Benson

S01E01 Pilot 1979-09-13

Benson comes to work for Governor Gatling and helps find a way for a bridge to be built without killing beavers.

S01E02 Trust Me 1979-09-20

Katie sneaks off to a rock concert while under Benson's watch.

S01E03 The President's Double 1979-09-27

When a visiting African president is incapacitated, Benson steps into the role and is targeted by assassins.

S01E04 Benson in Love 1979-10-04

Benson falls for an attractive senator he meets in the mansion.

S01E05 Conflict of Interest 1979-10-18

Governor Gatling is torn between attending Katie's school play and accepting an important political invitation.

S01E06 The Layoff 1979-10-25

To cut spending, Benson must lay off a sweet old woman, which upsets Katie.

S01E07 Snowbound 1979-11-01

Heavy snowfall leaves the staff stuck in a cottage in the woods.

S01E08 Jessica 1979-11-08

When the visiting Jessica Tate's elderly companion suddenly dies, Benson must help move the corpse to avoid a political scandal.

S01E09 Don't Quote Me 1979-11-22

The staff tries to discover who made a disparaging comment about a state senator that has the governor on the defensive.

S01E10 War Stories 1979-11-29

Benson introduces Marcy to an old army buddy, unaware his friend is married.

S01E11 Ghost Story 1979-12-06

Thinking the mansion is haunted, the staff holds a séance.

S01E12 Taylor's Bid 1979-12-13

Taylor quits to run for public office, but the governor finds he can't do without him.

S01E13 One Strike, You're Out 1979-12-27

With the mansion's domestic workers on strike, the staff must take on all of the household duties.

S01E14 Just Friends 1980-01-03

The governor woos a powerful businessman whose wife is Benson's old flame.

S01E15 Chain of Command 1980-01-10

With the governor ill, the irritating lieutenant governor makes a play for power that the staff tries to thwart.

S01E16 Bugging the Governor 1980-01-24

When hidden microphones are found in the mansion, the staff plots to find the perpetrators.

S01E17 Kraus Affair 1980-01-31

Kraus has a crush on the butcher and needs help from Benson and Marcy to reel him in.

S01E18 Checkmate 1980-02-07

A young Soviet chess prodigy hides in Katie's room and nearly causes an international incident.

S01E19 Cold Storage 1980-02-28

Benson and Kraus become trapped in a freezing storage room.

S01E20 Old Man Gatlin' 1980-03-06

When the governor's loudmouth father visits, it's up to Benson to keep him in check during an important speech.

S01E21 Power Play 1980-03-20

A mysterious environmental activist causes trouble for the governor and his staff.

S01E22 Takin' It to the Streets 1980-03-27

To connect with constituents, Governor Gatling and Benson visit a mangy bar.

S01E23 The Army Wants You 1980-05-01

Benson learns that his military unit was the subject of germ warfare testing.

S01E24 Marcy's Vacation 1980-05-08

When Marcy plans her vacation, she worries her replacement may take her job.

S02E01 Thick as Thieves 1980-10-31

Benson and Kraus are held hostage during a market robbery.

S02E02 Benson in the Hospital 1980-11-07

Benson is hospitalized with a mysterious allergy.

S02E03 Fool's Gold 1980-11-14

The staff goes on a frantic search for gold that may be hidden in the mansion.

S02E04 Masquerade 1980-11-21

Benson saves the day when a priceless gold statue becomes the target of revolutionaries from a foreign land.

S02E05 First Lady 1980-11-28

Katie believes her father is going to remarry without having told her first.

S02E06 Citizen Kraus 1980-12-12

Miss Kraus seeks to become an American citizen.

S02E07 Benson's Groupie 1980-12-19

Benson is relentlessly pursued by a wealthy but eccentric former lover.

S02E08 In High Places 1981-01-09

The governor must take the reins of a plane when the pilot dies during the flight.

S02E09 Old School Ties 1981-01-16

Governor Gatling sends Katie off to boarding school but soon realizes he made a mistake.

S02E10 The Apartment 1981-01-23

Benson rents an apartment in a futile attempt to escape the madness of the mansion.

S02E11 Big Buddy 1981-02-06

Benson becomes a mentor to a boy from a broken home.

S02E12 Fireside Chat 1981-02-13

While the governor makes a televised speech, Marcy and her boyfriend squabble and then announce their engagement.

S02E13 Marcy's Wedding 1981-02-20

Benson's role planning Marcy's wedding is complicated by Marcy's meddling mother.

S02E14 Rivals 1981-02-27

Kraus must pretend she is the governor's wife when a lifelong rival pays a visit.

S02E15 No Sad Songs 1981-03-06

Benson grieves the loss of his mother.

