Russ Petranto Movies

In the conclusion of a two-part story, the Tanner girls are extremely upset when Danny (Bob Saget) tells them that Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) has moved out. Before long, however, the girls have concocted a scheme to bring Jesse back. Unfortunately, this scheme involves a flat-out lie--one that throws Jesse into a panic and the rest of the household into utter chaos. Featured in the guest cast is Chelsea Noble, who later became the sister-in-law of series regular Candace Cameron. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Freelance photographer Muriel (Nancy Dussault) lands a prestigious assignment with a top woman's magazine. Muriel's husband, Henry (Ted Knight), is delighted, figuring that the assignment will be something safe and sedate. Unfortunately, this is the era of Cosmopolitan and Playgirl -- as Henry discovers to his horror when it turns out that Muriel is to shoot a nude foldout with a very well-endowed male model. ~ Rovi

Hoping to curry favor with his new publisher, Mr. Wainwright (Hamilton Camp), Henry (Ted Knight) invites the boss to dinner at the Rushes. Unfortunately, Henry chooses the same night that his daughters, Jackie (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) and Sara (Lydia Cornell), are using the apartment for a movie project. The subject of the film is Noah and the Ark -- and before long, the Rush living room bids fair to become a genuine (and very pungent) "Animal House." ~ Rovi

Dick Gautier guest stars as Rich, a footloose musician who had known Muriel Rush (Nancy Dussault) back in her days as a big band singer. Always a man who had a way with the ladies, Rich immediately turns on the old charm when visiting Muriel. Although she is flattered, her husband, Henry (Ted Knight), isn't -- and the situation hardly improves itself when good old Rich starts putting the moves on Henry's daughter Jackie (Deborah Van Valkenburgh). Originally scheduled to air on January 20, 1981, this episode was ultimately shown on February 10 of that same year. ~ Rovi

A trenchant satire of "trash TV," Network seems to grow only more relevant with each passing year. Howard Beale (Peter Finch), the dean of newscasters at the United Broadcasting System, is put out to pasture because he "skews old." Network executive Max Schumacher (William Holden), Howard's best friend, is forced to deliver the bad news. Beale can't stomach the idea of losing his 25-year post as anchorman simply because of age, so in his next broadcast he announces to the viewers that he's going to commit suicide on his final program. Network head Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall) is all for kicking Beale out then and there, but when it looks as though the UBS is going to have its greatest ratings ever on the night of Beale's self-destruction, ambitious programming exec Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) talks Hackett into treating that fateful final telecast as a special event. Naturally, Beale doesn't go through with it -- but he does begin rambling about the horrible state of the world in general and television in particular. He concludes his tirade by admonishing his viewers to "Go to the window and shout as loud as you can: 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!'" With that, Howard Beale becomes the hottest TV personality in America, and Diana becomes the network's fair-haired girl. She draws up plans to treat the nightly news broadcast as garish entertainment (complete with a psychic), all built around the rants of Beale, billed as "The Mad Prophet of the Airwaves." Network won Oscars for Paddy Chayefsky's screenplay as well as for three of four acting categories -- Dunaway for Best Actress, Peter Finch for Best Actor (in the only posthumous Oscar yet awarded), and Beatrice Straight for Best Supporting Actress, in one of the shortest-screen-time performances ever to win an Oscar. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi