It's Your Move/Dad and Me

Dad and Me
Season 1, Episode 7
Airdate	November 21, 1984
Written by	Fred Fox, Jr. and Al Aidekman
Directed by	Bob Lally
← 1x06 Love Letters	1x08 → The Rival
It's Your Move — Season One

Dad and Me is the seventh episode of the first season of It's Your Move, and the seventh episode overall.

Guest Stars: Neil Thompson (Jimmy Ray), Paul Bashkin (Bill Williams), P.J. Godwin (Bill Williams, Jr.), Twyla Littleton (Doreen), Alan Blumenfeld (Butch), Rick Lantz (Emile)

Plot Overview

Eileen is up early taking Julie to a cheerleading competition, entrusting Norman to look after Matt while they are gone. Matt says that he can take care of himself, but Norman tells him not to hesitate in calling him if he needs anything. Matt goes back to sleep only to awaken to two men in his apartment apparently stealing his furniture. Although they claim to be upholsterers, Matt assumes that Norman hired them to pretend to rob him. Norman comes across the hall but doesn't do anything to stop the burglars because he assumes that Matt has hired them.

Eight hours later, Matt and Norman concede that they were in fact robbed of all their furniture. Matt and Norman scour the newspaper ads looking for a way to earn enough money to replace the furniture. After dismissing the idea of searching for a lost dog named Tuffy, they discover that a game show called Dad and Me is looking for contestants. Matt convinces Norman to write the show a sob story to get them on the air.

Norman is successful in getting them accepted as contestants but also has some fun with Matt in the bio that he created by changing his name to Seymour Lamb and giving him the habit of dozing off at times due to being bitten by a tsetse fly. The two study each other's bios at length in preparation.

On the show, Matt and 'Seymour' are faced with nearly-clone father and son team Bill and Bill Jr. Williams, who are almost unbeatable. To remedy this, Matt disconnects their buzzer so that they cannot answer a crucial question. Norman and Matt win and get to spin the bonus wheel for valuable prizes. They win a stereo and the new furniture that they had hoped for, but when the prize at stake is a telescope with a built-in camera that Matt has been saving up for, Norman purposely blows the answer.

The next prize to be offered is a brand new car for Norman, who begs Matt to win it for him even though he had ruined Matt's chance for winning the telescope. Matt agrees to win the car for him...with a wink to the audience. When he goes to answer the question, he lets out a "Nyaang" and falls asleep, the victim of the fictional tsetse fly bite. Norman is infuriated and begins to strangle Matt on the floor of the studio.

Back at home, Matt returns from school only to find his apartment stocked with their original furniture. Norman admits that he did in fact hire the burglars in order to force Matt to admit that he needed his help. And Norman concedes that he needed Matt's help as well...in order to fill his apartment with the new prize furniture.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Norman wins new furniture for his apartment, but several more episodes would air showing the old furniture (indicating that the shows were aired out of filming sequence).

Trivia

The Show

• The burglers were never named in the show, but the credits give them the names of Butch and Emile.

• The host of Dad and Me is named as Jimmy Ray in the credits, although he clearly introduces himself as Jimmy Jay in the opening monologue of the show.

Memorable Moments

• Julie comes out of her room at 5:30 in the morning, in tattered clothes and her hair up in curlers looking like a disaster. She takes a look at her brother and says "Wow Matthew, you look ugly in the morning"

• When the Williams demand an explanation when their buzzer doesn't work, Matt commandeers the show and offers them a consolation prize (which the show doesn't have), and then offers to bring them back the next week..."only in different sweaters."

• Matt pretends to fall asleep when he is asked the question that would win Norman the car. After Norman shakes him back 'awake' after the water in the Mystery Bucket has drained and the time has expired, Matt groggily asks "Father...did we win the car?"

Quotes

• Eileen: Norman, I want you to look after Matthew. I've seen those movies of the week and I know what can happen to a young child. I don't want him going to any wild parties, having any accidents, getting kidnapped, eating any bad things, or dying in his sleep.

• Norman: You hired them! Sure, you make sure I hear them. I call the police and tell them your furniture's been robbed. Then by the time they arrive you put it all back and I look like an idiot.
  Matt: You would in that robe.

• Matt: They took everything we have and you just sat there and watched them.
  Norman: What do you want from me? You were the one who made them coffee.

• Jimmy Jay: Well Norman, I see that you're a freelance cropduster and an oil wildcatter, that you enjoy skiing and grilled cheese sandwiches. Sounds like an exciting life.
  Norman: It is Jim - or rather was - until this little frogeater came along.

• Jimmy Jay: Well, Bill and Bill Jr., rarely has there been a father and son so alike.
  Bill Jr.: Well we do have our differences. Dad prefers a number two pencil, while I prefer a two and a half.

• Norman: Don't worry, dressing alike isn't being alike.
  Bill Jr.: Bless you.
  Bill: Achoo.

• Jimmy Jay: Okay teams, now this next question is worth twenty points and forty points goes on to the next round, but the trailing team does have the right to go double or nothing. So what's it going to be Lambs?
  Norman: I don't even know what you said.

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