It's a Living

1. S01E01PilotOctober 30, 1980—The series opens with innocent Vicki contemplating going out on a date with a pilot. She's even more worried about what's going to happen a
2. S01E02The IntruderNovember 6, 1980—While her husband and children are away on a camping trip, Lois has Jan stay overnight due to the fact that a burglar has been terrorizing h
3. S01E03RoomiesNovember 13, 1980—Vicki's plans are ruined when tenants change their minds about moving out of an apartment which is to be hers. This prompts the other waitr
4. S01E04Fallen IdolNovember 27, 1980—Vicki's father comes to town for a visit and Vicki is worried about his reaction to the skimpy outfits she must wear for work. However this
5. S01E05The Lois AffairDecember 11, 1980—After having a big argument with her husband, Lois runs into her high school sweetheart who wants to pick up where they left off. When he g
6. S01E06Super-MomDecember 18, 1980—Jan wants to be able to afford to pay for ballet lessons for her daughter, so she picks up a second job, preparing invitations. However, he
7. S01E07Cassie's Punctured RomanceJanuary 1, 1981—Cassie is reluctant to stay with her latest boyfriend since falling in love is something that she is uncomfortable with. Meanwhile to impre
8. S01E08Up On the RoofJanuary 8, 1981—The staff must stay calm when a fire breaks out in the hotel a few floor below the restaurant. They must also try to keep the customers as
9. S01E09Making the GradeJanuary 15, 1981—Jan makes a mistake when she accepts her economics professor's offer to go out on a date. However, when she tries to break off their romanc
10. S01E10Our Man BarryJanuary 22, 1981—Dot and Vicki begin dating the same man which only aggravates the situation at the restaurant where Nancy imposes a crash diet on Cassie and
11. S01E11R-E-S-P-E-C-TJanuary 29, 1981—Lois learns that an invitation to speak to her daughter's class about working mothers was prompted by her daughter's essay describing her as
12. S01E12KidsJuly 21, 1981—Jan and Lois have a ongoing debate over the discovery of a girlie magazine in the possesion of Lois's son.
13. S01E13You're Not Old, You're FiredAugust 4, 1981—Nancy is unexpectedly fired from her hostess position at the restaurant. Her firing is not the only surprise as is the reason she was fired

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

1. S02E01Boys of SummerOctober 24, 1981—The staff becomes infected with baseball fever, after a baseball team invades the restaurant.
2. S02E02All My SonOctober 31, 1981—Sonny is surprised when a woman from his past surprises him with news that she's been thinking about him for the past 10 years. However, he
3. S02E03Of Mace and MenNovember 7, 1981—After Maggie is mugged, the waitress go to lengths to protect themselves and begin carrying mace. However, after Dot is targeted in the par
4. S02E04The WeddingNovember 14, 1981—A wedding being held at the restaurant is interrupted when the groom spots an old flame across the room, Cassie.
5. S02E05Second Time Around, AlmostNovember 28, 1981—Jan's ex-husband re-enters her life and fans an old flame in Jan, that she thought went out years ago.
6. S02E06Off the TopDecember 5, 1981—The entire staff gets disheartening news when it is announced that the restaurant has been sold and will be turned into a fitness center. T
7. S02E07Mann is MannDecember 12, 1981—Sonny's brother, Buddy, flies into town and instantly disrupts Sonny's life when he moves in with him. Buddy quickly becomes an unwelcome h
8. S02E08Jealousy or Mildred FierceJanuary 2, 1982—The girls and especially Nancy make strenuous efforts to keep Dennis from falling apart when his wife leaves him.
9. S02E09Young LoveJanuary 9, 1982—A romance develops between 33 year old Jan and Maggie's 23 year old brother.
10. S02E10The Garden of Countess NatashaFebruary 12, 1982—Dot's new play opens and the rest of the staff have no good reviews to give her.
11. S02E11Falling in Love AgainFebruary 19, 1982—Maggie is consumed with guilt after she begins a romance with a man, who happens to be the first man she's dated since her husband died. Me
12. S02E12Horsing AroundFebruary 26, 1982—Gambling fever strikes after Jan overhears a tip from a jockey eating at the restaurant and her and Maggie begin betting. The others quickly
13. S02E13Strange BedfellowsJune 4, 1982—Dot's in the hospital with a relentless cheery roommate while the hotel is swamped with WWII veterans.
14. S02E14A Farewell to ArmJune 11, 1982—On the day of the biggest date of her life, Jan literally gets stuck at Maggie's garage sale.

