Hal (David Doremus) is taking care of his younger brother Butch (Trent Lehman) and sister Prudence (Kim Richards) as they ready for bed. Their father, the professor (Richard Long) and Nanny (Juliet Mills) are pleasantly surprised. Hal reasons that since they will be gone (separately) the next evening he is practicing for sitting his siblings. The professor says that he is getting a sitter, much to Hal's displeasure, as he feels too old for one. Hal's lovestruck neighbor, Francine Fowler (Eileen Baral) is a month younger than Hal and is starting to babysit for other people. Hal talks to his father, but he won't hear of it until he turns 14. Meanwhile, the professor is preparing for a date with Dr. Neilson (Aneta Corsaut, Andy's girlfriend Miss Crump on "The Andy Griffith Show"). The first babysitter, young Mary Ann Newman (Patty Bodeen) comes over but seems irresponsible and the professor says he doesn't need her. The professor sees that Hal would be more trustworthy and puts him in charge. The professor takes his date to a Chinese restaurant where the owner Jason Wong (Pat Morita, "The Karate Kid", "Happy Days") is rather comical, but says things to make the professor worry about leaving the kids alone. It also makes Dr. Neilson worry about leaving her three kids with a babysitter. Nanny sketches a male model in French attire at her art class, but looks to see she drew the face of Hal. Hal is doing a good job, but doubting himself and leery when someone knocks at the door. The professor and Nanny rush home to find them gone. Most episodes don't have comical moments, so when you do watch one that does, it stands out among the others.
2 Reviews
Old enough to babysit?
mlbroberts12 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Hal thinks he is when both his father and Nanny have things to do one evening, but the Professor is doubtful - Hal is only 12 1/2 and the Professor wants to wait until he is 14, but the Professor's date has hired his usual babysitter to sit her own kids, and the replacement sent by the agency is older than Hal but only in years. The Professor reluctantly lets Hal do the sitting but when he calls home and no one answers, he freaks out and runs home to find everyone gone. Panicking, he's calling the police when they return to tell him they were just trying to get a neighbor girl out of a tree. Thankful that his family hasn't given him a heart attack, the Professor learns that Hal is mature enough and responsible enough to babysit.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
