Phyllis

1975 - 1977

Pilot

11th September 1975

Episode 1

Phyllis' husband, Lars, suddenly dies only to leave Phyllis and her daughter Bess with no money. Desperate, they move to San Francisco to live with Lars' mother Audrey and her new husband Jonathan Dexter. At a reception for Lars' friends, Phyllis meets her new boss Julie Erskine, owner of Erskine Photography. Phyllis later discovers that Julie dated Lars at the same time he was dating her and he proposed to Julie first.

Bess, Is You a Woman Now?

18th September 1975

Episode 2

Bess goes away on a weekend ski trip. Phyllis makes a phone call to Bess' room to see how she is doing only to find someone else answer the phone, a young man. Phyllis is worried that Bess is no longer her innocent daughter.

Up for Grabs

22nd September 1975

Episode 3

An old friend of Lars is in town to discuss some business with Phyllis. However, he is more interested in Phyllis fpr reasons other than business.

Leaving Home

23rd September 1975

Episode 4

Mother Dexter is upset that Phyllis and Bess have stolen her guest bedroom, so Phyllis decides to move out on her own. Her new apartment, however, is a total dump.

The First Day

30th September 1975

Episode 5

Phyllis writes to her friend Mary Richards to tell her all about her new life and how hard it was when she first started working.

Phyllis Takes Piano Lessons

7th October 1975

Episode 6

Phyllis has always regretted that she never finished her piano recital as a child because she froze on stage. She decides to take lessons again, she discovers that she is the only adult in the children's class.

Phyllis' Garage Sale

14th October 1975

Episode 7

All of Phyllis' belongings arrive from Minneapolis and clutters the house--literally. Phyllis decides to have a garage sale, but has trouble letting go of her things.

The First Date

27th October 1975

Episode 8

Phyllis is going to go on a double date with Julie, for the first time since Lars died and is nervous about getting into the routine again.

All Together Now

30th October 1975

Episode 9

Phyllis feels that she does not really ""know"" Bess. First, she tries to go out with Bess to a dance club and when that doesn't work. Then, she gets an insane idea of staying up all night and having them tell all kinds of secrets about themselves.

Audrey Leaves Jonathan

6th November 1975

Episode 10

Audrey is upset when she learns that Jonathan had an affair on his first wife while he was in the service. She feels that if he's done it once, he'll do it again. She decides to leave him, only to move next door to Phyllis' room. Jonathan must tell her he loves her because he never has.

Phyllis Opens Julie's Heart

17th November 1975

Episode 11

Phyllis must try to comfort Julie after she sees her boyfriend with another woman.

So Lonely I Could Cry

24th November 1975

Episode 12

Phyllis finds her self all alone when Bess is gone for the weekend and the Dexter's go on vacation. She must try to entertain herself for the entire weekend with no one else around.

Phyllis and the Little People

1st December 1975

Episode 13

Bess announces her plans to marry. Phyllis invites the boy's parents over only to discover that they are little people and must deal with her discomfort throughout the evening.

There's No Business Like No Business

8th December 1975

Episode 14

The photo studio is in financial trouble and Phyllis tries to land an account for the company but fails. Jonathan decides to invest some money into the business.

Paging Dr. Lindstrom

22nd December 1975

Episode 15

Phyllis meets a medium at the studio and discusses the afterlife. Audrey, by chance, meets him and invites him over to have a seance to contact Lars.

The $17,623,419.53 Man

5th January 1976

Episode 16

Phyllis meets a wealthy business tycoon named Harry Loomis who proposes to her.

Honor Thy Mother Dexter

12th January 1976

Episode 17

Phyllis believes that the reason Sally (Judith Lowry) is so grouchy is because she has nothing to do in life. First Phyllis tries to put her in the workforce by getting her a job at the studio. That was a big mistake. Then, Phyllis tries to fix her up with a date.

Phyllis in Love

19th January 1976

Episode 18

Phyllis falls in love with a tennis player who just happens to be married.

Crazy Mama

26th January 1976

Episode 19

Bess has finally had it with her mother and feels she has no privacy. Thus, Bess moves out and Phyllis must go after her and convince her to return home.

A Man, a Woman, and Another Woman

2nd February 1976

Episode 20

Phyllis' old lawyer friend Jerome returns to San Francisco with his new young bride.

Leo's Suicide

9th February 1976

Episode 21

Leo gets depressed and takes some of Audrey's pills (which happen to be no more than placebos.)

Sonny Boy

16th February 1976

Episode 22

Jonathan's brother comes to visit and Phyllis must become a middleman between sibling rivalry.

Widows, Merry and Otherwise

23rd February 1976

Episode 23

Audrey's niece, a recent widow, comes to visit, and Phyllis must try to comfort her since she is too a widow.

The Triangle

Episode 24

Bess's old boy boyfriend who falls for Phyllis after he is dumped by Bess.

Top Cast

Cloris Leachman•Henry Jones•Jane Rose

After her husband’s death, Phyllis Lindstrom and her daughter Bess move to San Francisco to start over. There, she faces the challenges of clashing with eccentric relatives and adjusting to a new life.

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Production Companies

Full Cast

Cloris Leachman Image

Cloris Leachman

Phyllis Lindstrom

Henry Jones Image

Henry Jones

Jonathan Dexter

Jane Rose

Audrey Dexter

Lisa Gerritsen Image

Lisa Gerritsen

Bess Lindstrom

Judith Lowry Image

Judith Lowry

Mother Dexter

John Lawlor Image

John Lawlor

Leonard Marsh

Garn Stephens Image

Garn Stephens

Harriet Hastings

Carmine Caridi Image

Carmine Caridi

Dan Valenti

Full Crew

Michael J. Leeson

Producer

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