Ep 13. The Plant

The Danny Thomas Show, also known as Make Room for Daddy, was a sitcom that aired from 1953-1965. In season 8 episode 13, titled The Plant, Danny is tasked with caring for a plant while his wife Kathy is out of town. At first, Danny is hesitant to take on this responsibility, as he doesn't know anything about plants, but Kathy insists that it will be easy and she leaves him with instructions on how to care for it.

Danny tries his best to follow Kathy's directions, but he quickly realizes that he has no idea what he's doing. He overwaters the plant, then underwater it, and even accidentally knocks it over at one point. Despite his best efforts, the plant starts to wilt and Danny starts to panic. He tries to hide the plant from his family, hoping that he can nurse it back to health before Kathy returns.

Meanwhile, Danny's daughter Terry is preparing for a school science fair and she needs a plant to use for her project. She finds out about Danny's plant and asks if she can use it. Danny initially refuses, but Terry begs and pleads with him, saying that it's for a school assignment and she won't harm the plant. Finally, Danny relents and agrees to let Terry use the plant, hoping that it might actually help the plant recover.

Terry takes the plant to school and begins to study it. She learns about photosynthesis and how plants need sunlight, water, and nutrients to survive. She also discovers that the soil in the plant's pot is old and depleted, which is why the plant is struggling. Terry decides to repot the plant with fresh soil and add some fertilizer to help it grow.

Meanwhile, back at home, Danny is feeling guilty about letting Terry take the plant. He starts to worry that he made a mistake and that the plant will die. He confides in his son Rusty, who tells him that he needs to stop worrying so much and just let things happen. Rusty reminds Danny that sometimes things go wrong, but we learn from our mistakes and grow as a result.

When Kathy returns home, she is initially upset to see that the plant is wilted and struggling. However, Terry is able to show her how she repotted the plant and added fertilizer, which has helped it start to recover. Kathy is amazed and proud of Terry's work, and she thanks Danny for taking care of the plant while she was away.

In the end, the plant makes a full recovery and Danny learns an important lesson about responsibility and the value of learning from mistakes. Terry is the hero of the day, having saved the plant and learned a lot about science in the process. The episode ends on a positive note, with the family gathered around the plant, celebrating its renewed health and vitality.