The Classic TV Archive - US Comedy Series
Lotsa Luck (1973-74)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by: John King, Robert Leszczak
references:
TV Guide, Writers Guild of America (wga) / Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com) / UCLA Film and Television Archive
Concept II Productions/ Persky-Denoff Production
for
NBC (Mondays 8:00pm EST)(fall 1973)
NBC (Fridays 8:00pm EST)(early 1974)
Created by Carl Reiner, Bill Persky & Sam Denoff
Produced by Bill Persky & Sam Denoff
based on the British London Weekend Television series "On The Buses"
US Situation Comedy series 1973-74 22 episodes x 30 min
(10Sep73-24May74)
Starring
Dom DeLuise as Stanley Belmont
Kathleen Freeman as Iris Belmont (Stanley's mother)
Wynn Irwin as Arthur Swann (husband)
Beverly Sanders as Olive Swann (wife)
Jack Knight as Bummy Pfitzer (neighbor, Bus Driver)
Premise:
Bachelor Stanley Belmont lives with his bossy mother, his sister Olive and
her unemployed husband Arthur all of who live off Stanley. Arthur is
perfectly content to live with Stanley and avoid finding a job. Bummy was
Stanley's friend and co-worker at the New York City bus company's lost-and-
found department.
Background:
Inspired by the British sitcom "On the Buses" (LWT) which ran for 75 episodes
from 1969-73 and led to 3 movies - all starred Reg Varney as Stan Butler
################## Lotsa Luck ################
############### season 1973-74 ##############
##############################################
NBC (Mondays 8:00pm EST)(fall 1973)
NBC (Fridays 8:00pm EST)(early 1974)
1.1 [--] Lotsa Luck: OLIVE'S PRESENT (not listed by wga)
10Sep73 NBC Mon
Guest Cast:
Ron Feinberg ........ Mr. Chorntoli BOB
Synopsis:
What to get Olive for her birthday?. When she gets her foot caught in the toilet
tank and breaks it, Stanley (Dom DeLuise) decides that a new toilet would be the
perfect gift. However, new toilets are pricey, and so Stanley buys one in a very
"off" color to save money. To save even more, he installs it himself, but it
simply doesn'twork right, so he must call a plumber anyway. [RL]
Comment:
If only the series could have maintained this quality. This episode is absent from
the recent "Lotsa Luck" DVD box set. Another episode is mistakenly given the title
"Olive's Present", but in error. [RL]
[--] THE FAMILY FLU (wga title) [verified -RL]
Unknown Airdate
THE FAMILY FLU - mislabeled on the box set as "Olive's Present"
Prod by Norman Barasch, Carroll Moore, Don Van Atta
Written by Bill Persky/Sam Denoff
Directed by Bill Persky
Guest stars
Beverly Carter ........ Sheila (the blonde)
Bella Bruck ........... Lady with the purse
Jimmy Martinez ........ Man with umbrella
Synopsis:
Stanley's mom and sister come down with the flu, and Stanley becomes their caretaker,
while Arthur's only concern is his next meal and who will make it. Upon their recovery,
Stanley treats Arthur, Ma and Olive to dinner and a movie to get them out of the house so
that he can be alone with a gorgeous blonde when he comes home from work. His plans goes
awry when he arrives home only to find that Arthur hasn't gone to the movies because now
HE has the flu, and Stanley can't be alone with the blonde afterall. [RL]
1.2 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE BARE FACTS
17Sep73 NBC Mon
Guest Cast:
Patricia Heide ........ Lenore
Synopsis:
Who woulfd wannt to have an affair with a slob like Arthur?
that's what Stanley is out to determine after becoming con-
vinced that his good-for-nothing brother-in-law is cheating
on his sister Olive. [JK]
1.3 [--] Lotsa Luck: TRIAL SEPARATION
24Sep73 NBC Mon
Synopsis:
On their anniversary, Olive and Arthur have a big fight. They decide upon a trial
separation and Arthur leaves, but has no hotelmoney so he comes back and stays on
the couch. When the couch is sent outto be repaired, Arthur winds up sleeping
with Stanley in his bed. [RL]
1.4 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE LIBRARIAN (wga title)/ aka STANLEY AND THE LIBRARIAN
01Oct73 NBC Mon
Guest Cast:
Jackie Joseph ....... librarian
Synopsis:
Has Mom got a girl for Stanley- a real knockout. The
question is,how far can a mere lost and found clerk get
with a cool cultered librarian (Jackie Joseph).
