The Donna Reed Show

The Donna Reed Show is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children, Mary and Jeff. The show originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1958, to March 19, 1966.

The Donna Reed Show
First season title screen
Genre	Sitcom
Starring	Donna Reed Carl Betz Shelley Fabares Paul Petersen Patty Petersen
Theme music composer	John Seely
Opening theme	"Happy Days"
Composer(s)	Irving Friedman William Loose Stu Phillips Hans J. Salter
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	275
Production
Producer(s)	Tony Owen William S. Roberts
Cinematography	Gert Andersen
Editor(s)	Richard Fantl Robert B. Hoover
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company(s)	Todon of California Briskin Productions Screen Gems
Distributor	Screen Gems
Release
Original network	ABC
Picture format	Black-and-white
Audio format	Monaural
Original release	September 24, 1958 (1958-09-24) – March 19, 1966 (1966-03-19)

Background

The series was created by William S. Roberts and developed by Reed and her then husband, producer Tony Owen. Episodes revolved around typical family problems of the period such as firing a clumsy housekeeper, throwing a retirement bash for a colleague, and finding quality time away from the children. Then-daring themes such as women's rights and freedom of the press were occasionally explored.

The show had an uncertain start in the ratings and was almost cancelled, but fared better when it was moved from Wednesday to Thursday nights. In the show's middle seasons, Fabares sang what became a #1 teen pop hit "Johnny Angel", and Petersen had above average success with the song "My Dad", also introduced during the course of the series.

The Donna Reed Show was one of television's top 25 shows in 1963–1964. Reed was repeatedly nominated for Emmy Awards between 1959 and 1962, and won a Golden Globe as Best Female TV Star in 1963. She eventually grew tired of the workaday grind involved in the program, and it was cancelled in 1966 after 275 episodes.

The series was sponsored by Campbell Soup Company, with Johnson & Johnson as the principal alternate sponsor (succeeded in the fall of 1963 by The Singer Company).[1] Following first-run, the show entered daytime reruns on ABC and then syndication on Nick at Nite and TV Land for several years. It is currently shown on Decades. The first five seasons have been released on DVD.

This show was the first TV family sitcom to feature the mother as the center of the show. Reed's character, Donna Stone, is a loving mother and wife, but also a strong woman, an active participant in her community, a woman with feelings and a sense of humor. According to many of Reed's friends and family, Reed shared many similarities to the character that she portrayed on screen, implying that the fictional Donna Stone was a near-identical copy of Reed herself.

In a 2008 interview, Paul Petersen (Jeff Stone) stated:

[The Donna Reed Show] depicts a better time and place. It has a sort of level of intelligence and professionalism that is sadly lacking in current entertainment products. The messages it sent out were positive and uplifting. The folks you saw were likable, the family was fun, the situations were familiar to people. It provided 22-and-a-half-minutes of moral instructions and advice on how to deal with the little dilemmas of life. Jeff and Mary and their friends had all the same problems that real kids in high school did.[2]

Petersen continued,

That's what the show was really about, the importance of family. That's where life's lessons are transmitted, generation to generation. There's a certain way in which these are transmitted, with love and affection.[2]

Plot

Episodes revolve around the lightweight and humorous sorts of situations and problems a middle-class family experienced in the late 1950s and the early 1960s set in fictional Hilldale, state never mentioned.

Donna, for example, would sometimes find herself swamped with the demands of community theatricals and charity drives; Mary had problems juggling boyfriends and finding dresses to wear to one party or another; and Jeff was often caught in situations appropriate to his age and gender such as joining a secret boys' club, avoiding love-smitten classmates, or bidding at auction on an old football uniform.

Alex was the family's Rock of Gibraltar, but often found himself in situations that tested his patience: in one episode, Donna volunteered him as the judge of a baby contest, and, in another episode, Mary insisted her gawky, geeky boyfriend was the spitting image of her father. Very occasionally eccentric relatives would descend on the Stones to complicate the household situation.

