Benson

1979 - 1986

Change (Pilot)

13th September 1979

Episode 1

In the pilot of this spinoff series of Soap, Benson, the Butler of Jessica Tate helps out her cousin Gene Gatling, who is the Governor of the state. Benson's first escapade lands him into finding a way for a huge company to build their new bridge without killing beavers. His success in this idea seems to land him a ""trial offer"" for this new job.

Trust Me

20th September 1979

Episode 2

Katie attends a controversial rock concert, even though her father forbid her to go and had Benson watch her. Now the question is, who will get home in time? The Governor or Katie? Benson, afraid Katie will not come home in time applies for another job in the meantime.

The President's Double

27th September 1979

Episode 3

Governor Gatling goes with African president Ukassi to a dinner. The African president becomes a victim of an assasination attempt and while his wounds get worse, Benson plays the part of the African president. The problem is that the assasins want that president dead and they have their desires on killing him not knowing that it's Benson.

Benson in Love

4th October 1979

Episode 4

Benson meets an attrative woman in the mansion and asks her out, not knowing she is a senator.

Conflict of Interest

18th October 1979

Episode 5

The Governor is faced with a family problem. Should he go see his daughter in her school play as he promised, or should he accept a very important political invitation that is scheduled for the same night? The Governor decides he has to attend the political meeting and Benson has to stand in.

The Layoff

25th October 1979

Episode 6

Benson is forced to lay off some staff members when the Governor makes a campaign to cut ""unecessary"" spending. Katie resents Benson when he has to fire the sweet woman who lightens up everyone's day.

Snowbound

1st November 1979

Episode 7

Governor Gatling wants the staff to join him on his little vacation to a snow cottage. Benson agrees when he learns that Kraus will not attend. Later Kraus changes her mind and Benson has to live with it. He has to live with it harder when the staff gets snowed in.

Jessica

8th November 1979

Episode 8

Jessica Tate visits and she gets involved in a scandal. She falls in love with the French Baron who is visiting and all of a sudden he dies. It's now up to Benson and Jessica to try to fool a crowd of media that he is still alive and departing the Hotel he's staying at without them knowing and connecting Jessica with the death.

Don't Quote Me

22nd November 1979

Episode 9

A bad remark about a senator gets aired out and the staff is in trouble. They have to find who blabbed before more damaging information gets out.

War Stories

29th November 1979

Episode 10

Benson's old army buddy Eddie visits and him and Marcy hit it off after Benson introduces him to single Marcy. The problem is that Eddie is a married man and Benson didn't know that.

Ghost Story

6th December 1979

Episode 11

Very mysterious things happen in the Governor's mansion. Kraus panicks and says that the house is haunted. They have a seance and find out that the ghost was a goveror who was murdered a long time ago. The reason he is haunting the mansion is because the man who murdered that Governor was going to be honored by Gov. Gatling with a memorial street named after him.

Taylor's Bid

13th December 1979

Episode 12

Taylor quits being the advisor to Governor Gatling and decides to run for a public office. The Governor starts to need Taylor back when he can't manage his own political responsibilities.

One Strike, You're Out

27th December 1979

Episode 13

The domestic workers demand more money and Benson grants their requests to give them a raise. The blue-collar people go on strike after Governor Gatling refuses their plea. At the same time, very important people come to dinner and Benson has to do all the duties. He does all he can do, and with his smarts he turns it into a disaster so that they can get a taste of what it's like not to have them.

Just Friends

3rd January 1980

Episode 14

Governor Gatling is trying to get Howard Walker, the entrepreneur to settle his new factory in his constituency. Benson on his own tries not to let this go through because him and Howard's wife had a love affair years ago.

Chain of Command

10th January 1980

Episode 15

The Governor gets sick and has to stay in bed. Ed, his younger replacement takes advantage of the position and responsibilities of Governor too far. Ed tries to become the permanent replacement for the Governor. Benson catches this and tries to stop it.

Bugging the Governor

24th January 1980

Episode 16

Somebody bugged the mansion and Benson tries to find out who by trapping them inside. It turned out that Taylor's lover, who was inside the mansion before, dispensed all equipment in the building.

Kraus Affair

31st January 1980

Episode 17

Kraus falls for the Butcher, but she loses her self-confidence asking him out.

Checkmate

7th February 1980

Episode 18

An 11 year old Soviet is brought to the mansion for a professional chess tournament. While the boy is homesick and wanting to be out of the public's eye, he sees Katie who hides him in her room. All hell breaks loose when the Soviets can't find him and accuses the US staff of kidnapping him. The Soviets then threaten war if the boy is not returned.

Cold Storage

28th February 1980

Episode 19

Just before a very important banquet with guests, Benson and Kraus go in the old storage room to look for something and the door shuts on them. With minimal healthy air and a freezing temperature Benson and Kraus have to find themselves a way out. Benson risks it all when he starts a fire near an old heat duct and the mansion fills with smoke. That is the way the firemen tracked them.

Old Man Gatlin'

Episode 20

The Governor's loudmouth father comes to visit and wreaks havoc among the staff. Benson then gets so fed up with the arrogance and the idea of the father breathing down his son's back that he traps him in the kitchen. Benson supervises him until the Governor's speech is over.

Power Play

20th March 1980

Episode 21

A load of dead fish and sludge is delivered to the Mansion by a conservationist.

Takin' It to the Streets

27th March 1980

Episode 22

Wanting to know how the ""little people"" really feel about politics and their real needs, Governor Gatling and Benson visit a mangy bar to talk to the constituents but land in trouble when a man picks a fight with Gatling at the bar, not knowing who he is.

The Army Wants You

Episode 23

Benson, a war veteran suspicious when he is told to report for an ""evaluation."" It seems that on their record, Benson Dubois died in the Korean war, so treating Benson like some kind of a spy or something, the Fed's watch and follow his every move. Even the staff is trying to link spydom with his work habits.

Marcy's Vacation

Episode 24

Marcy is going on vacation and she gets worried that Lorraine, her replacement may do a better job than she does and get dismissed for good.

Top Cast

Robert Guillaume•James Noble•Inga Swenson

A butler deals with life at the governor's mansion.

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Full Cast

Robert Guillaume Image

Robert Guillaume

Benson DuBois

James Noble Image

James Noble

Governor Eugene Xavier Gatling

Inga Swenson Image

Inga Swenson

Gretchen Kraus

Missy Gold Image

Missy Gold

Katie Gatling

René Auberjonois Image

René Auberjonois

Clayton Endicott III

Billie Bird Image

Billie Bird

Rose Cassidy

Full Crew

Paul Junger Witt Image

Paul Junger Witt

Producer

Tony Thomas

Producer

Edward Stephenson

Production Design

George Aliceson Tipton Image

George Aliceson Tipton

Original Music Composer

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