Alice

A hot tip on a horse almost costs Mel (VIC TAYBACK) the diner, but Alice (LINDA LAVIN), Vera (BETH HOWLAND) and Jolene (CELIA WESTO N) come to the rescue.

Vera (BETH HOWLAND) wants to leave her mark on the world by trying to break the world record for nonstop tap dancing.

When a towel boy for the Russian Ballet defects while on tour in Phoenix, Mel (VIC TAYBACK) and the girls offer him asylum.

Alice (LINDA LAVIN) takes her new boyfriend's four children trick-or-treating, but the trick is on Alice when she discovers she's b rought home the wrong masked child.

Alice's nagging mother visits from New Jersey on the eve of Alice's 40th birthday and almost convinces Alice that her life in Phoen ix is miserable.

Mel's shy cousin wants a date with Vera--but he listens to Mel's advice.

An old schoolmate of Vera's bounces a check at the diner.

When Mel (VIC TAYBACK) wills his possessions to his family of friends at the diner, everyone becomes ungrateful and starts squabbli ng over one another's gifts.

When Mel (VIC TAYBACK), the Scrooge, fires the girls for refusing to work Christmas Eve, he receives a visit from the ghost of his ex-partner, Jake (JACK GILFORD).

Alice's spirit inspires a biker to recruit her as his old lady. Jay Leno guest stars.

At Mel (VIC TAYBACK) and Earl's (DAVE MADDEN) urging, Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) disobeys Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and sneaks out to play in a championship basketball game.

When Tommy (PHILIP McKEON) dates Mel's (VIC TAYBACK) visiting niece after receiving some advice on women from Mel, both Alice (LIND A LAVIN) and Mel fear he will follow it.

When Vera (BETH HOWLAND) becomes hooked on daytime soap operas and quits the diner to watch her favorite shows, Alice (LINDA LAVIN) must find a way to break her habit.

When Mel's mother, Carrie, announces she is publishing a cookbook with his chili recipe, Mel explodes.

It's Valentine's Day, and everyone in the diner is looking forward to spending the evening with their dates until they each have fights and break up.

After reading a self-help book, Vera feels ready to prove she's responsible. But when Mel leaves her in charge of the diner for a few minutes, all hell breaks loose.

When Alice's (LINDA LAVIN) best friend from high school pays a visit, Alice helps her overcome her shyness and boost her self-confi dence.

When Jolene's one-time trucking partner, Burt, shows up at the diner too tired to complete his hau l, Jolene decides to finish the job, aided by Alice and Vera.

When Mel (VIC TAYBACK) finds out he has a deviated septum and needs an operation to correct it, he must also decide if he wants a n ose job.

When Tommy wins a part in a play being directed by Alice's old friend, Julia, he de cides he's not attending college, but rather going to New York to become an actor.

Vera (BETH HOWLAND) attends her class reunion in Boston and returns to Mel's Diner engaged to be married.

When Monty, a busboy Alice (LINDA LAVIN) and Vera (BETH HOWLAND) met in Las Vegas, comes to Phoenix after breaking u p with his fiancee, he falls in love with Alice.

After losing customers to a competitor who's giving away cash prizes, Mel (VIC TAYBACK) stages his own contest offering $3,000 to the winner.

Mel's mother, Carrie (MARTHA RAYE), buys the apartment building Mel (VIC TAYBACK) lives in and seeks a $50 rent increase. When Mel refuses to pay it, he finds himself evicted.