Production

From the 1958 first season (L-R): Donna Reed as Donna Stone, Carl Betz as Dr. Alex Stone, Paul Petersen as Jeff Stone, and Shelley Fabares as Mary Stone

David Tucker writes in The Women Who Made Television Funny that most family sitcoms of the 1950s such as Father Knows Best, The Life of Riley, and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet focus on the father figure with the mother as "adjunct". He points out however that The Donna Reed Show "established the primacy of the mother on the domestic front" and notes that Mother Knows Better was even briefly considered as the show's title.[3] Though The Donna Reed Show did sometimes use recycled Father Knows Best scripts that had been slightly altered, such as character name changes.

The series was created by William Roberts and developed by Reed and her then husband, producer Tony Owen (the production company "Todon" is an amalgamation of their first names.) Roberts intended the show to respectfully picture the many demanding roles a stay-at-home woman was expected to master - wife, mom, companion, housekeeper, cook, laundress, seamstress, PTA officer, choir singer, scout leader, etc. - all the while being "effervescent, immaculate, and pretty."[3] Reed stated, "We started breaking rules right and left. We had a female lead, for one thing, a strong, healthy woman. We had a story line told from a woman's point of view that wasn't soap opera."[3] In addition, Reed described her show, accordingly: "I would call The Donna Reed Show a realistic picture of small town life - with an often humorous twist. Our plots revolve around the most important thing in America — a loving family."

In its first year on the struggling ABC network, the show was up against Milton Berle's popular Texaco Star Theater and Reed ratings were low. ABC nearly cancelled the show, but it was renewed and ratings improved when the show was moved from Wednesday to Thursday nights. The series flourished for the next seven years, but made television's top 25 only in 1963–1964. In a 1964 interview, Reed said, "We have proved on our show that the public really does want to see a healthy woman, not a girl, not a neurotic, not a sexpot...I am so fed up with immature 'sex' and stories about kooky, amoral, sick women."[4]

The opening credits showed Reed coming down the stairs to answer the telephone. She hands the receiver to Alex, then goes to the front door to hand the children their bag lunches and schoolbooks as they leave for school. Alex then leaves, kissing his wife good-bye. On some opening themes, he forgets to kiss Donna good-bye, but returns as she closes the door to give her a quick kiss. She closes the door and smiles happily. A late series variant showed Donna departing after her husband, possibly for shopping, church or community matters, or some other concern. Reed brought personal friends Esther Williams, Jimmy Hawkins, and Buster Keaton to the program in guest spots.[3]

On February 1, 1962, Fabares debuted her single "Johnny Angel" in the episode "Donna's Prima Donna". It rose to #1 and sold over a million copies.[5] Petersen introduced his single "My Dad" eight months later on October 25, 1962. It peaked at #6.[5]

Reed with Patty Petersen, who played Trisha, 1963.

By 1962 Reed felt the writers were running out of fresh ideas and had exhausted plot devices. She also wanted to spend more time with her family and was worn out from producing nearly 30 episodes a year. To coincide with Fabares's plans to leave at the end of season 5 (1962-1963), Reed and her husband decided to end the show. Since the series was still very popular ABC offered Reed a more lucrative contract with an extension of three seasons, to which she agreed. Their new contract called for fewer episodes and other incentives to allow Reed more personal time.

Beginning in Season 6 there was a reduction in the number of episodes produced, and work hours were shortened to please Reed.[3] In the spring of 1966, Reed had grown tired of the weekly grind and wanted to retire. The program was rated #89 during its final season. After 275 episodes and eight seasons on ABC, The Donna Reed Show ended its prime-time run. Reed expressed no interest in taking on another series, declined television guest appearances, and shunned films because she thought their depictions of women vapid.

