Benson Season 6

Season 6 (1984-1985)

Produced by Rob Dames & Bob Fraser
Co-produced by Kathy Speer & Terry Grossman
Produced by Rob Dames & Bob Fraser
Co-producer, Gary Brown

Guide to episodes, including episode number and title, production staff, guest cast, original air date, original episode descriptions, and additional commentary.

113. The Scandal
Directed by Gary Brown
Written by Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan
21 September 1984
Benson goes undercover to find out if the lieutenant governor is taking bribes from a construction company. As always, where there’s smoke there’s Benson.

114. The Inheritance
Directed by Gary Brown
Written by Kathy Speer & Terry Grossman
Guest stars: Percy Rodriguez,
Gretchen Wyler, Joel Brooks
28 September 1984
A publisher’s will names Benson heir to a men’s magazine empire that proves to be a financial and political liability. He is shocked to learn that he is the sole heir to the Playbird magazine empire, including the famed nightclub. However, his association with the club causes a furor because of his position as lieutenant governor.

115. Let’s Get Physical
Directed by Bill Foster
Written by Robin Pennington
Guest star: Jayne Kennedy
12 October 1984
Kraus takes a phone message from the physician Benson’s been seeing, medically and socially, and the doctor’s emotional voice prompts Kraus to issue a gloomy prognosis for Benson. Benson’s pleasure turns to panic when the beautiful doctor who conducted his annual physical wants to meet him later to discuss the results.

116. The Campaign
Directed by Gary Brown
Written by Bill Boulware
Guest stars: Dick Sargent, Anne Gerety, Anthony Henderson
19 October 1984
Benson is torn between principal and principles when a potential contributor makes an offer that could rescue his floundering campaign for lieutenant governor.

117. The Election
Directed by Gary Brown
Written by Winifred Hervey
Guest stars: Harrison Page, Bob Fraser,
Philip Baker Hall, et al.
26 October 1984
Benson faces a sticky decision about bringing in a professional money man as benefactor to pump up his underfunded campaign. The media mogul offers the use of his radio facilities to aid the campaign, which prompts Senator Tyler to challenge Benson to a debate on air. Unfortunately he learns that his benefactor wants to benefit from Benson by getting special political “favors.”

118. Made in Hong Kong: Part One
Directed by Bill Foster
Written by Bob Fraser & Rob Dames
2 November 1984
Benson, the Governor, Clayton, and Kraus go off to Hong Kong where they become entangled in a case of international espionage. Clayton is mistaken for a famous dress designer and kidnapped by a jealous fashion tycoon and her henchmen. Lady Van Dyne intends to steal this season’s fashion design and call it her own. Little does she know that Clayton can’t help her.

119. Made in Hong Kong: Part Two
Directed by Bill Foster
Written by Bob Fraser & Rob Dames
9 November 1984
The police believe Benson is the reason Clayton has disappeared. In a botched attempt to rescue Clayton, the Governor is captured, and Kraus is seized by Ursula’s henchmen, leaving Benson to rescue the trio.

120. Hello, We Must Be Going
Directed by Gary Brown
Written by Bill Boulware
16 November 1984
With Pete and Denise moving into a new house her position comes open and Benson plans to have Kraus become his new executive assistant. Those plans get fouled up when a nebbish with political clout is hired instead. Since he is an overbearing, priggish, preppy interloper, he must be eliminated–but how?

121. Double Date
Directed by Gilbert Moses
Teleplay by Bob Fraser, Rob Dames & Ron Birnbach
Story by Ron Birnbach
23 November 1984
Benson regrets arranging a blind date for Clayton when he must tell the love-struck suitor that he’s annoying the woman by being overzealous. Just one off color incident occurs at the Laundromat, where Clayton demonstrates his brand of romance by putting his underwear in with his lady love’s clothes where they can mingle together. In the end, Benson agrees to assist Clayton to overcome his crude manners and seemingly romantic ploys.

122. Taking it to the Max
Directed by Rob Dames
Written by Winifred Hervey
30 November 1984
Benson is taken aback by his sister’s rejection of his advice to exercise caution with a new boyfriend. Benson becomes protective of his recently divorced sister when she goes out on an all-night date with his friend.

123. The Reunion
Directed by Gilbert Moses
Written by Winifred Hervey
7 December 1984
Benson visits with his brother and uncle, whom he hasn’t seen in years. When a squabble develops at Benson’s family reunion, he’s expected to act as peacemaker. It turns out that the family relies on him to make peace in the family, they always have. It is a burden that he has never wanted but will always shoulder.

124. Make War, Not Love
Directed by Katherine Helmond
Written by Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan
14 December 1984
Acting-governor Benson get a shot at diplomacy when a trade conference results in a declaration of war between two feuding island nations. A verbal, then physical battle breaks out and Benson tries to mediate a peace settlement before their countries go to war!