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

1. S03E01HarassedSeptember 28, 1985—New to the big city, Amy begins receiving a series of threatening messages from a stalker, something she is totally unprepared for after liv
2. S03E02Cassie's CowboyOctober 5, 1985—Cassie falls in love with a cowboy who is a millionaire and is shocked when she learns she also has to like him to be with him.
3. S03E03Amy Big Girl NowOctober 12, 1985—Amy gets a surprise visit from her father who has come to California to take his little girl back to Texas and away from her new city life.
4. S03E04Desperate HoursOctober 19, 1985—Terrorists from a Third World country take the restaurant hostage.
5. S03E05I Write the SongsOctober 26, 1985—Sonny thinks he has struck gold with a record company and quits his job at the restaurant in a big way.
6. S03E06Jan's EngagmentNovember 2, 1985—Jan hits it off with a fan repair man who whisks her off her feet. Their relationship goes faster then she expected when he suddenly propos
7. S03E07From Russia with LoveNovember 9, 1985—A Russian, while visiting California, defects and locks himself in Cassie's locker, claiming he loves her.
8. S03E08The Prom ShowNovember 16, 1985—A prom is scheduled to take place at the restaurant but when the entertainment doesn't show up, Dot takes over as the entertainment committe
9. S03E09The Wedding ShowNovember 23, 1985—Jan and Richie's wedding may be postponed when the judge fails to appear and it seems that the honeymoon may be a threesome.
10. S03E10Hail to the ChefDecember 21, 1985—The President may visit the restaurant and everyone passes the security check, that is except Howard.
11. S03E11Eleven Angry Men and DotDecember 28, 1985—Dot serves jury duty and becomes the hold out juror. Meanwhile, Nancy and the other waitresses must deal with Dot's absence from work.
12. S03E12Gender GapJanuary 11, 1986—A sex discrimination suit is brought against the restaurant which forces Nancy to hire a obnoxious waiter.
13. S03E13Jealous WifeJanuary 18, 1986—Cassie's one night stand is a dream for her but it turns into a nightmare when she is publicly humiliated by the man's wife in the restauran
14. S03E14The Doctor Danny ShowFebruary 1, 1986—During a date, Nancy suffers a hernia and when her physician discovers it, he insists that she have it operated on immediately. However, an
15. S03E15Jewel HeistFebruary 15, 1986—A visiting princess becomes the target of terrorists who plan to make off with her extravagant diamond necklace. However, Dot accidentally
16. S03E16The JerksFebruary 22, 1986—The girls are forced to stay late and take inventory. This leads each girl to tell a story about the worst date they ever had.
17. S03E17Oddest CoupleMarch 1, 1986—Cassie, desperate for a new place to live, temporarily moves in with Sonny, and the rumors fly.
18. S03E18Dot's PuppyApril 12, 1986—Dot gets a noisy puppy after her cat dies and Sonny quits rather than miss a date with a roller derby queen.
19. S03E19Dinner with DeedeeMay 3, 1986—Jan is not looking forward to a visit from an old friend who has always outclassed her in every aspect of life.
20. S03E20JumpMay 10, 1986—Cassie questions a man for the reason why he constantly refuses to leave her a tip only to discover he works for the IRS and serves her with
21. S03E21America's SweetheartMay 17, 1986—Dot's relationship with a cartoonist makes the papers when he uses her as a model for a new character in his comic strip.
22. S03E22Mann ActMay 24, 1986—Sonny contemplates his final days after dating a mobster's moll. The mobster found out and has made an appointment to visit Sonny.