She did express interest in a television reunion for the Stone family at one point, but the concept was discarded after Carl Betz's death in 1978. Tucker writes that women's lib supporters of the 1970s targeted the Donna Stone character as an unrealistic portrait of a modern woman and a stereotype of the impossibly perfect wife and mother. He believes that Reed "gave motherhood a tinge of glamour it usually lacked on TV".[3]

Cast Changes

In season 5, (1963) Mary departed for college, reducing Fabares's appearances, something which continued yearly with her role becoming a minor character. Fabares left the full-time cast to pursue opportunities in films. She eventually returned seven times for guest appearances (Season 6 episodes 8, 11, 14; Season 7 episodes 5, 15, 30; Season 8 episode 13). Following Fabares's departure, Petersen's real-life sister Patty Petersen joined the show as Trisha, a runaway orphan eventually adopted by the Stones.[6] The program achieved its highest Nielsen ratings in Season 6, reaching #16 after Fabares' departure. A possible reason for higher ratings was the addition of new characters, Ann McCrea and disc jockey-turned actor Bob Crane as the Stones' neighbors, Midge and Dave Kelsey. This not only provided both Donna and Alex with best friends, but co-conspirators, as well. So popular were their roles that by the fall of 1964, both McCrea and Crane began receiving billing in the opening credits of the program. Crane left the series in 1965 to star in the CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes. As a result, he was written out of the show although his character continued to be referred to and McCrea's character remained with the program. Also, towards the end of the series, actor Darryl Richard was regularly featured as Jeff Stone's best friend, Morton "Smitty" Smith. Richard first appeared in 1962 and "Smitty" became a major character after Season 6. Janet Landgard was a series regular from 1963-1965 as Karen Holmby.[7]

Characters and cast

Main

• Donna Stone (Donna Reed) is the idealized middle class housewife to Alex, and the mother of Mary and Jeff. She grew up on a farm and became a nurse. She sometimes works as a nurse on the show. Donna was married to Alex when she was 18 and the couple live in fictional Hilldale. She participates in community activities such as charity campaigns and amateur theatricals. Like several television wives and mothers of the 1950s, she inexplicably wears heels, pearls, and chic frocks to do the housework. (Note: In one episode, it is revealed that Donna Stone's maiden name, like Donna Reed, is Donna Belle Mullenger and she is also from Denison, Iowa.)
• Alex Stone (Carl Betz) is a pediatrician. Like most television couples of the 1950s, Alex and Donna sleep in twin beds. The two show a physical affection for each other slightly more intense than other television couples of the period.
• Mary Stone (Shelley Fabares) is 14 "almost fifteen" and a freshman in high school when the show opens. She has a few boyfriends during the course of the show with Jimmy Hawkins as Scotty being a regular. Mary plays the piano like a professional and studies ballet. She leaves the show to attend college.
• Jeff Stone (Paul Petersen) is "almost twelve" when the show opens. He is a typical American boy; he plays sports, likes to eat, and teases his older sister. Jeff is a complex character: he champions the underdog at school but cheats at board games. Atypical for the fictional children in 1960s sitcoms, Jeff and Mary often get away with "talking back" to their parents.
• Trisha (Patty Petersen) is a runaway orphan the age of eight whom the Stones adopt after Mary leaves for college. She remained for the duration of the program.

