hood's horse.

Monetary System

36. Monetary System

5th Jun 1953

David and Ricky would like an increase in their allowances so Ozzie develops a point system regarding household chores. He includes every family member but regrets it as it points out that one person is doing very little of the tasks.

Who's Walter?

37. Who's Walter?

12th Jun 1953

Harriet encounters an older man who worked at an amusement park she and Ozzie frequented when they dated. She invites him to dinner where he thinks Ozzie is named Walter, then spends the evening telling stories about Harriet and Walter.

Curiosity

38. Curiosity

19th Jun 1953

Ozzie and Harriet try to kill each other's cat with curiosity.

Oscillating Ozzie

39. Oscillating Ozzie

26th Jun 1953

Ozzie is stuck in his conservative routine, until he has a chat with the ever-exuberant Emmy Lou.

First air date

3rd Oct 1952

Last air date

26th Mar 1966

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks