Dick and Joanna Loudon purchase the Stratford Inn, a remnant of colonial times in scenic Vermont. Their caretaker, George Utley, and his family have tended the inn for decades. Dick hires a maid, Leslie, and meets their next-door neighbor (and habitual liar) Kirk. The inn opens for business amid myriad start-up problems.
Dick and Joanna learn that there's a body buried in the basement. The Loudons try to get the body moved to the church cemetery, only to find that she was a witch.
Dick gets his hopes up after two city officials suggest he run for town council.
Joanna falls through the ice at the annual River Day festival. Dick is on the outs when Joanna blames him for everything bad that happens in her life.
Dick and the gang pitch in to help Kirk get the Minuteman up to code after its shut down.
Dick spirals into a profound depression after the Stratford is denied in its bid to be classified an historic landmark.
Leslie's high school sweetheart returns from far off places to ask for her hand in marriage, to Kirk's obvious displeasure.
Dick praises an aspiring writer's work to avoid hurting her feelings. The writer's enthusiastic husband quits his job to allow his wife to write full time. It's up to Dick to secure her an agent and teach her to write, all before their savings runs out in a month and a half.
The inn is swamped when 24 guests are snowed in on Christmas Eve. While Kirk tries to keep the guests entertained, Dick tries to find room for a traveller named Joseph and his pregnant wife.
A U.S. Senator's wife checks into the inn and holds a press conference to announce she's divorcing her inattentive husband.
Dick jeopardizes Leslie's lifelong dream of becoming a world-class skier when he accidentally falls on her.
George's old flame visits the inn. Both are disappointed when the other isn't as they remember.
Dick and Joanna cant wait for their 'fun' friends to visit, but soon become perturbed after their friends treat the Loudons not as friends, but innkeepers.
Leslie's attractive cousin Stephanie visits Vermont to settle her emotions as she nears her wedding day. Stephanie soon finds herself lusting after Kirk.
Washed-up comic Manny Silver visits the Stratford, reminding Dick of the 'debt' he owes Manny for starting his writing career. Manny shames Dick into letting him perform in the inn, over Joanna's strenuous objections.
Kirk goes into the hospital for surgery to remove a foreign object from his nose, leaving Larry, Darryl and a very svelte Darryl in charge of the cafe. Dick and Joanna, about to go to New York for a writer's conference have to bail out the boys when an unexpected crowd turns up at the cafe.
Dick, Kirk, and George go to Boston to use their bench passes for a Celtics game. Dick loses his pass. Meanwhile, Leslie and Joanna wait at the inn for incoming guest, Daniel J. Travanti.
When Kirk's cafe is robbed, his history of deception comes back to haunt him as the insurance investigator refuses to believe his story.
George is the town laughingstock when he claims to have spied an UFO.
Dick inadvertently insults Joanna, calling her a homebody. Joanna takes a job with a travel agency in an attempt to assert herself.
Kirk's grandmother visits on the same night he finally gets a date with Leslie.
Dick loves being 'just one of the guys' when Chester and Jim invite him to join their golf foursome. Dick is distressed to find that their gambling habit and lousy golfing abilities make him the big winner. Dick tries to figure out a way to give the money back without breaking 'the guy code'.
Dick travels to New York to interview famous starlet Erica Chase for a potential biography. Joanna hires Stephanie to be the new maid over her parents objections.
Man-hungry Erica Chase literally chases Dick across her hotel suite to try to bed him. Stephanie's overbearing father flies to Vermont to convince her to come back home with him.
George finds a stray dog, 'Lucky'. Stephanie's husband drops by to find out why she left him.
Joanna creates a stir at a potluck dinner by breaking a long-standing tradition whereby men eat in the dining room, women in the kitchen.
Joanna convinces Dick to use a play he'd written years before in a local production. Friction develops when Dick casts her, not in the role of 'Joanna', but rather 'Joanna's Mother'.
Joanna is swamped when Dick volunteers her to serve Thanksgiving dinner for over 100 people, including her parents. George is upset when his Thanksgiving parade is ruined by rain.
Stephanie stumbles onto Larry, Darryl and Darryl's home when she's lost in a winter snowstorm.
With a deadline looming, Dick can't get any work done on his latest book due to constant interruptions. Kirk wants to build a miniature golf course, George is worried about retirement, and the Stratford plays host to a guest who just wont leave.
Kirk helms a singles club in the hopes of finding the perfect girlfriend.
Kirk thinks he's met the girl of his dreams, but isn't sure how he feels when he discovers she's a clown.
Stephanie and Joanna attend a poetry reading at Dartmouth where a professor has a special interest in Joanna. Dick unleashes his 'Irish temper' when said professor makes a pass at Joanna.
Stephanie's old boyfriend stays at the inn with his new wife, Stephanie's old best friend Tish Ellison. The sparks fly when Steph and Tish get reacquainted. Kirk throws a dinner party for Dick, Joanna, Cindy and himself.
George becomes a volunteer fireman, determined to shed his image as the town boob. George loses the keys to the fire truck just as the town's first fire in five years erupts.
After guesting on a literary discussion television program, Dick is tabbed to be its new host. Dick's first program gets off to a bad start when he's scheduled guest doesn't show up, and the fill-in, Col. Lloyd Mennenger, is a little off-kilter.
Kirk relies on Dick and George to decide whether he should propose to Cindy.
Kirk is up in arms when a fast food franchise announces plans to build a restaurant in the town.
Kirk's can't wait for his wedding to Cindy, until the wedding actually starts and Kirk faints during the ceremony. .
Kirk's grandmother visits, loaning her car to Kirk and Cindy for their honeymoon. Kirk realizes there's trouble when he's arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle.
Dick is dumbfounded when George's club, the Beavers, reject him for membership. Kirk and Cindy have their first fight. A man with an imaginary wife stays at the inn.
Dick gets his own television program 'Vermont Today'. Originally scheduled to interview the president of the university of Vermont, Dick instead hosts a competition for the world's smallest horse. Stephanie meets Michael Harris, the man of her dreams.
Stephanie is disappointed when she has to watch the inn instead of participating in the Maple Syrup beauty contest, so she quickly crafts a disguise and goes as Miss Inez Velasco, leaving the inn in the hands of a guest.
Dick and Joanna plan a birthday party for George after he reveals he's never had one. Dick calls everyone he can think of, but no one can make it. In desperation, Dick calls up George's old army buddies.
Dick and Joanna return from vacation to find Kirk and Cindy have moved away and Kirk has asked Dick to sell the cafe. Michael teaches Dick the only way he'll be able to sell the rundown cafe is by stretching the truth.
Joanna has a date, set 20 years earlier, with a former beau in New York. A jealous Dick tags along. An awful trumpet player serenades the inn while he prepares for an audition.
Dick, George, Chester, Jim & Michael go duck hunting on the opening day of hunting season to film a television special. They're all stranded when Michael forgets to tie off the boat. With death eminent, they all discuss their regrets in life, including Dick's admission that he always wanted to play Prof. Henry Hill in 'The Music Man'.
Larry misinterprets a comment by Stephanie and makes her the object of his undying love.
Dick's jokes at a Beaver Lodge roast for George are a hit with everyone except the guest of honor, spurring George to consider leaving the inn. Stephanie sells cosmetic kits.
Dick throws a fit and is sentenced for outstanding parking tickets on the day of a big Celtics game. Stephanie, who's never been punished for anything in her life, can't bring herself to tell Dick that she's the one who got the tickets.
After Michael is roped into hiring Stephanie as WPIV's receptionist, he can't bring himself to fire her. Meanwhile, Joanna hires Harley Estin as a temporary maid.
Dick is hounded by an obsessive fan who goes as far as moving into the inn and starting a Dick Loudon fan club.
Dick is dragged into court when a farmer claims Dick plagiarized his work.
George panics when his girlfriend starts talking marriage. Stephanie tries to pass the driver's test.
Dick and Joanna squabble over 'creative differences' when they collaborate on a book on pillows. Larry and the boys stay at the inn while their cabin is being fumigated.
George is a local hero after he saves two boys from drowning.
The Loudons feud with Larry and the Darryls after Dick alerts animal control to the brother's illegal, and annoying goat. Simply hilarious.