125. Home for Christmas
Directed by Bill Foster
Written by R. J. Colleary
21 December 1984
Benson, knocked out by a slip on the ice while he is Christmas shopping, has a visitation from his departed mother, who shows him the chaotic governor’s mansion of the future and why he’s still needed on Earth. Little Katie grows into a promiscuous spoiled woman, Kraus becomes a bag lady, and Clayton commands the mansion as a menacing, overbearing villain. Only Benson can change their futures.

126. On the Road
Directed by Bill Foster
Written by Bill Boulware
11 January 1985
On a business trip, Benson’s peevish behavior toward Kraus causes her to quit and begin work as a waitress in the backwoods town where their car breaks down. Benson and Kraus must spend the night at a truck stop in the middle of nowhere, and Benson is caught in the middle when a hulking trucker named Roy mistakes Kraus’ friendliness for a come-on.

127. Take This Job and Love It
Directed by Bill Foster
Written by Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan
18 January 1985
Benson gets caught up in a sea of red tape when he takes on the city mayor who plans to outlaw breakdancing in public places.

128. Making Change
Directed by Rob Dames
Written by Winifred Hervey
25 January 1985
Benson, Governor Gatling, Kraus, and Clayton, during a late-night work session, recall the influential people who changed their lives to set them on courses that led to their jobs at the governor’s mansion.

129. Solid Gold
Directed by Gary Brown
Written by Bill Boulware
1 February 1985
Benson, the Governor, Kraus, and Clayton travel to Las Vegas for a convention with every intention of doing business. Benson’s visit results in an encounter with the Smothers Brothers in an elevator. He goes to Vegas to work but the staff gets caught up in the magic of Vegas when Clayton is overtaken with the urge to gamble and all he has with him disappears. In the end, Benson realizes his dream of being a lounge singer with the help of a hypnotist. He gets on stage and blows the audience away in a show-stopping song and dance number with the sensational Riviera Solid Gold Dancers.

130. The Oval Office
Directed by Bill Foster
Written by Bob Fraser & Rob Dames
8 February 1985
Benson and Gatling are summoned to the White House when Benson’s public criticism of federal budget cuts reaches the president’s desk. They are put in the Oval Office while they wait for the President, where they become trapped.

131. Mid-Life Cowboy
Directed by Gary Brown
Written by Cheri Eichen & Bill Steinkellner
15 February 1985
A burned-out Governor decides to play cowboy at a dude ranch in Arizona. Benson takes the reins at the mansion while he vacations, but when the governor decides to retire to the rustic life, Benson sets out to get him back.

132. Scenario
Directed by Rob Dames
Written by Bob Fraser & Rob Dames
22 February 1985
A simulated nuclear attack is a sobering experience for all as Benson and the Governor take part in a drill to prepare them for an actual emergency. Benson, Gov. Gatling and the staff crowd into their shelter to run the state’s government when Washington conducts a nuclear attack exercise, and in 48 hours the futility of such an activity is brought home.

133. The Portrait (a.k.a. DuBois… Portrait of a Politician)
Directed by Rob Dames
Written by Bob Fraser & Rob Dames
15 March 1985
Benson and the governor lock horns in a mighty battle when Benson vetoes one of the governor’s favorite pieces of legislation while the chief executive is out of town. Benson resigns, but his falling-out is only a ruse to smoke out the inside source feeding confidential bid information to a construction company. They succeed in exposing bid irregularities on state construction jobs.

134. Katie’s Cousin
Directed by Bill Foster
Written by R. J. Colleary
22 March 1985
Katie’s wild and undisciplined cousin Laura persuades Katie to lie to her father about sleeping at a friend’s house and really go to a bar to pick up college men. You know what really flies when Benson and Clayton coincidentally go to the same bar to get a drink and see them. Benson confronts Katie but says that he won’t tell on her. It’s up to her to decide whether or not to tell her dad.

135. The Bookburner
Directed by Gary Brown
Written by R. J. Colleary
29 March 1985
Benson’s political career may be history after he votes against a senator’s bill that would censor school library books. The results of the vote lead to conflict with the powerful senator and a book-burning incident.

136. Jung at Heart
Directed by Bob Fraser
Written by Barry Fanaro & Mort Nathan
5 April 1985
Benson is named Man of the Year and he and the black-tie audience get a jolt when Clayton flips out and dashes to the podium to receive the honor. Passed over again for the Press Club’s Man of the Year Award, Clayton subconsciously thinks a winning personality might be what’s needed, so he adopts Benson’s. Benson and Clayton’s psychiatrist must convince Clayton that being Benson isn’t all he’s cracked it up to be. Benson must reveal his own failures to bring Clayton back. (Watching René adopt Robert Guillaume’s “Benson” speech patterns and physical mannerisms is amazing; it’s not exactly mimicry or an impersonation, but something subtler and eerily powerful. Fascinating!)