Phyllis
Phyllis

Phyllis (1975)

6.92 seasonsComedy

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.

📺 Seasons & Episodes

Season 124 episodes
Pilot

1. Pilot

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?

2. Bess, Is You a Woman Now?

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

3. Up for Grabs

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

4. Leaving Home

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

5. The First Day

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

6. Phyllis Takes Piano Lessons

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

7. Phyllis' Garage Sale

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

8. The First Date

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

9. All Together Now

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

10. Audrey Leaves Jonathan

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

11. Phyllis Opens Julie's Heart

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

So Lonely I Could Cry

12. So Lonely I Could Cry

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

13. Phyllis and the Little People

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

14. There's No Business Like No Business

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

15. Paging Dr. Lindstrom

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

16. The $17,623,419.53 Man

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

Honor Thy Mother Dexter

17. Honor Thy Mother Dexter

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

18. Phyllis in Love

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

Crazy Mama

19. Crazy Mama

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

20. A Man, a Woman, and Another Woman

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

Leo's Suicide

21. Leo's Suicide

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

Sonny Boy

22. Sonny Boy

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

Widows, Merry and Otherwise

23. Widows, Merry and Otherwise

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

The Triangle

24. The Triangle

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

Season 224 episodes
The New Job

1. The New Job

Julie had gotten married and closed the photo studio, so Phyllis was out of a job. She tries to find work unsuccessfully, until she is hired as an assistant to a crooked city supervisor. After he is fired the new supervisor is uncertain about hiring Phyllis at first, but reconsiders.

You're Not Getting Better, Just Older

2. You're Not Getting Better, Just Older

Phyllis' birthday is coming up and no one is throwing her a party or even cares. She then becomes depressed because she has no friends and calls old friend Mary Richards in Minneapolis. Mary flies to San Francisco thinking something is wrong, then is angry when she learns Phyllis just wanted her company for a birthday party.

Speech 1A

3. Speech 1A

Phyllis writes a big important Speech for Dan

Off the Bench

4. Off the Bench

Phyllis runs into Van Horn in the park once again, she feels sorry for him and tries to improve his image and make him a respectable human being -- unsuccessfully, of course.

Boss or Buddy, or Both, or Neither

5. Boss or Buddy, or Both, or Neither

Phyllis is upset when Dan doesn't pay any attention to her or appreciate her work, so she goes on strike.

Phyllis Cries Wolf

6. Phyllis Cries Wolf

Phyllis must deal with the fact that Bess has a new boyfriend...who is older...and is her professor at college.

Out of the Closet

7. Out of the Closet

Phyllis has a strange date who first announces his plans to marry her, but later reveals that he's actually gay.

The Wrong Box

8. The Wrong Box

Phyllis has Lars' body shipped from Minneapolis so he can be buried at her new home. When the box arrives, something is moving on the inside.

Phyllis and the Jumper

9. Phyllis and the Jumper

Dan's visiting friend is just wild about Phyllis.

Mother Dexter Cohabitates

10. Mother Dexter Cohabitates

Phyllis struggles with Sally's feelings about her boyfriend, Arthur Lanson. She decides to marry him, though.

Mother Dexter's Wedding

11. Mother Dexter's Wedding

Phyllis has taken care of all the arrangements for Sally's wedding; but there's one thing... she forgot to pick up the bride. Sally must find a way to get to the wedding on her own.

Bess Airs Her Views

12. Bess Airs Her Views

Bess and other students protest the firing of a teacher because she had posed nude for a photo years ago, the group of students get expelled for taking a group photo in the nude.

The Christmas Party

13. The Christmas Party

Leonard's side of the office decides to throw a Christmas party, but Dan makes Phyllis work to the very last minute.

Phyllis Runs the Office

14. Phyllis Runs the Office

Dan and Phyllis trade jobs for a day to see how the other one lives.

The Threat

15. The Threat

Leonard receives a death threat about his vote on a low-cost housing project and must wrestle with the fear.

Taking a Chance on Chance

16. Taking a Chance on Chance

Phyllis starts dating a compulsive gambler.

Leonard and the Bribe

17. Leonard and the Bribe

Leonard is offered a $100,000 bribe to cast a particular vote, but is unsure what to do.

Broken Hearted Bess

18. Broken Hearted Bess

Bess' boyfriend dumps her, so Phyllis takes her on a trip to cheer her up.

I Am Beautiful

19. I Am Beautiful

Harriet has always been the sarcastic co-worker of Phyllis, but Phyllis befriends her and tries tot make her more attractive to men, Leonard in particular.

Dan's Ex

20. Dan's Ex

Phyllis gets an idea to bring Dan and his soon to be-ex back together again because she thinks there is still love there. They, however, cannot stand each other.

Audrey's New Life

21. Audrey's New Life

Feeling useless, Audrey gets a job in an Antique store to Jonathan's dislike.

The Elopement

22. The Elopement

Bess and Dan's nephew Mark Valenti run off and elope and Phyllis must wrestle with the issue.

The Apartment

23. The Apartment

Mark and Bess move into a dirty, run-down apartment and Phyllis voices her concerns. Johnathan agrees to allow them to move into his house temporarily.

A Baby Makes Six

24. A Baby Makes Six

Feeling that he cannot support Bess with his struggling singing career, Mark leaves. Phyllis then runs after him, and tells him to return because Bess has a surprise -- she's pregnant.

Cast

Cloris Leachman

Cloris Leachman

Phyllis Lindstrom

Henry Jones

Henry Jones

Jonathan Dexter

Jane Rose

Jane Rose

Audrey Dexter

Lisa Gerritsen

Lisa Gerritsen

Bess Lindstrom

Judith Lowry

Judith Lowry

Mother Dexter

John Lawlor

John Lawlor

Leonard Marsh

Garn Stephens

Garn Stephens

Harriet Hastings

Carmine Caridi

Carmine Caridi

Dan Valenti

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