Lois Hire wrote this super "has this ever happened to you or someone you know?" episode. Lois is best known for many top episodes on MY THREE SONS.
It's all about one of those tv quiz shows for students. If you remember, in the days before cable, they'd be on tv on a Saturday morning or afternoon, and the only audience they had were the families of the kids!
A lot of local tv stations would also rerun the shows as a time filler or killer, and they usually had technical issues; poor sound, no color, bad lighting, etc etc. Good luck.
The focus is Cindy and Bobby, who both go through some tried and true transformations. Everything goes to Bobby's head, who knows it all and doesn't want to study for the big test. He flunks out big time while Cindy knuckles down, passes the test and gets to go on tv!
One problem.... Cindy's ego gets a lot bigger than Bobby's, and suddenly she thinks she's a celeb!
You have to admit, being on tv --at any age-- can change anybody. This episode also shows what good actors Mike Lookinland and Susan Olson are, and with some funny expressions.
The side story, which comes up every so often, is Mike and Carol's planning for a get-together, which goes haywire and with lots of food. They always seem to be saddled with friends who disappear! The good thing is the kids will devour the food before it spoils.
Great trivia bit; Christopher Knight's real dad makes an appearance, playing tv host Monty Marshall. Edward Knight was a popular character actor, and appeared 10 times on HOGANS HEROES in various roles, among many other sitcoms.
One strange thing; Mike pulls in the driveway with a powder blue Chevy. What happened to the famous red Chevy?
A salute to Bobby and Cindy. 10 Stars.
SEASON 4 EPISODE 22 remastered ABC/Paramount dvd box set.