Brief episode guide for Alice

Cast (listed on the opening sequence):
Alice Hyatt: Linda Lavin
Tommy Hyatt: Philip McKeon
Mel Sharples: Vic Tayback
Vera Louise Gorman Novak: Beth Howland
Florence Jean Castleberry: Polly Holliday (seasons 1-4)
Belle Dupree: Diane Ladd (seasons 4-5)
Jolene Hunnicutt: Celia Weston (seasons 5-9)
Elliot Novak: Charles Levin (season 9)

Season 1 (1976-1977):

Pilot
A determined suitor tells Alice he is a theatrical agent.

"Alice Gets a Pass"
Alice falls for an ex-football player, now an actor.

"Mel's Happy Burger"
Alice is asked to star in a TV commercial for the diner.

"A Call to Arms"
Obscene phone calls frighten Alice into getting a gun.

"Vera's Mortician"
Alice suspects Vera's new beau may be a married man.

"Pay the Fifty Dollars"
Nightclub singer Alice is arrested for soliciting.

"The Last Review"
Temporary boss Alice asks a food critic to sample the chili.

"Sex Education"
Alice prepares to tell Tommy the facts of life.

"Big Daddy Dawson's Coming"
Flo tries to rekindle the flame with her first husband.

"Good Night Sweet Vera"
Heartbroken Vera decides to overdose on sleeping pills.

"The Dilemma"
An old boyfriend of Alice's arrives and proposes.

"Who Killed Bugs Bunny?"
Alice forbids Tommy to go on a camp-out featuring hunting.

"Mother-in-Law"
Alice's mother-in-law comes for a visit. Part 1 of 2.

"Mother-in-Law"
Alice's mother-in-law intends to move in. Part 2 of 2.

"Mel's in Love"
Alice tries to comfort twice-jilted Mel.

"The Accident"
Flo borrows Mel's treasured car and has an accident.

"The Failure"
Alice finds a holdup note on the diner floor.

"The Hex"
A charlatan Gypsy (Kaye Ballard) puts a curse on Alice.

"The Pain of No Return"
Alice is told she owes the government $2000 in back taxes.

"The Odd Couple"
Flo, homeless after her trailer is stolen, rooms with Alice.

"A Night to Remember"
Alice and Flo play Cupid for lonely Vera.

"Mel's Cup"
Alice unknowingly donates Mel's cherished cup to charity.

"The Bundle"
Flo finds $40,000 in a paper bag under one of the chairs.

"A Piece of the Rock"
Alice sets off to meet her spouse's insurance beneficiary.

Season 2 (1977-1978):

"The Pharmacist"
A man threatens suicide if the president does not call back.

"Earthquake"
The diner staff and customers await a predicted earthquake.

"The Reporter"
A Washington reporter tries to wait unseen in the diner.

"The Bus"
A busload of passengers becomes stranded at the diner.

"The Second Time 'Round"
Alice serves a flasher; Flo learns she is still married.

"Sixty Minutes Man"
Alice realizes a diner regular is a long-missing mobster.

"The Indian Taker"
An Indian says the diner is on ancestral burial ground.

"86 the Waitresses"
Mel hires a male waiter at a higher rate of pay.

"Alice by Moonlight"
Alice loses sleep while moonlighting as a singer.

"Single Belles"
The waitresses all meet the same ``Mr. Wonderful.''

"That Old Back Magic"
Injured Mel moves in with Alice for two weeks.

"Love Is Sweeping the Counter"
Alice finds herself between disgruntled lovers Flo and Mel.

"The Eyes of Texas"
Flo's new glasses spark suggestions she try contact lenses.

"A Semi-Merry Christmas"
A Christmas trip in a tractor trailer runs into trouble.

"Oh, George Burns!"
Vera thinks visitor George Burns (as himself) is God.

"Love Is a Free Throw"
Tommy's high-school basketball hero falls for Alice.

"Close Encounters of the Worst Kind"
Alice's amateur psychology causes trouble among her friends.

"Love Me, Love My Horse"
Flo's rodeo-rider brother falls madly in love with Alice.

"Mel's Big Five-O"
The gang throws a surprise 50th-birthday party for Mel.

"Florence of Arabia"
A Middle Eastern oil baron sweeps Flo off her feet.

"The Cuban Connection"
A woman becomes convinced her husband is dating Alice.

"Don't Lock Now"
Mel and the waitresses become locked in the storeroom.

"Star in the Storeroom"
Flo calls her old baby-sitting charge, singer Jerry Reed.

"Mel's Recession"
Mel announces he must fire one of his waitresses.

Season 3 (1978-1979):

"Car Wars"
Mel gets a better offer after the waitresses buy his car.

"Better Never Than Late"
A robber arrives after Alice takes over for sleeping Mel.

"Take Him, He's Yours"
Frustrated Alice decides to let Mel take Tommy for a while.

"Block Those Kicks"
The waitresses and Mel all decide to give up bad habits.

"The Principal of the Thing"
Alice dates Tommy's handsome school principal.

"What Happened to the Class of '78?"
Dating interferes with Flo's night-school studies.

"Citizen Mel"
Witness Mel thinks the released criminal is after him.

"Vera's Popcorn Romance"
The gang tries to meet Vera's new boyfriend.

"Mel's in a Family Way"
Mel becomes overly attached to Alice and Tommy.

"Who Ordered the Hot Turkey?"
Mel's Thanksgiving dinner for orphans runs into problems.

"A Slight Case of ESP"
Vera seems to be able to predict the future.

"The Happy Hoofers"
Alice takes a second job to pay for college for Tommy.

"Sweet Charity"
Tickets to a charity ball cause rifts among the waitresses.

"Vera's Broken Heart"
Vera becomes depressed after Brian claims he loves another.

"The Fourth Time Around"
Flo's old flame, Mel's brother, returns after a divorce.

"Tommy's First Love"
Alice and Tommy clash over his new girlfriend.

"Alice's Decision"
Alice gets a chance to tour with a singing group.

"Mel Grows Up"
Mel is unable to confront his domineering mother.

"What're You Doing New Year's Eve?"
Flo finds herself running the diner alone on New Year's Eve.

"If the Shoe Fits"
Alice falls for a 25-year-old off-Broadway director.

"The Last Stow It"
Mel sells the diner to an elegant snob. Part 1 of 2.

"The Last Stow It"
Alice assumes an old disguise to get the diner back. Part 2 of 2.

"My Fair Vera"
Vera is called to appear in a supermarket's TV commercial.

"Flo Finds Her Father"
Flo's long-lost father returns after 30 years.

Season 4 (1979-1980):

"Mel Loves Marie"
Mel and Marie have an on-and-off engagement.

"Mona Lisa Alice"
Mel orders smiles all around; Alice quarrels with her beau.

"Vera Robs the Cradle"
Rejected Tommy becomes infatuated with Vera.

"Flo's Chili Reception"
Mel thinks a rival is dating Flo to get a chili recipe.

"Cabin Fever"
The waitresses, Mel and Marie wind up together in a cabin.

"Has Anyone Here Seen Telly?"
No one believes Vera met Telly Savalas.

"Little Alice Bluenose"
Alice discovers her boyfriend is a nude model.

"Mel's in the Kitchen With Dinah"
Mel cooks his chili on Dinah Shore's show.

"Alice in TV Land"
Tommy's appearance on a talk show raises controversy.

"Carrie Sharples Strikes Again"
Carrie takes over the diner when Mel injures his back.

"Carrie's Wedding"
Carrie announces her upcoming wedding to a younger man.

"My Cousin, Art Carney"
Vera asks a relative, Art Carney, to promote Mel's chili.

"Good Buddy Flo"
Flo wants to learn to drive a truck to impress a new man.

"Auld Acquaintances Should Be Forgot"
Mel's old buddy arrives after separating from his wife.

"Mel, the Magi"
Everyone sacrifices to buy each other Christmas gifts.

"Alice Beats the Clock"
A time clock causes labor problems in the diner.

"My Funny Valentine Tux"
Tommy needs a tuxedo for a Saint Valentine's Day party.

"Flo's Farewell"
Flo receives a lucrative offer to work in Dallas.

"For Whom the Belle Toils"
Mel's old waitress, an aspiring songwriter, visits.

"One Too Many Girls"
Belle's suggestions irritate her co-workers.

"Vera, the Vamp"
Vera wants Belle to teach her how to be attractive to men.

"Profit Without Honor"
Alice proposes profit-sharing as part of a new contract.

"Cook's Tour"
Mel leads on a woman tour-guide to get her bus's business.

"Here Comes Alice Cottontail"
Alice bets she won't check on Tommy while he is at Mel's.

Season 5 (1980-1981):

"Mel and the Green Machine"
An automatic teller machine spews $24,675 at hapless Mel.

"Dog Day Evening"
The staff is trapped in the diner with two guard dogs.

"Hello Vegas, Goodbye Diner"
Mel risks it all during a trip to Las Vegas. Part 1 of 2.

"Too Many Robert Goulets"
Alice impersonates Robert Goulet to save the diner. Part 2 of 2.
 
"Vera's Aunt Agatha"
Vera announces she is leaving with her free-spirited aunt.

"Tommy's T.K.O."
Mel's advice on handling a bully gets Tommy suspended.

"The New Improved Mel"
A friend's death makes Mel try to improve his attitude.

"Carrie Sings the Blues"
Carrie comes to the diner after arguing with her husband.
 
"Henry's Bitter Half"
Upset Henry tells his wife he's having an affair with Alice.
 
"Alice Locks Belle Out"
Alice dons her gangster disguise to save locked-out Belle.
 
"Vera Goes Out on a Limb"
Vera chains herself to a tree scheduled to be cut down.

"Alice's Son the Drop-Out"
Tommy's night job begins to affect his schoolwork.
 
"Bye Bye Birdie"
Mel's yell makes Vera's parrot drop dead.
 
"The Jerry Reed Fish Story"
The waitresses turn Jerry Reed's prize fish into fillets.

"Carrie Chickens Out"
Carrie plans to cook at the diner during an extended visit.

"Macho, Macho Mel"
A little old lady (Florence Halop) mugs Mel in the alley.
 
"The Great Escape"
A loud argument brings a new waitress to the diner.

"Alice Strikes Up the Band"
Alice is a singing sensation at a restaurateur's convention.

"Who's Kissing the Great Chef of Phoenix?"
Mel kisses Vera to make girlfriend Marie jealous.
 
"Baby Makes Five"
Vera finds an abandoned baby in the laundromat.

"Vera and the Bouncing Check"
Vera's old high-school classmate passes a bad check.

"Mel's Cousin, Wendell"
Mel gives his shy cousin advice for a date with Vera.

Season 6 (1981-1982):

"The Wild One"
A rough motorcyclist (Jay Leno) takes a liking to Alice.

"Bet a Million Mel"
The waitresses try to prevent Mel from making a $10,000 bet.

"Alice's Big Four-Oh!"
A visit from her mother upsets Alice on her 40th birthday.

"Alice's Halloween Surprise"
Alice thinks she has lost her new beau's son on Halloween.

"After Mel's Gone"
Conflict results when Mel announces the terms of his will.
 
"Comrade Mel"
The Soviet ballet's towel boy defects in the diner.

"Guiness on Tap"
Vera tries to break a tap-dancing endurance record.
 
"Monty Falls for Alice"
A jilted man (George Wendt) falls for Alice.

"Alice Calls the Shots"
Alice bans Tommy from basketball after his grades slip.

"Alice and the Acorns"
Alice's shy high-school friend arrives for a '50s dance.
 
"Best Little Waitress in the World"
Mel leaves newly confident Vera in charge of the diner.

"Sharples vs. Sharples"
Carrie threatens to publish Mel's secret chili recipe.

"Not With My Niece, You Don't"
Tommy uses Mel's romantic advice on Mel's own niece.

"Mel's Christmas Carol"
Mel is visited by his partner's ghost on Christmas Eve.

"Vera, Queen of the Soaps"
Addicted Vera quits her job to watch soap operas.

"Jolene Hunnicutt, Dynamite Trucker"
Jolene decides to deliver a load for her weary ex-partner.

"Spell Mel's"
Mel increases a diner contest prize to $3000.

"Do You Take This Waitress?"
Mel passes off Jolene as his fiancee to impress an old pal.
 
"The Valentine's Day Massacre"
Everyone's Saint Valentine's Day plans undergo changes.

"Mel Wins by a Nose"
Mel considers having his nose changed.

"My Mother the Landlord"
Mel's new landlord, Carrie, announces a $50 rent increase.

"Give My Regrets to Broadway"
Alice's producer friend encourages Tommy to become an actor.

"The Secret of Mel's Diner"
The waitresses find money hidden by the diner's builder.

"Vera's Reunion Romance"
Vera falls in love at her high-school reunion.

Season 7 (1982-1983):

"Alice at the Palace"
Mel produces Alice's stage show. Part 1 of 2.

"Joel Grey Saves the Day"
The show flops without Joel Grey (as himself). Part 2 of 2.

"Tommy Fouls Out"
Alice asks Meadowlark Lemon (as himself) to help Tommy.

"Vera's Secret Lover"
Vera receives notes and gifts from a secret admirer.

"Sorry, Wrong Lips!"
Mel claims he gave a movie star her most thrilling kiss.

"Jolene's Brother Jonas"
Jolene's ex-con-man brother sells Mel a worm ranch.

"Mel's Dream Car"
Mel finally gets his dream Porsche for only $20.

"Carrie on the Rebound"
Depressed Carrie visits after getting a divorce.

"The Grass Is Always Greener"
Mel takes a new job and sells the diner to the waitresses.

"Alice's Turkey of a Thanksgiving"
Alice's mother descends on her for Thanksgiving.

"Tommy, the Jailbird"
Tommy is jailed after a new pal's pizza-parlor food fight.

"Vera on the Lam"
Vera flees when Mel announces everyone will be bonded.

"Tommy Hyatt, Business Consultant"
Tommy's computer graph shows Mel's impending bankruptcy.

"Vera the Virtuoso"
Vera studies the cello so she can play in a string quartet.

"Sweet Erasable Mel"
Mel decides to install a computer in the diner.

"Jolene Lets the Cat Out of the Bag"
Jolene uncovers her new neighbor's (Doug Sheehan) secret.

"Alice Sees the Light"
The diner overflows with the curious after Alice sees a UFO.

"Come Back Little Sharples"
Mel becomes depressed when Carrie demands grandchildren.

"Alice Faces the Music"
The waitresses face three plumbers on a TV game-show.

"Mel's Cousin Wendy?"
Mel's cousin goes under cover at Barney's Burger Barn.

"Jolene and the Night Watchman"
A muscle-bound watchman falls for Jolene.

"Vera, the Torch"
Vera is certain she is to blame for a fire.

Season 8 (1983-1984):

"Tommy Goes Overboard"
Mel's friend recruits Tommy for the Navy.

"Vera, the Horse Thief"
Vera decides to rescue a miniature horse from the circus.

"Alice's Blind Date"
Alice is reunited with a now-blind high-school friend.

"Jolene Gets Her Wings"
Jolene takes a weekend job as a flight attendant.

"It Had to Be Mel"
Mel falls in love with a singer (Florence Henderson).

"Mel Is Hogg-Tied"
Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke), Jolene's relative, visits.

"Dollars to Donuts"
Tommy catches gambling fever at the racetrack with Carrie.

"The Over-the-Hill Girls" 
Carrie is turned down for a singing job because of her age.

"Alice and the Devoted Dentist"
Mel's dentist (James Coco) falls in love with Alice.

"Vera Gets Engaged"
Vera agrees to marry a police officer. Part 1 of 2.

"Vera's Wedding"
Vera and Elliot's wedding is called off, then on again. Part 2 of 2.

"The Robot Wore Pink"
Mel replaces departed Alice with an efficient robot.

"Jolene Throws a Curve"
Jolene is afraid to pitch softball against her boyfriend.

"'Tis the Season to Be Jealous"
Undercover-Santa Elliot sees Vera kissing her ex-fiance.
 
"Vera's Fine Feathered Friends"
Everyone mistakes a bandaged woman for hospitalized Vera.

"Lies My Mother Told Me"
Guilty Carrie admits she lied about Mel's boyhood.

"Mel Spins His Wheels"
Mel learns a lesson in providing access for the disabled.

"My Dinner With Debbie"
A good cook (Linda Lavin) falls for big-eater Mel.

"Jolene Is Stuck on Mel"
A handsome TV performer (John McCook) proposes to Jolene.

"Alice's Hot Air Romance"
A hot-air balloonist (Jed Allan) challenges Alice to a ride.

"Don't Play It Again, Elliot"
A wedding-gift piano disrupts Elliot and Vera's marriage.

"Be It Ever So Crowded"
Vera and Elliot become landlords to a daffy minister.

Season 9 (1984-1985):

"Big Bad Mel"
Mel wants to tear down a nursery school for parking.

"Vera's Grounded Gumshoe"
Humiliated Elliot quits his job after wounding himself.

"Footloose Mel"
Mel unknowingly evicts a break-dancing group from the diner.

"Romancing Mr. Stone"
Vera and Jolene place a personal ad for Alice.

"The Night They Raided Debbie's"
Debbie (Linda Lavin) becomes Vera and Elliot's tenant.

"Houseful of Hunnicutts"
Jolene's entire family stays in her tiny apartment.

"Space Sharples"
Mel performs heroic deeds while dressed as Captain Galaxy.

"Tommy's Lost Weekend"
Tommy's drinking causes him to misplace Nick's sports car.

"Vera's Anniversary Blues"
Vera's anniversary plans do not turn out as expected.

"Undercover Mel"
Elliot asks Mel to help him catch cattle rustlers.

"Vera, the Nightbird"
Vera secretly works as a sexy DJ to earn extra money.

"Kiss the Grill Goodbye"
Mel is depressed when his regulars visit a hamburger joint.

"Alice Doesn't Work Here Anymore"
A country singer asks Alice to tour with him.  Part 1 of 2.

"Alice Doesn't Work Here Anymore"
Nick and a singer vie for Alice's affections.  Part 2 of 2.

"One on One"
Mel helps Jolene train for a pro-basketball tryout.

"Th-Th-Th-That's All, Folks!"
Mel announces he has sold the diner to a developer.