Sat, Mar 26, 1955
Despite not having much to show for their lives, Ralph and Alice decide that they want to adopt a baby. Naturally, Ralph is set on having a son and won't hear of anything else. With the Nortons' help, the Kramdens prepare for the new arrival. When Alice and Ralph go to the adoption agency, they are first shown a girl baby but Ralph insists that they bring a boy. While they wait, in one of Gleason's best moments as Ralph Kramden he reluctantly, then fully, bonds with the baby, then has a fit when they try to take her back. The Kramdens take the baby home and all seems well, but before the adoption is finalized, the birthmother changes her mind an wants her baby back. Alice is heartbroken and Ralph is just plain furious.
Sat, Feb 12, 1955
Mr. Marshall tells Ralph he's crazy (in Ralph's words) and has a problem with his temper, having received complaints from passengers who have traveled on his bus. So he tells Ralph to see a psychiatrist to see if anything can be done about his temper. Ralph is very concerned that he will lose his job. Ralph is very upset about this, and talking with Norton doesn't help, but when he finally gets a chance to talk with Alice she reassures him seeing a psychiatrists doesn't have to be something to worry about. But Ralph takes Norton with him to the doctors office. The psychiatrist advice: Ralph needs to stop seeing Ed Norton. Ralph's doesn't have the nerve to tell Norton to his face so he decides to write him a letter. After several attempts at writing the letter Norton comes over and by chance sees part of a letter that he interprets as a suicide note. Norton decides to stay as close as possible to Ralph to keep him from hurting himself, and in the process nearly pushes him over the edge.
Sat, Sep 25, 1954
Ralph gets chosen for a commercial for a candy bar company that sponsor an opera show for TV. He has some problems learning his lines, but the biggest problem comes when he develops a toothache before the big night. When he bites into the bar during the live broadcast he winds up writhing in pain all over the stage.
Sat, Dec 11, 1954
Ralph is intrigued by the potential fame and fortune in writing popular songs. Before long, he and Norton pitch in (by raiding their spouses' Christmas Club funds) and buy a piano; Alice is furious. Desperately working through the night in Ralph's apartment, Ed and Ralph exhaust every lame premise for writing a hit song, until a chance series of disruptive noises sparks Ralph's imagination, and their new masterpiece begins to take shape. Within a day, they are auditioning their new opus "My Love Song to You" for a local publisher, who tells Ralph that he likes Ed's music, but refuses to publish the song with Ralph's amateurish lyrics. Ralph makes the ultimate artistic sacrifice by allowing the publisher to hire a lyricist to replace his own words. Ralph is thus thrust into an emotional funk, which reaches its height on the night Ed's new song makes its radio broadcast debut.
Sat, Mar 5, 1955
Ralph can't sleep because fighting going on between Ed and Trixie. Eventually Ed decides to leave and Trixie comes down talk with Alice. Alice gets Ralph to go out and find Ed. By the time Ralph gets back with Ed Trixie wants an apology. They start fighting again, and this time Ed comes down to Ralphs apartment. Alice gets Ralph to let Ed spend the night so the fighting will stop. But Ed's personal habits drive Ralph crazy. Ralph finally resorts to force and drags Ed back to his place to apologize. This leads to Ralph finding out the bad things Ed said about Ralph in the past. The episode ends with Ed and Trixie back in each others arms and Ralph with a banged up arm. Ralph's night ends with no sleep.
Sat, Dec 15, 1956
Ralph tells the lodge members he knows Jackie Gleason and can get him for a show at the Raccoon Lodge (of course he doesn't). He comes clean to Norton who helps him come up with a plan to get Gleason to come to the event on the basis that it's a charity, it's not, but they don't plan on letting that get the way. Their plan involves waiting in Gleason's hotel lobby to ask him for help. The scene in lobby revolves around series of exits and entrances by Ralph and Gleason then Ed can Carney and even Joyce Randolf gets involved in playing a different character in that lobby. Gleason and Ralph manage to miss each other in the lobby. On the night of the event Ralph is shaking in his boots because he doesn't know that Alice had managed to get Gleason to show up by make his favorite food and sending it to him with a note asking him to help. Another interesting character swap takes place and everyone is happy at the end