Secondary

Bob Crane as Dr. Dave Kelsey with Donna and Alex Stone

• Dr. Dave Kelsey (Bob Crane) and his wife Midge (Ann McCrea) are friends of the Stones. Dave, Alex's colleague, appeared for the first time on March 14, 1963 in the episode "The Two Doctor Stones". Dave continued on the series until 1965; Midge appeared from 1963–1966. Crane's character was written out of the show at the end of season 7 when he was cast in the CBS series, Hogan's Heroes. McCrea remained with the show until its conclusion.
• David Barker (Charles Herbert) - a young military school student who the Stones look after in many episodes. David is very disobedient and troubled in the beginning but the Stone family soon grow to love and reform him.
• Uncle Bo (Jack Kelk) is Dr. Boland, Alex's bachelor colleague and friend in the first season.
• Morton "Smitty" Smith (Darryl Richard) is Jeff's best friend and first appeared on the show in 1962.
• Zachary Blake (Stephen Pearson) is Jeff's friend in the early seasons.
• Herbie Bailey (Tommy Ivo) is Mary's fairly regular boyfriend.
• Scotty (Jimmy Hawkins) is another of Mary's boyfriends. He appeared in two first-season episodes as her boyfriend 'George Haskell'. Hawkins' character returned to the show in season 3 as 'Scotty', one of Mary's dates (for seasons 3-4) then as 'Jerry' for seasons 7 & 8 (his last appearance was in December, 1965).
• Roger (Jan Stine) is Mary's boyfriend in several third-season episodes.
• Angie (Candy Moore) is Jeff's girlfriend in several fourth season episodes. Moore returned to the program during season 8 as Jeff's 'new' girlfriend Bernice/Bebe, in episodes 3, 12, 16, & 19. Moore had just finished 3 seasons playing Lucille Ball's teenaged daughter Chris on The Lucy Show. Moore was written out after season 3 (1965). Moore had acted on the program from 1962–1965. 'The Lucy Show' was her last acting assignment as a major character on a regular network program.
• Babs (Melinda Plowman) is Mary's first season best girlfriend.
• Mr. and Mrs. Wilgus (Howard McNear and Kathleen Freeman) are busybody Stone neighbors in season one.
• Lydia Langley (Mary Shipp) is Donna's snobbish acquaintance in the early seasons.

Guest stars

James Darren and Shelley Fabares

The Donna Reed Show featured several celebrity guest stars appearing as themselves during its eight-year run. Baseball player Don Drysdale appeared in four episodes while Willie Mays appeared in three episodes and Leo Durocher once. Musician Harry James and singers Tony Martin and Lesley Gore appeared as themselves. Gore was featured in the series' finale, "By-Line--Jeff Stone", on March 19, 1966. Lassie and film director George Sidney appear as themselves in the 1961 episode "The Stones Go To Hollywood". The episode plugged Sidney's then current feature film, Pepe, in which Reed made a cameo appearance. Teen heartthrob James Darren guest starred as a pop singer with the measles.

Silent film comedian Buster Keaton guest starred in two episodes, "A Very Merry Christmas" (December 24, 1958) as Charlie, a hospital janitor who brings gifts to the children's ward, and "Now You See It, Now You Don't" (1965). Child actor Charles Herbert also had a recurring guest role in four episodes as David Barker, a runaway child whom the Stones assist. In the 1960 crossover episode "Donna Decorates", Jay North appeared with his Dennis the Menace co-star, Joseph Kearns as Mr. George Wilson. Esther Williams guest starred as Molly, a fashion designer and friend of Donna's who is herself about to marry a doctor in "The Career Woman" (1960). In real life, Williams and Reed had been close friends since the early 1940s, when they were rising MGM contract stars.

Several actors guest starred numerous times in different roles including Richard Deacon, Gale Gordon, Harvey Korman, Miyoshi Umeki, Doodles Weaver, and Dick Wilson.

As Fabares co-starred in the Mickey Mouse Club serial Annette before the Donna Reed Show, four other Annette co-stars (Deacon, Cheryl Holdridge, Doreen Tracey & Mary Wickes) would also make respective guest appearances on this show.

Other notable guest stars include:

• Lee Aaker
• Jack Albertson
• John Astin
• Raymond Bailey
• Bobby Buntrock
• Bobby Burgess
• Harry Cheshire
• Dabney Coleman
• Richard Conte
• Ellen Corby
• Johnny Crawford
• Kim Darby
• Stuart Erwin
• Tiger Fafara
• Jamie Farr
• Florida Friebus
• Harold Gould
• George Hamilton
• Arte Johnson
• DeForest Kelley
• Ted Knight
• Sheila James Kuehl
• Charles Lane
• Cloris Leachman
• Gigi Perreau
• Marion Ross
• William Schallert
• Hal Smith
• James Stacy
• Tisha Sterling
• Olive Sturgess
• Stephen Talbot
• Marlo Thomas
• Mary Treen
• Jesse White
• William Windom
• Estelle Winwood
• Will Wright

Episodes

Season 1 (1958–59)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"Weekend Trip"	Andrew McCullough	Phil Leslie	September 24, 1958 (1958-09-24)
2	2	"Pardon My Gloves"	Oscar Rudolph	Alan Lipscott & Bob Fisher	October 1, 1958 (1958-10-01)
3	3	"The Hike"	Oscar Rudolph	Jay Sommers & Don Nelson	October 8, 1958 (1958-10-08)
4	4	"Male Ego"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	October 15, 1958 (1958-10-15)
5	5	"The Football Uniform"	Oscar Rudolph	William Cowley & Peggy Chantler	October 22, 1958 (1958-10-22)
6	6	"The Foundling"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	October 29, 1958 (1958-10-29)
7	7	"Three Part Mother"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	November 5, 1958 (1958-11-05)
8	8	"Change Partners and Dance"	James V. Kern	William Roberts	November 12, 1958 (1958-11-12)
9	9	"Dough Re-Mi"	Oscar Rudolph	Alan Lipscott & Bob Fisher	November 19, 1958 (1958-11-19)
10	10	"Guest in the House"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	November 26, 1958 (1958-11-26)
11	11	"The Baby Contest"	Oscar Rudolph	William Cowley & Peggy Chantler	December 3, 1958 (1958-12-03)
12	12	"The Beaded Bag"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	December 10, 1958 (1958-12-10)
13	13	"The Busy Body"	Oscar Rudolph	TBA	December 17, 1958 (1958-12-17)
14	14	"A Very Merry Christmas"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	December 24, 1958 (1958-12-24)
15	15	"Mary's Double Date"	Oscar Rudolph	Alan Lipscott & Bob Fisher	December 31, 1958 (1958-12-31)
16	16	"Jeff's Double Life"	Oscar Rudolph	Bill Manhoff	January 7, 1959 (1959-01-07)
17	17	"Nothing But the Truth"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	January 14, 1959 (1959-01-14)
18	18	"It's the Principle of the Thing"	Oscar Rudolph	Jerry Davis & Tom August	January 21, 1959 (1959-01-21)
19	19	"Jeff vs. Mary"	Oscar Rudolph	Teleplay by: Henry Sharp & Alan Lipscott & Bob Fisher Story by: Alan Lipscott & Bob Fisher	January 28, 1959 (1959-01-28)
20	20	"Have Fun"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	February 4, 1959 (1959-02-04)
21	21	"Donna Plays Cupid"	Oscar Rudolph	Teleplay by: Henry Sharp & Alan Lipscott & Bob Fisher Story by: Alan Lipscott & Bob Fisher	February 11, 1959 (1959-02-11)
22	22	"Love Thy Neighbor"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	February 18, 1959 (1959-02-18)
23	23	"The Report Card"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	February 25, 1959 (1959-02-25)
24	24	"Boys Will Be Boys"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	March 4, 1959 (1959-03-04)
25	25	"The Ideal Wife"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	March 11, 1959 (1959-03-11)
26	26	"Mary's Campaign"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	March 18, 1959 (1959-03-18)
27	27	"The Flowered Print Dress"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	March 25, 1959 (1959-03-25)
28	28	"April Fool"	Oscar Rudolph	Jerry Davis & Tom August	April 1, 1959 (1959-04-01)
29	29	"The Parting of the Ways"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	April 8, 1959 (1959-04-08)
30	30	"The Hero"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	April 15, 1959 (1959-04-15)
31	31	"Do You Trust Your Child?"	Oscar Rudolph	Jerry Davis & Tom August	April 22, 1959 (1959-04-22)
32	32	"Grateful Patient"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	April 29, 1959 (1959-04-29)
33	33	"The Testimonial"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	May 6, 1959 (1959-05-06)
34	34	"Miss Lovelace Comes to Tea"	Oscar Rudolph	Henry Sharp	May 13, 1959 (1959-05-13)
35	35	"Tomorrow Comes Too Soon"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	May 20, 1959 (1959-05-20)
36	36	"Advice to Young Lovers"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	May 27, 1959 (1959-05-27)
37	37	"Operation Deadbeat"	Oscar Rudolph	Si Rose & Seaman Jacobs	June 3, 1959 (1959-06-03)

