The BEST episodes of Charles in Charge
Every episode of Charles in Charge ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Charles in Charge!
Charles, a college student, moves in with the Powell family as the housekeeper, baby-sitter, and friend to the children. Along with his best friend, Buddy, Charles attempts to manage his life, especially college and girls, as well as tend to the family.
#1 - Extracurricular Activity
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/1984
Charles is put in the awkward position of helping and encouraging Lila, Jason and Douglas to seek out new and exciting extracurricular activities. The end result is that Jason dreams of soccer stardom; Lila sees herself as a cheerleader; and Douglas eyes the school band specifically the triangle instrument. Jason returns home battered and bruised and not on the team, Lila does have the cheerleader personality, while Douglas made the school band and gets to play the triangle. Stan and Jill are upset at the frustration and humiliation Lila and Jason have gone through -- and Charles is asked to straighten out the situation. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn Pierce is trying to get Charles to join the college school play, and Buddy wants him to join the swim team. Charles sets Gwendolyn and Buddy aside and coaches Lila the technique of being an exuberant cheerleader. When she succeeds, she decides to remain with the student council. He learns that a school bully would not allow Jason to try out for
#2 - Another Saturday Night
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/17/1984
Mr. and Mrs. Pembroke are spending the evening out and Charles is baby-sitting. He is busy preparing for Gwendolyn's visit, with whom he plans to study. Buddy shows up unexpectedly and wants to go to The Lamplight with him to look at girls. After all that is what guys should be doing on a Saturday night.. Gwendolyn is enraged when she finds out that Charles occasionally hangs out there with his friends. Buddy and she argue heatedly and it just makes matters worse. Meanwhile the children Lila, Jason, and Douglas are also home on a Saturday night. They are watching special election results, which unfortunately do not turn out as expected, and Michael Jackson's appearance at the victory party is canceled. When Mr. and Mrs. Pembroke come home, they help calm things down a bit. Charles realizes that Gwendolyn is very sensitive and not perfect after all, and Buddy is also a special friend who makes the college years fun!
#3 - War
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/24/1984
The Wilsons would like to hire a young lady to take care of their children. Mrs. Pembroke suggests that she spend some time with Charles to see if she's up to it. Much to Charles' embarrassment, Jane (Meg Ryan) turns out to be a very pretty girl who has heard many great things about him. The kids do not usually manage to get into big fights. But because Jane believes that they should settle their differences their own way, things get completely out of hand. This time their fight escalates into clothes swiping, chemical warfare and mental torture. All this action is being taped by Lila who has a very important school assignment. When Mr. and Mrs. Pembroke return from their trip, they find Jane in the kitchen, thinking. She realizes that children are capable of much more than she ever dreamed possible and that a "normal job" would probably be a better idea.
#4 - Cousin Elliott
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/7/1984
Charles comes home triumphant from a softball game. He is so happy with life, his job, school...Lila is getting ready for a survival trip to which Douglas was hoping to go also, all hidden in her duffel bag. Unexpectedly cousin Elliot shows up at the Pembroke house. His ideas of how to deal with children, what is permissible and what is not, does not necessarily coincide with Charles' opinions. The children drink coffee, overeat on ice cream to the point of stomach aches, Elliot even plans to take Lila - who is only fourteen years old - to a dark, smoky night club. Charles is undecided. Should he step in and stop all the "fun" or should he not get involved at all? His friend Buddy had told him that blood is thicker than water, and Elliot is family. In the end, Charles does put his foot down, and to his amazement finds out that Mr. and Mrs. Pembroke were just letting him go through this experience by himself, since they knew all along how things were going to end.
#5 - Slumber Party
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/14/1984
Charles and Gwendolyn had a fight over something rather trivial, and suddenly he feels he doesn't want to deal with the whole WOMEN issue. He's had it with women! He looks around the Pembroke house and realizes that Lila is having all her girlfriends over for a slumber party. He is trapped in the house full of women, and although Buddy drops in and has agreed to stay with him, they are outnumbered. When he and Buddy finally escape to his room to be alone, they find that they are not alone there either.
#6 - Discipline
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/21/1984
Stan Pembroke comes home expecting Jill to be dressed and ready to go to the Vice Presidents reception but the Pembroke home has suddenly turned into "Little Crisis Central". Lila and Douglas brought home grades from school that they are not very happy about. Even Charles and Buddy are grumbling about too much homework and too much pressure. Jill feels that she cannot just walk out of the house and leave the children without at least talking about their individual problems, but Stan maintains that he has confidence in Charles --Charles has his trust and he will resolve the problems, whatever they are! That is why Charles and Douglas have to go to Doug's school and Charles has to face the boy's teacher. A stunned Charles meets an absolutely gorgeous and fashionably dressed young woman - Ms. Susan McCoy. It turns out that she is also very knowledgeable. And during their meeting the other Pembroke children drop in, they are able to benefit from the valuable lesson.