1.5 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE SUIT
08Oct73 NBC Mon
Guest Cast:
Roderick Cook ....... Montague
Synopsis:
Stan is elated when his leech of a bother-in-law agrees to
apply for a job. The problem is making the slob presentable enough for an interview. [JK]
1.6 [--] Lotsa Luck: MOM'S SECRET
15Oct73 NBC Mon
Guest Cast:
Harold Gould ......... Martin Wicker
Synopsis:
Even mothers can have romances, and Mom is no exception.
She's acting like a kid as she's courted by a classy gentle-man she met at a bingo game. [JK]
1.7 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE WINNING PURSE
19Oct73 NBC Special Friday Night Showing
Guest Cast
Martin Ashe ........... Fenney
Synopsis:
Staggering under a load of bills, Stan needs extra money fast.
Enter brother-in-law Arthur, with an uncanny ability to pick racetrack winners. [JK]
[--] 22Oct73 Pre-empted: Opryland USA
1.8 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE FAMILY PLOT
29Oct73 NBC Mon
Synopsis:
Even the dead are subjected to the urban ravages of New York.
The Belmonts' family cemetary plot is going to become an airport
runway and now a new place is needed for Pop. [JK]
1.9 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE SHRINK
05Nov73 NBC Mon
Guest Cast:
Elliott Reid ......... psychiatrist
Synopsis:
Behold the strange phenomeon of Stan being nice to his brother-in
-law! It's all due to a clever psychiatrist (Elliott Reid) who's
trying to end Stan's insomnia by curing his hatred of Arthur. [JK]
1.10 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE NEW STAN
12Nov73 NBC Mon
Guest Cast:
Nick Dennis .......... Mario
Sammy Shore .......... Tony
Cliff Pellow ......... Truck Driver
Synopsis:
Wanning sex appeal has middle-aged, balding Stan tryng to
solve his dilenmma and end the drought in his social life. [JK]
[--] 19Nov73 Pre-empted: "B.C. The First Thanksgiving"
1.11 [--] Lotsa Luck: ARTHUR'S INHERITANCE
26Nov73 NBC Mon
Synopsis:
After seven years of sponging, Stan's no-good brother-in-law
is coming into an inheritance. The question is, will he share
the loot with the rest of the family? [JK]
1.12 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE BELMONT CONNECTION
03Dec73 NBC Mon
Guest Cast
Mark Gordon ....... Lt. Milford
J.J.Berry ......... Gangster
Synopsis:
Stan might become a hero, if he can manage to stay alive. He's
been recruited by the police to help capture some criminals
using his lost-and-found department as a narcotics drop. [JK]
1.13 [--] Lotsa Luck: WILL YOU MARY ME?
10Dec73 NBC Mon
Guest Cast:
Pat Finley
Synopsis:
Old-fashioned Stan is trying desperately to fit into a modern
mold. His girl friend (Pat Finley) has refused his marriage pro-
posal-and suggested that they live together instead. [JK]
[--] 12-17-73 Pre-empted: "The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas"
[--] 12-24-73 Repeat of #1.6 "Mom's Secret"
[--] 12-31-73 Pre-empted: King Orange Bowl Parade
[--] 1-7-74 Repeat of "#1.5 The Suit"
------------------------------
Moves to Fridays 8:00 PM NBC
------------------------------
1.14 [--] Lotsa Luck: DO ME A FAVOR
11Jan74 NBC Fri
Guest Cast:
Alex Rocco .......... Rick
Barbara Brownell .... Lois
Richard Evans ....... Eddie
Synopsis:
The Belmonts have a glamorous visitor, a neighborhood boy who
moved to Hollywood and became a singing celebrity. He causes a
battle when he gives them free tickets to his concert-but not
enough for the whole family. [JK]
1.15 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE RICH WIDOW (wga title)
aka STAN AND THE WEALTHY WIDOW
18Jan74 NBC Fri
Guest Cast:
Ruth Buzzi
Synopsis:
A wealthy widow (Ruth Buzzi) who is trying to get her marriage-hungry hands on Stan. [JK]
1.16 [--] Lotsa Luck: THE TALENT SHOW
25Jan74 NBC Fri
Guest Cast:
Louisa Moritz ...... Renee
Danny Wells ........ Ernie Kaplan
Johnny Brown ....... Emcee
Synopsis:
Frantic competition spices up the company's annual talent show
as Stan and Bummy vie for the grand prize: a trip to Miami in
the company of a gorgeous girl. [JK]
1.17 [--] Lotsa Luck: A LITTLE ORDER OF LAW AND ORDER
01Feb74 NBC Fri
Synopsis:
The Belmont home is robbed, and Stanley takes action. Arthur wants Stan to get a
gun, but instead Stanley installs a burglar alarm that doesn't work well. Then
he gets a dog, and the dog is stolen. [RL]
1.18 [--] Lotsa Luck: YOU OUGHTA BE IN PICTURES
08Feb74 NBC Fri
Guest Cast:
Ronnie Schell ...... Director
Jerry Fogel ........ Buzz
Tim Herbert ........ Falco
Synopsis:
Auditions,diets and jittery nerves are in store for Stan as he tries
for the role of Driver Dan in a bus company television commerical. [JK]
1.19 [--] Lotsa Luck: STAN'S ASSISTANT
15Feb74 NBC Fri
Guest Cast:
Cliff Norton ....... Mullins
Stuart Nisbet ...... Heinecke
Synopsis:
Stanley's boss wants Stanley to hire an assistant for a few weeks in the lost and
found. Stanley brings in Arthur, who despite wrecking everything in sight, endears
himself to the boss. Stanley is fired and Arthur becomes the only breadwinner, albeit temporarily. [RL]
1.20 [--] Lotsa Luck: ARTHUR MAKE'S HIS MOVE
22Feb74 NBC Fri
Synopsis:
When Stanley and Arthur fight, Arthur moves out and goes to live with his friend
Monroe (Alan Oppenheimer). Olive and Stanley'smom make him beg Arthur to come back. [RL]
[--] 3-1-74 Pre-empted: "Bob Hope Special"
1.21 [--] Lotsa Luck: BUMMY'S GIRL
08Mar74 NBC Fri
Guest Cast:
Suzanne Somers
Synopsis:
Stan is being pursued by a lovely lady (Suzanne Somers), but he is
too nervous to do anything about it. The girl is Bummy's one and
only, and Stan feels guilty about stealing her affections. [JK]
1.22 [--] Lotsa Luck: GET OFF MY BACK
15Mar74 NBC Fri
Guest Cast:
Robert Hoy ......... Henderson
Synopsis:
Twisted and battered from an accident at home,Stan is painfully
trying to stage another fall at work so that he can collect worker's
compensation to pay for his back treatments. [JK]
[--] 3-22-74 Pre-empted: Family Theatre The Red Pony
----------------
Reruns (29Mar74-24May74)
----------------
3-29-74 Repeat of #1.12 "The Belmont Connection"
4-5-74 Repeat of #1.10 "The New Stan"
4-12-74 Repeat of #1.13 "Will You Marry Me?"
4-19-74 Pre-empted: "Bob Hope Thanks For The Memories"
4-26-74 Pre-empted: Wild Science-Documentary
5-3-74 Repeat of #1.9 "The Shrink"
5-10-74 Repeat of #1.7 "The Winning Purse"
5-17-74 Repeat of #1.14 "Do Me A Favor"
5-24-74 Repeat of #1.22 "Get off my back" (from 3-15-74)
################## Lotsa Luck ################
################## the end #################
##############################################
Have you any comments, corrections, episode titles, air dates, production numbers, directors, writers, story/synopsis, guest stars, cast lists, etc?
Have you any old videos, or tv guides? Dust them off and let us know if you have any information on this series or any other tv series from the
Golden Age of TV, which is missing from any episode guides on the web. Perhaps a certain episode of a particular series coincided with a key
moment in your life, or in world events - and or has left a vivid memory of when it was shown. Let us know. Would you like to see any other
tv series guides on this site? If so please e-mail The Classic TV Archive - see Feedback below.
This guide may be distributed and copied freely, in its entirety, for personal use. All original author and copyright information must
remain intact. Any sales or other uses of this document are expressly forbidden, without the specific consent of the author(s).
Copyright © The Classic TV Archive. All rights reserved.
Return to The Classic TV Archive Home Page
Feedback - Comedy Forum