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

1. S04E01The Roof ShowSeptember 27, 1986—On a night when everyone wants to leave early, the majority of the staff systematically becomes trapped on the roof, leaving Amy, Nancy and
2. S04E02The BarOctober 4, 1986—Amy is feeling lonely so to pick up her spirits, the girls take her out to a singles bar. However, each one of the girls encounter a man wh
3. S04E03The Reunion ShowOctober 11, 1986—Newly married Jan is set to attend her high school reunion and is thrilled that she will get to see her old boyfriend, one who still holds a
4. S04E04SurpriseOctober 18, 1986—Jan's birthday is coming up but Amy has not such a nice surprise for Jan, after she becomes convinced that Richie is having an affair with G
5. S04E05Nancy's SisterOctober 25, 1986—Nancy is not to pleased with a visit from her sister, Gloria, and things don't improve when Nancy becomes convinced that Gloria is trying to
6. S04E06Night at the IguanaNovember 1, 1986—After their car breaks down, while on a trip to Las Vegas, Sonny and the girls check into a hotel. A hotel that is run by a mysterious man
7. S04E07Family FeudNovember 8, 1986—Divorcees are coming out of the wood work when Dot's mother and Jan's father come for a visit and hit it off.
8. S04E08The Dot and Howard ShowNovember 15, 1986—After going out one evening to a social event, Dot and Howard begin a series of dates that everyone becomes convinced that Dot and Howard's
9. S04E09Farewell, My SonnyNovember 22, 1986—The hotel hosts a murder mystery but things turn surprisingly real when Sonny becomes the prime suspect in a murder.
10. S04E10Critic's ChoiceDecember 6, 1986—A long time rival and food critic of Howard's visits the hotel which puts Howard's job and relationship with Nancy in jeopardy.
11. S04E11Richie's SculptureDecember 20, 1986—Richie's new sculpture is a smash success and agrees to let it be displayed in the restaurant. His success crumbles, however, when Jan allo
12. S04E12Sonny's Oil (a.k.a.) The Oil ShowJanuary 3, 1987—Sonny strikes oil and with the help from a shady investor, tries to convince the girls to go in on an oil investment.
13. S04E13Nancy's Birthday PartyJanuary 10, 1987—Nancy drops heavy hints about her upcoming birthday and expects a party to be thrown. Meanwhile, Jan and Richie fight and Sonny pleads to jo
14. S04E14The EvictablesJanuary 17, 1987—Thanks to Jan's advice, Ginger is evicted from her apartment after withholding the rent to force the landlord to repaint it. Ginger then mov
15. S04E15Ginger's BabyJanuary 24, 1987—Ginger babysits for a friend who later strands Ginger with the baby who takes him to work. Meanwhile, Sonny car-sits for a friend, but pick
16. S04E16Bachelor PartyJanuary 31, 1987—Howard's naive niece visits and begins dating Sonny. Something Howard is determind to put an end to.
17. S04E17Amy's RustyFebruary 7, 1987—Amy feels guilty for being unwed so she decides to reunite with an old flame. Meanwhile, Dot sells skin care products.
18. S04E18Dot's PriestFebruary 14, 1987—Dot is slightly unnerved by an old boyfriend who's becoming a priest and is questioning his commitment.
19. S04E19The Dickie Doodle ShowFebruary 21, 1987—Jan Murray plays a former children's show host whose fan club dinner clashes with Nancy's meeting with a vice president from the restaurant
20. S04E20The Howie ShowFebruary 28, 1987—South Pacific natives arrive to worship the person they consider a supreme being, Howard. Meanwhile, Nancy challenges the waitresses to a c
21. S04E21The Dot Quits ShowMarch 7, 1987—Dot quits to become a full-time unemployed actress. Meanwhile, Sonny writes a musical based on Attila the Hun and Ginger's footwear fetish
22. S04E22The Two Guys ShowMay 2, 1987—Ginger weighs the merits of two boyfriends while Howard weighs offers from other restaurants.
23. S04E23A Romantic ComedyMay 9, 1987—A romantic evening alone in the hotel is anything but for Jan and Richie, who weather interruptions from the restaurant staff.
24. S04E24ManhandlingMay 16, 1987—Fur flies after Ginger buys Jan's car and Amy asks Dot to act as a go-between with a handsome new employee.
25. S04E25Nancy's ShrinkMay 23, 1987—Nancy reviews her relationships with her employees during a visit to her psychiatrist.

