The BEST episodes of Growing Pains season 1

Every episode of Growing Pains season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Growing Pains season 1!

It's hard enough to raise a kid nowadays but when you have to cope with THESE kids, things tend to get out of hand! Dr Seaver, a psychologist, and his wife Maggie Seaver, a journalist, try to do their best raising their family, and although their kids, Mike, Ben, Carol and Chrissy, cause them endless problems, they manage to keep the family close together. As long as they got each other, nothing else matters...

Last Updated: 11/13/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
Springsteen
star
7.59
51 votes

#1 - Springsteen

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/1985

Jason embarrasses Mike at a Bruce Springsteen concert when they are interviewed together.

Directors: John Pasquin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Standardized Test
star
7.59
17 votes

#2 - Standardized Test

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/5/1985

Mike doodles on his aptitude test and winds up with an IQ score of 27.

Directors: Nick Havinga
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Weekend Fantasy
star
7.57
21 votes

#3 - Weekend Fantasy

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/12/1985

Jason and Maggie want to go to a mountain lodge for a weekend, but are reluctant to leave the kids alone.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Jealousy
star
7.53
36 votes

#4 - Jealousy

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/1985

Jason fumes when Maggie spends long hours on a toxic waste story with handsome co-worker Fred.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Carol's Crush
star
7.50
14 votes

#5 - Carol's Crush

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/26/1985

Carol develops a crush on a family friend, who thinks of her as his little sister.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
A Christmas Story
star
7.50
22 votes

#6 - A Christmas Story

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/10/1985

A depressed department store Santa consulting Jason decides to commit suicide by leaping down the Seavers' chimney.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Superdad!
star
7.48
27 votes

#7 - Superdad!

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/29/1985

Maggie accuses Jason of monopolizing the children.

Directors: Nick Havinga
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Carol's Article
star
7.43
30 votes

#8 - Carol's Article

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/1985

Maggie gives an honest assessment of Carol's writing of an article for her school magazine; Mike and Ben discover track betting.

Directors: John Pasquin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Slice of Life
star
7.42
26 votes

#9 - Slice of Life

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/1985

Coming across a compatibility test in Jason's office, Maggie decides she and Jason should fill it out, but her answers don't tab with his. Meanwhile, Mike feigns interest in karate when his real goal is a girl attending the course.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Pilot
star
7.31
125 votes

#10 - Pilot

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/1985

Maggie goes back to work as a journalist, prompting psychologist Jason to move his office into their home so he can keep his eye on the kids. Things don't get off to a great start: the first night he gets a call from the police that Mike has been picked up for illegally driving a car.

Directors: John Pasquin
Writer: Neal Marlens
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dirt Bike
star
7.25
20 votes

#11 - Dirt Bike

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/3/1985

Mike hurts more than his pride when he takes a nasty fall off a dirt bike that he promised his parents he wouldn't go near.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
First Blood
star
7.22
18 votes

#12 - First Blood

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/14/1986

Jason faces off against Ben's hockey coach, who's teaching the boys to play dirty; Mike learns ballroom dancing.

Directors: John Tracy
Writer: Mark Fink
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Seavers vs. the Cleavers
star
7.21
14 votes

#13 - The Seavers vs. the Cleavers

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/28/1986

The PTA head rejects the Seavers as dance chaperones.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Extra Lap
star
7.18
11 votes

#14 - Extra Lap

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/13/1986

Mike's practical-joker uncle Bob visits from the hereafter.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Mike's Madonna Story
star
7.11
27 votes

#15 - Mike's Madonna Story

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/5/1985

Mike's infatuation with a Madonna look-alike worries Maggie.

Directors: John Pasquin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Career Decision
star
7.08
13 votes

#16 - Career Decision

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/6/1986

Reporter Maggie and psychiatrist Jason both face important career decisions.

Directors: Bob Brush, John Tracy
Watch Now:Apple TV
Charity Begins at Home
star
7.07
14 votes

#17 - Charity Begins at Home

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/18/1986

Ben gives Jason a very expensive birthday present, causing speculation on how he can possibly afford it.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:Apple TV
Slice of Life II
star
7.07
15 votes

#18 - Slice of Life II

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/21/1986

Maggie casually mentions to Jason that she might be pregnant; Mike acts as a weekend servant to Ben; and Carol wants to divorce her class-project husband.

Watch Now:Apple TV
The Love Song of M. Aaron Seaver
star
6.81
16 votes

#19 - The Love Song of M. Aaron Seaver

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/7/1986

Mike backs out of the family-bowling match so he can date a snobbish girlfriend.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:Apple TV
Reputation
star
6.64
14 votes

#20 - Reputation

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/25/1986

Mike writes test answers on his shoe soles.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Anniversary That Never Was
star
6.64
14 votes

#21 - The Anniversary That Never Was

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/4/1986

Maggie's assignment interferes with anniversary plans.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:Apple TV
Be a Man
star
6.62
13 votes

#22 - Be a Man

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/11/1986

Custodian Mike watches a wild party explode in his home.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:Apple TV