The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
TV-G1952•30m•5.9/10
ComedyFamily
Ratings
🎬TMDb
5.9/10(14)
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".
Language
EN
Status
Ended
First Aired
October 3, 1952
Last Aired
March 26, 1966
Networks
ABC
Seasons & Episodes
Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.
Season
E1
The Rivals
Air date: 1952-10-03
David has a rival, and his name is Will Thornberry - his next door neighbor.
E2
The Poet
Air date: 1952-10-10
Ozzie and Harriet read the newspaper and talk about Nancy Walker.
E3
The Pills
Air date: 1952-10-17
Ozzie decides to diet so he can fit into a pair of size 33 pants.
E4
The Fall Guy
Air date: 1952-10-24
Ozzie quickly regrets advising David against allowing people to take advantage of his good nature.
E5
Halloween Party
Air date: 1952-10-31
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.
E6
Riviera Ballet
Air date: 1952-11-07
Ozzie has tickets to the Riviera Ballet, but Harriet doesn't want him to go because the actresses will be wearing skimpy bathing suits.
E7
David the Babysitter
Air date: 1952-11-14
David gets a babysitting job and Ozzie is worried about David and the baby.
E8
Rick Goes To A Dance
Air date: 1952-11-21
Ricky receives a perfumed letter from his neighbor, Julie Thornberry, inviting him to his first dance.
E9
Day After Thanksgiving
Air date: 1952-11-28
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
E10
Thorny's Gift
Air date: 1952-12-05
Ozzie is outraged after he doesn't receive a timely 'thank you' for the birthday gift he sent to Thorny.
E11
Harriet's Hairdo
Air date: 1952-12-12
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.
E12
The Boys' Christmas Money
Air date: 1952-12-19
The boys want to earn extra money for Christmas, so Ozzie gives them permission to look for work.
E13
The Late Christmas Gift
Air date: 1952-12-26
Ozzie and David receive Christmas gifts after Christmas from Grandma Nelson.
E14
Newspaper Write-up
Air date: 1953-01-02
Ozzie becomes upset, and increasingly obsessed, by a newspaper tribute to him that messes up his name.
E15
Basketball Players
Air date: 1953-01-09
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.
E16
Stop Worrying
Air date: 1953-01-16
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.
E17
The Tuba Affair
Air date: 1953-01-23
Ozzie wants to establish that he's head-of-the-household, and Harriet wants to be a good wife. Marital strife ensues.
E18
The Rover Boys
Air date: 1953-01-30
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.
E19
Separate Rooms
Air date: 1953-02-06
David and Ricky finally get their own separate rooms - with hilarious results.
E20
The Valentine Show
Air date: 1953-02-13
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.
E21
The Traffic Signal
Air date: 1953-02-20
There's a new traffic signal, and no one knows who should take the credit or get the blame.
E22
The Dental Receptionist
Air date: 1953-02-27
Ozzie soon regrets a flirtatious moment shared with his dentist's new southern belle receptionist.
E23
The Speech
Air date: 1953-03-06
Ozzie painstakingly rehearses for a speech.
E24
The Safecrackers
Air date: 1953-03-13
While in Herb Dunkle's empty office, Ozzie teaches Ricky how to crack a safe.
E25
Brother Beesley's Philosophy
Air date: 1953-03-20
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.
E26
The Bowling Alley
Air date: 1953-03-27
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.
E27
The Orchid and the Violet
Air date: 1953-04-03
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.
E28
The Pancake Mix
Air date: 1953-04-10
Hasty Tasty Pancake Company is offering a double-your-money-back guarantee, so Ricky decides to apply for a refund.
E29
Whistler's Daughter
Air date: 1953-04-17
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.
E30
The Fish Story
Air date: 1953-04-24
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.
E31
Night School
Air date: 1953-05-01
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.
E32
The Traders
Air date: 1953-05-08
Ozzie tries to teach Ricky and David how to get a good deal in the swap trades they make with friends.
E33
Boxing Matches
Air date: 1953-05-15
Ozzie gets roped into agreeing to fight Thorny in a boxing exhibition match to be held at an evening Boy Scout rally.
E34
Door Key for David
Air date: 1953-05-22
David is given his first house key and the responsibility that goes with it.
E35
The Play's the Thing
Air date: 1953-05-29
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.
E36
Monetary System
Air date: 1953-06-05
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.
E37
Who's Walter?
Air date: 1953-06-12
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.
E38
Curiosity
Air date: 1953-06-19
Ozzie and Harriet try to kill each other's cat with curiosity.
E39
Oscillating Ozzie
Air date: 1953-06-26
Ozzie is stuck in his conservative routine, until he has a chat with the ever-exuberant Emmy Lou.
Cast
Ozzie Nelson
Ozzie
Harriet Nelson
Harriet
David Nelson
David
Ricky Nelson
Ricky
