The BEST episodes of The Bad News Bears

Every episode of The Bad News Bears ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Bad News Bears!

To avoid a year in jail, swimming pool cleaner Morris Buttermaker agrees to coach a Little League baseball team called the Bears. Unfortunately, the Bears are the worst team in the league, boasting a roster of the most inept and least disciplined players in school. Buttermaker, with the help of principal Rappant, eventually wins the respect of the Bears, and they even win a few games along the way.

Last Updated: 9/4/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended

7.50

2 votes

#1 - Lights Out

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/14/1980

Some Bears teammates think they caused a blackout.

Writer: Al Aidekman

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7.50

2 votes

#2 - Tanner's Bird

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/28/1979

Buttermaker buys a racing horse named Rocket Jr. The horse keeps lying down and a vet is called. The horse can't race anymore. It also sat on Tanner's bird killing it.

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6.97

30 votes

#3 - Amanda Joins the Bears

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/31/1979

After another bad game, Buttermaker attempts a pitching tryout but it goes badly. Amanda Wurlitzer does show up. She feels abandoned after Buttermaker broke up with her mother. She agrees to pitch one game for the Bears.

Directors: William Asher

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6.88

33 votes

#4 - Here Comes the Coach

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/24/1979

Former minor leaguer Morris Buttermaker becomes the new coach of the Hoover Junior High Bears baseball team which consists of misfits and bumblers.

Directors: Jeffrey Hayden

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6.00

28 votes

#5 - The Kelly Story

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/21/1979

Kelly rides his bike onto the field. He hits on Amanda and hits a bunch of her pitches out of the park. She decides to use her feminine wilds to entice him to join the team.

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6.00

1 votes

#6 - First Base

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/29/1979

Buttermaker and the rest of the Bears rally around Rudi as he has his first romance.

Directors: Jeffrey Ganz

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6.00

1 votes

#7 - Matched Set

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/28/1980

After getting taunted by the Turners, the boys decide to enter Amanda and Buttermaker into a tennis tournament to beat the Turners and take away their trophy. Meanwhile, Amanda continues her pursuit of Josh.

Writer: Cindy Begel, David Lerner

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6.00

1 votes

#8 - Run Down

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/15/1979

Rudi has his father's baseball signed by Johnny Bench. Buttermaker claims to know Bench back in the day. Then they lose the ball.

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5.00

1 votes

#9 - Buttermaker Rides Again

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/22/1979

Rappant has a new transfer student named Josh but he's truant. Buttermaker struggles to get the young hustler into school while Amanda falls for him.

Directors: William Asher

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5.00

1 votes

#10 - Fielder's Choice

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/16/1979

Kelly is out of town. The team loses badly. The top team has a surprising loss and the Bears still have a chance to get to the big championship game in a big league ballpark.

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5.00

1 votes

#11 - Dance Fever

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/9/1979

Buttermaker and Emily chaperone the school dance.

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5.00

1 votes

#12 - Double Play

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 7/26/1980

Buttermaker has money and car trouble. He can't buy a present for Amanda's birthday. Turner fires him as the pool cleaner and then hires him selling bad houses. The boys decide to clean pools to give Amanda a great birthday party.

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5.00

1 votes

#13 - Scrambled Eggs

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 7/19/1980

The kids sneak out and try hitchhiking to San Diego for a concert when they get picked up by Buttermaker. Rappant gives each kid an egg to teach them responsibility.

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5.00

1 votes

#14 - Wedding Bells (1)

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/6/1979

Amanda's mother Alice accepts Buttermaker's marriage proposal but she gets a new job in Cuba leaving Amanda to live with him.

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5.00

1 votes

#15 - Three's a Crowd

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/26/1979

Amanda schemes to get her mother back together with Buttermaker.

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5.00

1 votes

#16 - Men Will Be Boys

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/19/1979

Tanner's attack kite is causing havoc. Amanda takes him down forcing him to Give. The other girls start bullying the boys. It's war. A battle of the sexes.

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5.00

1 votes

#17 - Emily Loves Morris

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/5/1979

The Bears have reasons to believe Dr. Rappant is crushing on Coach Buttermaker.

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4.00

1 votes

#18 - The Food Caper

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/12/1979

Food is missing from the school's pantry over the weekend when only The Bears were present. Rappant tells Buttermaker to investigate and Engelberg becomes the prime suspect.

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4.00

1 votes

#19 - Save the Bears

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/2/1979

Ogilvie accidentally shrinks the uniforms. Buttermaker suggests the kids get jobs to pay for new uniforms. Instead, they end up with a highly successful and not so truthful way to raise the cash.

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0.00

0 votes

#20 - Nakedness is Next to Godliness

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/7/1979

Dr. Rappant's new shower mandate causes problems for Oglivie who is terrified of being naked in front of the team.

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0.00

0 votes

#21 - The Birds, the Bees and the Bears

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/7/1980

Amanda's hugging of teammates prompts Buttermaker to take her aside for a lecture on the facts of life.

Directors: Jeffrey Ganz

Writer: Al Aidekman, Paul Diamond

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0.00

0 votes

#22 - Wedding Bells (2)

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 6/21/1980

Amanda's mother moves out of the country and Amanda moves in with Coach Buttermaker.

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0.00

0 votes

#23 - Old Timers' Day

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 7/12/1980

Ahmad is having trouble living with his grandfather, Buttermaker decides to help. The coach thinks the two can bridge their differences through baseball so Buttermaker arranges a games between his kids and a senior team.

Writer: Allen Goldstein, Levi Taylor

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