Season 4 ranked & reviewed

1. S05E01Till Death Do Us PartSeptember 26, 1987—Sonny's in love and plans to marry if his fiancee can get to the church on time. Meanwhile, Howard prepares for a visit from his high-schoo
2. S05E02Her Back to the FutureOctober 3, 1987—As the staff prepares for a wedding reception, Nancy dozes off and has a bizarre dream about her own marriage, ten years in the future to So
3. S05E03No, My Darling DaughterOctober 10, 1987—When Ellen, Jan's daughter, has a date with a senior, all the waitresses worry. Meanwhile, Howard asks Nancy for $900 to pay back a loan sh
4. S05E04Sweet CharityOctober 17, 1987—Dot's in charge of a children's play ""Little Red Riding Hood"" but when the cast is quarentined with the chicken pox, the restaurant staff
5. S05E05Killing of Sister DotOctober 24, 1987—Dot is thrilled about her new part on a soap opera until she realizes her character is in imminent danger of being killed off.
6. S05E06The Date ShowOctober 31, 1987—Nancy has just the solution to Howard's mid-life crisis: she invites him to a square dance, and she won't take no for an answer.
7. S05E07Search and StrikeNovember 7, 1987—Nancy is having a bad week: hotel management wants her to search the waitresses' lockers, and Howard wants her to back off.
8. S05E08The Vegas Show (1)November 14, 1987—When singer Jack Jones checks into the hotel for a few days, he strikes up a friendship with Nancy and invites her to Las Vegas for a long w
9. S05E09The Vegas Show (2)November 21, 1987—When a jealous Howard follows Nancy to Las Vegas, he's horrified to find her gambling at a blackjack table with a lounge lizard named Chick.
10. S05E10The Sonny's Mother ShowNovember 28, 1987—Sonny's dreading an impending visit from his mother: she's never forgivin him for becoming a lounge singer instead of a classical pianist.
11. S05E11Strictly PersonalDecember 12, 1987—Dot doesn't get quite the response she had hoped for after placing an ad in the personals column.
12. S05E12A Pen Pal for Your ThoughtsDecember 19, 1987—The prison pen pal whom Amy has been writing too has surprising news for her, he's getting out of prison. The even bigger news is that he w
13. S05E13Twelve Angry WomenDecember 26, 1987—Sonny manages to infuriate an entire table of feminists while Dot starts dating one of Amy's ex-boyfriends.
14. S05E14Skin DeepJanuary 2, 1988—After seeing Howard flirting with a much younger woman, Nancy begins considering having a face lift.
15. S05E15Everyone's a CriticJanuary 16, 1988—Dot has a monumental case of jitters on the opening night of her new play on account of her journalist boyfriend is assigned to review her p
16. S05E16Take Back Your MinkJanuary 23, 1988—Richie hits the big money which lands Jan in a mink coat. However, is his sudden success short lived?
17. S05E17The One About the Tattooed LadyJanuary 30, 1988—Nancy's cousin, Grace, stops by for a visit but that's not the only surprise for Nancy, her cousin is covered from head to toe in tatoos.
18. S05E18Daddy's Little GirlFebruary 6, 1988—Jan has hopes of reuniting her divorced parents but there is one hitch in her plan, her father is newly engaged.
19. S05E19Ginger's Grandmother ShowFebruary 13, 1988—Ginger's grandmother shows up on Ginger's doorstep, complaining that her son won't let her drive anymore. Meanwhile, Sonny decides to make
20. S05E20Dot's HopeFebruary 20, 1988—When Dot's friend comes to Hollywood seeking fame and fortune, Dot gets her a job in the restaurant washing dishes.
21. S05E21The Amy and Louie ShowFebruary 27, 1988—Sonny sees red when Amy finally agrees to go on a date, but not with him but with his friend Louie. Meanwhile, Ginger is dreading her blind
22. S05E22Ginger and the SenatorApril 23, 1988—Ginger's efforts to campaign for her favorite senator makes front-page news when she's photographed sitting on his lap.
23. S05E23Healings, Nothing More Than HealingsApril 30, 1988—Sonny becomes an instant hero after saving a choking victim by administering the Heimlich maneuver. Meanwhile, Nancy and Howard contemplate
24. S05E24The No Guys ShowMay 7, 1988—Ginger's in quandry: her perfect boyfriend wants to tie the knot, but she's not ready to settle down.
25. S05E25The Waiting GameMay 14, 1988—The waitresses wax philosophic when a journalist interviews them about the pros and cons of their careers.
26. S05E26Tune In, Tune OutMay 28, 1988—Jan feels that her relationship with Richie is in a rut, so to spice it up, she borrows a blond wig from Dot. However, the results are not

Season 5 ranked & reviewed

1. S06E01Pistol Packin' MamaOctober 15, 1988—Roomates, Ginger and Amy, may be no more after Ginger discovers Amy keeps a gun, something Ginger refuses to have in the apartment.
2. S06E02The Nancy and Roscoe ShowOctober 22, 1988—Nancy and Howard's marriage is put to the test when Nancy falls for Howard's old navy buddy.
3. S06E03The Jan's Pregnant ShowOctober 29, 1988—Richie's aspiration to move to North Dakota is put to a halt by Jan who announces she's pregnant.
4. S06E04Never Trust Anyone Under 40November 5, 1988—Louie throws Sonny a surprise 40th birthday party that ages Howard a few years.
5. S06E05The New Guy ShowNovember 12, 1988—Ginger encounters the unexpected when she telephones a wedding photographer for a date. Meanwhile, Sonny's agent buys him an hour's worth o
6. S06E06Rear WindowNovember 19, 1988—Dot's habit of neighbor watching entangles her in what appears to be a woman's murder.
7. S06E07You Do VoodooNovember 26, 1988—Jan tries to ward off a developer's plans to build a mini-mall in her neighborhood and Ginger uses a book of voodoo spells to conjure up a p
8. S06E08The Amy and Bobby ShowDecember 3, 1988—Amy dates a man who wants to take her on the road to salvation. Meanwhile, Howard unknowingly buys Nancy some hot merchandise.
9. S06E09Dot Casts OffDecember 10, 1988—Dot accepts a job as a casting assistant and has a difficult task of auditioning a friend.
10. S06E10A Very Scary It's a LivingJanuary 7, 1989—Dot has been cast in a slasher movie and she studies up by watching a batch of slasher films. This leads her to have a scary dream that tak
11. S06E11The Ginger's Mother ShowJanuary 14, 1989—Ginger's successful career oriented mother comes for a visit and Ginger is reluctant to discuss her career as a waitress with her.
12. S06E12Mike FrightJanuary 21, 1989—Sonny feels threatened when a temporary replacement turns out to be a success.
13. S06E13He Never Sang for His FatherJanuary 28, 1989—Sonny is ecstatic when his sexy hairdresser agrees to move in with him. However, getting to first base gets a bit hard when his father show
14. S06E14Just Say YesFebruary 11, 1989—Amy anguishes over what she should do with her Valentine's Day present from Bobby Lee, the key to his hotel room.
15. S06E15Wedding, WeddingFebruary 18, 1989—Amy and Ginger decide to have a double wedding at the restaurant.
16. S06E16The Dark at the Top of the TopFebruary 25, 1989—Nancy is in favor of the new hotel manager's ideas that is until she's replaced with Dot.
17. S06E17My Little Red BookMarch 4, 1989—Sonny finds a little black book that leads him to intrigue and a red-hot lady.
18. S06E18Matchmaker, MatchmakerMarch 11, 1989—Phil sets Sonny up with a new singing partner while Dot employs a marriage broker.
19. S06E19A Very Special It's a LivingMarch 18, 1989—Jan goes into premature labor and with her life and the baby's life in danger, she has a dream about being visited by a strange Angel of Dea
20. S06E20The Sonny and Dot ShowApril 8, 1989—Dot and Sonny are both feeling lonely, so thet stay late at the restaurant to cry on each other's shoulder.

Season 6 ranked & reviewed