S02E16 Clayton, Go Home 1981-03-13

After receiving death threats, Clayton moves into the mansion.

S02E17 Easy Kid Stuff 1981-03-20

Benson struggles with the challenge of being a substitute father for a needy boy.

S02E18 Homework 1981-04-03

Katie's homework assignment sets the stage for vignettes about each cast member.

S02E19 Handwriting on the Wall 1981-04-10

A controversial bill brings the governor strange threats.

S02E20 The Governor's House Call 1981-05-08

The governor, Benson and Clayton are trapped in a bordello and must avoid being noticed.

S02E21 All Shook Up 1981-05-15

Taking refuge during an earthquake, Benson and Clayton get to know each other better.

S02E22 Lifesaver 1981-05-22

When Gretchen chokes on a doughnut and Benson uses the Heimlich maneuver to save her life, she starts to smother him with attention, in an attempt to show her gratitude.

S03E01 Benson's Appointment 1981-11-06

When the Governor approaches Benson about wanting to appoint him as the new Budget Director, a position that requires senate confirmation, Benson is hesitant to accept the position, but reluctantly agrees to go through the hearings. However, a senator on the committee threatens to hold things up by bringing up something from Benson's past.

S03E02 The Grass Ain't Greener 1981-11-13

Benson goes undercover to investigate conditions in a prison.

S03E03 Sit-In 1981-11-27

In Benson's office, a conductor holds a concert in protest.

S03E04 Double Exposure 1981-12-04

Benson must help an FBI agent uncover a bribe scandal.

S03E05 The Lobbyist 1981-12-11

Benson's innocent approval of his lobbyist-girlfriend's project brings corruption charges against him.

S03E06 Stress 1981-12-18

The governor tries to alleviate tension among the staff.

S03E07 Rainbow's End 1981-12-25

Benson learns that his old flame is confined to a wheelchair.

S03E08 Once in a Blue Moon 1982-01-08

After Clayton is assaulted, Benson approves of tighter security.

S03E09 Kraus Falls in Love 1982-01-15

Kraus falls for a man she can't have.

S03E10 Stocks & Options 1982-01-22

The staff dabbles in the stock market with disastrous results.

S03E11 Kraus's Deadly Mistake 1982-02-05

Believing she will die soon, Kraus tries to seize the day.

S03E12 Wild Irish Rose 1982-02-12

A former governor visits along with his attractive niece.

S03E13 Street Gangs 1982-02-19

Benson tries to help a street gang stay out of trouble.

S03E14 Katie's Romance 1982-02-26

Katie develops a crush on Pete after he accompanies her to a gymnastics meet.

S03E15 Clayton's Condo 1982-03-05

Clayton buys an apartment building, not knowing Benson is now one of his tenants.

S03E16 Getting Even 1982-03-12

Benson concocts revenge for a wealthy investor who sexually harasses Denise.

S03E17 Pete the Hero 1982-03-19

Pete borrows Benson's car and gets into a wreck that leads to the capture of armed thieves.

S03E18 In the Red 1982-03-26

Benson is the victim of an IRS audit.

S03E19 Teed Off 1982-04-02

A golf foursome leads to acrimony among the governor and his male assistants.

S03E20 The Party's Over 1982-04-30

The governor learns his party won't support his renomination.

S03E21 The Lumber Mill 1982-05-07

Governor Gatling decides to run for reelection as an independent.

S03E22 Black Tuesday 1982-05-14

The governor's reelection campaign appears to have ended in failure.

A yacht cruise becomes a murder mystery when the owner of the boat is stabbed to death.

Benson and the rest attempt to determine who is a killer.

While attending a conference in Latin America, Benson and Pete are kidnapped by revolutionaries.

Benson's younger brother visits at the same time an important report is due.

The mansion's gardener seeks Benson's help as he approaches retirement.

Benson tutors Kraus in economics to prepare her for a test.

Benson and his army buddies are surprised to hear what became of a Korean kid they befriended during the war.

Benson buys a house in need of many repairs from a shady real estate agent.

When Benson's condo is robbed, he discovers that it won't be easy to catch the crooks.

It's Christmas time and Benson helps an assistant cook keep her foster children.

Kraus' ex-convict pen pal pays a visit.

When Kraus' fiancé can't make it to the wedding, Benson stands in as a substitute.

Benson and the governor believe they saw a UFO while playing golf.

The governor allows Katie to go on her first date.

A former street gang is hired to paint the mansion for the visiting Queen of England.

The male staff members gather at Benson's for a night of fun.

Benson and Clayton learn that they might be related to each other.

Kraus pretends to be a wealthy heiress to keep a manufacturing plant in the state.

Benson hosts a telethon and lets Kraus sing when other acts cancel out.

Benson learns that his basketball-star nephew can hardly read or write.

When a ladder falls, Benson and the governor are trapped on the roof of the mansion.

Benson is upset when his girlfriend Jennifer wants to date other men.

Benson, Kraus, Denise and Pete become stranded in the forest.

A robot becomes an unwelcome visitor to the mansion.

Benson communicates with Jessica Tate's ghost.

Benson poses as Kraus' husband when her mother visits from Germany.

Fed up with insults, Clayton drags Benson into court.

A dead plumber is found under the kitchen sink and it alters Benson's plans for a successful luau.

Benson must convince a sheikh to bring his business to the state.

Benson wins the state lottery but has to donate the winnings to charity.

Benson helps Katie win a cookie-baking contest.

Benson must watch the baby of a neighbor who has been trapped in a snowstorm.

The governor reconnects with his high-school crush.

Military agents replace Governor Gatling with a double.

Pete revisits the beatnik culture of his youth.

Benson recruits Gladys Knight and the Pips to perform on a telethon.

A boy from Katie's school plays matchmaker with Benson and his single mother.

Benson is pronounced "Bachelor of the Month" by a magazine.

A security check of the governor's staff results in Benson being named as a spy.

Benson judges a beauty pageant and must resist the persuasive pleas of both Clayton and Governor Gatling.

Denise goes into labor while trapped in an elevator with Benson and the governor.

Clayton's father selects Benson to run his business empire.

Kraus recruits Benson for help in sparing an old hotel from the wrecking ball.

A would-be doctor who is to receive an award from the governor is exposed as a fraud.

Benson discovers that the lieutenant governor is accepting bribes.

Benson inherits ownership of a men's magazine.

Benson sweats out the results of his physical.

Benson begins his campaign for lieutenant governor by dealing with a donor who expects political favors.

Benson's fledgling campaign runs out of money.

When the governor and his staff travel to Hong Kong, Clayton is mistaken for a famous designer and is kidnapped.

In Hong Kong, Benson and the local authorities seek to rescue Clayton, Kraus and the governor from a kidnapper.

Benson's plans to appoint Kraus as his assistant are thwarted.

Benson unsuccessfully plays matchmaker for Clayton.

Benson's sister ignores his advice to be cautious with her ex-boyfriend.

Benson reunites with his long-lost brother and uncle.

Benson attends a trade conference where two enemy nations declare war on each other.

Benson dreams of a boyhood Christmas after falling unconscious from a slip and fall.

Benson goes in disguise to lure Kraus away from her acting aspirations.

Benson fights city hall over a proposed ordinance to ban breakdancing.

Benson, Kraus, Clayton and the governor discuss the people who influenced their lives the most.

Benson travels to Las Vegas and meets the Smothers Brothers.

Summoned to the White House, Benson and the governor become trapped in the Oval Office.

An exhausted Governor Gatling plays cowboy at a dude ranch to unwind.

Fearing a nuclear attack, the governor and his staff retreat to a bomb shelter.

With the governor away on business, Benson takes control of the state government.

Katie's wild cousin brings her to a bar where she is caught by Benson.

Benson butts heads with a powerful senator over an education bill.

Passed over for a prestigious award, a delusional Clayton comes to think he is Benson.

After thwarting an armed robbery, Benson is sued by the perpetrator.

Benson dangerously mixes business with pleasure when he rekindles a relationship with a female state senator.

Benson reunites Governor Gatling with his long-lost brother.

A mysterious stranger lurks around the mansion on Halloween.

In East Germany on business, Benson and Kraus are detained and accused of spying.

Benson and Clayton must spend an enormous budget surplus before the waning fiscal year expires.

Clayton's attempt to pilot a helicopter puts him, Benson and the governor in peril.

Benson, Clayton and the governor must endure a helicopter crash landing in the desert.

Clayton draws Benson into his plans to start a dog-breeding business.

Kraus dreams that a comet strike has left Benson and herself as the planet's sole survivors.

Clayton's candidacy for state budget director is threatened by his relationship with a Soviet defector.

Benson and the governor seek advice from a conservationist in relation to environmental legislation.

A contractor working on one of the mansion's bathrooms goes missing.

Actor George Kennedy's plans to film a movie in the mansion lead to a murder mystery.

The staff try to solve the murder mystery before time runs out.

Benson contemplates a marriage proposal to his state senator girlfriend.

Clayton meets the obstacle to inheriting the family fortune, his father's young and beautiful fiancée.

Benson campaigns for a pardon for an incarcerated man who was wrongfully convicted.

Kraus unknowingly leaks information to an influential columnist.

The governor responds to an ad in the personals section of a magazine.

Benson's gubernatorial bid pits him against Governor Gatling.

With the votes cast, Benson and Governor Gatling await the results of the gubernatorial election.