Alice: The Complete Series

Linda Lavin stars as Alice Hyatta, newly widowed mother, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and works as a waitress, determined to make it on her own and somehow manage to keep smiling.

When Mel (Vic Tayback) decides to go fishing with an old college buddy who turns out to be a handsome football player, Alice (Linda Lavin) decides it's time to get back in the game of love.

Alice Hyatt (Linda Lavin) is surprised to learn that her husband had purchased a life insurance policy before his death and shocked when she finds out that the beneficiary is another woman!

Alice (Linda Lavin) makes quite an impression after a one-night singing engagement in a local nightclub.

Alice Hyatt (Linda Lavin) is plagued by obscene phone calls and reluctantly becomes a pistol-packing mama.

While Mel is on vacation, Alice (Linda Lavin) takes charge of the diner and almost succeeds in burying the business.

The time has come for Tommy (Philip McKeon) to learn the facts of life, and although Alice (Linda Lavin) knows the facts, she can't find the words.

When Alice (Linda Lavin) tries to help Flo (Polly Holliday) capture the man of her dreams, the result is a hilarious nightmare of good and bad intentions.

Alice (Linda Lavin) and Flo (Polly Holliday) come to the rescue when Vera (Beth Howland) decides life isn't worth living.

When Alice (Linda Lavin) receives a proposal of marriage, Flo (Polly Holliday) tries to convince her friend that the only bed of roses in marriage is the one in your garden.

Alice (Linda Lavin) is torn between letting her son be "one of the boys" and compromising her principles.

Alice (Linda Lavin) discovers that her mother-in-law's (Eileen Heckart) idea of a "short visit" is 20 or 30 years.

Alice (Linda Lavin) sends for reinforcements when she is unable to move her "live-in" mother-in-law.

Everyone believes it's wedding bells for Vera and the local mortician. Everyone, that is, except Alice, who thinks there's something strange about Vera's new beau.

Alice (Linda Lavin) is caught in the middle when Mel (Vic Tayback) falls in love--three times in one week!

No one is hurt when Flo (Polly Holliday) demolishes Mel's (Vic Tayback) car in a freak accident--at least not until Mel finds out!

Alice catches a gypsy stealing silverware, and has a string of bad luck after the woman curses her.

When Alice's (Linda Lavin) quick thinking prevents a bank robbery, Mel's (Vic Tayback) diner becomes the target for the inept, would-be bandit.

Alice owes the government $2,000 according to a Alice (Linda Lavin) meets an IRS agent who wants more in return than back taxes.

When Alice (Linda Lavin) and Flo (Polly Holliday) temporarily become roommates, they hilariously overturn the adage, opposites attract.

Alice and Flo (Linda Lavin and Polly Holliday) come to the aid of Vera's (Beth Howland) love life and send her off on a dangerous liaison.

When Alice (Linda Lavin) can't convince Mel (Vic Tayback) that charity should begin at home, she resorts to burglary to correct an innocent mistake.

Everyone tries to convince Alice (Linda Lavin) that "finders keepers, losers weepers" is their motto when Flo (Polly Holliday) find $40,000 under a chair in the diner.

When Alice Hyatt (Linda Lavin) is given the opportunity to star in a television commercial for Mel's Diner, her gold opportunity quickly turns to brass.

Alice is flashed outside Mel's Diner and Flo faces a handsome ex-husband who wants to get a divorce -- again.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and the gang at Mel's Diner meet an old Indian who claims the diner has been built on his ancestral burial grounds and who has returned there to die. Vera (BETH HOWLAND) dates a man who makes her forget Clint Eastwood.

Labor relations become severely strained at Mel's Diner when he hires a man to work as a waiter -- at more money than he's paying Alice, Flo and Vera (LINDA LAVIN, POLLY HOLLIDAY and BETH ROWLAND) -- so the girls quit and leave Mel high and dry.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) is moonlighting as a singer while Mel (VIC TAYBACK) is irate at her tardiness caused by lack of sleep.

Alice, Flo and Vera (LINDA LAVIN, POLLY HOLLIDAY and BETH HOWLAND) go to a new singles' bar in hopes of meetingMr. Wonderful, who turns out to be a rat.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and the gang at the diner discover that one of their regular customers may be a notorious gangster and fugitive for the last 30 years -- who is now wanted by the FBI as a witness.

