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Gimme a Break!

1981 – 1987Show6 seasons137 episodesTV-G

ComedyFamily
43
WeakGoodWatch score
IMDb6.5
43
WeakGoodWatch score
IMDb6.5

Summary

Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC for six seasons, October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.

Good for

  • Family movie night
  • Friends night
  • Party vibe

Skip it if

  • You want dark or edgy material

Where to watch

Set your services

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Not for scares, brutality or big ideas.

Shows with

Gimme a Break! episodes

6 seasons · 137 episodes

  1. S1 E1 Katie the Crook, 7.6
  2. S1 E2 A Good Man Is Hard to Find, 7.6
  3. S1 E3 The Second Time Around, 7.6
  4. S1 E4 Mom's Birthday, 7.7
  5. S1 E5 Do or Diet, 7.7
  6. S1 E6 A Man in Nell's Room, 7.6
  7. S1 E7 Your Prisoner is Dead, 7.6
  8. S1 E8 Julie's Rejection, 7.4
  9. S1 E9 Julie's First Love, 7.7
  10. S1 E10 Nell's Ex, 6.9
  11. S1 E11 Katie the Cheat, 7.2
  12. S1 E12 The Emergency, 7.5
  13. S1 E13 Nell Goes Home, 8.1
  14. S1 E14 Samantha Steals a Squad Car, 7.8
  15. S1 E15 Grandma Fools Around, 7.6
  16. S1 E16 Hot Muffins, 7.6
  17. S1 E17 Sam's Affair, 8.0
  18. S1 E18 The Robbery, 8.3
  19. S1 E19 An Unmarried Couple, 7.2
  1. S2 E1 Nell Goes to Jail, 8.3
  2. S2 E2 Brother Ed and the Hooker, 6.8
  3. S2 E3 Sam's Imaginary Friend, 7.2
  4. S2 E4 Grandpa's Visit, 7.2
  5. S2 E5 Take My Baby, Please, 7.8
  6. S2 E6 Porko's II, 7.3
  7. S2 E7 The Chief's Gay Evening, 7.6
  8. S2 E8 Katie Steals Julie's Jock, 8.1
  9. S2 E9 Sam Faces Death, 7.9
  10. S2 E10 Nell Goes Door to Door, 7.1
  11. S2 E11 Love Thy Neighbor, 8.0
  12. S2 E12 Love, Kidney, 7.5
  13. S2 E13 Julie Smokes, 8.0
  14. S2 E14 The Centerfold: Part 1, 6.9
  15. S2 E15 The Centerfold: Part 2, 6.9
  16. S2 E16 The Custody Suit, 7.5
  17. S2 E17 The Return of the Doo-Wop Girls, 7.8
  18. S2 E18 Eddie Gets Married, 7.4
  19. S2 E19 Grandpa Robs a Bank, 7.4
  20. S2 E20 Glenlawn Street Blues, 7.6
  21. S2 E21 Nell and the Kid, 6.7
  22. S2 E22 Nell Gets Sick, 7.1
  1. S3 E1 The Groupie, 7.7
  2. S3 E2 The Way to a Man's Heart, 7.3
  3. S3 E3 Katie's Commitment, 7.2
  4. S3 E4 Joey: Part 1, 6.1
  5. S3 E5 Joey: Part 2, 6.8
  6. S3 E6 The Mayor, 7.1
  7. S3 E7 Melissa, 7.3
  8. S3 E8 Nell's Friend, 7.9
  9. S3 E9 Grandpa's Rebellion, 7.8
  10. S3 E10 A Kanisky Christmas, 8.0
  11. S3 E11 Herbie, 7.2
  12. S3 E12 James Returns, 7.2
  13. S3 E13 Samantha's Protest, 7.8
  14. S3 E14 Flashback, 8.4
  15. S3 E15 Knock Three Times, 7.5
  16. S3 E16 Valentine, 8.4
  17. S3 E17 The Big Apple: Part 1, 7.5
  18. S3 E18 The Big Apple: Part 2, 7.5
  19. S3 E19 Rodeo, 7.6
  20. S3 E20 Katie's College, 8.0
  21. S3 E21 The Center, 5.2
  22. S3 E22 Class of '84, 6.8
  1. S4 E1 New Orleans: Part 1, 7.2
  2. S4 E2 New Orleans: Part 2, 7.2
  3. S4 E3 Nell's Birthday, 8.1
  4. S4 E4 Grandpa's Secret Life, 7.3
  5. S4 E5 Sam's First Love, 7.9
  6. S4 E6 Who Dunnit?, 7.1
  7. S4 E7 Breakdance, 7.6
  8. S4 E8 Daddy's Little Girl, 6.8
  9. S4 E9 Carl's Delicate Moment, 8.0
  10. S4 E10 Julie's Lie, 7.9
  11. S4 E11 Baby of the Family, 7.3
  12. S4 E12 TV or Not TV, 8.0
  13. S4 E13 The Spirit of Christmas, 7.5
  14. S4 E14 Grandpa's Will, 7.1
  15. S4 E15 The Answering Machine, 7.1
  16. S4 E16 The Gift, 7.2
  17. S4 E17 Alabamy Bound: Part 1, 8.1
  18. S4 E18 Alabamy Bound: Part 2, 7.8
  19. S4 E19 Earthquake, 8.1
  20. S4 E20 The Lookalike, 7.7
  21. S4 E21 Cat Story, 8.4
  22. S4 E22 Police Mamas, 8.2
  23. S4 E23 Monkey See, Monkey Do, 8.0
  24. S4 E24 Friendship, 7.9
  25. S4 E25 Julie's Birthday, 8.0
  1. S5 E1 Joey's Train, 7.7
  2. S5 E2 Ship of Fools: Part 1, 7.1
  3. S5 E3 Ship of Fools: Part 2, 7.9
  4. S5 E4 The Man from Zoron, 6.2
  5. S5 E5 Addy's Goodbye, 7.0
  6. S5 E6 So Long, Jonathan, 7.1
  7. S5 E7 Mama, 7.7
  8. S5 E8 Sam's Little Girl, 8.1
  9. S5 E9 The Elevator, 7.4
  10. S5 E10 Nell's New Car, 7.7
  11. S5 E11 Nell's Gifted Child, 6.7
  12. S5 E12 Katie's Apartment, 8.3
  13. S5 E13 Snippets, 6.9
  14. S5 E14 Second Chance: Part 1, 7.2
  15. S5 E15 Second Chance: Part 2, 6.7
  16. S5 E16 Bienvenido, Jonathan, 6.9
  17. S5 E17 The Gun, 7.3
  18. S5 E18 A Lesson for Nell, 7.7
  19. S5 E19 Pride and Prejudice, 7.6
  20. S5 E20 Family Reunion, 7.6
  21. S5 E21 Getting to Know You, 7.7
  22. S5 E22 Katie's Korner, 8.5
  23. S5 E23 Found Money, 8.2
  24. S5 E24 The Purse Snatcher, 5.4
  1. S6 E1 Sam Goes to College: Part 1, 8.1
  2. S6 E2 Sam Goes to College: Part 2, 8.0
  3. S6 E3 Below Sea Level, 7.5
  4. S6 E4 Joey Meets Matthew, 7.7
  5. S6 E5 Nell Goes Back to New York, 7.9
  6. S6 E6 The Apartment, 7.2
  7. S6 E7 I Love New York, 7.9
  8. S6 E8 Nell, the Boss, 7.5
  9. S6 E9 Harry the Hamster, 7.4
  10. S6 E10 Joey the Gambler, 6.9
  11. S6 E11 The Scam, 7.2
  12. S6 E12 Christmas in New York, 6.8
  13. S6 E13 Nell's Secret Admirer, 7.4
  14. S6 E14 The Loan, 7.5
  15. S6 E15 The Window: Part 1, 7.2
  16. S6 E16 The Window: Part 2, 7.1
  17. S6 E17 Joey's First Crush, 7.1
  18. S6 E18 Joey's Teacher, 6.6
  19. S6 E19 Joey's Hero, 6.6
  20. S6 E20 Joey, the Gigolo, 7.7
  21. S6 E21 Parents' Week: Part 1, 7.5
  22. S6 E22 Parents' Week: Part 2, 7.8
  23. S6 E23 Save the Church, 7.5
  24. S6 E24 Someday My Prince..., 6.9
  25. S6 E25 Mama's Date, 7.6

Cast

24 of 60 · most episodes first

Crew

Directors
Jim Drake, Linda Day, Will Mackenzie
Written by
Booker Bradshaw, Rod Parker, Erik Tarloff
Produced by
Rod Parker, Morton Lachman

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

October 29, 1981 · May 12, 1987 · Ended

First aired
October 29, 1981
Last aired
May 12, 1987
Status
Ended
Length
6 seasons · 137 episodes
Age rating
TV-G
Genres
Comedy, Family
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Available in
1 country

Tropes

Kavorka Man, Live Episode, The Ditz +9

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream Gimme a Break!?"

Questions about Gimme a Break!

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Gimme a Break!?

The Roku

In the United States, Gimme a Break! is free with ads on The Roku.

Is Gimme a Break! worth watching?

43
WeakGoodWatch score

Reviews are weak, with a GoodWatch score of 43 (IMDb 6.5).

Is Gimme a Break! okay for kids?

TV-G

Yes: it's rated TV-G in the United States, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.

How long does it take to watch Gimme a Break!?

69 h

About 69 hours: 137 episodes in 6 seasons of about 30 minutes each, aired from 1981 to 1987.

Will Gimme a Break! make me laugh?

Funny

Yes: the humor is mostly situational comedy (9 of 10) and sharp wit (6 of 10).

Can I half-watch Gimme a Break!?

Easy watchDemanding

Yes: it's easy to follow, with complexity at only 2 of 10, and the viewing guide calls it good for background watching.

What tropes does Gimme a Break! use?

Kavorka ManLive EpisodeThe DitzNo Periods, PeriodSmoking Is CoolElevator FailureSassy Black WomanFun with AcronymsInnocently InsensitiveVitriolic Best BudsAbusive ParentsK-I-S-S-I-N-G in a Treeand 48 more

TV Tropes lists 60 tropes for it, including Kavorka Man, Live Episode, and The Ditz.