1. The Engagement

Complete story — includes the ending

Widows Blanche Hollingsworth – an art museum administrator, Rose Nylund – a grief counselor, and divorcee Dorothy Zbornak – a substitute teacher, share a house in Miami with gay housekeeper Coco. Blanche gets engaged to Harry, the man she has been dating, surprising Dorothy and raising Rose's suspicions. The ceremony is however called off at the last minute after Harry is caught by the police for bigamy. Dorothy's mother, widow Sophia Petrillo, a native of Sicily, comes to live in the house when the nursing home where she has been living burned down in a fire. Guest stars: Charles Levin as Coco; Frank Aletter as Harry; Meshach Taylor as the cop; F. William Parker as the Minister Notes: This is the only appearance of Coco, the gay cook/housekeeper. This episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Series. Susan Harris was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for this episode. The episode ranked as the highest-rated program of the week, bringing in a 25.0/43 rating/share, and was watched by an estimated 44 million viewers. This is the only episode in which Blanche's surname was given as "Hollingsworth." Although that is established as the character's maiden name, the Blanche character was known by her married surname Devereaux in all subsequent episodes.