Pilot
Episode: 1x01 | Airdate: Sep 21, 1998
Doug and Carrie Heffernan play a couple whose castle is invaded by Doug's father-in-law, who comes to live with them.
Episode: 1x01 | Airdate: Sep 21, 1998
Doug and Carrie Heffernan play a couple whose castle is invaded by Doug's father-in-law, who comes to live with them.
Episode: 1x02 | Airdate: Sep 28, 1998
After seeing photos of Carrie's stout mother, Doug worries that Carrie will gain weight as well, and tricks her into starting a diet.
Episode: 1x03 | Airdate: Oct 5, 1998
Doug is afraid he'll lose Carrie when her boss drives her home in his Jaguar and gives her tickets to see a famous cellist.
Episode: 1x04 | Airdate: Oct 12, 1998
Doug learns a secret about Richie's wife (Michele Maika) after a disastrous dinner party.
Episode: 1x05 | Airdate: Oct 19, 1998
Doug is uneasy when Arthur starts dating Doug's aunt (Brenda Vaccaro), especially when the relationship becomes intimate---in his basement.
Episode: 1x06 | Airdate: Oct 26, 1998
When Doug takes Carrie's dad (Jerry Stiller) out for the night, Carrie shows her appreciation in a very amorous way, which leads Doug to spend more time with Arthur.
Episode: 1x07 | Airdate: Nov 2, 1998
Carrie has her engagement ring cleaned and learns that it's valuable, and the jeweler offers to buy it for $12,000.
Episode: 1x08 | Airdate: Nov 9, 1998
Doug joins Carrie at a course on the Victorian novel, but can't get past the second page of "Jane Eyre."
Episode: 1x09 | Airdate: Nov 16, 1998
Doug helps a sportswriter cheat on the driver's exam.
Episode: 1x10 | Airdate: Nov 23, 1998
Carrie, Doug and Arthur languish at a crowded market on the day before Thanksgiving, while Arthur shames Carrie into planning a huge feast.
Episode: 1x11 | Airdate: Dec 14, 1998
For Christmas, Arthur surprises Doug and Carrie with a new car---an appalling compact made in Luxembourg.
Episode: 1x12 | Airdate: Dec 21, 1998
Carrie fixes up Spence with a coworker, and everything is going fine until Doug offers Spence some advice on the relationship.
Episode: 1x13 | Airdate: Jan 11, 1999
Doug fumes when he learns, before attending the wedding of a guy Carrie grew up with, that Carrie and the groom had sex once.
Episode: 1x14 | Airdate: Jan 18, 1999
Doug can't seem to confront his new neighbors when their dog keeps Doug and Carrie awake all night.
Episode: 1x15 | Airdate: Feb 1, 1999
Doug lies and tells Carrie that he's made big plans for her 30th birthday---and he then scrambles to make the arrangements at the last minute.
Episode: 1x16 | Airdate: Feb 8, 1999
Arthur hits it off with a woman at a Valentine's Day dance for seniors. Meanwhile, Carrie is waiting for Doug at a restaurant.
Episode: 1x17 | Airdate: Feb 15, 1999
When a cop who gave Carrie a traffic ticket asks her out on a date, Doug talks her into going out with him until their court date.
Episode: 1x18 | Airdate: Feb 22, 1999
When the shift supervisor leaves for heart surgery, Doug is selected for the position, but despite the promotion, he hates the job. On top of that, Deacon feels he was overlooked because he's black.
Episode: 1x19 | Airdate: Mar 1, 1999
A Government holiday is anything but for Carrie, who spends it cleaning her kitchen, and for Doug, who spends it golfing---or trying to---with pal Ray Barone.
Episode: 1x20 | Airdate: Mar 15, 1999
Doug is distraught by Carrie's indifference when she learns that his new trainee is a beautiful woman, so he tries to make her think something's going on.
Episode: 1x21 | Airdate: Apr 5, 1999
Carrie asks Doug to join her at a dinner party for a Japanese client. But when he arrives ravenous after not eating all day, he discovers there's no dinner and tries to eat whatever he can find.
Episode: 1x22 | Airdate: Apr 26, 1999
Carrie scolds Doug for inviting their pesky neighbors over---until she learns they want to offer their time-share in the Hamptons.
Episode: 1x23 | Airdate: May 3, 1999
Doug and Carrie try desperately to ship Arthur off to friends for the weekend so they can enjoy some intimate time together, but no one's eager to take him.
Episode: 1x24 | Airdate: May 10, 1999
Doug is ecstatic when Arthur moves out of the basement and gets his own apartment following an argument between the two men. But Carrie is saddened by her father's move and wants Doug to ask him to return.
Episode: 1x25 | Airdate: May 17, 1999
Doug and Carrie feel pressure to have a baby after learning that a friend is pregnant. Meanwhile, Arthur recalls when Carrie was born.
Episode: 2x01 | Airdate: Sep 20, 1999
Doug buys a motorcycle after he takes a ride on Richie's new "hog." That seriously annoys Carrie and gives her an idea.
Episode: 2x02 | Airdate: Sep 27, 1999
Doug encourages Carrie to make new friends but then he becomes jealous when she starts spending a lot of time with their new neighbor
Episode: 2x03 | Airdate: Oct 4, 1999
Doug accidentally shoots himself in a rather sensitive area with a staple gun. Meanwhile, Carrie tries to secure a loan to turn a room in their house into an office.
Episode: 2x04 | Airdate: Oct 11, 1999
Doug and Carrie agree to become godparents to Deacon and Kelly's newborn, but then change their minds. Meanwhile, Arthur is put in charge of the pretzel store where he works.
Episode: 2x05 | Airdate: Oct 18, 1999
When Carrie accidentally leaves the garage door open, someone steals Doug's large-screen TV---and he thinks she did it on purpose.
Episode: 2x06 | Airdate: Oct 25, 1999
Doug receives four tickets to a Mets game when he is named driver of the month. Unfortunately, he's forced to take Arthur with him, which leads to some frantic on- and off-the-field antics by Doug.
Episode: 2x07 | Airdate: Nov 1, 1999
The Heffernans invite Deacon and Kelly along as they celebrate their anniversary at a romantic inn, but things quickly turn sour when Doug starts feeling inferior to his friend's prodigious lovemaking echoing from the next room.
Episode: 2x08 | Airdate: Nov 8, 1999
A dinner with Ray and Debra Barone goes awry when Doug gets stuck in an opening to the attic and Debra learns that Ray insulted her.
Episode: 2x09 | Airdate: Nov 15, 1999
Doug thinks he's hot stuff after an attractive waitress asks about his "situation," but Carrie is not amused.
Episode: 2x10 | Airdate: Nov 22, 1999
Doug tries to prevent a friend of Carrie's and her humorless husband from spending the long Thanksgiving weekend with them by persuading Spencer to temporarily move in with him and Carrie.
Episode: 2x11 | Airdate: Nov 29, 1999
Doug's bowling team's sponsor threatens to withdraw his support if the team doesn't start winning more games. Unfortunately, Carrie is the weak link and Doug is the captain who has to improve her game or fire her from the team.
Episode: 2x12 | Airdate: Dec 13, 1999
When Doug receives a hefty Christmas bonus, Carrie wants them to invest it all in Internet stocks, but Doug isn't sure it's a good idea. Meanwhile, Arthur is determined to have more elaborate Christmas decorations than their neighbors.
Episode: 2x13 | Airdate: Jan 10, 2000
When Carrie learns that Doug's cousin Danny doesn't have a best man for his wedding, she volunteers Doug---much to Doug's dismay.
Episode: 2x14 | Airdate: Jan 17, 2000
Doug hosts a reunion of his high-school football team and is devastated when the coach credits another player for a key block he made in the championship game.
Episode: 2x15 | Airdate: Jan 24, 2000
Carrie regrets letting Arthur sleep in her upstairs office to escape the cold basement when it becomes obvious he intends to stay there permanently.
Episode: 2x16 | Airdate: Feb 7, 2000
Doug is shocked as he spies Carrie cheating during a board game with some friends, but he doesn't know how to confront her.
Episode: 2x17 | Airdate: Feb 14, 2000
Doug and Carrie recall how they first met when he was a bouncer at a club and she was Richie's date.
Episode: 2x18 | Airdate: Feb 21, 2000
Doug and Carrie go out with a new couple and take an instant liking to them---unfortunately, so do Deacon and Kelly, who steal them away.
Episode: 2x19 | Airdate: Feb 28, 2000
Carrie throws a surprise birthday party for Arthur and invites two of his oldest friends, who can't stop bickering.
Episode: 2x20 | Airdate: Mar 6, 2000
Doug lies to Carrie that he has to make a late delivery so he can accompany Deacon to Atlantic City and gamble, instead of going with her to see a Broadway show.
Episode: 2x21 | Airdate: Apr 17, 2000
Doug decides to become a big brother to a fatherless kid, after he learns that Deacon is one; Carrie accidentally tells a coworker, also named Doug, that she loves him.
Episode: 2x22 | Airdate: May 1, 2000
Doug proves to be a soft touch when his pushy neighbor persuades him to buy into his water-filter business.
Episode: 2x23 | Airdate: May 8, 2000
Doug's enthusiasm over a hot, new restaurant is quickly deflated after Carrie makes an ugly scene at the restaurant and bans Doug from ever eating there again.
Episode: 2x24 | Airdate: May 15, 2000
Carrie gets jealous when a coworker receives flowers and she accuses Doug of not being romantic anymore; Arthur is picked for jury duty.
Episode: 2x25 | Airdate: May 22, 2000
Carrie and Doug lock horns over how and where to spend their vacation. She wants to fly to Paris, while he wants to drive out West in a deluxe RV called "the Roadbird Freedom 5000."
Episode: 3x01 | Airdate: Oct 2, 2000
Doug turns Carrie on by imitating the sexy voice of Rico, a studly new Latin co-worker, but then he grows jealous of Rico, whom Carrie has never met. Meanwhile, after reading "Tuesdays with Morrie," Arthur tries to get a young delivery guy to "chronicle his wisdom."
Episode: 3x02 | Airdate: Oct 9, 2000
Doug gets burned when he's asked by his boss to roast him at a banquet being given in his honor and Doug really, really insults him.
Episode: 3x03 | Airdate: Oct 16, 2000
Doug is determined to lose weight after he finds out that Carrie gets all of his clothes at a store that specializes in bigger sizes; Arthur fears he'll get mugged, so he buys a plastic torso called "Mr. Safety" to make would-be robbers think he's not alone.
Episode: 3x04 | Airdate: Oct 23, 2000
Carrie decides to go back to college after some lawyers from work look down on her for being a secretary; Doug's sister visits.
Episode: 3x05 | Airdate: Oct 30, 2000
Doug's car breaks down, so he goes out and buys a new truck---just as his union goes on strike against his employer.
Episode: 3x06 | Airdate: Nov 6, 2000
Doug discovers he has a lot to learn when he takes a job as a substitute teacher while his union is on strike.
Episode: 3x07 | Airdate: Nov 13, 2000
Doug and Deacon, who are out of work because of a strike, resort to playing sophomoric pranks, along with Arthur, to keep from going stir crazy. But they're driving Carrie and Kelly nuts.
Episode: 3x08 | Airdate: Nov 20, 2000
On Thanksgiving, Doug and Carrie recall the first time they said they loved each other and the first time Doug met Arthur and his wife, Lily
Episode: 3x09 | Airdate: Nov 27, 2000
Doug and Carrie watch Deacon and Kelly's kids while they attend an out-of-town funeral---and things couldn't go worse.
Episode: 3x10 | Airdate: Dec 4, 2000
Doug and Deacon keep raising the stakes in their efforts to play the best practical joke on each other. Also, Arthur takes a job as a delivery man in Carrie's office.
Episode: 3x11 | Airdate: Dec 11, 2000
Doug's Christmas gift of a camera to Carrie turns out negative when she gets a better one from Pruzan. Also, Lou Ferrigno moves in next door to the Heffernans, so Arthur plans to give him a screenplay.
Episode: 3x12 | Airdate: Jan 8, 2001
Doug and Carrie try to get out of attending a friend's wedding when they learn it's going to be in Maryland, a five-hour drive away; Arthur and Spence pretend to be father and son in order to cash in on a shoe sale.
Episode: 3x13 | Airdate: Jan 29, 2001
Doug sets up his sister with Carrie's boss so that he can watch the Super Bowl on a high-definition TV.
Episode: 3x14 | Airdate: Feb 5, 2001
A birthday party for Deacon at a paintball park becomes a war when Doug becomes jealous over Carrie's attraction to Deacon.
Episode: 3x15 | Airdate: Feb 12, 2001
Doug catches Deacon dining with another woman, but he doesn't consider it an affair since Deacon hasn't slept with her. Carrie strongly disagrees and insists on telling Kelly.
Episode: 3x16 | Airdate: Feb 19, 2001
Carrie bans sex for two weeks after reading an article about couples who use sex as a substitute for communication; Arthur dates a woman who claims she was once Frank Sinatra's girlfriend.
Episode: 3x17 | Airdate: Feb 26, 2001
Doug dreams he's a character caught lying on "The Honeymooners," "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Young and the Restless," after he lies to Carrie and begins to worry she's going to find out.
Episode: 3x18 | Airdate: Mar 19, 2001
Doug feels sorry for Arthur and agrees to let him go to a cocktail lounge instead of to the weekly dance at a senior center. Big mistake. When Carrie finds out, she goes ballistic and turns her father's care over to Doug. A bigger mistake.
Episode: 3x19 | Airdate: Apr 9, 2001
Doug looks for work after he quits his job and is turned down by a rival delivery service that he thought had guaranteed him a position. Also, neighbor Lou Ferrigno asks Carrie to help him apply tanning lotion and she gets carried away with her own tan.
Episode: 3x20 | Airdate: Apr 16, 2001
Doug and Deacon attempt to thwart a date Carrie set up between Kelly and a computer guy from Carrie's work.
Episode: 3x21 | Airdate: Apr 30, 2001
Doug, Carrie and Arthur have an unpleasant visit with Doug's parents at the airport during a layover when Doug argues with them over their living will.
Episode: 3x22 | Airdate: May 7, 2001
Carrie takes legal action when her neighbors install an above-ground pool that overlooks her backyard fence, but the pool makes a big splash with Doug.
Episode: 3x23 | Airdate: May 14, 2001
Doug is roped into trying to get his unemployed cousin, Danny, a delivery job with him.
Episode: 3x24 | Airdate: May 21, 2001
Part 1 of two. Carrie learns she's pregnant, but she fears that she and Doug aren't prepared to be parents and can't afford a baby. Also: Deacon attempts to reconcile with Kelly, but Spence gets jealous.
Episode: 3x25 | Airdate: May 21, 2001
Conclusion. Doug takes on a second job as a limo driver to make some extra money to prepare for the arrival of the baby. Also, Arthur attempts to cut household expenses by helping to build a basement bathroom.
Episode: 4x01 | Airdate: Sep 24, 2001
Doug hires a dog walker to take Arthur for a stroll three times a week so he and Carrie can have some time alone in hopes of getting pregnant. An unsuspecting Arthur thinks his new companion is a student who wants to learn about his WWII experiences.
Episode: 4x02 | Airdate: Oct 1, 2001
Doug thinks he has come up with the perfect birthday gift for Carrie: laser eye surgery. That is until Carrie ends up nearly blind from the operation.
Episode: 4x03 | Airdate: Oct 8, 2001
Doug tries to break his company's record for consecutive delivery days without incident, but his peers don't want him to set a new mark because the current record holder was a much-beloved employee.
Episode: 4x04 | Airdate: Oct 15, 2001
Doug and Carrie's friendship with Deacon and Kelly is strained after Doug hits their car and it turns out to need expensive repairs.
Episode: 4x05 | Airdate: Oct 22, 2001
Doug reluctantly accompanies Carrie on a retreat thrown by her law firm and resorts to lying to impress her co-workers.
Episode: 4x06 | Airdate: Oct 29, 2001
Arthur inexplicably forbids Doug to celebrate or even to acknowledge Halloween, but Doug ignores him and lives to regret it.
Episode: 4x07 | Airdate: Nov 5, 2001
As Arthur prepares to undergo heart surgery, Carrie discovers something that he did years ago that drastically affected her life. Meanwhile, Doug makes friends with a quirky stranger in the hospital and soon regrets it.
Episode: 4x08 | Airdate: Nov 12, 2001
Doug and Carrie install a small video camera in Arthur's room without telling him so they can keep an eye on him after he returns home from the hospital.
Episode: 4x09 | Airdate: Nov 19, 2001
Doug and Carrie recall their wedding day and the sign Carrie believes she received from God telling her that Doug was the man for her.
Episode: 4x10 | Airdate: Nov 26, 2001
Carrie becomes upset with Doug after he grabs a lone oxygen mask aboard a plane rather than give it to her, even though they weren't in any real danger. Also, Spence needs a new place to live, so he tries to persuade Danny to let him move in with him.
Episode: 4x11 | Airdate: Dec 10, 2001
Carrie's boss wants her to ask Doug to be an expert witness in an upcoming case since he needs testimony from a delivery driver, but Carrie fears that Doug isn't the right choice.
Episode: 4x12 | Airdate: Dec 17, 2001
Doug and Carrie want to conceive soon, but their efforts are hindered when Doug's parents visit for Christmas.
Episode: 4x13 | Airdate: Jan 7, 2002
Carrie becomes jealous when Doug agrees to be a taste tester for Spence's new girlfriend, who is studying to be a chef.
Episode: 4x14 | Airdate: Jan 14, 2002
Carrie wants to take Doug salsa dancing to celebrate the anniversary of their first date, but Doug persuades her to go to Atlantic City instead.
Episode: 4x15 | Airdate: Feb 4, 2002
Carrie persuades Doug to take Deacon to a nightclub to cheer him up, but it's Doug who really gets into the scene.
Episode: 4x16 | Airdate: Feb 25, 2002
Doug and Carrie plan a trip to New Orleans after finding a check for $1500 stashed away in an unused wedding gift. Unfortunately, the check is from 1995, so they try to get Doug's annoying cousin to write them a new one.
Episode: 4x17 | Airdate: Mar 4, 2002
Doug and Carrie play golf with Deacon and his new girlfriend who quickly tees off Carrie with her nonstop laughter at the guys' jokes and her perfect swing.
Episode: 4x18 | Airdate: Mar 18, 2002
Doug's Uncle Stu offers to bankroll his nephew's dream of opening a sandwich shop, but Carrie isn't convinced it's a good idea.
Episode: 4x19 | Airdate: Mar 25, 2002
Doug's parents visit while Carrie's on a business trip and they take over running the house, which makes Doug feel like a kid again. Also, Arthur tries to strike it rich by inventing a new type of screwdriver called the Arthur's head.
Episode: 4x20 | Airdate: Apr 8, 2002
Doug serves Carrie after-work cocktails to relax her so she will be less likely to complain when he strays from his diet, but neighbor Lou Ferrigno becomes concerned for her.
Episode: 4x21 | Airdate: Apr 29, 2002
Doug tries to persuade Carrie to stop wearing her hair in a bun so she will look sexier at his upcoming high-school reunion, but she refuses.
Episode: 4x22 | Airdate: May 6, 2002
Doug and Carrie feel guilty over their lack of charitable contributions so they give a hefty donation to an elementary-school library, but are then disappointed when they aren't given proper credit for the gift on a donors' plaque.
Episode: 4x23 | Airdate: May 13, 2002
Doug and Deacon win $5000 gambling and decide to spend all the money in one day so their wives won't find out. Their extravagance includes a private Eddie Money concert at Doug's house. Also, Carrie is offered a job to work for the head of the law firm.
Episode: 4x24 | Airdate: May 20, 2002
Doug learns his dentist used to have a crush on Carrie, which might explain why the root canal he performs on Doug hurts so badly. Also, Arthur offers piano lessons to kids, even though he doesn't know how to play the instrument.
Episode: 4x25 | Airdate: May 20, 2002
Arthur visits a psychiatrist and recalls via flashback a disturbing encounter with his dad that may explain Arthur's abrasive personality.
Episode: 5x01 | Airdate: Sep 23, 2002
Doug discovers that he literally can't sleep without Carrie when she is required to work nights to prepare for a big civil case at the law firm.
Episode: 5x02 | Airdate: Sep 30, 2002
Carrie worries that her new neighbors may have overheard her arguing with Doug, so she works hard to impress them; Spence, working in a subway toll booth, calls the police when Arthur refuses to pay his fare and jumps the turnstile.
Episode: 5x03 | Airdate: Oct 7, 2002
Carrie prays for a raise and gets it, so she starts praying for other selfish things (like designer shoes), which infuriates Doug. Also, Arthur attempts to sell the house without telling Doug and Carrie.
Episode: 5x04 | Airdate: Oct 14, 2002
Deacon asks Doug to help him coach his 8-year-old son's football team and the boy challenges Doug to try out for a semipro team, but Carrie isn't thrilled with the idea.
Episode: 5x05 | Airdate: Oct 21, 2002
Carrie is shocked when she baby-sits her boss's 4-year-old son and he constantly feels her up. Also, Doug tries flirting with a homely girl at a bowling alley to make her feel good, but his efforts backfire.
Episode: 5x06 | Airdate: Oct 28, 2002
Doug becomes jealous when he visits Carrie's office and discovers that she is very friendly with a gay male co-worker. Also, Arthur gets upset when Holly starts paying more attention to a new dog she's walking than to him.
Episode: 5x07 | Airdate: Nov 4, 2002
Carrie gets jealous when Doug's mother visits and spends most of her time with one of Doug's ex-girlfriends, a now-divorced woman who has stayed in contact with Mrs. Heffernan over the years.
Episode: 5x08 | Airdate: Nov 11, 2002
Doug takes an obscene picture of himself at a wedding reception, and he's horrified when the photo is passed around the next day at a brunch for the bride and groom.
Episode: 5x09 | Airdate: Nov 18, 2002
Carrie wins four tickets to several Knicks games, but she and Doug disagree over which couple to take along with them. Also, Arthur boasts that he can get parking tickets fixed by a friend in the police department, but he soon learns that his old acquaintance no longer works there. But Arthur is too proud to fess up to his buddies, and they keep bringing him tickets.
Episode: 5x10 | Airdate: Nov 25, 2002
Doug loans Carrie out to Deacon for a week so she can help him prepare a Thanksgiving feast for his whole family, but she soon wears out her welcome with her poor cooking skills and her non-stop chatter.
Episode: 5x11 | Airdate: Dec 16, 2002
Christmas brings headaches for the Heffernans when Doug fights with Deacon over a cherished toy from their youth and Carrie gets caught up in trying to outgive everyone else on her holiday shopping list.
Episode: 5x12 | Airdate: Jan 6, 2003
Carrie thinks Doug needs professional help to control his excessive eating habits, so she persuades him to see a therapist. Also: Arthur believes he's addicted to nasal spray and fights to stay off of it.
Episode: 5x13 | Airdate: Jan 20, 2003
Carrie accuses Doug of not thinking about her enough during the day, so Doug goes out of his way to prove her wrong. Also, Doug tries to recruit guys at work to attend his Super Bowl party when it appears that everyone is intent on going to an elaborate bash thrown by another co-worker instead.
Episode: 5x14 | Airdate: Feb 3, 2003
Doug and Carrie pick up another couple's photos by mistake and feel their lives aren't as exciting as the mystery pair, so they try to copy what they see in the pictures. Also: Arthur gets a cell phone and is disappointed when no one calls him.
Episode: 5x15 | Airdate: Feb 10, 2003
Doug must cancel a Valentine's Day dinner with Carrie when his boss makes him transport penguins to the Albany zoo. Also: Arthur tries to romance a woman at a dance for senior citizens; and Carrie's boss takes a liking to Holly.
Episode: 5x16 | Airdate: Feb 17, 2003
Doug and Carrie vacation with their neighbors in St. Croix, but their fun is short-lived after Arthur calls them with bad news about their house, which is in need of an expensive repair.
Episode: 5x17 | Airdate: Feb 24, 2003
Arthur allows Spence's mom to seduce him in hopes that she will lend him $12,000 for a much-needed home repair that Doug and Carrie can't afford. Also: Doug invites his dad to visit.
Episode: 5x18 | Airdate: Mar 10, 2003
Doug and Carrie go to extreme lengths to get the lazy Russian crew they hired to rid their house of mold to finish the job. One of the things they do is supply the workers with an unlimited supply of vodka.
Episode: 5x19 | Airdate: Mar 31, 2003
Carrie confronts Doug about his habit of lying in order to get out of doing things he hates, while he accuses her of using scare tactics to get her way. Also: Spence's meek girlfriend picks up some nasty pointers from Carrie and uses them on him.
Episode: 5x20 | Airdate: Apr 14, 2003
Doug is depressed when his cousin Danny is hired as a driver at IPS and is given Doug's route after he turns in a faster time on the circuit. At home, Arthur gets upset with Holly after she tells him he is like a grandfather to her rather than like a dad.
Episode: 5x21 | Airdate: Apr 21, 2003
Carrie can't control her urge to buy expensive clothes, wear them for a few days and then return them for a full refund. Elsewhere, Spence's new girlfriend is terrified of his dog and makes him decide between her and the pooch.
Episode: 5x22 | Airdate: Apr 28, 2003
Doug tries to reunite Arthur with his estranged half-brother after learning that the two of them own a nearby house, which was left to them by a relative 10 years before. Doug sees this as a great chance to finally get Arthur to move out, but Carrie doesn't think it is such a good idea.
Episode: 5x23 | Airdate: May 5, 2003
While visiting his folks in Florida, Doug learns the overprotective duo have been sheltering him from painful truths, such as the fact that his dog died years ago and has been replaced three times. Back at home, Spence convinces Arthur to serve as a mediator between Spence's girlfriend and his mom at a dinner.
Episode: 5x24 | Airdate: May 12, 2003
Doug's plan to get the fatty foods he wants to eat through Arthur backfires when Carrie catches on and puts her dad on a strict diet. Meanwhile, Spence camps out in front of a movie theater in order to be the first person in line for an upcoming sci-fi picture.
Episode: 5x25 | Airdate: May 19, 2003
The fifth season wraps up with Doug and Carrie discovering that they enjoy doing things apart, even sleeping, after they are forced to use twin beds until their new one arrives. Also: Arthur spies on neighbor Lou Ferrigno to get all the latest gossip.
Episode: 6x01 | Airdate: Oct 1, 2003
A newly svelte Doug leads to a surprisingly jealous Carrie, who just can't hide her disdain when people constantly compliment her hubby on his weight loss. Part 1 of two.
Episode: 6x02 | Airdate: Oct 1, 2003
Conclusion. Doug surprises Carrie with a romantic weekend away at a resort, but the two get lost in the woods. Back at home, Danny and Spence baby-sit Arthur.
Episode: 6x03 | Airdate: Oct 8, 2003
Doug becomes obsessed with beating Carrie at table tennis after Arthur buys a game table at a garage sale; Spence gets jealous when his girlfriend, Denise, starts work as a cocktail waitress and uses her sex appeal to land bigger tips from customers.
Episode: 6x04 | Airdate: Oct 15, 2003
Doug and Carrie decide to renew their wedding vows, but planning the ceremony turns into such a hassle that they consider calling the whole thing off.
Episode: 6x05 | Airdate: Oct 22, 2003
Doug doesn't tell Deacon that estranged wife Kelly wants to reconcile after he learns that his lonely friend has a date with a hot stewardess who's leaving the country the day Kelly comes home.
Episode: 6x06 | Airdate: Oct 29, 2003
Doug is asked to join the softball team at Carrie's law firm, but she's afraid that Doug won't be able to convince the opposing team that he's an attorney; Arthur learns that his ancestors owned slaves, so he tries to make reparations to Deacon.
Episode: 6x07 | Airdate: Nov 12, 2003
Carrie fears that her new gynecologist will drop her as a patient after she recommends Danny do some landscaping for him and Danny overcharges the doctor for the work.
Episode: 6x08 | Airdate: Nov 19, 2003
Carrie is worried that she will lose her job after she learns that her boss is being let go, and Doug fears he could get fired after a practical joke he pulled at work backfires.
Episode: 6x09 | Airdate: Nov 26, 2003
A stranger dressed in a weathered coat and wearing an eyepatch disrupts Doug and Carrie's Thanksgiving dinner with their friends. During the meal, a debate ensues about whether to invite the man in to eat with them.
Episode: 6x10 | Airdate: Dec 3, 2003
Carrie claims she needs some time to find herself after losing her job, but it appears to Doug that she's just loafing all day and losing interest in accomplishing anything.
Episode: 6x11 | Airdate: Dec 17, 2003
Doug finds it unbearable working with Carrie when she takes a temporary job at his company during the holidays; Arthur tries to get various friends to pose for a Christmas card picture with him.
Episode: 6x12 | Airdate: Jan 7, 2004
In flashbacks, Doug and Carrie recall buying their house almost 10 years earlier and how it was mainly Carrie's decision because Doug preferred a different place.
Episode: 6x13 | Airdate: Jan 14, 2004
Doug and Carrie try to weasel money out of Arthur so they can indulge themselves after he wins $2500 playing bingo, but he has other ideas on how to spend the loot.
Episode: 6x14 | Airdate: Feb 11, 2004
Doug and Carrie baby-sit Deacon and Kelly's two kids, so the Heffernans think it's only fair that the Palmers look after Arthur once in a while, but their friends don't agree.
Episode: 6x15 | Airdate: Feb 11, 2004
Doug gets nervous when Carrie befriends one of his former girlfriends, whom he treated shabbily. But in time Carrie learns what Doug already knows---the woman is annoying and needy. Also: Spence is asked out by a guy and he accepts the date.
Episode: 6x16 | Airdate: Feb 18, 2004
Carrie becomes furious with Doug after he is hospitalized to remove his appendix and begins talking about other women while medicated. To ease the situation, she writes a list of acceptable fantasies---and women---for Doug to dream about. Also: Arthur runs the senior center for a week to help out a friend.
Episode: 6x17 | Airdate: Feb 25, 2004
Arthur tries to unload the extra cemetery plot next to his own by persuading Spence's mom to buy it; Doug is assigned a new delivery route and is freaked out by a man at one of his daily stops who always answers the door wearing nothing but a towel around his waist; Carrie becomes a dog walker to earn extra cash.
Episode: 6x18 | Airdate: Mar 3, 2004
Doug is furious with Carrie when she accepts a job offer from a guy he claims slandered him in junior high school by spreading a rumor that Doug licked a trash can; Arthur asserts that Larry King got him kicked out of school when they were younger and now Arthur wants revenge.
Episode: 6x19 | Airdate: Mar 17, 2004
Deacon and Kelly reluctantly accept an invitation from the Heffernans to vacation with them in Florida near the home of Doug's parents. When they arrive at their hotel, they discover that it's filled with rowdy college students on spring break. Adding to the misery is the great disappointment shown by Doug's mom over the fact that no one is staying at her house.
Episode: 6x20 | Airdate: Mar 24, 2004
Arthur tries to undo all of his past wrongs as a father after he ruins Carrie's job interview at a prestigious real-estate development firm by making a nuisance of himself in the company's lobby.
Episode: 6x21 | Airdate: Apr 7, 2004
Doug doesn't want to form friendships with couples from Carrie's new office so he intentionally does something revolting when they're with someone from her workplace while Carrie is out of the room. Also: Spence and Danny discover that girls are attracted to men who assist the elderly so they pretend to help Arthur in order to get women to notice them.
Episode: 6x22 | Airdate: May 5, 2004
Spence learns that his ex-girlfriend is getting married the next day in Tennessee, so he, Doug, Deacon and Danny hit the road to stop the wedding.
Episode: 6x23 | Airdate: May 12, 2004
Arthur recruits Doug to play in a shuffleboard tournament at the senior center; Carrie gets the flu and makes Holly bring her meals, even after she recovers.
Episode: 6x24 | Airdate: May 19, 2004
As the sixth season concludes, Holly moves in with the Heffernans after she loses her apartment. At first Doug isn't thrilled to have her there but after she starts waiting on him hand and foot, he can't get enough.
Episode: 7x01 | Airdate: Oct 27, 2004
The seventh season begins with Doug trying to build up credit with Carrie by taking her to a spa, in the hopes that she will let him go to Las Vegas for a weekend with the guys.
Episode: 7x02 | Airdate: Nov 3, 2004
Doug fears that Carrie will have less time for him now that she has a job that she loves, which could lead to a promising career. Not to be outdone, Doug tries to get a promotion at work.
Episode: 7x03 | Airdate: Nov 10, 2004
Carrie wants Doug to attend an overeaters support group, but he goes to a class for men in abusive relationships instead, where he is told that it's Carrie's anger that causes him to overeat.
Episode: 7x04 | Airdate: Nov 24, 2004
Doug grows jealous when a new driver gets more laughs at lunchtime than he does; Carrie gets a new assistant who proves to be very efficient.
Episode: 7x05 | Airdate: Dec 1, 2004
Carrie is determined not to let Doug or Arthur embarrass her when the two attend a party at her office, but that's wishful thinking. Also: Spence's mom moves into Spence and Danny's apartment.
Episode: 7x06 | Airdate: Dec 8, 2004
Doug becomes worried when his neglected mom starts spending time with Arthur while his dad attends a model-train convention.
Episode: 7x07 | Airdate: Dec 15, 2004
Doug's Christmas shopping and Yuletide cheer take a holiday after his wallet goes missing at the mall and he has to cancel all of his credit cards.
Episode: 7x08 | Airdate: Jan 5, 2005
Doug and Carrie go to great lengths to find a new couple to hang out with after Deacon and Kelly start spending time with another family.
Episode: 7x09 | Airdate: Jan 12, 2005
Doug is determined to continue wearing a new cologne even though Carrie hates it, and the two prepare to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Arthur sneaks Spence and Holly into a movie theater in an effort to pay off money he owes them.
Episode: 7x10 | Airdate: Jan 19, 2005
Carrie hires a non-English-speaking maid after she realizes that she now makes more money than Doug, two things that irritate him to no end. To get back at her, he hires his own maid, who turns out to be not exactly made to order.
Episode: 7x11 | Airdate: Jan 26, 2005
Doug attends a bartending school and gets a job working at a bar; Arthur runs for president of the senior center and tries to get Deacon to help him secure the black vote.
Episode: 7x12 | Airdate: Feb 9, 2005
Neighbor Lou Ferrigno offers to help Doug and Carrie lose weight by putting them through a rigorous exercise program; Arthur tries to confront Dick Clark about a prize he never received after appearing in 1976 on "The $10,000 Pyramid."
Episode: 7x13 | Airdate: Feb 16, 2005
Carrie recalls what Doug said to her when they were dating that made her want to marry him, but then she learns a horrifying truth about that night; Danny falls for Holly after his girlfriend breaks up with him.
Episode: 7x14 | Airdate: Feb 23, 2005
Doug visits his old high school and reminiscences with his former football coach; Arthur temporarily loses his sight and hearing.
Episode: 7x15 | Airdate: Mar 2, 2005
Carrie is discouraged about her looks as she faces her 35th birthday so Doug gets construction workers to hoot and holler at her as she passes by in hopes of cheering her up. Also, Arthur tries to come up with a perfect gift for his daughter.
Episode: 7x16 | Airdate: Mar 16, 2005
Doug becomes jealous when Deacon starts hanging out with a new friend and takes drastic measures to win him back; Carrie is blacklisted by a nail salon because of her demanding behavior.
Episode: 7x17 | Airdate: Mar 30, 2005
Doug wins two tickets to the NCAA men's championship basketball game in St. Louis and reluctantly agrees to take Arthur with him. Big mistake.
Episode: 7x18 | Airdate: Apr 6, 2005
Carrie convinces Holly that she needs her help with her office makeover just so she can use Holly's van for the supplies. Meanwhile, Doug is frightened by an intimidating waitress who wants to fight him when he calls her a name.
Episode: 7x19 | Airdate: Apr 13, 2005
Doug, Carrie and Arthur are each stranded in different locations during a snowstorm. Doug is invited to wait out the storm with a Japanese couple, until he starts giving them advice. Meanwhile, Carrie finds shelter in a church and Arthur is forced to stay with Holly, much to her dismay since she has a date coming over.
Episode: 7x20 | Airdate: Apr 20, 2005
Carrie entertains a female client at a Mets game and invites Doug along, but she soon regrets it after he has a run-in with the woman; Arthur hosts a dinner party, but he's upstaged by Holly's gay uncle
Episode: 7x21 | Airdate: May 9, 2005
In order to get a plasma TV, Doug has to trick Carrie into attending a weekend getaway at a ski resort, where they must listen to sales pitches for time-shares. Spence and Danny also attend, posing as a gay couple.
Episode: 7x22 | Airdate: May 18, 2005
Doug and Carrie buy a deceased neighbor's house, believing they can sell it quickly for a huge profit. Meanwhile, Arthur agrees to participate in a drug trial, but is afraid of possible side effects, so he slips the medication into Veronica's coffee each day to see what happens to her.
Episode: 8x01 | Airdate: Sep 19, 2005
Doug persuades Carrie to take a pole-dancing class. But after he sets up a pole in their bedroom, he's horrified at her lack of talent. When Arthur learns what Carrie is doing, he feels that her stripper behavior is a direct result of his lack of parenting over the years, so he tries to make it up to her by spending more time with her. Carrie's not exactly thrilled.
Episode: 8x02 | Airdate: Sep 26, 2005
Doug and Carrie see a marriage counselor after a computer records a vicious argument between them and they read the hateful text. Elsewhere, Arthur helps out with theater night at the senior center by directing and appearing in a scene from a play. But first, he must cast the part of his leading lady.
Episode: 8x03 | Airdate: Oct 3, 2005
Via flashbacks, Doug tells Carrie the real story about how he got his job driving a delivery truck 10 years ago when they were still dating.
Episode: 8x04 | Airdate: Oct 10, 2005
Doug can't figure out why a new driver invited everyone else at work to a barbecue, but he intends to find out. At her office, Carrie tries to change her unfriendly image by doing nice things for her coworkers, whether they want her to or not.
Episode: 8x05 | Airdate: Oct 17, 2005
Doug is upset when a restaurant names a sandwich after Deacon that Doug insists he created; and Carrie gets jealous when Holly announces that she's engaged and moving to Manhattan.
Episode: 8x06 | Airdate: Oct 24, 2005
Doug goes to a sexy hairdresser, which makes Carrie jealous; Spence invites Lou Ferrigno to a sci-fi convention, but ditches him after Adam West agrees to go.
Episode: 8x07 | Airdate: Nov 7, 2005
Doug surprises Carrie by taking her away for a weekend at a rustic bed-and-breakfast run by an eccentric older couple. Unfortunately, the place is a little too rustic for Carrie. Back at home, Arthur entertains a lady friend, who thinks Arthur wants her to move in with him.
Episode: 8x08 | Airdate: Nov 14, 2005
Doug and Carrie try to get Deacon and Kelly to buy the house next door to them, but a couple with eight kids move in instead. Elsewhere, Danny and Spence become rivals when they try to woo an Albanian beauty.
Episode: 8x09 | Airdate: Nov 21, 2005
Doug is thrilled when he gets sexy e-mails from a fan who heard him singing karaoke at a club, but his excitement turns to fear when the stalker becomes threatening. Doug's greatest fear, however, is that Carrie will find out about his adoring admirer.
Episode: 8x10 | Airdate: Nov 28, 2005
Doug invites Ray Barone to crash at his house while both of their wives are out of town and the two go clubbing. Meanwhile, Carrie goes with Arthur to visit her mother's grave in New Jersey for the first time and is shocked when she reads the tombstone.
Episode: 8x11 | Airdate: Dec 19, 2005
Doug and Carrie are roped into helping out at their church during the holidays: he guards the manger, while she tries to bake a cake. Also, Arthur and Spence attempt to write a Christmas song so they can cash in on the holiday.
Episode: 8x12 | Airdate: Jan 9, 2006
To persuade Carrie to have a baby, Doug borrows an infant whom Danny is supposed to be taking care of to show Carrie what a good father he would be. Elsewhere, Arthur wants a coffee-shop manager to name him Customer of the Month, even though he rarely buys anything.
Episode: 8x13 | Airdate: Jan 23, 2006
Doug discovers that his mom is a great poker player so he persuades her to enter a high-stakes game; Spence tries to help Carrie lose her accent so she'll have a better chance of getting a promotion.
Episode: 8x14 | Airdate: Feb 6, 2006
Doug and the guys rent an apartment over a Chinese restaurant to host their poker nights after Carrie tosses them out of the house. Also, Carrie gets Kirstie Alley as a client and is forced to eat large amounts of food in front of her as part of Alley's strange weight-loss program.
Episode: 8x15 | Airdate: Feb 27, 2006
Doug and Carrie discover their house is infested with bedbugs, but Doug doesn't want to spend money on an exterminator; Spence and Danny wrestle to decide where they are going on vacation.
Episode: 8x16 | Airdate: Mar 6, 2006
Doug enjoys the extra attention Carrie gives him after he falls down the stairs and injures a knee, so he comes up with a plan for the pampering to continue even after he is healed.
Episode: 8x17 | Airdate: Mar 13, 2006
Doug and Carrie receive a hideous portrait of themselves from Deacon and Kelly as an anniversary present.
Episode: 8x18 | Airdate: Mar 20, 2006
Carrie cuts her hair short and sells it for big bucks to pay for a cruise with Deacon and Kelly, but she soon regrets it after everyone hates her new look. Also, Arthur begins to wonder if he really is Carrie's father. Robert Goulet appears as himself.
Episode: 8x19 | Airdate: Apr 10, 2006
Doug turns 40 and fakes a midlife crisis so Carrie will think he intends to better his life, but all he really wants to do is conquer his fear of riding a monster roller coaster that he was too scared to go on 15 years ago.
Episode: 8x20 | Airdate: May 1, 2006
Doug pairs off with Kelly, while Carrie goes out with Deacon after the couples realize they have more in common with their friend's spouse than they do with their own; Arthur gives advice to a woman working at a coffee shop.
Episode: 8x21 | Airdate: May 8, 2006
Carrie plans a weekend getaway with coworkers on a company retreat, but Doug shows up and spoils it; Danny and Spence sneak backstage at a Huey Lewis concert dressed as guards. Huey Lewis appears as himself.
Episode: 8x22 | Airdate: May 15, 2006
A driver from a rival delivery service befriends Doug, whose buddies are suspicious of the guy's motive; Carrie mentors a troubled 16-year-old girl, but the teen ends up having more of an influence on her.
Episode: 8x23 | Airdate: May 22, 2006
Carrie decides to put Arthur in a retirement home after he accidentally sets a fire in the basement. But Doug isn't sure they should ship him out after he learns a surprising secret about Arthur. Meanwhile, Danny and Spence argue over who gets the larger bedroom in their apartment since Danny promised that, after two years, he would move out and let Spence have it.
Episode: 9x01 | Airdate: Dec 6, 2006
Doug buys an ice-cream truck with his and Carrie's tax refund. Carrie is furious, but Doug thinks it's a great way to make money---until he meets the competition. Also, Carrie pretends to be a mom in a model home and starts enjoying her fake family too much.
Episode: 9x02 | Airdate: Dec 6, 2006
Doug gets sexy phone calls from a woman claiming to have spent a wild weekend with him and he can't get her to believe she has the wrong Doug Heffernan. Also, Spence and Danny vie for the attention of an attractive waitress.
Episode: 9x03 | Airdate: Dec 13, 2006
Doug becomes supervisor when O'Boyle checks into a rehab center, and Doug promptly messes everything up; Carrie gets jealous when a coworker is promoted after confronting their boss about the chintzy bonus he gave them.
Episode: 9x04 | Airdate: Dec 13, 2006
Doug inadvertently scares Deacon's son, Major, so badly that the boy refuses to be around him. Meanwhile, Arthur starts a business employing senior citizens who ride along with lone drivers so they can use car-pool lanes.
Episode: 9x05 | Airdate: Dec 20, 2006
Doug adopts a dog from a neighbor to prove that he and Carrie are good people after they aren't invited to a neighborhood block party. Unfortunately, Doug turns the dog into a lazy slob and then tries to get rid of him. Also, Arthur attempts to help Danny kick a gambling problem, but Arthur ends up getting hooked himself.
Episode: 9x06 | Airdate: Jan 3, 2007
Arthur asks Doug and Carrie to pay for braces after Major draws a picture of him with crooked teeth; and Kelly hires Spence to be a houseboy after he loses his job.
Episode: 9x07 | Airdate: Apr 9, 2007
Carrie is upset when she learns that Deacon and Kelly bought a vacation house. She believes they were able to afford it because they're cheap and freeload off of her and Doug. Elsewhere, Arthur gives job-hunting tips to Spence.
Episode: 9x08 | Airdate: Apr 16, 2007
Doug becomes a vegetarian after he hits and nearly kills a chicken with his truck. Carrie is supportive of Doug's new lifestyle until he tries to force it on her. At work, Carrie's boss gives her a thick novel to read so they can talk about it, but the book proves to be too boring for Carrie to get through.
Episode: 9x09 | Airdate: Apr 23, 2007
Doug attends his 20th high-school reunion and teams up with a former bad boy, who is now the school's vice principal, to get revenge on their mean-spirited principal, who is still on the job. Back at home, Carrie and Arthur try to watch a movie together, but they can't agree on which one to see.
Episode: 9x10 | Airdate: Apr 30, 2007
Carrie wants to move to an apartment in the city, but Doug wants to stay in Queens. Their impasse makes them realize they have very different ideas about their future.
Episode: 9x11 | Airdate: May 7, 2007
Doug and Carrie consider adopting a baby after they get marriage counseling from their priest and run into friends who recently had a child.
Episode: 9x12 | Airdate: May 14, 2007
Part 1 of 2. In the series finale, Doug wants a divorce and refuses to attend Arthur's wedding to Ava St. Clair, which doesn't go quite as planned anyway.
Episode: 9x13 | Airdate: May 14, 2007
The series concludes with Doug and Carrie deciding whether to stay married and adopt a baby in China, or whether to call everything off.