Bruce Kimmel

The 4077th celebrates and prepares to go home as a rumor of cease-fire spreads.

After getting some unsolicited advice from his school coach, Keith decides to accept the responsibility of being the eldest male in the family. He feels he should take care of his younger brothers and sisters. Unfortunately for the kids, Keith gives them an educational and cultural whirl that includes a classical music concert in the park and the Bolshoi Ballet. The kids have no time left for plain old fun. Fed up with the whole situation, Danny initiates a 'get back at Keith' drive. The kids start laying all their problems - real and imaginary - at Keith's door. The pressure finally gets to Keith when Danny asks him to explain the 'facts of life.' Keith realizes that the burden is too much for him - he has no time left to do his homework. Later on, Keith overhears the children talking about the success of their plan, and he feels very hurt and humiliated. Knowing they have wronged Keith, the kids apologize and all is forgiven.

Laurie is humiliated since she has just been elected Miss Dill Pickle. As she is leaving for the ceremony, Marvin - the high school editor who has always been very hostile to Laurie - comes by to pick up the Partridges' gifts for the celebrity auction at school. Marvin teases Laurie about being a pickle and Laurie leaves in anger...telling Danny to give Marvin her brown shoebox with her ballet slippers for the auction. By mistake, Danny gives Marvin her tan shoebox - which just happens to contain her diary. When Laurie finds out she is mortified...and she is convinced Marvin will publish the diary in the school paper. Laurie asks Danny and Keith to get her diary back before Marvin discovers what he has. They arrive too late - Marvin knows what's in the shoebox. Laurie decides she must get it back herself. Recruiting Keith and Danny's aid again, Laurie decides she will break into the building and steal the diary. She has a series of mishaps where she is almost caught by a policeman, where she struggles and climbs through a window only to find the front door open, and where she climbs through an air vent only to come back into the same room...and Keith and Danny look on and laugh. Meanwhile, Marvin drops by the Partridges and Shirley has a talk with him. She learns that Marvin really likes Laurie but doesn't think she could ever like him. He admits that he would never have published her diary - he couldn't even bring himself to read it. He and Shirley go to the school to get it back and there they find the three Partridges hiding under a table. The day is saved and Laurie gets her diary back.

Shirley makes an appointment with Dr. Beecher, the school psychologist, who informs her that Danny's behavior in class is quite disruptive. In order to find out what is bothering him, Dr. Beecher suggests that Shirley be very permissive with her son and watch closely how he handles his freedom. At home, Danny quickly takes advantage of Shirley's mysterious change of attitude. He is permitted to stay up late to watch the talk shows on TV, stay home from school, and force Keith's and Laurie's friends to focus their attention on him. Shirley returns to Dr. Beecher in desperation, for the other kids feel very hostile toward Danny. The doctor realizes that Danny badly wants to identify with the "big kids" -- Laurie and Keith. To try to cure him of this, she suggests giving Danny all the responsibilities that go along with being an adult. It takes going on a double date with Keith to erase all thoughts of being grown-up from Danny's mind. While Keith and his date sit around talking and making eyes at each other, what Danny and his friend Gloria really want to do is climb trees and run races. The two younger kids are finally so bored that this is exactly what they do...even though it isn't "mature." At this point Danny realizes that he wants to hang on to his youth a little longer.

A widowed mother and her five kids form a band and make a hit record, then travel around the country in a groovy school bus. The comedy contrasts life on the road with the cozy suburban life they return to after the show is over. There's feel-good music, hapless adults, scheming kids and heartthrob teens thrown in for good measure.