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A former professional baseball player, along with his preteen daughter, moves into New York advertising executive Angela Bower's house to be both a housekeeper and a father figure to her young son. Tony 's laid-back personality contrasts with Angela's type-A behavior.
“Father doesn't always know best!”
Tony Danza
Tony Micelli
Judith Light
Angela Bower
Alyssa Milano
Samantha Micelli
Danny Pintauro
Jonathan Bower
Katherine Helmond
Mona Robinson
1984
Single dad Tony Micelli and his street smart young daughter Samantha decide to leave the mean streets of their poor neighbourhood for a chance at a better life in Connecticut. Tony happens upon a job offer as a live-in housekeeper for wealthy business woman Angela Bower and her young son by means of her flirtatious mother Mona. He puts his machismo aside and takes the job for the betterment of his daughter and a new ""family"" is formed.
Part of settling into his new home has Tony using Angela's personal bathroom and getting an eyeful when she steps out of the tub. Neither of the two stubborn housemates accept responsibility, and disagree to an extent that Tony's new girlfriend gives him the heave-ho. Mona's advice about role-playing to better understand each other's point of view helps Tony and Angela see that they aren't angry after all.
During a trip to Tony's old neighbourhood to find runaway Samantha, Angela must stand up for Tony who is criticized for being a housekeeper. After proclaiming that fighting is no way to resolve a dispute, Angela ends up in a cat fight with the waitress in Tony's old hangout.
Mona meets Jason, the man of her dreams, but she's old enough to be his mother! After much hiding the truth comes out and Angela, who previously stated that age had no part in love, is aghast. It's not until Jason's parents tell Angela that Mona isn't good enough for their son that she stands up for her mother and does an about-face of her opinion.
Tony visits Angela at the filming of a soap commercial, and ends up the star of the ad. Soon after, Tony develops an itchy rash that turns out to have been caused by the soap. Angela must then decide if she wants to market a soap whose makers are not completely honest about its potentially harmful side effects
Tony is greatly anticipating his dinner date with a girl in Brooklyn, just as Angela is preparing for a business dinner for two with a client. When Angela's guest cancels at the last minute, Tony reluctantly stays in Connecticut to keep her company, while attempting to keep, but slightly postpone, his date.
Angela's sorotory sister from college comes around and takes an interest in Tony.
At the market, Tony picks up a woman who believes that he is the owner of Angela's house and Jaguar. Meanwhile, Angela accepts a date with a man who believes that she is Rosie, Angela's flighty secretary. Both advise the other that no good relationship can begin based on a lie, and soon both are forced to confront their deceived dates.
Angela becomes involved with a gentleman who is quite the sports fanatic. He becomes more interested in hanging out with Tony and talking sports than in spending time with Angela.
Tony is moonlighting to raise extra money, which Mona believes is to take care of a secret girlfriend in Brooklyn. Soon the truth comes out: Tony is still paying rent on his recently deceased father's apartment, so that he and Sam will have a place to go just in case things don't work out in Connecticut.
Forced to confront the fact that Samantha is not a little girl any more, Tony buys her her first brassiere. When it turns out not to be the kind she wanted, Tony enlists Angela's help in buying Samantha new clothes. He is less than thrilled, however, when Samantha comes home looking a bit too grown up. (Note: This episode was originally titled ""Samantha's First Bra"" but was later changed due to censoring problems.)
It's time to paint the Jaguar, and Angela wants the new color to be sandalwood. Tony overrides her decision and has it painted diablo red. When Angela discovers this, she is enraged and forbids him from future decision-making, proclaiming that he is just the maid. He then takes this declaration to the extreme by dressing, speaking, and behaving like a prim and proper butler.
During a company party at Angela's house, Tony throws out one of her vice-presidents for saying unprofessional things about her.
Mona has been evicted from her apartment and begins looking for a new home. She takes Tony's suggestion to convert the loft above Angela's garage into an apartment. Angela is not happy about the new arrangements.
Angela's ex-husband, Michael, visits so that they can sign the final divorce papers. Instead, they find themselves back together again. With Michael back in the house, there's no longer a need for Tony, who is given two weeks' notice by Michael.
While Tony and Samantha live it up at the lavish estate of Tony's new boss, a wealthy older woman, Michael and Angela enjoy their reunion. But the celebration is short-lived, as they are eventually reminded of the professional and personal differences that drove them apart the first time.
A local news reporter, Bobbi Barnes, wants to do a story on the daily life of Angela. But when a series of innocent mix-ups leads Tony and Angela to wake up in the same bed, Bobbi's camera crew is waiting in the hall to capture the scene. Bobbi thinks she has a juicy story for her show, but Mona has other ideas.
Samantha is looking forward to the upcoming school dance, but Tony spoils her evening by constantly taking pictures of her and her date, working at the dance as a chaperone, and getting caught kissing her teacher in front of the entire class.
Nick, Tony's father-in-law, visits. He cannot bring himself to tell everyone that he will soon be imprisoned, so he instead claims that he is dying, then milks the sympathy.
Stories of Tony's rebellious youth are rubbing off on Jonathan, particularly when Jonathan brings home a hubcap stolen from a police car. Angela then decrees that from now on, she is to be consulted on all decisions regarding her son. Not to be completely overruled, Tony decides to handle the situation in his own way.
Tony fears he can't afford the ski club Samantha wants to join with her friends, but he lets her sign up anyway. When his attempt to economize by cleaning Angela's chimney himself fails, he must go back on his word and tell Samantha she cannot join. Refusing to borrow the money from Angela, Tony soon sells one of his prized possessions to be able to pay for Samantha's ski trip.
Angela comes home from a rowdy birthday party, just as Tony returns home from a police-sponsored demonstration of the effects of alcohol on the mind. Both are in a woozy state, and they end up kissing.
1987
At a street carnival in Brooklyn Tony and Angela help at Mrs. Rossini's stand. There Tony also meets Frankie, an old friend. At an charity auction - Tony offers his services for a weekend - she makes the race.After the weekend Tony returns with a proposal from Frankie.
Sam has found a new friend and meets him at the library. But it's the college library - Tony finds this out and assumes that her new friend must be much too old for her. Immediately he goes there and in front of everyone he makes Sam look like a fool. Sam's friend is the 15 year old genius Mason whom Sam just want to use to show off in front of her friends.
Angela and Tony want to pair off Angela's cousin Christy and Tony's friend Lyle. The evening together didn't go as planned, but on the following day the both stand in the doorway announcing their wedding. But unfortunately the wedding coincides with an icehockey game. As the game is more important, Christy angrily cancels the wedding.
Jonathan's grades are at the level where he can skip a grade. He goes from sixth grade to seventh grade. He meets a boy who gets him into trouble and Tony and Angela have to see the principal, concerning Jonathan's behavior.
Sam has no companion for the dance. Tony brings a boy, who's working in the vegetables department in the supermarket, along with him. But with his persuasiveness concerning the protection of birds, Jesse drives away the partner Sam has found inbetween.
For a contribution campaign Tony spends 48 hours on a billboard. This campaign is also heard in Washington and Tony is offered a job as 'Nationwide Coordinator for Special Projects for the Parents' Council'.But Tony refuses - too quick, Angela thinks.
Sam is invited by her grandfather to visit him in Florida. But on her way there, Nick dies. First Sam tries to pay no attention to this but Nick's death, however, left big marks on her.
During a competition Tony injures his leg due to Angela's fault. Of course she now wants to take care of him; but this costs Tony a broken leg. Angela lends him a helping hand in the household, but somehow she can't get anything right for Tony. As a result she starts working again and gets a nurse to look after Tony. But she is much worse than Angela.
Joe, Mrs. Rossini's husband, has cleared off with a woman from the neighborhood. Now Tony should help out at Mrs. Rossini's fish store until they have found a replacement.
Sam and Jesse take Tony's car for a joy ride when delivering food, but she dents the car and when it's time to face Tony, she lies and says a boy, who caused the Bower family trouble in the past, dented the car. But on trial day, Sam confesses what really happened to Tony's car.
Angela has got a new customer - Max Muldoon. Mona and Max fall in love and have a wonderful time together. But then he just quits this relationship. Tony and Angela are quite upset and visit Max at his office. There they find out the reason for the breakup - Catherine-Anne.
Tony takes charge of a teen restaurant. When he throws out a popular student all the other customer follow him. Sam, working there as waitress, gets the order to fire her dad.
In Sam Angela's new neighbor Kelly has found a babysitter for her daughter Melissa. When Tony and Kelly are out once again and Sam wants to go to a concert, Angela takes care of the kid. As she did so, Melissatells Angela that her dad called her once, though he, according to Kelly, is dead. On the basis of the circumstances Angela assumes that Kelly could have abducted Melissa from her father.
Tony's relatives from Italy are coming for a visit and uncle Aldo has a great surprise for Tony: he gives him a 12 hectare piece of the winery. Maurizio, Tony's cousin, has fallen for Angela and wants to marry her.
Sam and Jesse decide to go steady.
To prevent the old school in Brooklyn from being tore down, a benefit concert is organized.There, also 'Tony and the Dreamtones' should be on stage, but due to their continuing disagreements there not, that also caused their breakup years ago. After Tony hears Angela sing, he wants her to join the band on stage for a few songs. But the other's refuse and Tony ultimately quits again.
Tony wants to persuade Sam into going to College. In the course of this, the desire of going to College himself, awakes. But when he has to face the admission test, he chickens out.
Because of a job he has to do Jesse can't go out with Sam and suggests she should go out with Mason instead, who's living there for a short time after he has been thrown out of his room. After a great evening Sam gives Mason a fatal kiss which means the end of the relationship with Jesse after he has learned about it.
When a housekeeper finds out that Tony gets paid more than the other housekeepers on the block, all the housekeepers, even Tony, go on strike.
Sam gets a job as model. This one is a success and other orders follow. But Tony isn't happy about that fact, especially because she's earning a lot of money and with that she's no longer dependent on him.
Max proposes to Mona, but she refuses. When Max' ex-wife shows up, Mona feels threatened by her and, however, accepts the proposal.
Jesse asks Sam to go with him to the prom. But Angela takes to much care of Sam because she wants Sam having the prom night she herself never had. But after all the interferences, Sam refuses to go.
One year has passed and it's again Angela's birthday. In the nights after she has found out about the surprise party Tony gives, she talks in the sleep and confesses that she loves Tony. But waking up all with her 'Tony, Tony' shouts is, however, very embarrassing for her.
In Brooklyn Tony meets an old girlfriend. Her husband challenges Tony for a pool game which Tony should lose to strenghten the self-confidence of his opponent. But this is quite hard thing to do as he would really like to blow away this jerk.
1988
Young Samantha has reached a teenage milestone - she has her driver's license! But in upscale Connecticut she feels left out when Bonnie gets a brand new car but Tony buys Samantha a hazard light on wheels! It comes down to pride vs love when it's discovered she's parking blocks away from her school.
In an effort to better himself, Tony heads off to college. The public speaking class is headed up by a strict grammer enthusiast who singles Tony out as an impossible case. Its My Fair Lady as Tony does a complete turnaround, but he alienates himself from his family and friends and must rely on the ""inner Tony"" to figure out who he really wants to be.
Tony has been invited to a frat party and Angela accompanies him. But there Angela drinks a little too much of the (with alcohol mixed) bowle and 'entertains' those present. In the end Angela and Tony land up in the campus jail.
Tony feels guilty when he remembers he got his grandfather in trouble when he was a child, causing him to never take the American citizen swearing in, so Tony does the swearing in for his grandfather.
Angela engages a new employee. Because in the evening the both work together more and more often and longer, Tony fears the worst:he gets jealous.
Samantha and Mona both break up with their boyfriends on the same night, so they go out to eat at a restaurant to clear their minds, which troubles Tony.
Samantha wants to go to Vermont ski lodge for the weekend, but Tony forbids her. Sam goes anyway. Along the way, she remembers everything her father did, even the embarassing moments!!
The wife of Mona's brother has died. But to go to heaven she must make Mona reconcile with her brother. Tony is picked out as the mediator.
Mason should run a seminar at the college, which also Tony attends. Because Mason is quite nervous Tony and Angela give him some hints: among these is also the tip that he should concentrate on one person. And Mason has choosen this one person: Tony.
Mrs. Rossini visits Tony. Accompanying her is her young uncle Al.Al is attending the nearby Beauty College and Tony should take care of him. In the course of this Sam and Al come closer.
Mona has saved the order for Angela and designs now the new get-up for the magazine 'Mature Woman'. Jonathan runs for treasurer in his school. For the magazine's cover Mona let herself photograph scantily dressed. When Jonathan schoolfellows see this cover, his chances getting elected seem to be gone.
Again Sam comes home with an expensive T-shirt. This time Tony wants to show her that she can have them cheaper and produces some of them himself. Angela and Sam persuade him selling them at the flea market. Both of them help him, especially Sam hopes she can get rid of her debts which she has made at Jonathan. But it happens what has to happen: Angela and Tony quarrel.
Tony goes to an 'Old Timer'-meeting of the Cards in St. Louis,accompanied by Angela. There Tony meets also his old friend Betty.But to prevent approaching attempts he introduces Angela as his wife. When Tony is 'unfaithful', the 'marital row' follows.
Tony and Sam spend a weekend together skiing in Vermont. There Tony meets Lisa, his skiing instructor. But Sam isn't happy about her father's fling. Inbetween - at home - Angela and Mona catches a cold.
Discouraged that Angela had to pay for an escort for a dinner event, Mona convinces Tony to ask her out on a date. The date hardly seems like a first for them, though, as they discover how much they know about each other. Things get ugly when Angela learns the reason behind the evening, and attacks an obnoxious comedian.
Angela gets invited to a dinner at which Frank Sinatra is to perform; Tony, a huge Sinatra fan, is to be her guest. When business affairs leave her unable to go, Mona goes in her place, but doesn't tell Tony that the ticket is nontransferable.
Samantha gets drunk one night, and when she sees Tony drinking the next day, she calls him a hypocrite because he told her drinking was wrong.
The Bowers get new neighbors: the Harpers. But they are a little bit too snooty and an big argument between Tony/Angela and the Harpers comes up. But Jonathan and Heather, the Harper's daughter, have fallen for each other.
Sam visits a beauty school run by Angela's friend. While there, she meets Charlie, a friend of hers from the old neighborhood, who is living there. Charlie is unhappy with her life there, and is considering running away.
Angela hires a shy contractor to put a skylight in the kitchen. He takes an immediate liking to Mona, who agrees to go out with him. When he learns that he is not the only man in Mona's life, he abandons the skylight job. Tony accuses Mona of having no respect for men's feelings.
At a practical program, where students are assigned different jobs, for Sam and Bonnie there are only two left: domestic engineer with Tony or advertising with Angela. Sam decides in favor of the housekeeping job which she regrets soon. The following day Bonnie and Sam switch their jobs but working for Angela isn't any fun, neither.
Tony has a new passion: golfing. Angela wins a country club membership for Tony. There Tony meets the owner of the biggest nationwide sport articles store who currently gives away a big advertising order. And of course, Angela's after this order, too.
Angela married Brian 20 years ago. As this was just meant as a college joke, Brian drove down to Mexico the following day to annul this marriage. But now when Brian wanted to marry again, he is told, that his marriage with Angela is still valid.
Sam's friend Scott gets nervous about French finals, so on test day, Sam gives Scott the answers. When Tony finds out, he takes Sam's car privileges. But when Sam has to take chemistry finals, someone gives Sam the answers to the test, but she does not use it. When the teacher sees the answers under Sam's desk, he calls Tony. But will anyone believe anything she says?
Tony gets a new car as birthday present. First his pride forbids to accept it but after some encouragement he, however, decides to keep the car. But selling his Van brings up memories of good old times.
1985
The family visit Jonathan's summer camp when his counselor calls Angela to say he is homesick. While there, Angela and Tony realize they both attended camp in the same area many years earlier. Their individual stories of their first kiss seem to coincide, and they soon suspect they may have met each other a long time ago.
After visiting the site in the woods where each remembers from their past, a thunderstorm prevents Tony and Angela from returning to the campsite in time. They end up having to share a room at a cheap hotel. Meanwhile, Mona and the campers tell scary stories and play pranks on the counselor.
Samantha has just begun junior high school, and has little trouble becoming friends with the popular girls. Since they are all from wealthy families, Samantha is afraid they will not like her if they know of her true past, so she tells them that Tony owns Angela's house and is an advertising executive.
The family is thrilled when a recently deceased stranger leaves Mona a sizable chunk of money in his will. Mona soon realizes who the man was, and suddenly doesn't want the money. The man turns out to be a former family friend with whom Mona had an affair many years ago.
Wally, a recently dumped friend of Tony's, is down on his luck, so Tony convinces Angela to go out with him. She is not interested in seeing him again, until Mona dates him. Then a mother-daughter rivalry begins for Wally's attention
Michael, Angela's ex-husband, returns to announce he is going to be married again soon, and invites everyone to California for the wedding. Jonathan takes an instant liking to Heather, his father's new wife-to-be, and to the California lifestyle. Michael tells Angela that he thinks their son would have a better life in California, and that he wants custody of Jonathan.
While everyone prepares for the wedding, Angela and Michael plan for a legal battle for custody of Jonathan. Soon, Angela is ready to give up, but a messy incident at the ceremony proves to Michael and Heather that they are not ready to be parents.
After posing for a calendar, Tony becomes the object of a seductive woman's affections. Angela doesn't want him to date her, but her views change when one of the calendar's other stars takes an interest in her.
The family go to Mrs. Rossini's apartment for Thanksgiving. Angela is disgusted by the antiquated custom of women waiting on men, hand and foot. She also feels threatened by one of the guests, an attractive young girl who used to know Tony and is interested in him romantically. Meanwhile, Mona appears in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as one of Santa's elves.
Nick, Samantha's grandfather, is denied parole from prison, so he breaks out and prepares to run from the law. First, though, he must confront Samantha, who refuses to speak to him for what he is doing.
Recent college graduate Mona is asked to secretly participate in a sting against age discrimination by applying for a job, then getting turned down. But when Angela learns that her mother has this job interview, she pulls some strings to get Mona hired.
A distant relative of Tony's comes to town to meet the man she is to marry through an arranged marriage. Upon learning that the intended groom is a male chauvinist, Tony throws him out of the house and forbids him to marry his cousin. But this infuriates her father, who flies from Italy to confront Tony.
When Samantha needs more money to participate in activities with her basketball team, Angela hires her to work for her on Saturdays. But Samantha soon realizes that, by working weekends, she is missing all the events she wanted money for. So she decides to do a poor job, hoping to get fired.
Angela is teaching a class on advertising, and Tony is one of her students. For the students' first assignment, they are to make a commercial for a laundry detergent. Tony is overbearingly proud of his ad, but Angela despises it and give him an F.
Tony signs up Samantha for ballet lessons. He is pleased when her instructor tells him she has great potential, but the compliment may not have been sincere.
A sitter's last-minute cancellation leaves Samantha to watch Jonathan while Angela and Tony go to a parents' meeting at school. Samantha panics when Jonathan inadvertently tosses a piece of jewelry down the sink drain. Although Tony had told her not to have any guests, the house is soon full of her friends: Chad, a boy who thinks he can retrieve the missing jewelry, and four of Samantha's friends who come to admire Chad. Tony and Angela return home just as the kids are sneaking out.
Jonathan's friend gets him worrying that, one day, Tony may no longer be part of his life. Hoping to ensure against Tony leaving, Jonathan arranges for him and Angela to meet on Valentine's Day at a restaurant for a romantic dinner for two. But they think that the ""Mr. Bower"" behind this evening is really Michael, Angela's ex-husband.
Tony's poker game has run late, and Angela hurries him to clean up the house in time for her friend who will soon be arriving. Just as his last guest (a raucous Brooklynite) is ready to leave, Angela's friend (a quiet, straight-laced woman) arrives, and the two end up as an item.
Tony is excited about his bowling trophy. But his victory is overshadowed when Angela, who was quite certain she would win an advertising award for which she'd been nominated, comes home empty-handed. Tony suggests that Angela might feel better about her loss if she congratulated the winner.
Tony's campaign for PTA president is clouded by his opponent's mudslinging. He attempts to justify her accusations by explaining some past misunderstandings (this is done through clips of earlier episodes).
A wealthy international client of Angela's sends his daughter to handle his affairs. She takes a liking to Tony, who agrees to be her escort. But Angela soon feels that she forced the woman on Tony, and goes to break them up.
Arrogant, obnoxious neighbor Diane is devastated by her husband's recent decision to leave her for their maid. She temporarily moves in with the Bowers and Micellis, and nobody in the family enjoys her company.
After hearing a colleague from the shoe factory describe his boredom with his life, Mona encourages him to be spontaneous and pursue a new life. He takes her advice a little too far when he leaves his wife and infant in search of Hollywood stardom.
One of Tony's old baseball friends visits and the two end up in a competition to organize a team of players, then play each other. Tony wants to have Angela play for his team, but when he turns out to be a demanding coach, she decides to play for the other team.
Angela had planned a special dinner for five, in honor of Tony and Samantha's two-year anniversary in Connecticut, but Tony is the only one who doesn't have other plans. During the meal, Tony falls ill and is rushed to the hospital in need of surgery. After he has been given sedatives, but just before he falls asleep, he says ""I love you"" to Angela.
Angela has found a model to play the part of a princess in a series of pasta commercials. But the client instead chooses a shy photographer, who didn't even want the job.
1986
Overworked Angela goes to Mexico with the family, but when Angela's business loses an important account, Tony never gave Angela the message. When Angela comes home, she goes to the agency to learn that they lost the account. After sassing to her boss and telling him to chill, Angela loses her job.
Angela tries desperately to find a new job but no one of her old friends or partners has one for her.The only job she can find is one of a copy writer.Eventually,Tony and Mona convince her to open her own agency.
Marci applies for the elite-school Montague. Sam also wants to do so and finds an advocate in Angela, a Montague Academy graduate. But Tony doesn't like the idea that Sam visits a school so far away.
With a trick Jim Petersen snatches away Angela's first customer. Tony and Mona try, with a similar trick, to get him back to Angela.
After a party Sam comes home with a love bite and Tony, beside himself, forbids her seeing Todd again. In the evening Sam sneaks out of the house to meet Todd anyway.
Dr. Ferguson, Marci's Dad, marries and Tony and Angela should be best man and maid of honor. In the course of this both have to face the question whether the want to marry again. At the wedding party they meet Geoffrey.
Jonathan, because he takes life too serious, should do something else than always studying. He decides in favor of gymnastics and Tony should teach him. During a competition he falls due to his overzealousness and breaks his shoulder. And this is something Angela really isn't happy about.
For the weekend Angela goes to Maine with her friend Geoffrey. Tony now alone at home, the kids are on a school trip to Washington, invites his old flame Tanya. Angela and Geoffrey couldn't manage to go to Maine and return unexpected.
Sam has had a big argument with Bonnie. Tony wants to see them both together again but Sam only agrees if he for his part makes it up with his old foe from high school, Mickey. Therefore Tony invites Mickey who has in the meantime become a Father. But when Tony annoys him too much Mickey strikes a blow.
Sam has got into the school's basketball team. Her friend Todd hasn't and as she don't want to bother him she also goes without the team.Angela beats Tony in Miniature Golf.
As Tony doesn't want to sell his only 'Tony Micelli Baseball card', he tells Mr. Ferguson he has none. Angela, who has listened, now wants to get one for Tony. The trader Angela has asked calls Tony shortly after and offers him a lot of money which he really could need to buy Angela a christmas present.
Due to heavy snowfall life in Fairfield is down. To pass the time stories are told. Topic: Who has brought together the two families - Sam, cause she's the reason Tony wanted to move; Tony, cause he wanted to make life better for Sam; Jonathan, cause he needed someone who takes care of him; Angela, who needed someone for the household;or Mona, who has 'found' Tony ?
Jonathan has a new girlfriend: Jenny. But Jenny has fallen more for Tony. When Jonathan finds this out he gets really upset.
Angela gives a surprise party for Tony because for the first time Angela's agency is in the black and it was Tony who persuaded her to open an agency of her own. As a present the painter Christos should portray Sam. Tony meets him and Christos tells him that a Marie Micelli once took painting lessons at him. This message causes a little crisis for Tony who now thinks he hasn't known his wife well enough.
Geoffrey keeps his brandnew Porsche at Angela's while he's in Boston. After Angela has gone shopping using the car, she let the car outside. There the tree the neighbor's cutting down hits the car and causes a write-off.
Samantha thinks her boyfriend Chad is the cat's meow when he writes a song just for her. Word gets around, and the tune is heard by legend Ray Charles whom Angela cooerses into recording it for her ad agency. When rat Chad starts seeing another girl, Samantha is so infuriated she demands the recording not take place. It takes a stellar performance of the song by Ray to make Samantha see that her friendship with Angela is more important than getting back at Chad.
The parents' councils of Fairfield and Brooklyn organize a boxing match for charity causes. But Fairfield's boxer has to cancel - and Tony has to take his place. Angela coaches him for the bout.
Geoffrey invites Angela to a trip into the mountains. There he would like to ask her 'a question, which would change both's life'. But it's not the proposal Angela expected.
Nick is released of jail and parks himself at Angela's garage. He has now become a writer and has already finished a book which everyone likes. Angela has also found a publisher for Nick's work
Through Tony's new girlfriend Casey Angela's got a new commercial order for Armando-Fashionwear. But she couldn't think of any spot.Age, too, is a matter because she as the 'experienced' (equals being old) should advertise fashion for the young generation.
Sam wants to queue for cards for the Beastie Boys concert overnight.Tony allows it not without remarking he has done much wilder things in his youth. During the stories told by Tony and Mona, Angela realizes that she has missed a lot. Now she wants to catch up on some 'action'. So she makes up a list what to to: Among these is a meeting with Jake 'The Snake' and a trip to his 'Rock of Inspiration'.
Tony has met Fiona at the dentist and get her a job as secretary at Angela's agency. The tidy-minded perfectionist Fiona is Angela's dream but also Mona's nightmare. After an argument between Mona and Angela Fiona quits because she doesn't want to stand in the way of the both. But Mona quits, too.
Mona's brother has bought a seedy hotel in New York City and used Mona's money for it.
Mona moves to New York to her brother and Tony gets her apartment so he can live up his bachelor's life. But after the opening party the normal life returns and Tony misses his old environment.
1989
Holidays on Jamaica. And everyone enjoys the life there.Angela, too, dives right into the holiday-action and has a lot of fun. As it's not Tony, with whom she has that fun, he gets jealous.
Charlie, Sam's female friend from Brooklyn, visits while Angela is preparing for a dog food commercial. Charlie talks Sam into ditching school for the day and going to the beach, but Tony catches them before they leave the house. When Tony calls Charlie's mother to tell her, he learns that her mother doesn't care about Charlie and doesn't want her in her life.
Tony and Angela are apartment-sitting for Mrs. Rossini. After meeting two couples Tony used to be friends with, Angela dreams that she and Tony are married, living in Brooklyn, and expecting a baby.
Sam joins a book discussion group when she develops a crush on the instructor, a young college professor, unaware that he is married.
On the spur of the moment, Tony accepts a date with a woman he meets at a bar. Having second thoughts, he cancels the date the next day, only to learn later that the woman is the professor of his new class.
Angela has reached the goal of her dreams when Braden, a V.I.P. in the advertising branch, offers her the merger. Suffering from this is Mona who gets fired by Angela. After some days has passed Angela realizes that she isn't really happy about this merger.
Al has founded a rock band and Sam becomes, as she has some quite good ideas, the group's manager. But she has problems getting gigs because everyone just sees the 'cute girl' in her.
Angela brings the family to a psychiatrist for counseling when she thinks Sam and Jonathan's fighting is getting to be too much. The psychiatrist reassures the family that their family is emotionally healthy. But his evaluation of Tony's busy life prompts him to ask Tony to continue counseling with a group of parents who risk burning out.
Angela joins a health club, where she quickly makes friends with a group of three women. After they meet Tony, Angela tells them they are a couple. Tony learns of Angela's lie, and she explains that, just like in high school, she felt pressured to do it, in order to fit in.
To fill out his semester class schedule, Tony takes an independent study course, expecting it to be an easy A, and that he won't have to do any work. The course puts him in a third-grade class, where the teacher orders him to assist her on the first day. After an initial struggle, he finds he is able to work well with the students, and is soon considering becoming a teacher.
Some bad experiences at school, including being assigned to play the accordion, have Jonathan's self-esteem at rock bottom. Tony helps him overcome his depression by introducing him to an old friend of his, who is now an accordion player. Jonathan soon enjoys playing the accordion, but when Tony encourages him not to restrict himself to one activity, Jonathan misinterprets Tony's intentions as disapproval for the accordion, and bans Tony from his first recital.
To put up Mona after she has been stood up by a man, Tony and Angela decide going to Atlantic City. There Mona first gamble away Angela's diamond necklace and then the car. To win back those things Angela sits down at the poker table.
Due to good scholastic work Sam is admitted to a special program which allows her to skip her last year in High School and go directly to college. But she fears that Tony then is left back alone.
When the neighbor Fred picks up Tony to go playing tennis, he makes up to Angela and Tony gets angry. During the tennis match Fred suffers a heart attack and dies. Now Tony blames himself of Fred's death. When Fred's brother Ed shows up Tony let himself be used because of his feelings of guilt.
Angela buys, due to tax reasons, a house in the neighborhood and Tony helps her shaping it up. A lodger already seems to be found but when Angela returns from a business trip she finds a young actress moving in instead.
Sam and her boyfriend Eric want to attend a concert. But Eric usually spends the evenings with his (widowed) grandfather. So Tony gets an idea: Mona should instead spend the evening with him. But then when it turns out that Eric's grandfather is the man, who Mona let down 40 years ago at the wedding, the general feeling is at zero level.
Angela persuades Tony to train her volleyball team. Doing this Tony takes care more about the other, poorer team members and when the important game is due, Angela quits the team.
Sam and Bonnie take part in a school trip to Fort Lauderdale. And the supervisor is: Tony. Mona and Sam are able to persuade Angela to go with them to look after Tony. In Florida Sam realizes that she's more similar to Tony than she has ever thought.
A client of Angela's, a baseball player, upsets Tony when he demonstrates that he is only in baseball for the money and the fame. Tony wonders whatever happened to pride in the game.
After researching her family tree, Sam discovers that her great-grandfather, assumed to be deceased, is still alive in Italy. He is flown to Connecticut to meet the family. Tony soon discovers that the man is not who they believe he is.
Tony and Angela make friends with another couple at the country club. The couple is about to become engaged, but their relationship with Tony and Angela may pose a problem.
After a fire at Mona's apartment which hospitalizes her, Angela's attempts to find her a new place to live are met with hostility.
Sam has her heart set on attending Tate College, but Tony insists she keep an open mind, so the two take a road trip to visit some schools. Sam eventually gets a letter from Tate requesting an interview, but things don't go as she hoped.
Al has graduated beauty school, and Tony helps him set up his own salon in Brooklyn. Al's behavior to the customers upsets them, and when Tony explains that Al will never make it unless he changes his ways, Al decides to close the shop.
A census taker visits Tony and Angela, just as they are hoping to leave for the movies. Using flashbacks from previous episodes, Mona gives the man a brief run-down of the history of Tony and Angela's relationship.
Tony must move with his studying group from the living room into a motel room. After an evening full of studying the others go home leaving Tony and Kathleen back alone. The both want to spend some more time learning but instead they are getting closer.
1991
Angela is ready to profess her love for Tony, but her hopes for a romantic anniversary night with him are dashed when he invites her and the whole family to a carnival. A fortune teller tells Tony that he is about to lose the love of his life, but he misses the point. A ride through the Tunnel Of Love changes their relationship.
After Tony and Angela have confessed their love for each other,they both now want to spend an enchanting evening together.But that isn't that simply,especially since no one can know about it.
Tony, like it's always his way, overdoes his relationship with Angela. But Angela doesn't dare to tell - and tries to get out of his way.
After a car crash Sam and Pierce come closer. When Tony finds this out after weeks, he - against the other's expectation - takes a fancy to Pierce and confides his money to the stockbroker. But like always he overdoes here, too, and he spends more time with Pierce than Sam does.
While Angela is away on business, Mona begins dating one of her biggest clients. She finds him thoroughly uninteresting and promptly dumps him. In an attempt to prevent from withdrawing his account from the agency, Tony accompanies him on a duck hunt. An accidental gunshot only makes things worse.
Tony feels inferior to Angela's success. A letter that addresses him as ""Mr. Angela Bower"" doesn't help his self-esteem. He takes a second job at a bar, but that proves to be a mistake.
The death of a friend puts Tony in a mid-life crisis. He has become quite the adventurer, and invites the family on a ski trip. His plan to propose marriage to Angela are thwarted by a series of accidents that consistently plague her. The joy of the proposal is short-lived when Angela turns him down.
Tony is angry at Angela for her rejection. Meanwhile, she continues to question the sincerity of Tony's intentions.
Mona's mother visits and gives the subtle impression that she doesn't want Tony and Angela to get married. Mona can't convince them that her mother is manipulating them, trying to turn them against each other.
Jonathan is looking for a job. A friend of Tony's arranges for Jonathan to work as a ball boy at New York Mets games. A slight mistake during his first game costs him his job -- and the Mets the game.
Angela gets a generous offer for her house. Tony persuades her to sell and move into a new one because the current house belongs to 'Angela & Michael' and not to 'Angela & Tony'.
Hard times have begun in the advertising industry - and Angela isn't spared either. Tony takes over the financial management because he has economy experiences. He pinches and scrapes wherever he can.When Angela, totally frustrated, goes shopping, she runs into serious troubles with Tony. He without hesitation takes away all her credit cards.
Al is having difficulty getting for his own apartment, because the landlords would all rather sell to a young couple than to a single guy. Sam agrees to pose as his wife, but Tony is upset when he discovers the charade, and insists Al stay at Angela's house. The family comes to regret this.
Angela books up the whole time with some events and visits. Tony has to fall back on excuses to be together with his friends. But Angela catches on to him.
While he is unconscious Tony dreams how it would has been as a baseball star if his injury has not happened.
Repeated instances of swelled lips have Tony frantically searching for the cause of his affliction. Angela notes that each occurrence happens just after they mention their wedding, and she begins to worry that the swelling is a sign that he isn't ready for marriage.
Sam and her boyfriend Hank are planning to get married, and Sam must find the right moment and way to tell Tony. But a series of incidents, including Hank's plan of career change, a roofing accident, and an unexpected visit from Hank's parents, yield a chaotic scene. During the bickering that ensues, Sam and Hank sneak off to elope.
Tony, Angela, Mona, Jonathan, Mrs. Rossini, and Hank's parents chase after Sam and Hank. They arrive at the chapel before the service began -- Sam did not want to be married without Tony present. Tony is still adamant against the union, but the ceremony goes forward as planned.
Sam and hank return from their honeymoon to learn that married couples aren't allowed to stay at the dorm. Tony skeptically agrees to let them stay at the house. Despite a sleepless first night for Tony, he and Hank soon bond. This creates tension between Sam and Hank.
Angela, accompanied by Mona, goes to a health resort to get some distance from Tony and his temper. There she meets Tom who, bylook, could be Tony's lost twin brother but his way is completely contrary to Tony's.
The house has a hole in the roof. This in conclusion leads to a rebuilding of Angela's bedroom. Joe, trained workman, carries out the job. But Tony, like it's his way, doesn't leave the workmen,like the others before them, in peace. This leads to a big argument between Joe and Tony - and Tony fires him and does the work now by himself. His team: Hank, Jonathan and Al.
Tony has graduated from college and his job search is unfulfilling. He gets a letter from an Iowa university who wants him to teach there. The job sounds perfect for him, but he pretends he is not interested, because it's so far from his home. Angela sees through his facade and convinces him to take the job.
With Tony living in Iowa, Angela and he take turns flying out to visit each other on the weekends. When this plan doesn't work out, Angela agrees to move to Iowa to be with Tony.
Angela attempts to adjust to her new life in Iowa, but discovers that she really wants to be back east, working at her agency. The conflict of professional interest threatens to split up Tony and Angela.
1990
Angela meets, and begins to date, Christopher, a man who appears to be perfect. Everyone who meets him seems to feel as if they've met an angel. Tony, however, cannot seem to meet him, encountering several failed attempts, which begin to ruin his relationship with Kathleen.
Sam has spent the summer working at a ranch in New Mexico. When she calls home and announces that she'd like to move there permanently, Tony and the family fly out to change her mind. Tony is adamant that she return to Connecticut and go to college, but even more so when she meets her new boyfriend.
Discouraged that Angela is spending too much time at home, Tony convinces Mona to bring her to a night club. Angela does loosen up, but more so than Tony had intended. Soon, Angela is having middle-of-the-night parties, skipping work, and becoming a regular at Mona's club.
Tony meets Kathleen's father, who takes him hunting, and later tells him he expects Tony to be the father of his grandchildren. Angela and Mona babysit a child from Tony's old neighborhood.
Sam moves out of the house and into a dorm. Tony's frequent visits make him as popular there as she is, and she begins to feel smothered.
An older woman from Tony's old neighborhood has fallen ill and wants Tony to be the guardian for her 5-year-old grandson, Billy.
The time has come for Billy to start kindergarten. But there he beats up all kids. Tony and Angela is given the advice to take up a parental consultation.
Because Sam has not the peace necessary to learn she wants to move into an apartment. She moves in with Beth who's living together with her fiance and is urgently searching for another lodger. After a big argument with Ben, Beth moves out. But Sam living together alone with a man isn't a pleasant thought, neither for Tony nor for her friend Matt.
Tony becomes a volunteer fireman. His dedication is a little too extreme, and he ends up getting kicked out of the squad.
Tony and Angela each bring a date to a dance hall's final ball before closing. They meet a couple there who first met at the hall during World War II. Their story is told through flashbacks, where Tony and Angela play the couple as their younger selves.
The family fly to Italy to visit Tony's relatives, who have a surprise for him. He is now the owner of a vineyard there.
A social worker pays a surprise visit to Tony and Angela in order to check up on Billy. Unfortunately, no one seems to know where he is.
Tony and Sam compete for a college job as a sportscaster. Sam expects Tony to give it his best shot, but she is afraid that, since she is running against him, he will let her win. Tony's audition video, however, misleads Sam about his intentions.
Jonathan fears the dark girl he is dating has no interest in him. To impress her, he takes her for a ride in Tony's jeep. A minor accident occurs, leaving a scratch on the van. Jonathan desperately turns to Sam to help him cover up what happened.
Tony and Angela invite Sam to temporarily move back to the house while she is sick. She is skeptical at first, but soon is taking full advantage of their hospitality. Only Jonathan sees that she is milking Tony and Angela for their attention.
For Tony the time has come to learn for the exams but there's no replacement for him in sight. Therefore Angela takes over his job and for two weeks she should run the household.
Tony wants Billy to decide on a sport so he isn't at home all day. Billy decides in favor of swimming. This is something Tony is not happy about: he is afraid of water and can't swim.
Tony and Angela are audited by an IRS agent after Angela's accountant is imprisoned. The auditor suspects that Tony and Angela are more than just employer and employee, and alleges that they may inadvertently be married already.
When Tony has to leave his class, Mona takes his place as the teacher. But she teaches the class in sex education and later on, Tony is called to the principal.
Billy has his birthday. But the Harpers wants to hold their birthday party the same day as Angela and Tony. As a result an (expensive) fight arises, who has the better party with the most guest.
Mona has caught herself another man. But Cliff also falls for Mrs. Rossini who lives at Angela's for some days. Cliff can't decide on one of the both, so a fight for Cliff arises between the two women.
The time has come for Tony to return a favor to Gus, a feared man in Brooklyn's underworld, who once saved him from the police. Tony should teach manners to Gus' daughter.
Sam promotes a concert in college. But she can't find a band for the evening's highlight. Tony informs her that he has the actions to provide a star. But the friend he relied on is just a braggart who's working as errand-boy in a studio.
Tony is asked by some senior citizens from the neighborhood to state their request concerning the cut in the old age pension scheme in front of the US-Senate.
An attractive young government representative becomes Tony's guide to major events and public appearances around America's capital. Angela begins to suspect that the woman's intentions toward Tony are less than pure.