#7 - Trick or Treat
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/28/1984
In Charles estimation, Diana Marks is a classy lady, and she has agreed to go on a Halloween date with Buddy. They had only talked with each other for a few minutes and suddenly Buddy is worried that Diana won't like him when they have to spend the evening together at the annual Halloween party given by a classmate. Buddy doesn't want to disappoint her, and he is worried that she might consider his costume not original enough. Charles is trying to be a good friend and agrees to meet Diana at the student union before the date. Charles approaches Diana, drops a book in front of her, and she picks it up and hands it to Charles with a smile. Gwendolyn witnesses the exchange by chance and is shocked and concerned. At that moment Buddy comes by and tries to explain what is going on. From then on things get a little confusing. At the end though, the evening might still turn out alright for Charles and Buddy. After all, this is Halloween -- Douglas explains -- it is a special night.
#8 - Pilot
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/3/1984
Scott Baio stars as Charles, a nineteen-year-old college student and live-in family helper to three energetic children on the pilot episode of MCA TV International's "CHARLES IN CHARGE." The story was written by series producer Michael Jacobs and directed by Alan Rafkin. Jill and Stan Pembroke are a working couple whose uncertain schedules propel them into hiring a nineteen-year-old college student, Charles, to move in and help them with their three children: Lila 14; Douglas, 12; and Jason, 10. It appears Charles has the perfect arrangement while he attends school and does some growing of his own with the helpful advice of his best friend, Buddy Lembeck. Charles becomes ecstatic when his dream girl, Gwendolyn Pierce, a campus beauty, accepts a date with him. However, Jill and Stan have to go out for the night, leaving Charles in charge. Buddy comes up with the perfect solution -- invite Gwendolyn to spend the evening at home with him and the children. She accepts and sends Charles int
#9 - Still at Large
Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/29/1989
Charles and Buddy find out Jamie's teacher (Sally Struthers) is wanted by the FBI.
#10 - Big Bang
Season 4 - Episode 21 - Aired 10/14/1989
Charles writes an essay about childhood.
#11 - Chargin' Charles
Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/25/1989
Charles can't use his credit card because of the Powell children.
#12 - A Fish Called Buddy
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/4/1989
Buddy goes to the hospital right after an argument with Charles.
#13 - Curing the Common Cult
Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 5/27/1989
Jamie joins a cult, and Charles must prove that the leader is a fake.
#14 - Walter's War
Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 9/9/1989
Walter tries to impress a woman with war souvenirs.
#15 - Second Banana
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/22/1989
Jamie thinks she will be in a commercial, but it is really Sarah who got the part.
#16 - Poetic License
Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/6/1989
Charles uses one of Sarah's poems to impress a woman, who publishes it in a magazine under Charles' name.
#17 - Charles Splits (1)
Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 5/13/1989
When Charles bumps his head, he begins acting strangely and calls himself Chaz.
#18 - Charles Splits (2)
Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 5/20/1989
Chaz gets married.
#19 - The Organization Man
Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 9/16/1989
Charles uses a digital organizer to plan his schedule.
#20 - Aunt Vanessa
Season 4 - Episode 23 - Aired 10/28/1989
Jamie wants to move to New York and live with Charles' aunt.
#21 - It's a Blunderfull Life
Season 4 - Episode 24 - Aired 11/4/1989
Charles has a dream about life without him.
#22 - Bad Boy
Season 4 - Episode 25 - Aired 11/11/1989
Charles tutors an ex-con.
#23 - The Boy Who Loved Women
Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/21/1988
Confused by the pidgin instructions that came with a new stereo component rack, Charles is frustrated trying to assemble the unit. Meanwhile, a 14 year-old fast talker named Mark (Adam Carl), who's been dating Sarah can't resist asking Jamie out. The girls eventually find out, war is declared, and guess who gets the blame? Though he feels inadequate at fixing things because of his problems with the stereo rack, Charles sets out to repair the rift between the two sisters. His hilarious attempts at getting the two girls and Mark together in the same room at the same time never quite work, yet the girls manage to straighten things out on their own. If that doesn't shock Charles, the stereo rack is finally assembled by Adam and Buddy.
#24 - Fatal Obsession
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/4/1989
A woman at camp pursues Charles.
#25 - Ladies' Night Out
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/18/1989
Jamie and Sarah want to go to a nightclub