- Betty Ann, a perky high school student, is friends with George, a dour sort who is always complaining about life. Betty Ann's friends can't see how she can hang with a "wet blanket" like George, and eventually Betty finds herself more and more taking on George's attitude.—frankfob2@yahoo.com
- As George Foster sleeps, his conscience (a ghostlike version of himself) paces. He asks the viewer to tell him how to help George, who's a griper. George immediately verifies this when he awakes and gripes about having to get to school on time. At breakfast, Dad is complaining about the current state of sports, Sis is going on about how things like her sweater are never where she left them, and Mom takes it as a personal affront that the weather is threatening rain on her shopping day. As George leaves for school, he's joined by friendly, upbeat Betty Anderson.
At school, it's clear that everyone likes Betty, but George is regarded as someone who never does anything helpful. There's a flashback to last year's big basketball game. While the cheerleaders in extremely long skirts try to inject some pep, George is going on about how their team can't win. When he's proved right, he says "I told you so", and manages to make everyone feel worse than they already do. In another flashback, the English teacher suggests acting out scenes of a play they're reading and asks George to lead a group. Instead, he complains that the idea is silly kid stuff, so the teacher decides to stick with just reading. George's conscience castigates him for complaining that school is dull, then acting to keep it that way.
Back in the present, George is smiling at a cartoon posted on a bulletin board, but when Betty says it's funny, George denigrates it. Betty finally gets angry and tells George to stop trying to impress everyone by calling everything stupid. She immediately apologizes and asks George to come with her to the school assembly. George replies that she just wants to be seen with him so the others will feel sorry for her. She leaves, upset. George's conscience lectures him again, then tells him to tell Betty he's sorry, and smile.
As George leaves, his conscience has some questions for the viewer. Can George stop being the griper. Can he do anything about all the griping in his family? If he does change, will the others accept him. Does George remind you of anyone you know? What do you think? (Uncharacteristically for this series, no big question mark looms over the end.)
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