Season 2 (1959–60)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
38	1	"That's Show Business"	Oscar Rudolph	Jerry Davis & Tom August	September 24, 1959 (1959-09-24)
39	2	"Sleep No More My Lady"	Oscar Rudolph	Henry Sharp	October 1, 1959 (1959-10-01)
40	3	"A Penny Earned"	Oscar Rudolph	Tom August	October 8, 1959 (1959-10-08)
41	4	"A Friend Indeed"	Oscar Rudolph	Tom August	October 15, 1959 (1959-10-15)
42	5	"The First Child"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	October 22, 1959 (1959-10-22)
43	6	"Going Steady"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	October 29, 1959 (1959-10-29)
44	7	"The Neighborly Gesture"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	November 5, 1959 (1959-11-05)
45	8	"Nothing Like a Good Book"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	November 12, 1959 (1959-11-12)
46	9	"Flowers for the Teacher"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	November 19, 1959 (1959-11-19)
47	10	"All Mothers Worry"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	November 26, 1959 (1959-11-26)
48	11	"Jeff Joins a Club"	Oscar Rudolph	Tom August	December 3, 1959 (1959-12-03)
49	12	"The Punishment"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	December 10, 1959 (1959-12-10)
50	13	"A Difference of Opinion"	Ida Lupino	Nate Monaster	December 17, 1959 (1959-12-17)
51	14	"The Homecoming Dance"	Robert Ellis Miller	John Whedon	December 24, 1959 (1959-12-24)
52	15	"The Lucky Girl"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	December 31, 1959 (1959-12-31)
53	16	"The Broken Spirit"	Lawrence Dobkin	Nate Monaster	January 7, 1960 (1960-01-07)
54	17	"The Secret"	Norman Tokar	Nate Monaster	January 14, 1960 (1960-01-14)
55	18	"The New Mother"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	January 21, 1960 (1960-01-21)
56	19	"Just a Housewife"	Oscar Rudolph	Nate Monaster	January 28, 1960 (1960-01-28)
57	20	"The Free Soul"	Norman Tokar	Frank Tarloff	February 4, 1960 (1960-02-04)
58	21	"The First Quarrel"	Robert Ellis Miller	Nate Monaster	February 11, 1960 (1960-02-11)
59	22	"A Place to Go"	Oscar Rudolph	John Whedon	February 18, 1960 (1960-02-18)
60	23	"A Night to Howl"	Lawrence Dobkin	John Whedon	February 25, 1960 (1960-02-25)
61	24	"The Editorial"	Lawrence Dobkin	Nate Monaster	March 3, 1960 (1960-03-03)
62	25	"The Gentle Dew"	Norman Tokar	John Whedon	March 10, 1960 (1960-03-10)
63	26	"The Fatal Leap"	Andrew McCullough	John Whedon	March 17, 1960 (1960-03-17)
64	27	"The Perfect Pitch"	Norman Tokar	Tom & Helen August	March 24, 1960 (1960-03-24)
65	28	"Pickles for Charity"	Norman Tokar	Nate Monaster	April 7, 1960 (1960-04-07)
66	29	"Mary's Growing Pain"	Lawrence Dobkin	John Whedon	April 14, 1960 (1960-04-14)
67	30	"Alex Runs the House"	Lawrence Dobkin	Tom & Helen August	April 21, 1960 (1960-04-21)
68	31	"The Career Woman"	Lawrence Dobkin	Nate Monaster	April 28, 1960 (1960-04-28)
69	32	"Jeff, the Financial Genius"	Hy Averback	Henry Sharp	May 5, 1960 (1960-05-05)
70	33	"Mary's Crusade"	Lawrence Dobkin	Nate Monaster	May 12, 1960 (1960-05-12)
71	34	"The First Time We Met"	Robert Ellis Miller	Nate Monaster	May 19, 1960 (1960-05-19)
72	35	"The Gossip"	Robert Ellis Miller	Frank Tarloff	May 26, 1960 (1960-05-26)
73	36	"Love's Sweet Awakening"	Robert Ellis Miller	Frank Tarloff	June 2, 1960 (1960-06-02)
74	37	"The Wedding Present"	Hy Averback	Phil Sharp	June 9, 1960 (1960-06-09)
75	38	"Cool Cat"	Andrew McCullough	Jacqueline Trotte	June 16, 1960 (1960-06-16)

Season 3 (1960–61)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
76	1	"Weekend"	Andrew McCullough	Sam Adams	September 15, 1960 (1960-09-15)
77	2	"The Mystery Woman"	Norman Tokar	Barbara Avedon	September 22, 1960 (1960-09-22)
78	3	"Donna Decorates"	Andrew McCullough	Seymour Friedman	September 29, 1960 (1960-09-29)
79	4	"The Love Letter"	Robert Ellis Miller	Tom & Helen August	October 6, 1960 (1960-10-06)
80	5	"How the Other Side Lives"	James Sheldon	John Whedon	October 20, 1960 (1960-10-20)
81	6	"Alex's Twin"	Jeffrey Hayden	Nate Monaster	October 27, 1960 (1960-10-27)
82	7	"Worried Anyone?"	Robert Ellis Miller	Clifford Goldsmith	November 3, 1960 (1960-11-03)
83	8	"Higher Learning"	Jeffrey Hayden	Hugh Wedlock & Howard Snyder	November 10, 1960 (1960-11-10)
84	9	"Never Marry a Doctor"	Andrew McCullough	John Whedon	November 17, 1960 (1960-11-17)
85	10	"It Only Hurts When I Laugh"	Jeffrey Hayden	Douglas Morrow	November 24, 1960 (1960-11-24)
86	11	"The Model Daughter"	Robert Ellis Miller	Tom & Helen August	December 1, 1960 (1960-12-01)
87	12	"Decisions, Decisions, Decisions"	Jeffrey Hayden	Theodore & Mathilde Ferro	December 8, 1960 (1960-12-08)
88	13	"Donna Goes to a Reunion"	Robert Ellis Miller	John Whedon	December 15, 1960 (1960-12-15)
89	14	"Someone is Watching"	Robert Ellis Miller	John Whedon	December 22, 1960 (1960-12-22)
90	15	"The Lean and Hungry Look"	Robert Ellis Miller	Tom & Helen August	December 29, 1960 (1960-12-29)
91	16	"Character Building"	Jeffrey Hayden	Clifford Goldsmith	January 5, 1961 (1961-01-05)
92	17	"World's Greatest Entertainer"	Norman Tokar	Barbara Avedon	January 12, 1961 (1961-01-12)
93	18	"Variations on a Theme"	Jeffrey Hayden	John Whedon	January 19, 1961 (1961-01-19)
94	19	"The Stones Go to Hollywood"	Ted Haworth	Phil Sharp	January 26, 1961 (1961-01-26)
95	20	"Donna Directs a Play"	Robert Ellis Miller	Tom & Helen August	February 2, 1961 (1961-02-02)
96	21	"Trip to Nowhere"	Robert Ellis Miller	John Whedon	February 9, 1961 (1961-02-09)
97	22	"The Geisha Girl"	Norman Tokar	Tom & Helen August	February 16, 1961 (1961-02-16)
98	23	"The Busy People"	James Neilson	Hugh Wedlock & Howard Snyder	February 23, 1961 (1961-02-23)
99	24	"Tony Martin Visits"	Robert Ellis Miller	Hugh Wedlock & