Forgive Us Our Debits

The well titled "Forgive Us Our Debits" presents a frightening premise for any potential credit card owner. Shirley buys a $29 cuckoo clock from Bartlett's department store, receiving a computer-generated bill that lists the price as $290. Alan Oppenheimer (his second of three appearances) plays manager Mr. Atwater, introducing Shirley to their new computer 1984z, operated by Tom Baker (John David Carson), who programs the correction himself. Vic Tayback plays a collection agent, demanding that Shirley hand over the $2900 'big ones' owed to Barlett's department store! Even the plumber (Lou Frizzell) insists she pay up front as, according to their new computer system, she's "a deadbeat!" Keith, Laurie, and Danny decide to sneak some new information into the lying 1984z, and, incredibly, escape punishment for their well meaning deception. This gives us our only look at John David Carson, who was nearly cast as Keith Partridge, plus the third and last for Vic Tayback. The featured song is "Maybe Someday," composed by Austin Roberts and John Hill, from sixth LP NOTEBOOK. Roberts scored a couple of hit singles of his own, 1972's "Something's Wrong with Me" and 1975's "Rocky."

Shirley is turned into the credit bureau by a department store over a billing error with a Cuckoo clock she bought.

They not only destroyed her credit and took all the furniture in the house in a matter of days, but Keith, Laurie and Danny snuck into the credit bureau building and somehow had the technical knowledge to reprogram their computer.

I would say this is the most ridiculous story in the whole series, but an episode called "Keith and Lauriebelle' in the following season wins that prize.

That's when Laurie pretends to be Keith's date at a party Keith throws, and NOBODY is supposed to recognize her as Keith's sister.