Name: Too Close for Comfort
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 5.6
Cast: Ted Knight, Nancy Dussault, Jim J. Bullock, Pat Carroll, Lisa Antille

Ted Knight

Nancy Dussault

Jim J. Bullock

Pat Carroll

Lisa Antille

Deborah Van Valkenburgh

Lydia Cornell

Audrey Meadows

Deena Freeman

Cisse Cameron

Brian Cooke

Too Close for Comfort is an American television sitcom which ran on the ABC network from November 11, 1980 until May 5, 1983, and in first-run syndication from April 7, 1984 until September 27, 1986. It was modeled after the British series Keep It in the Family, which premiered nine months before Too Close for Comfort debuted in the U.S. Its name was changed to The Ted Knight Show when the show was retooled for its final season.

Too Close for Comfort

Henry and Muriel Rush are the owners of a duplex in San Francisco, where they live with their two adult daughters: 21-year-old banker Jackie and 18-year-old college freshman Sara, in a cramped, awkward arrangement. Henry is a cartoonist of a comic strip called Cosmic Cow, while Muriel is a former musician currently working as a photographer. When Henry and Muriel's downstairs tenant, Myron Rafkin, suddenly dies, the family discovers Rafkin was living a secret life as a transvestite, and the many mysterious women Henry had been opening the door for all those years were actually Rafkin himself. Sara comes up with the idea for her and Jackie to convince their parents to let them to move into Rafkin's former apartment. Henry rejects the idea at first, but after Henry interviews a couple of prospective tenants he doesn't approve of, Muriel convinces him that having the girls move in may not be such a bad idea.

Pilot

With Sara and Jackie living downstairs, Henry has become a snoop-aholic.  Sara asks for permission to go to Lake Tahoe for the weekend, leaving behind birth control pills that Henry assumes is hers and Jackie lets her navy boyfriend spend the night, causing Henry to hit the roof.

It Didn't Happen One Night

Jackie, who works at a bank, tries to make a money delivery to a supermarket, but finds it closed.  After calling her boss, she finds herself in charge of a bag with $100,000 in it.  Meanwhile, Muriel and Henry are convinced that the ex-convict plumbers are going to rip them off, but soon Jackie's bag of money enters the fray.

The Bag Lady

Sara befriends Monroe Ficus, a recently dumped young man, who quickly follows her all over the place even following her home. Meanwhile, Henry and Muriel plan on celebrating their anniversary but just before heading out for the evening they get a phone call from Sara and Monroe with news that they have been arrested.

Sara's Monroe Doctrine

Jackie and Sara have split the cost of rent but when Sara is unable to pay her half, Henry tells her to go out and get a job. Sara easily gets a job as a waitress, but Henry is in no way thrilled with the skimpy costume that she has to wear. This leads to a blow up between Henry and Muriel leading her to move in with Jackie and Sara.

Que Sara, Sara

The furniture of the previous tenant, Rafkin, has become Jackie and Sara's but when his sister shows up to claim his belongings, they find themselves in an unfurnished apartment. When Henry refuses to pay for new furniture, the girls decide to move out and into an unsafe part of town.

Tenants Anyone?

When Sara gets a part-time job at Jackie's bank, things go smoothly. Jackie quickly warns her of the branch manager, Mr. Wolfe, and his "friendliness" toward the women tellers. However, Jackie quickly finds herself changing her mind about Sara, when Sara begins dating him and then suddenly gets a promotion.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolfe?

Henry is worried about his job when the new mystery loving boss, Arthur Wainwright, takes over and begins a steady practice of age discrimination. However, things may swing his way, when Muriel invites Arthur over for dinner which quickly embroils him in a quest to find the man who had snatched Sara's purse.

Mister Big

Sara and Monroe are ecstatic when a movie director decides Jackie and Sara's apartment would be perfect to film a movie. However, Henry and Muriel are totally unsure of the situation. Things get out of hand when a lion, being used for the film, gets loose and takes up residence in Henry and Muriel's kitchen.

The Location

Monroe has been struggling with the fact he is still a virgin and seeks out a psychologist for help. The psychologist suggests that Monroe hire a sex surrogate to solve his problem, but unfortunate circumstances cause Monroe to mistake Mrs. Rafkin for the surrogate, and the surrogate to mistake Henry for Monroe.

A Friend in Need

Sylvia Walker, an old college friend and recently divorced friend of Muriel's arrives in town for a visit and decides to make the most of the rest of her life. Meanwhile, Henry becomes insecure about his age after glancing over the obituaries and thinks he may be on death's doorstep soon. However, things turn around for him, when Sylvia makes a play for him.

A Fine Romance

Rich Holland, a man who took Muriel on the road with a band when she was young arrives in town looking just as young as ever. Henry soon feels old and becomes insecure, however, Muriel also becomes insecure when Rich takes an interest in Jackie.

The Boy in the Band

Henry is not happy with the fact that he has been called in for jury duty. However, things get pressed when Henry's boss, Mr. Wainwright, wanting to avoid any problems associated with a possible strike, orders Henry to cough up next week's comic strip. This forces Henry to stay up all night and leads to him falling asleep in court the next day.

Deadline for Henry

Henry's father, Huey breaks out of the nursing home, or rather is thrown out when he has a romantic interlude with another resident. He arrives in San Francisco to stay with Henry but soon his presence sends the household into an uproar. Meanwhile, Jackie debates over whether or not to accept a job offer in New York.

Huey

A football player, Buck Krulik, is in town and a fan of Henry's Cosmic Cow comic strip, so he comes by for a visit and has Jackie, Sara and Muriel fawn all over him.  After admiring some of her photography, Buck remember her when a nude centerfold photo shoot goes awry and he calls her in to take over.  However, she may not be quite ready for a male nude spread despite, Henry forbidding her.

Centerfold

A woman arrives at Sara and Jackie's door accusing Sara of dating her husband. However, the woman has the wrong Rush daughter, Jackie is the one and doesn't see anything wrong with it since they are separated. Still, she begins to feel her relationship coming to an end and quick.

What's Wrong with Mr. Right?

Out of pity, Henry reluctantly allows Monroe to crash on his couch for Easter week when Monroe's parents decide they don't want him to visit them in Miami. Henry soon regrets his generosity when he learns that Monroe has ruined his unpublished Cosmic Cow drawings, and in turn his own planned vacation.

Up Your Easter Bonnet

Henry is fired by Mr. Wainwright when he refuses to publish an apology for his recent Cosmic Cow comic strips that poke fun at President Reagan. Rather than face the indignity of taking unemployment compensation, he makes the regrettable decision to pursue his passion for painting and lets Muriel accept an offer for a full time job she doesn't really want.

Cosmic Cow vs. the Oval Office

Sara arranges for a medium to conduct a séance to connect Mildred Rafkin with her deceased brother in an attempt to find a missing antique broach. However, an accusation leveled by Rafkin's "spirit" threatens to split up Henry and Muriel, when the voice of the Rushes' late tenant accuses Henry of marital infidelity.

The Return of Rafkin

A doctor informs Muriel that she's pregnant after she faints at a restaurant while celebrating her 42nd birthday with her family. While she and Henry are initially elated, they find themselves faced with a serious decision as they begin to realize all of the implications of having another child at this point of their lives.

Guess Who's Coming to Burp?

Henry's free-spirited niece, April, shows up on his doorstep after moving from Delaware to start a song writing career, and he reluctantly allows her to stay in the guest bedroom of his apartment until she's able to get established. However, their relationship starts off on the wrong foot, and Henry hopes it isn't too late when he finally figures out why.

Your Guest is As Good As Mine

Muriel and Henry read a newspaper article about a nurse who had switched babies in the maternity ward of the hospital that Sara had been delivered at. They quickly set out to find if indeed Sara had been switched at birth. However, they aren't too pleased when they discover the only other baby girl in the maternity ward is now serving time in prison.

Who's Sara Now?

Jackie openly dreads a visit from an annoying, nerdy guy who had a crush on her when she was a kid. However, when Sara is the first to discover his physical appearance has changed completely and starts dating him, Jackie becomes extremely jealous and vindictive.

The Prince and the Frog

Muriel goes in for an amniocentesis, but she and Henry decline to learn the sex of the baby. This doesn't sit well with Henry's mischievous father Huey, who is in town to bury his deceased friend. In the meantime, Jackie makes an unexpected decision after taking part in a successful strike at her bank.

What's Our Rush?

An older man dressed like a bum shows up at the Rushes' doorstep looking for the transvestite persona of Rafkin, their deceased former tenant, because they always got together for Thanksgiving dinner. Feeling bad for him for several obvious reasons, they invite him to join their own disastrous get together, and later find out that he too has a big secret that involves his appearance.

Rafkin's Bum

Hearing a story about a man who died intestate causes Henry to have a terrible nightmare, which compels him to finally make out his will. However, he soon regrets his decision to follow Monroe's advice to do it on videotape in the presence of his family.

Where There's a Will

Monroe enrolls in an assertiveness class on the advice of the Rush girls after being pushed around at a concert, but the class proves to work a little too well. Meanwhile, one of Henry's colleagues suggests Henry demand a raise from Mr. Wainwright.

The Remaking of Monroe

Muriel unwisely commits herself to do a coveted helicopter photo shoot, which Henry demands she cancel due to her pregnancy. The back and forth fighting cause a big headache for the girls, who are forced to change their minds several times whether to cancel an elaborate surprise 25th anniversary party they had previously scheduled.

When the Bough Breaks

Jackie falls madly in love with a police officer who responds to a false burglary report at the apartment due to April sneaking in late one night after getting stuck on Alcatraz with her boyfriend. She immediately accepts his marriage proposal after just a few dates, refusing her parents' plea to consider the difficulties of being a police wife.

Cop-Out

Henry is going up the wall with April keeping such late hours, spending time with her latest boyfriend. However, Henry and Muriel are in for a shock when they discover her boyfriend, Don is old enough to be her father. Henry puts his foot down and that's when Don asks April to move in with him, which she gladly accepts.

April and September

A fan of Henry's Cosmic Cow comic strip who has been sending him increasingly bizarre fan mail breaks into the apartment one night through the unlocked front door, kidnapping his puppet and vowing in a note to return before the end of the weekend. Interpreting the note as a threat on his life, Henry and Monroe set up a stakeout at the apartment with the help of a police officer, who abruptly leaves them to fend for themselves when he is called away.

A Fan for Henry

April secretly arranges for her father Bill to meet face to face with his brother Henry, so they can attempt to reconcile after a petty childhood dispute caused them to stop speaking forty years ago. The effort may be for naught, however, when Bill eats a piece of cheesecake baked by Monroe, who did not realize it was an old Russian recipe for homemade poisoned rat bait.

Brotherly Hate

Henry is contacted by a rival cartoonist who has perpetrated several practical jokes on him over the years, and Henry schemes with Monroe to pay him back during a dinner visit. However, when Henry is unable to stop the prank after the man claims he is dying, Henry feels obligated to assist him in an elaborate plan to cheat on his wife.

Charlie's Last Hurrah

Upon realizing the birth of his third child is only six weeks away, Henry feels a sense of guilt for not spending enough time with his two daughters. He decides to invite them on a weekend ski trip, but the experience doesn't turn out quite the way he envisioned when the girls meet a couple of brothers and he discovers that Monroe packed the wrong suitcase in the car.

The Last Weekend

Muriel secretly asks her mother Iris stay with her until she recovers from childbirth, much to the chagrin of Henry, who has always found her to be overbearing. When Muriel unexpectedly takes a stand against her mother's nonstop criticism, it's up to Henry to straighten out the mess, and he learns a big secret about Muriel in the process.

My Unfavorite Martin

Henry's generous offer to arrange a job interview for an attractive art student backfires when she begins showing affection for him, which puts him in the doghouse with an increasingly insecure Muriel and causes him to panic when Monroe tells him that she tried to jump out a window after her last break up. Henry and Muriel also host a Lamaze class in their apartment, which turns out to be a bad idea.

Seventh Month Blues

Just before heading off on a Las Vegas vacation, Henry reluctantly lends $100 to Sara, April, and Monroe so they can start a business selling home-baked cookies using Grandma Rush's recipe. However, a promising and profitable start quickly turns into a disaster that includes a trashed kitchen, hefty fines, a potential lawsuit, and a visit from the immigration service.

As the Cookie Crumbles

In order to reduce the cost of a trip to Europe, Jackie and Sara swap apartments with an English couple who wants to visit America. Henry's misgivings are confirmed when he accidentally opens a piece of their luggage that contains a high powered rifle, and concludes they are on a mission to assassinate a Russian ambassador.

Foreign Exchange

Henry refuses to accept Sara's decision to drop out of college to become the weather announcer on a local television station, which causes her to announce that she's moving out in protest. Meanwhile, Monroe's clumsy method of wallpapering the baby's nursery has an unexpected outcome, and a wealthy family friend brings the Rushes a much appreciated gift.

A Matter of Degree

Jackie's boyfriend Brad has recovered from his gunshot wound and decides he can't work a desk job, which causes him to reconsider the appropriateness of a long term relationship with her. Meanwhile, the Rushes' furnace goes out, and Monroe's desire to help only increases Henry's agony.

A Policeman's Wife is Not a Happy One

April's father sends her his baby grand piano, and she takes up Monroe's offer to move it into the apartment with the help of a large friend for $20. This proves to be a big mistake when everyone gets trapped in the apartment just as Muriel begins feeling labor pains and Henry's just-married friend becomes desperate to be reunited with his bride.

Don't Shoot the Piano Movers

After several false alarms, Muriel finally goes into labor while Henry is at work.

Break Out the Pampers (1)

Henry makes it to the hospital in time for Muriel to give birth.

Break Out the Pampers (2)

Henry threatens to move out when Muriel's mother says she's moving in.

Guess Who's Coming Forever?

Henry has intimacy issues with Muriel after the baby is born.

A Snip in Time

The Luck of the Iris

Muriel wants to renew their vows for their anniversary in a small get-together that soon balloons out of control.

Do You Take This Woman Again?

While Muriel was taking portraits of babies, Andrew is accidently taken by a confused grandmother leaving her grandson behind.

Who Was That Baby I Saw You With?

Henry gives Monroe advice on how to land a woman (or so he thinks) who refuses to go out with him.

Monroe's Secret Love's Secret

Iris is feeling depressed. When she doesn't show up at the Rush's everyone is worried.

A Thanksgiving Tale

Henry has to get a physical for a life insurance policy.

Pressure's Rising

Jackie invites a sweet old Santa home for Christmas, which prompts Henry to think the worst of him.

Mr. Christmas

Muriel's famous old singing partner comes for a visit prompting Muriel to wonder "what if" she never stopped performing.

The Yearning Point

Iris falls in love with a man who she believes is highly successful.

Briefly at the Counter

The Rushs are robbed after Sara lets the burglers into the apartment. Henry decides to get a gun.

To Buy or Not to Buy

Jackie has an argument with her fiance over her working after they're married which prompts Henry, Muriel, and Iris to separately recount an incident that nearly broke up the Rush couple.

The Seperation

Sara is upset that Henry only supports and celebrates Jackie's accomplishments so she poses for a men's magazine.

Girls of the Media

An attractive messenger, after being out all night, passes out in the Rush's bedroom leaving Henry and Monroe to think fast on how to get her out of the house before Muriel gets home.

The Courier

Iris' gift of a trip to Paris backfires when Muriel needs a passport and her birth certificate reveals she was adopted.

The Adoption Story

Andrew's hungry and his nursing mother is at work, so Henry takes the baby to the photo session.

Out to Lunch

Henry is upset with Monroe after he accidentally damages the living room wall while hanging a self-portrait of Henry. He chases Monroe out the door, causing him to fall down a flight of stairs. While Monroe is sent to the hospital, Henry is racked with guilt after his conscience starts speaking to him through the portrait.

A Portrait of Henry

Henry is shocked to find his friend is marrying a much younger woman.

Don't Rock the Boat

After Iris gets mugged, the Rushes decide to add on a room for her. Unfortunately, the male workers hired are young and inept, as Henry informs their mother who runs the business. She hires a female foreman, much to the boys' surprise.

Family Business

The Rushes rent their newly built apartment to Monroe

The Enemy Above

Jackie is envious of Sara's many dates, so she decides to get breast implants to make herself more attractive.

Making Mountains Out of Molehills

Sara auditions for an anchor position at the station and thinks she's a shoo-in next to her plain Jane competition.

Just Another Pretty Face

The Rush's home is scheduled for demolition by the city in order to build a new subway station

Home Is Where the Bart Is

High Infidelity

Henry's father visits to ask if he will be his best man at his upcoming wedding. The happy news is dampened by Henry's suspicions of his father's much younger fiancée.

Son of the Groom

Henry witnesses a robbery and works with the police to identify the suspect. The suspect then threatens Henry not to testify.

Witness for the Persecution

Henry suffers from a case of writer's block. Surprisingly, Mrs. Rafkin ends up being extremely helpful.

Henry Draws a Blank

Henry runs into his cantankerous former Navy commander who is now a doorman. Despite their antagonizing relationship, Henry invites him to dinner as a way of burying the hatchet. His significant other throws Henry for a loop.

Shipmates

Henry's cartoonist friend suggests donating his early work to a college with the hopes of being awarded an honorary doctorate - and a guaranteed tax break.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

Henry eagerly sets Sara up with a major league baseball star. Sara begrudgingly agrees to one date but ends up falling for him. Henry's enthusiasm quickly wanes after he finds out about the star's past drug use and worries it may not be in the past.

High and Inside

Monroe asks if a friend could spend a week with him, but neglects to tell Henry the friend is female and a runaway. When Henry runs into her in the middle of the night, the jig is up.

The Runaway

As Monroe nears graduation, he is having a hard time finding a job. Monroe twists Henry's concern into an assistant's position.

The Graduates

Monroe gets a computer and wins big in the stock market and horse racing thanks to computer tips. Soon after, Henry wants in on the action.

Goodbye, Mr. Chip

Henry almost misses an important meeting with his boss because the guard dog Monroe agrees to watch overnight, traps him in the kitchen.

No Patsy, This Kelly

Jackie and Sara return from a Hawaiian vacation with their grandmother Iris. Jackie fell in love with her surfing instructor and plans to marry him. Henry is opposed to the union until he finds out that he's not just a beach bum.

Hawaii Five-8

After Henry breaks his arm, his boss sends a young artist to help keep up with his deadlines. The young artist is cocky, abrasive, and very good which upsets Henry.

Quick on the Draw

After Muriel's camera is stolen at a gallery opening, her attempts at retrieving it lead Henry to think she's having an affair.

The Missing Fink

Muriel's biological mother writes asking to meet. Despite being angry and bitter, Jackie and Sara convince Muriel to meet her.

The Sound of Mother

Iris visits in order to meet up with the Lothario who broke her heart. He lures her there with the premise to ask her "a very important question.

The Return of Mr. Wonderful

Muriel's best friend, Sylvia, is recently divorced and enjoying every minute of her new life and loves. Muriel is envious of her freedom and decides to start working again to gain a little of her own. Her new male client is very complimentary and throws her for a loop.

Divorce Chicago Style

Jackie considers a move to Dallas to find a job in fashion. That is, until she meets Sara's date and they hit it off. Sara and Jackie's relationship is tested.

Cinderella Update

Henry considers taking a job in New York City when a new, younger executive takes over at Wainwright Publishing.

Henry Bites the Big Apple

Henry decides to work at a downtown office, due to life at home getting crazier, but it turns out there were more distractions downtown than he bargained for.

Drawing Room

After his father's death, Henry decides it's time to plan his own funeral. He soon starts to examine his life decisions.

Nearly Departed

Andrew might be a genius and is recruited by a school for gifted children.

My Son, the PhD

Budgets are tight throughout the Rush household. Henry coaches Monroe to ask for a raise at work, but the coaching backfires and Monroe is fired. Henry works overtime to find Monroe a new job.

All in a Day's Unemployment

The Rushes' friend Paul pretends to be a member of their family to impress his long-lost son.

Devereaux & Son

Jackie drops a bomb on Henry and Muriel when she announces that she wants to become a single mother.

And Baby Makes Two

Henry and Muriel end up in counseling thanks to the strain of helping another couple settle a squabble.

Reconcilable Differences

Muriel considers cosmetic surgery to revive Henry's interest in her.

The Two Faces of Muriel

The Rushes hire an illegal housekeeper with good looks, minimal English, and an urge to become a naturalized citizen.

Too Close for Comfort

Starring

Created By

Genre

Release Date

User Reviews

Stats

Cast & Crew

Available On (US)