Dick and Joanna spar after Dick is 'riddled' with doubts when Joanna is set to appear on his Valentines Day Show.
Stephanie falls for a visiting television executive, forcing her to choose between him and Michael.
Stephanie returns home for a brief visit, but she's soon convinced to stay when she's overwhelmed with presents. Michael is astonished by Steph's transformation to a spoiled brat. Dick tries to beat Joanna's annoying knack for guessing exactly what her birthday present will be.
Joanna undertakes a massive project when she agrees to try to spruce up Larry, Darryl & Darryl and the Minuteman cafe.
After demanding extravagent perks, Michael is fired from WPIV. Bev replaces him with Dick. An unemployed Michael falls to pieces, and Dick is exasperated with his new job duties.
George is upset when Dick and Harley Estin try to remodel the garage so it looks like the carriage house it was originally built as several centuries ago. Joanna hosts a rummage sale.
Harley goes to jail after he is tricked into selling swamp grave plots. Michael, Dick and Joanna set up an "Abscam" to catch the real criminal.
Darryl runs off after he and his brother's win a contest for writing the best commerical jingle, netting them $30,000. Dick, Larry & the remaining Darryl search for the missing brother. Meanwhile, Joanna decorates the inn in Christmas decor for a Christmas card photo.
Dick and his crew have VITA fever when the local broadcasting awards, the VITAs, are scheduled to be announced. Dick, inspired by a puppet show put on by Larry and the boys for an ailing Stephanie, decides to jazz up his act to win a VITA nomination.
Dick fills in on a kiddie TV program for its ailing host, Pirate Pete. Dick is appalled at Pete's commercialism and inadvertantly gets the programs cancelled. Dick tries his hardest to get Pete reinstated. Meanwhile, George plays a practical joke on Stephanie, adjusting her scale up two pounds.
Michael and Steph break up when Michael realizes he's tired of Stephanie's demanding ways. Dick has difficulties with the WPIV staff when they're slow to direct his show.
Dick covers for Larry when he enrolls in night school and doesn't want the Darryls to know he's improving himself. Joanna obsesses when a travel guide lowers the inn's rating.
A lonely Joanna becomes best friends with Stephanie who insists on a group vacation to lovely Morocco.
Larry runs for Mayor.
Stephanie's father visits the inn with the news that he's left his wife. The town celebrates Colonial Days, an authentic recreation of colonial times.
When Dick's old college jazz band reunites at the inn, he finds that expectations often excede reality.
Stephanie and Joanna open an aerobics club. Problems present themselves when Stephanie appoints herself as the manager and relegates Joanna to custodial duties.
Joanna and Steph are furious with Michael after they peek at his diary and find out what he really thinks of them.
Dick convinces George to quit the Beaver Lodge after the Beavers cheat George out of a prize rightfully his. George starts up a rival lodge to get back at the Beavers.
George joins a Big Brother program and is dismayed when his young protege Mitch is awestruck by Dick's fast paced lifestyle. Michael and Stephanie use a Oujia board.
Michael begins shirking his duties and risks his job when he tries to find a talent to impress his mother.
Larry dedicates his life to Dick when he believes Dick brought him back from the dead.
Stephanie must care for the hotel staff and guests when a measels epidemic sweeps the inn.
The Loudons are spooked when the ghost of Sarah Newton (episode #2) returns to haunt the inn.
Joanna and a decidedly unenthusiastic Dick decide to renew their wedding vows to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
The town panics when it appears the annual Snow Carnival will be cancelled due to a lack of snow. Larry, Darryl & Darryl request $2,000 to make it snow.
Dick is thrilled when a production company expresses interest in making 'How to be a Plumber' into a video. His elation quickly dissipates when the producers decide to recast 'Dick Loudon' because of Dick's shifty eyes and stammer.
George meets his only living relative, Cousin Eugene.
On a lark, Dick submits his newest book to his publisher under the pseudonym he used when he first started writing, Dwight Schmidlapp, only to find it rejected. Dick sinks into a funk when he realizes he's 'coasting' in his writing career.
A jilted fiancee staying at the inn gets a job at the Minuteman cafe. She unwittingly encourages the affections of both Darryls but rejects them for the more vocal Larry. George organizes a citywide campaign when Michael pulls Barnaby Jones off the air in favor of The Secret Lives of Platinum Gold Dancers.
George worries that a new girlfriend, actress Loretta Dupris is only dating him to make use of his handyman skills. TV Producer J.J. buys a Victorian mansion and plans to bulldoze it to erect a space needle.
Secretary Alma amazes Dick, which she fills in as producer.
The Loudons, George, Steph and Michael are invited to Vanderkellen mansion for Arthur's birthday. Art insists Michael sign a pre-nuptial agreement that he refuses to do. Stephanie fears Michael's only dating her for her money. Dick worries when he breaks a music box given to Arthur by Winston Churchill.
Dick is stuck with a perky, brainless co-hostess for his new program 'On the Town'. Meanwhile, Larry and the Darryls name their new pig 'Miss Stephanie' much to the real Stephanie's dismay.
Stephanie has her hands full when she temporarily leads a group of 'Ranger Girls'. While Steph tries to teach them about coming-out parties and makeup, the girls want to learn survival techniques. Meanwhile, Dick and Joanna endure George's wood carving, Mount Stratford.
Dick heads west to pursue his dream of being a cowboy.
Dick endures the townspeople's pity when Joanna and new friend Hal are suspected by everyone of having an affair.
Michael becomes enamored with temporary office secretary Susan.
Michael struggles with his desire for Susan, versus his passion for Stephanie.
A new friend threatens Larry's position as family leader.
The Newhart family travels to Vanderkellen mansion for Thanksgiving, but is forced to leave prematurely when Stephanie finds her parents threw away her favorite toy.
Dick convinces a reluctant George to live a little and spend some of his $50,000 fortune. Meanwhile the town believes Dick to be destitute after a check bounces due to a bank error.
Dick and Joanna have an opportunity to shed their 'town newcomer' status when Dick's asked to run a fundraiser for the local library. Dick, the former advertising executive, finds it a hard pill to swallow when his idea is rejected and Joanna's is unanimously applauded.
Stephanie worries she might lose her job after she breaks a toe and her temporary replacement is 'better than Mary Poppins'.
Dick and George attend a literary party in New York. Dick worries that George won't fit in with the high class partygoers and is stunned and jealous when George is the life of the party.
Michael helps Larry court the girl of his dreams. Joanna holds Dick responsible for his actions in her dream.
Dick's old college sweetheart visits the inn for a weekend of skiing, leaving Joanna worried that Dick may want to rekindle an old flame.
Cousin Ned Vanderkellen's 100th birthday party goes smoothly... until Cousin Ned drops dead.
George sets out to repair the town's cracked bell tower, even after the town votes him down. Michael rents The Wizard of Oz to overcome his fear of wind.
Dick tries to help Joanna overcome her fear of eye doctors. George feels slighted by Stephanie after she blows him off in favor of shopping.
Larry, Darryl & Darryl ask Dick to represent them after they're arrested for kidnapping a neighbor's cow.
Dick gains an unwanted reputation as an acerbic wit after verbally assaulting an inept guest.
Dick and Joanna find that spontaneity isn't all its cracked up to be after Dick's spontaneous plans land them in a fleabag motel for the worst night of their lives.
Dick tries to find someplace to sleep after Joanna throws him out.
Michael interviews for a network job. George finds a 'Duck Rock'.
Dick enrolls in a typing class, only to find that the teacher, Mr. Brooney, is the same tyrant he had for a sixth-grade teacher.
Michael is lost when Stephanie goes away for the weekend. Desperate, he goes to a Beaver Lodge dinner with George and is the life of the party.
Joanna has trouble dumping a 16-year-old boy with a crush on her. George searches for a nickname.
Larry is ousted as leader after he discovers that Darryl is actually the oldest of the three.
Dick and Joanna love the fun-loving couple staying at the Stratford...until they announce they're opening a posh new inn down the street.
George reunites with an old high school flame.
Michael steals an idea for a new program from a student in his television production class.
Stephanie panics when she discovers she's no longer 'blossoming'. It takes Larry, Darryl, and Darryl's sage advice to break her depression. George buys blue jeans.
Michael seeks to create an Orson Welles-style panic when he programs The War of the Worlds on Halloween night. Dick desperately tries to control the panicked guests at the inn's costume party.
Michael and Stephanie realize their relationship might be growing cold.
Michael and Stephanie plan their wedding.
Dick hosts a 48-hour telethon when WPIV is about to go under.
Joanna delivers Dick's unfunny speech when she's picked to give historical presentations to tour groups. George babysits the Darryls while Larry vacations.
Dick encourages Officer Shifflet to go on strike after the town refuses to give him a raise.
Larry, Darryl & Darryls announce their plans to adopt a child. Little do they suspect their 'child' will be 18-years-old.
Dick's former co-host Buffy Denver visits the inn and strikes up a friendship with Stephanie after discovering they have so much in common.
Dick has a showdown with television critic Curtis Bilgray after Bilgray writes several negative reviews of 'Vermont Today'. Larry and the Darryls become cult figures after finding a pancake with Paul Anka's face on it.
George decides to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a used car salesman.
Dick becomes the town pariah after he inadvertently kills the town's good-luck charm, The Great White Buck.
Dick is roped into co-hosting a home shopping show with Stephanie.
Michael is tempted by a television executive during a conference in New Orleans.
Dick gets a chance to work with his favorite illustrator, Corinne Denby, while George & Joanna eagerly await the Inn's 5,000th guest.
This unique episode goes inside several characters' dreams. Dick dreams all his troubles have disappeared; the wicked Joanna torments Stephanie; Michael runs three major networks; and Larry guest hosts the Tonight Show.
Michael changes his entire outlook on life when he starts producing the news. George gives up on the Red Sox.
Dick's on the outs with Joanna when he's accepted into the town glee club and she's not.
Joanna sets George up on a blind date. Everything goes great until George runs into his date's jealous ex-boyfriend.
Dick becomes the focus of the town's ire after a prisoner breaks out of jail using one of Dick's how-to manuals.
Michael revs up the stale Ye Olde Apple Days festival, leaving George and his traditional activites in the cold..until George organizes a rival festival. Larry and his brothers stage a walk-a-thon when swampland is endangered.
Stephanie is horrified to discover that a blood transfusion following an emergency appendectomy came from Darryl.
Dick and Joanna visit a therapist after Joanna becomes concerned that their marriage is stagnating. Stephanie is worried after discovering that Michael had large ears as a child.
Stephanie is attracted to the virile young stomemason working at the Inn.
Dick's father visits the inn and, to Dick's consternation, resists all Dick's efforts to entertain him.
Dick's patience is tried when he's elected foreman of a jury of the townspeople, who as always use their peculiar intellect to irk Dick.
Joanna lands a job selling real estate. Her first sale hits a snag when her low-class clients, the Hollidays, stay at the inn while looking for a home.
Michael goes job hunting after he's axed by WPIV.
The Inn's old maid, Madelyn Stone, returns after a 25 year absence to answer George's marriage proposal. Stephanie competes with Madelyn.
Dick fills in for Michael and takes Stephanie to a high society charity ball. Dick is the life of the party after Stephanie tells everyone that Dick owns a large hotel chain.
Michael goes into debt after spending lavishly on Annual Cupcake Day.
Michael & Joanna endure a torturous evening at Larry, Darryl & Darryl's house. Dick gives a commencement speech at an exclusive school.
Dick is picked to be the sidekick for a new late night talk show hosted by an abrasive man who has it in for Dick.
Wealthy socialite Scooter Drake drops by Vermont looking to purchase an inn. While Joanna shows Scooter around, Michael begins a new career as a mime.
While visiting Michael in a sanitarium (he's vacationing), Dick runs into illustrator Corinne Denby and invites her to collaborate with him on his next book...despite her habit of burning things.
Stephanie goes on a shopping spree while she tries to forget Michael. Meanwhile Dr. Kaiser realizes she has developed an attraction for Michael (who's been released from the sanitarium).
Michael becomes a last minute guest on Vermont Today and emerges a town favorite. The dimwitted locals hang on his every word.
Joanna gets her own realty television show providing a great lead-in for Vermont Today. Dick loves the big ratings but can't stand Joanna's amorous co-host. Meanwhile, one of the Darryls' receives a manservant as a present.
George's Aunt Bess visits, shattering several of his childhood beliefs when he finds she wasn't the sweet lady he remembers. Dick and one of the Darryls play chess.
The townspeople accuse Dick or murdering Joanna after her "disappearance" strangely fits the scenario of his first murder-mystery novel, "Murder at the Stratley".
Michael and Stephanie conduct personal interviews at the mall and realize that they're perfect together after all.
Michael and a pregnant Stephanie return from a six-month cruise totally unprepared for parenthood.
Dick accidentally burns down Maison Hubert while enjoying an after-dinner cigar. The Loudon's take in Hubert while he recuperates. Hubert vows he will "get Monsieur Loudon".
Dick is chosen to judge the annual Poetry and Pastry contest. Miss Goddard, the reigning champion, uses her feminine wiles to try to influence the judging. Michael throws an all-male baby shower.
An episode of Vermont Today on 'Hidden Shame' nets a surprise guest when George admits to a childish prank.
Michael quits his job at Menkey's grocery to become a lounge singer.
Stephanie's mother offers to buy the newlyweds a mansion, but only if Michael changes his last name to Vanderkellen.
A cash-strapped visiting dignitary makes Dick a royal Lord. After hearing of his good fortune, the townspeople's opinion of Dick jumps up a notch.
Stephanie is sent to jail after she slaps a security guard in a fit of prenatal hormones.
Joanna's Aunt Louise visits bearing gifts, despite her long-standing opinion that Joanna is much too good for Dick.
George meets the perfect girl, except for her large rear end. Michael and Stephanie consult with a baby naming guru.
George plans on never sleeping again when he's plagued by a recurring nightmare. Michael & Stephanie use 'wombphones' to educate their future child.
It's baby time for the Harris' as Steph's baby is about to be born. Michael is determined to capture the birth on tape over Stephanie's objections.
Joanna takes an odd man to several houses to try to convince him to buy one, but he just can't seem to commit. Joanna visits his home and walks in to find a shrine dedicated to her.
When an overbearing new neighbor moves next door, Dick finds his polite veneer mistaken for friendship. The townsfolk, who all assume Dick is their best friend, are in an uproar when they hear that Dick and Sam are 'best friends'.
Stephanie's parents buy WPIV for baby Stephanie. Dick refuses to pander to the child, forcing baby Steph to cancel Vermont Today in the middle of an interview with George McGovern.
Michael announces plans to spice up WPIV's lineup with a new sitcom, Seein' Double starring Stephanie as identical twins Judy and Jody, with Dick as their crotchety widowed father.
Dick is roped into joining George's old gang, 'The Houligans', when they reunited after 40 years. Dick leads them into a rumble against their long-time rivals, 'The Ruffians'.
After another shopping spree for baby Steph, Dick teaches Michael that materialism isn't the best way to raise a child. A skeptical Michael becomes convinced after a haunting dream depicts a possible future. Julia Duffy plays grown-up baby Steph.
George falls under the influence of five priests vacationing at the inn. After George announces his intention to join the priesthood, Miss Goddard tries her hardest to change his mind.
George is the toast of the town when he events a hot new board game, "Handymania".
Dick finagles his way into a weekly poker game with Tim Conway. Unaware of Tim's cheap nature, Dick drives him away after raising a quarter.
Michael comes up with the perfect lead-in to Vermont Today, the 'Giddy Goose' show. He casts his favorite dinner theater actor as Giddy, only to discover the man's also his father.
Society bluebloods Scooter Drake and his new wife Libby drop by with a child of their own, apparently superior to baby Steph in every way. Michael and Stephanie decide to divorce due to Michael's peasant heritage.
In the midst of a town meeting, a Japanese visitor announces his intentions to purchase the entire town and turn the land into a gigantic golf course. Everyone but Dick is thrilled and sells out.
Remarks from Newhart, Duffy, Pharren, and actors William Sanderson and John Voldstad. “Heart” goes over Newhart’s decision to return to series TV and some inspirations for Newhart, other details about the show’s setting and characters, the cast and performances, and they pay moving tribute to the late Tom Poston and Mary Frann.
