James Cole

Eddie Brandon Cruz) thinks he's in love with a girl named Elsie (Gabie Grammer), and invites her to his birthday party as a non-obvious way to get to know her better. Elsie turns out to be a tall, rather plain-looking girl, but Eddie only has eyes for her until one of the boys brings a friend named Margaret (Lori Specter)--tiny, cute and suddenly very interested in Eddie. Not quite aware what's happening, Eddie nevertheless makes an important decision in the matter of love, and makes his father very proud.

A romantic situation develops after Tom (Bill Bixby) meets Miss Allen (Ann Prentiss), Eddie's (Brandon Cruz) schoolteacher. When Eddie's classmates find out, he's teased and tagged a "teacher's pet." But,when he comes home with a black eye, Tom and Miss Allen decide it's best for everyone if they stop dating. Meanwhile, Eddie has worked out the problem in his own way.

Eddie's (Brandon Cruz) teacher, Miss Lester (Pamela Peadon) is going to have a baby, and the mothers of Eddie's classmates plan a party for her. Determined that his son will not be left out of the proceedings, Tom (Bill Bixby) volunteers to bring the sandwiches. Reluctantly, the mothers agree, afraid that a man's touch will ruin the party. When Tom shows up with rather strange looking sandwiches that he made himself, even Eddie isn't sure that his dad should have volunteered to be a "mother" for a day.

Eddie (Brandon Cruz) can't wait to have dad (Bill Bixby) meet his new little friend Max (Jimmy Cole) -- who incidentally has a beautiful mother, and no father. So Tom phones the boy's mother, Mrs. Betty Kelly (CICELY TYSON - "Sounder," "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman") to arrange for Max to spend the weekend. Tom is charmed by Betty's manner on the phone, and invites her to stay for dinner when she brings her son over to the apartment. The boy and his mother arrive -- and Tom and Betty experience a mutual surprise.

After Tom and Eddie start karate lessons as a "father and son" project, Eddie is picked on at school by Harold, who wants to assert his position as the school's top bully. Tom advises Eddie to reason with Harold, but instead of talking, Harold gives Eddie a black eye. Eddie attempts to learn enough karate quickly to handle the situation but his instructor tells Tom that much time is needed to make Eddie proficient. Taking another tack, Tom goes to see Harold's father, Kelly, with Eddie along. Kelly is unsympathetic, but the crisis is suddenly resolved when Eddie clobbers Harold after Harold calls Tom a "bum."