Michael Landon

 

 

 

 

 

Father Murphy

 

 

 

Season 1 Episodes

 

 

This page is a work in progress

 

# of Episodes

 

S1 Episode #

 

Original Air Date

 

Episode Information

 

1

 

 

1.01

 

 

November 3, 1981

 

 

Father Murphy (2 hrs)


Written by: Michael Landon

Directed by: Michael Landon

 

Summary:  John Michael Murphy (Merlin Olsen), his partner, Moses Gage (Moses Gunn), and a school teacher join forces at a Dakota Territory gold claim to fight a brutal tycoon.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: # 30

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

2

 

 

1.02

 

 

November 10, 1981

 

 

Eggs, Milk and a Dry Bed


Written by: Michael Landon

Directed by: Michael Landon

 

Summary: A newly ordained priest assigned to the Gold Hill orphanage is outraged to learn that Murphy has been pretending to be a clergyman.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [# 47]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

3

 

 

1.03

 

 

November 17, 1981

 

 

Establish Thou the Work of Our Hands


Written by: Paul W. Cooper

Directed by: Leo Penn

 

Summary: Murphy reluctantly accepts custody of a hate-filled black teenager, who proceeds to humiliate Moses Gage and reject  all attempts to teach him a useful trade.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: # 33

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

4

 

 

1.04

 

 

November 24, 1981

 

 

Horse from Heaven


Written by:

Directed by:

 

Summary: The financial future of the Gold Hill orphanage is in the hands of a mentally slow orphan, who is the only one who can ride a foul-tempered horse in Jackson's annual race.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: # 41

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

5

 

 

1.05

 

 

December 1, 1981

 

 

By the Bear That Bit Me (Part 1)


Written by: Ron Bishop, Steve Hayes & Michael Landon

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary: An elderly mountain man leaves a child he has cared for since she was abandoned as a baby at the orphanage.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [# 30]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

6

 

 

1.06

 

 

December 8, 1981

 

 

By the Bear That Bit Me (Part 2)


Written by: Ron Bishop, Steve Hayes & Michael Landon

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary: Father Murphy has to go it alone when he tries to get four orphans out of a brutal workhouse, and later learns why the elderly mountain man abandoned a little girl at the Gold Hill orphanage.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: # 21

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

7

 

 

1.07

 

 

December 15, 1981

 

 

False Blessings


Written by: Vince R. Gutierrez

Directed by: Leo Penn

 

Summary: Teacher Mae Woodward (Katherine Cannon) accepts an offer of state aid for the financially troubled school only to learn that it means that Murphy and Gage must leave the premises and the children will be put to work.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: # 37

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

8

 

 

1.08

 

 

December 22, 1981

 

 

The Ghost of Gold Hill


Written by: John T. Dugan

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary: The eccentric son of the original owner of the Gold Hill mine returns to lay claim to the land.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

9

 

 

1.09

 

 

January 5, 1982

 

 

Graduation


Written by: Peter Dixon

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary: An elderly, illiterate drifter claims he is an orphan because his parents are dead and insists on being admitted to the Gold Hill school.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: # 36

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

10

 

 

1.10

 

 

January 12, 1982

 

 

Will's Surprise


Written by: Chris Abbott

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary:  Young Will's discovery of a small gold nugget brings him serious trouble when his drunken father locks him in a root cellar to force Will to tell him the location of his treasure and no one knows the boy's whereabouts.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

11

 

 

 

1.11

 

 

January 19, 1982

 

 

Eighty-Eight Keys to Happiness


Written by: George Atkins

Directed by: Victor French

 

Summary: Moses, temporarily left in charge of the school, is conned into turning it into a part-time gambling den.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

12

 

 

1.12

 

 

February 2, 1982

 

 

Knights of the White Camelia


Written by: Don Balluck

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary:

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

13

 

 

1.13

 

 

February 9, 1982

 

 

The Parable of Amanda


Written by: Paul W. Cooper

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary: Following a stagecoach wreck near the orphanage, a pretty bank robbery accomplice dons the habit of a deceased nun and offers to help Murphy with the children.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

14

 

 

1.14

 

 

February 16, 1982

 

 

The Spy


Written by: Michael Landon

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary:

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

15

 

 

1.15

 

 

February 23, 1982

 

 

The Heir Apparent


Written by: Michael Landon

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary: Young Will is confused when Murphy encourages him to accept an offer of adoption from a wealthy widow.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: # 26 (Tie)

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

16

 

 

1.16

 

 

March 2, 1982

 

 

In God's Arms


Written by: Paul W. Cooper

Directed by: William F. Claxton

 

Summary:

 

Weekly TV Ranking: # 35

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

17

 

 

1.17

 

 

March 14, 1982

 

 

The Dream Day


Written by: Michael Landon

Directed by: Maury Dexter

 

Summary: The Gold Hill school holds an open house for prospective adoptive parents.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

18

 

 

1.18

 

 

March 21, 1982

 

Laddie


Written by:

Directed by:

 

Summary: When rustlers steal the orphans' favorite horse, the children plan a daring escape for the animal.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: # 64

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

19

 

 

1.19

 

 

March 28, 1982

 

 

Matthew and Elizabeth


Written by:

Directed by:

 

Summary:

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

20

 

 

1.20

 

 

April 4, 1982

 

 

The First Miracle (Part 1)


Written by:

Directed by:

 

Summary: Spurned by John Michael Murphy, a young girl reveals the truth about 'Father' Murphy to authorities.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

21

 

 

1.21

 

 

April 11, 1982

 

 

The First Miracle (Part 2)


Written by:

Directed by:

 

Summary: John Michael Murphy and Mae Woodward get married.

 

Weekly TV Ranking: [__]

Nielsen Ratings Share: [____]

 

 

 

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