At Alice's (LINDA LAVIN) for a brunch, Mel (VIC TAYBACK) injures his back and has to stay there for two weeks, so the girls bring his poker game to him -- with hilarious results.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) finds herself in the middle of a miracle as Flo and Mel (POLLY HOLLIDAY and VIC TAYBACK) find themselves romantically attracted to each other.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) ruins everyone's holiday -- until he thinks of a unique scheme to provide Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and the others a white Christmas. The problem istheir truck gets stuck in a snowstorm.

Vera (BETH ROWLAND) believes that God is visiting Mel's Diner when George Burns drops in. She has seen his movie, "OhGod!", three times and her faith is unshakable; until Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) intervenes as only Flo can.

Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) causes chaos at the diner with her failing eyesight, and then causes almost as much of a stir when she gets -- and loses -- her contact lens.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) must delicately rebuff the romantic advances of basketball star Stretch Parker (BRAD GORMAN) -- a high-school senior.

Alice's (LINDA LAVIN) course in psychology causes a lot of friction in the diner, but with a happy ending.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and the gang at Mel's Diner are shocked when a young man voices his protest over food additives.

Flo's (POLLY HOLLIDAY) rodeo-riding brother, Jimmy Joe (BURTON GILLIAM), has his heart set on marrying Alice (LINDA LAVIN), all to the distress of his horse, Beatrice, who becomes emotionally upset at the wedding plans.

An investigative reporter fears for his life and ducks into Mel's Diner.

Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) gets swept off her feet and almost into a Middle Eastern potentate's harem.

Desi Arnaz guests as a famous philandering fashion photographer whose marriage is in trouble.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) is celebrating his fiftieth birthday and is expecting a surprise party. When it seems it is not going to happen, he is disappointed; but Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and the gang finally get him, and the party becomes aroast.

The waitresses spend a holiday weekend locked up with Mel in the diner's storeroom.

Singing star Jerry Reed comes to Mel's Diner with some concert tickets and gets stuck there.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) wins a contract as a meal stop for a bus line. All goes well until the driver and the bus disappear.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) tells Alice, Flo, and Vera (LINDA LAVIN, POLLY HOLLIDAY and BETH ROWLAND) he must fire one of them to cut overhead.

An earthquake shakes up Mel's Diner, but the girls recover quickly when a surprise savings account is disclosed.

Alice's son, Tommy (PHILIP McKEON), is becoming a behavior problem at home. Mel (VIC TAYBACK) thinks he can raise him but finds their lifestyles collide, with a bang.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) sells his old car to the girls, but the, "car wars" break out when Jason (PATRICK CRONIN) makes a higher offer.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) witnesses a robbery and thinks the thief is after him.

Vera (BETH HOWLAND) has a boyfriend (ALAN HAUFRECT) and Alice (LINDA LAVIN), Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) and Mel (VIC TAYBACK) can't wait to meet him.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) almost loses the diner in a bet, so Alice (LINDA LAVIN), Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) and Vera (BETH HOWLAND) all give up a bad habit to help Mel kick his.

When Vera (BETH HOWLAND) gets an invitation to a high school reunion, Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) decides it's time to get her diploma, but she can't stick to her studies long enough to pass.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) decides to open the diner on Saturday night, and the biggest customer is a gunman.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) feels glum -- he misses having a family -- so Alice (LINDA LAVIN) invites him to dinner, but Mel, misreading her intentions, all but moves in on her and Tommy (PHILIP McKEON).

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) has trouble with turkeys when he decides to open for Thanksgiving.

Mel fires Alice when she takes a job as a singing messenger to help finance Tommy's education.

Vera discovers that she has ESP, and no one believes her--until she successfully predicts five events, including a long-shot horse for Mel. But when she sees Mel being shot by a stranger, she sends Mel and the diner into a panic.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) causes problems for Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) when she falls for his school principal (GARY COLLINS).

Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) winds up without a date for New Year's Eve so Mel (VIC TAYBACK) recruits her to work in the diner. When she blurts out over the telephone to a radio show that she's alone, she suddenly has more company than anyone could bargain for.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and her boyfriend (RON RIFKIN) are heroes when they offer Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) and Vera (BETH HOWLAND) tickets to the Charity Ball, but the friendships turn sour when there aren't enough tickets to go around.

When Mel's brother Al (CARMINE CARIDI), an old flame of Flo's (POLLY HOLLIDAY), shows up in Phoenix after his third divorce, a wedding is held in Mel's Diner.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) is beside herself with worry when Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) runs away from home but with Flo's (POLLY HOLLIDAY) help, Tommy realizes that his mother really isn't all bad.

Martha Raye plays Carrie Sharples, Mel's mother, who shows up as a surprise to visit with her son in Phoenix. Mel must face up to Carrie and remind her he's no longer her little boy.

Vera's (BETH HOWLAND) state of depression because of a broken heart is cured by her three friends and a young, attractive delivery boy.

Alice's (LINDA LAVIN) big break into show business is thwarted by a case of the hiccups.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) finds a buyer for the diner and retires, leaving Alice, Flo and Vera (LINDA LAVIN, POLLY HOLLIDAY and BETH HOWLAND) in the hands of an annoying perfectionist.

When all else fails to convince Randolph Briggs (HANS CONRIED) that he should sell Mel's Diner back to Mel (VIC TAYBACK), Alice (LINDA LAVIN) has an, "old friend," tough-talking mobster Sam Butler (a disguise she's used before), pay Briggs a visit.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) auditions for, "Cinderella" and falls in love with the 25-year-old director.

Vera's (BETH HOWLAND) attempt at show business fails, but she finds her waitress job at Mel's diner waiting for her.

Flo's father finds her after being absent for 30 years, and Flo's (POLLY HOLLIDAY) reception is not very warm.

Telly Savalas (HIMSELF) surprises everyone by walking into Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) Diner and causes a lot of excitement and havoc.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) introduces "SMILE" buttons in his diner to increase business and offers customers a free meal if the waitress forgets to smile. Meanwhile, Tommy's (PHILIP McKEON) enthusiasm over Alice's (LINDA LAVIN) new boyfriend (ROBERT HOGAN) almost scares him away.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) tries to save Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) "on-again-off-again" romance with Marie (VICTORIA CARROLL) but to no avail.

Vera (BETH HOWLAND) and Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) go to the movies together and before the evening is over Tommy has a crush on her.

Flo's (POLLY HOLLIDAY) romance turns sour when she refuses to give her new boyfriend Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) chili recipe.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) is in a state of shock when she finds out that her new beau is working his way through law school by posing in the nude for art classes.

Mel's mother (MARTHA RAYE) takes over the running of Mel's Diner when Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) bad back keeps him home in bed, and much to Mel's dismay, she doubles his business.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) is invited to prepare his famous chili on "The Dinah Shore Show," and the girls all want to go too.

Alice Flo and Vera retreat to a cabin for a weekend and are surprised by Mel and his date. A tornado warning almost ruins the weekend for all of them.

Vera (BETH HOWLAND) convinces Art Carney (HIMSELF) to endorse Mel's chili...until the profits are discussed and Mel (VIC TAYBACK) finds out he won't make any money.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) saves Christmas for all his friends when he turns into a real Santa Claus.

Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) tries to prove to her new boyfriend that she can drive a big semitrailer, but it turns out to be a disaster for Mel (VIC TAYBACK) and his diner.

When Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) admits on television that Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) is his favorite adult, Alice (LINDA LAVIN) wants to know why.

When Mel (VIC TAYBACK) installs a time clock in the diner, he learns that time is money.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) is almost a "no-show" at his mother's (MARTHA RAYE) wedding but has a change of heart at the last minute.

Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) saves the day for Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) when she outfits him with a tux for the Valentine's Day dance at his school.

Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) old Navy buddy (EDDIE BARTH) turns up at the diner after his wife (REVA ROSE) leaves him, and his visit turns into a nightmare for Alice (LINDA LAVIN), Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) and Vera (BETH HOWLAND).

Until her friends tearfully tell her to go, Flo (POLLY HOLLIDAY) has mixed emotions about accepting a fantastic job in another city.

When Belle's (DIANE LADD) big break as a songwriter falls through, she accepts a job in Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) Diner, much to the relief of the overworked Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and Vera (BETH HOWLAND).

Belle (DIANE LADD) decides to take over Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and Vera's (BETH HOWLAND) boyfriends and the running of the diner, but all her plans backfire.

Belle (DIANE LADD) turns Vera (BETH HOWLAND) into a sexpot only to find out that everyone loves the old Vera.

Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) financial troubles almost cost his waitresses a salary cut until Alice (LINDA LAVIN) comes up with a profit sharing plan.

Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) greed for business gets him into a very dangerous situation with a pretty girl (PAMELA MYERS) and her bodybuilding brother (REB BROWN).

Alice (LINDA LAVIN), dressed as a rabbit decides to check up on Tommy (PHILIP McKEON), who is spending his Easter vacation at Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) apartment, and feels a little stupid when she is caught by Tommy and Mel.

Mel (Vic Tayback) is $24.675 richer but, because of Alice (Linda Lavin), not for very long.

Mel (Vic Tayback) hires guard dogs to protect his diner, and everyone gets trapped there overnight.

Alice (Linda Lavin), Vera (Beth Howland) and Belle (Diane Ladd) are in a state of shock when Mel (Vic Tayback) tells them that he's gambled his life savings away, including the diner.

Mel (Vic Tayback) can win back his diner if he can figure out a way of getting Robert Goulet to perform at a run-down Vegas motel.

Mel (Vic Tayback) messes up Vera's (Beth Howland) plans to take off for Mexico with her free-spirited aunt (Mildred Natwick).

After Mel (Vic Tayback) teaches Tommy (Philip McKeon) how to fight, Tommy is thrown out of school.

After Mel (Vic Tayback) attends an old Navy buddy's funeral, he realizes that life is short. He decides to become a good guy, but not for long.

Because of Mel's (Vic Tayback) selfishness, Carrie's (Martha Raye) marriage is almost destroyed.

Alice (Linda Lavin) steps in to resolve things when Henry (Marvin Kaplan) thinks his wife, Chloe (Ruth Buzzi), is having an affair.

Belle (Diane Ladd) finds herself on the doorstep until Alice's (Linda Lavin), "Sam Butler" saves the day.

Vera (Beth Howland) chains herself to a tree to save it from being chopped down, but Mel (Vic Tayback) has other ideas.

Mel's (Vic Tayback) chance to meet Dolly Parton is almost ruined because of a fish.

When Vera (Beth Howland) buys a parrot for a pet, an annoyed Mel (Vic Tayback) decides the whole situation is for the birds.

When Tommy (Philip McKeon) takes a night job to save money for college, he is too tired to attend his first class. Alice (Linda Lavin) steps in and saves the day by taking his job.

Mel (Vic Tayback) is almost put out of business because of his mother (Martha Raye), but blood is still thicker than water.

When Mel (Vic Tayback) is mugged by a little old lady, he almost ends up in jail trying to prove his manhood.

When Jolene (Celia Weston), the partner of a cross-country truck driver, quits her job in Mel's Diner, she creates a crisis in the ladies' room but ends up with a job as the new waitress, despite Mel's (Vic Tayback) reservations.

Alice's (Linda Lavin) instant success as a substitute band singer leaves her with a big decision: go on the road with the band or stay in Phoenix?

When Mel (Vic Tayback) and Vera (Beth Howland) go on a date, the results are exactly what might be expected--disastrous.

Vera (Beth Howland) almost becomes an instant mother when she finds a baby in the laundromat.

A hot tip on a horse almost costs Mel (Vic Tayback) the diner, but Alice (Linda Lavin), Vera (Beth Howland) and Jolene (Celia Weston) come to the rescue.

Vera (Beth Howland) wants to leave her mark on the world by trying to break the world record for nonstop tap dancing.

When a towel boy for the Russian Ballet defects while on tour in Phoenix, Mel (Vic Tayback) and the girls offer him asylum.

Alice (Linda Lavin) takes her new boyfriend's four children trick-or-treating, but the trick is on Alice when she discovers she's brought home the wrong masked child.

Alice's nagging mother visits from New Jersey on the eve of Alice's 40th birthday and almost convinces Alice that her life in Phoenix is miserable.

Mel's shy cousin wants a date with Vera--but he listens to Mel's advice.

An old schoolmate of Vera's bounces a check at the diner.

When Mel (Vic Tayback) wills his possessions to his family of friends at the diner, everyone becomes ungrateful and starts squabbling over one another's gifts.

When Mel (Vic Tayback), the Scrooge, fires the girls for refusing to work Christmas Eve, he receives a visit from the ghost of his ex-partner, Jake (Jack Gilford).

Alice's spirit inspires a biker to recruit her as his, "old lady." Jay Leno guest stars.

At Mel (Vic Tayback) and Earl's (Dave Madden) urging, Tommy (Philip McKeon) disobeys Alice (Linda Lavin) and sneaks out to play in a championship basketball game.

When Tommy (Philip McKeon) dates Mel's (Vic Tayback) visiting niece after receiving some advice on women from Mel, both Alice (Linda Lavin) and Mel fear he will follow it.

When Vera (Beth Howland) becomes hooked on daytime soap operas and quits the diner to watch her favorite shows, Alice (Linda Lavin) must find a way to break her habit.

When Mel's mother, Carrie, announces she is publishing a cookbook with his chili recipe, Mel explodes. And as the chili battle heats up, Mel has Carrie and the girls thrown in jail. Edie McClurg guest stars.

It's Valentine's Day, and everyone in the diner is looking forward to spending the evening with their dates until they each have fights and break up, leaving them to spend Valentine's Day by themselves.

After reading a self-help book, Vera (Beth Howland) feels ready to prove she's responsible. But when Mel (Vic Tayback) leaves her in charge of the diner for a few minutes, all hell breaks loose.

When Alice's (Linda Lavin) best friend from high school pays a visit, Alice helps her overcome her shyness and boost her self-confidence.

When Jolene's (Celia Weston) one-time trucking partner, Burt (Robert Carnegie), shows up at the diner too tired to complete his haul, Jolene decides to finish the job, aided by Alice (Linda Lavin) and Vera (Beth Howland). They are on a treacherous, unpaved canyon road when they find out they are hauling dynamite.

When Mel (Vic Tayback) finds out he has a deviated septum and needs an operation to correct it, he must also decide if he wants a nose job.

When Tommy (Philip McKeon) wins a part in a play being directed by Alice's (Linda Lavin) old friend, Julia (Gail Strickland), he decides he's not attending college, but rather going to New York to become an actor.

Vera (Beth Howland) attends her class reunion in Boston and returns to Mel's Diner engaged to be married.

When Monty (George Wendt), a busboy Alice (Linda Lavin) and Vera (Beth Howland) met in Las Vegas, comes to Phoenix after breaking up with his fiance, he falls in love with Alice. When she rejects him, Monty threatens to jump off the roof of Mel's Diner.

After losing customers to a competitor who's giving away cash prizes, Mel (Vic Tayback) stages his own contest offering $3,000 to the winner. Mel thinks he has the game rigged, but when he finds out that's not so, he becomes frantic.

Mel's mother, Carrie (Martha Raye), buys the apartment building Mel (Vic Tayback) lives in and seeks a $50 rent increase. When Mel refuses to pay it, he finds himself evicted.

In her memoirs, a famous actress (Debbie Reynolds) writes that one of the best kisses she ever got was from someone named Mel back in her old neighborhood. Mel (Vic Tayback) thinks he's the one because he grew up in the same area.

Mel (Vic Tayback) bribes Jolene (Celia Weston) to pretend to be his girlfriend when he receives a surprise visit from an old school chum, and things get out of hand.

When Mel (Vic Tayback) and the girls suspect the diner may be the location of a buried treasure, they tear the place apart searching for the money.

Mel (Vic Tayback) wins at the track and is persuaded to invest his winnings in a musical in which Alice (Linda Lavin) is starring. Mel, now producer of the show, decides to fire Joel Grey (Himself) and hire his bookie (Tom Williams) as the male lead.

Mel (Vic Tayback), now producer of the musical Alice (Linda Lavin) is featured in, changes the entire show. On opening night, when the audience begins to walk out, only Joel Grey (Himself) can save the show.

Alice's mother (Doris Roberts) pays a visit on Thanksgiving and drives Alice (Linda Lavin) crazy when she starts running her life. Alice is further upset when her mother announces she's selling her house in New Jersey and moving in with Alice.

Mel's (Vic Tayback) mother, Carrie (Martha Raye), pays a visit to the diner after getting a "quickie" Mexican divorce. On the rebound, she falls for Earl (Dave Madden) and becomes the cheerleader for his high school basketball team.

When her brother Jonas (Guich Koock) pays a visit and sells Mel (Vic Tayback) a worm ranch, Jolene thinks her brother is pulling another one of his cons.

Mel's diner is the "hot" place to go after Alice (Linda Lavin) sees a UFO.

When Vera (Beth Howland) pursues her dream of playing cello with a string quartet, the results could set musicianship back decades.

Alice's (Linda Lavin) compassionate nature is put to the test when she, Vera (Beth Howland) and Jolene (Celia Weston) compete on a local television game show.

Tommy (Philip McKeon) joins a college friend in a round of partying that eventually puts them on the wrong side of the law.

Jolene (Celia Weston) can't bring herself to hurt the feelings of the muscle-bound night watchman (Tony Longo) who saves her life and now considers her his girl.

Mel's (Vic Tayback) dream of owning a Porsche comes true but turns into a nightmare when the car is stolen, and Mel becomes a broken man.

Under pressure from everyone including his mother (Martha Raye), Mel (Vic Tayback) goes into a funk and refuses to leave his apartment.

When a fire sweeps through her landlady's apartment, Vera (Beth Howland) is sure it's all her fault.

When Mel gets a job offer he can't refuse, he sells the diner to the girls, then finds he hates his new job.

Tommy (Philip McKeon) is ready to quit the basketball team and forfeit his college scholarship, until a talk with a professional basketball player Meadowlark Lemon changes his mind.

When Mel (Vic Tayback) decides to have his waitresses bonded, Vera (Beth Howland) confesses her criminal past and flees.

Mel (Vic Tayback) enlists the aid of his cousin Wendell (David Rounds), who becomes "Wendy," to help crush a competitor.

Mel (Vic Tayback) is persuaded to install a computer to handle his bookkeeping, and he is wiped out financially overnight.

Tommy (Philip McKeon) learns there's more to marketing than charts and graphs when Mel (Vic Tayback), following Tommy's advice to "cut back," almost fires Alice (Linda Lavin).

Vera (Beth Howland) teaches Jolene (Celia Weston) a self-defense technique that proves valuable when a cat burglar is on the prowl in her neighborhood.

Hazzard County's Boss Hogg (SORRELL BOOKE) pays a visit to Mel's Diner and tricks Mel (VIC TAYBACK) into signing away his diner for one dollar.

Vera (BETH HOWLAND) is besieged with presents and love poems from a secret admirer, and everyone in the diner is guessing who he is.

Jolene (CELIA WESTON) fulfills her childhood dream of becoming a flight attendant but really wins her wings on a comically disastrous maiden voyage.

A date with an old high school flame (DENNIS HOLAHAN) livens up Alice's bland love life and serves as a real eye-opener when Alice (LINDA LAVIN) learns the now-successful businessman is blind.

The love of his life enters Mel's Diner in the stunning form of a recording star named Sarah James (FLORENCE HENDERSON), who enraptures Mel (VIC TAYBACK) and winds up proposing to him.

While helping Mel's mom, Carrie (MARTHA RAYE), battle the boredom of getting old by launching a singing career, Alice (LINDA LAVIN) learns that she herself is older than she thinks.

Dire complications arise at the rehearsal for Vera's (BETH HOWLAND) impending wedding to her "Mr. Right," a uniformed cop named Elliot (CHARLES LEVIN). First of a two-part episode.

After the mistaken marriage of Mel (VIC TAYBACK) and Vera (BETH HOWLAND), the romance between Vera and Elliot (CHARLES LEVIN) travels a rocky road to the altar. Second of a two-part episode.

After Mel refuses to listen to Alice's ideas on improving working conditions, she quits her job at the diner and is promptly replaced by Blanche, a prototype food-service robot, whose charm and efficiency impress the customers.

The holiday spirit takes a backseat to Elliot's (CHARLES LEVIN) rising jealousy when Vera's (BETH HOWLAND) former boyfriend arrives unexpectedly at the diner, just days before Elliot and Vera's first Christmas together.

After being regaled by ex-Navy buddies Mel (VIC TAYBACK) and Frank (DONNELLY RHODES) with stories of their exploits in exotic ports, Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) enlists.

When the circus comes to town, Vera (BETH HOWLAND) hijacks Sparky The Wonder Horse, who she believes is being mistreated.

When she's asked to pitch for Mel in a softball game between Mel's Diner and Lenny's Deli, Jolene (CELIA WESTON) is torn between loyalty to her co-workers and affection for a slugger on Lenny's team.

Mel flies into a rage when he learns from his mom that his childhood pet dog, Buster, never got closer to World War II heroism than a farm in New Jersey.

It's love at first bite when Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) dentist, Dr. Harvey Gordon (JAMES COCO), meets Alice (LINDA LAVIN), who has cracked a tooth on some of Mel's chili.

Her date with a swaggering, hot-air balloonist (JED ALLAN) ends up with Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and the Mel's Diner gang flying off in the guy's runaway balloon.

Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) gets a bad case of gambling fever when Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) zany mother (MARTHA RAYE) takes Tommy with her to the racetrack.

Mrs. Debbie Walden (LINDA LAVIN in a dual role), Vera and Elliot's (BETH HOWLAND and CHARLES LEVIN) feisty landlady, falls madly in love with Mel (VIC TAYBACK) after she invites him to dinner at her apartment and discovers his hearty appetite for her home-cooked meals.

Vera (BETH HOWLAND) winds up in the hospital after trying to save some baby birds, and the rest of the Mel's Diner crew learn that bandages can cover up a lot of things--including Vera.

Jolene (CELIA WESTON) decides to marry a popular game show host (JOHN McCOOK), who's ready to whisk her off to Hollywood, but wedding plans come unglued when Jolene gets stuck to Mel (VIC TAYBACK) when he attempts to repair her broken fingernail.

A piano given as a wedding gift strikes a discordant note in Vera and Elliot's marriage and turns their homelife into one big party.

Mel (VIC TAYBACK) refuses to make alterations at the diner to accommodate the handicapped--until he learns firsthand what it's like to be helpless when a sprained ankle puts him in a wheelchair.

An absentminded preacher (DAVID BOND) marries Vera (BETH HOWLAND) and Elliot (CHARLES LEVIN) but refuses to disappear when the honeymoon begins.

When Alice's (Linda Lavin) love life seems to be in a slump, Jolene (Celia Weston) and Vera (Beth Howland) attempt to help by placing a "personals" ad for her in a local magazine.

Halloween brings out the superhero in Mel (Vic Tayback) when he dresses as Captain Galaxy and wards off a real-life bank robber (Dan Gilvezan).

Cries of protest do no good when Mel (Vic Tayback) buys a nursery school so that he can tear it down and create a parking lot for his customers.

When Jolene's (Celia Weston) family members come to Phoenix for a visit and overstay their welcome, Mel (Vic Tayback) intervenes, causing Jolene to be disowned by her father (Gregory Walcott).

Tommy's (Philip McKeon) partying in college causes concern for Alice (Linda Lavin) and real problems for her boyfriend, Nick (Michael Durrell), after Tommy gets so drunk that he forgets where he left Nick's expensive sports car.

Alice (Linda Lavin), Vera (Beth Howland) and Jolene (Celia Weston) try to "save" Mel (Vic Tayback) from being arrested when he goes undercover to help Elliot (Charles Levin) apprehend a gang of cattle rustlers.

Mel (Vic Tayback) volunteers the use of his diner for a performance by a dance group, only to oust the entertainers when he mistakes them for hoodlums.

To celebrate their first wedding anniversary, Vera and Elliot (Beth Howland and Charles Levin) plan to reconstruct the day they met, but their plans fall apart when Vera is arrested.

When a fast-food hamburger restaurant opens down the street, Mel's (Vic Tayback) customers flock to the new eatery, and Mel is forced to close his diner.

Mel (Vic Tayback) falls hopelessly in love with the sultry voice of nighttime radio disc jockey "Nightbird," not realizing it's Vera (Beth Howland), who's moonlighting so she can buy a special present for her husband.

A famous country music performer (Kip Niven) falls in love with Alice (Linda Lavin), and after hearing her sing, invites her to join him on the road. First of a two-part episode.

While a country singer (Kip Niven) and a writer (Michael Durrell) simultaneously vie for Alice's (Linda Lavin) affections, the gang at the diner fears she has been kidnapped. Second of a two-part episode.

Vera (Beth Howland) and Elliot (Charles Levin) seek a tenant for their spare room, only to have the room rented by their onetime landlady, Debbie Walden (Linda Lavin in a dual role), a certified tyrant, who all but drives them from their little love nest.

A romantic relationship unexpectedly develops when Jolene (Celia Weston) decides to try out for a women's professional basketball team, and Mel (Vic Tayback) offers to be her trainer.

Elliot (Charles Levin), Vera's (Beth Howland) police officer husband, is so ashamed of accidentally shooting himself that he quits his job.

When Mel (Vic Tayback) sells his diner to a land developer, he, Alice (Linda Lavin), Vera (Beth Howland), Tommy (Philip McKeon), Jolene (Celia Weston) and the diner's faithful customers reflect on the good times and bad, and how the diner and its "family" has affected their lives. Series finale.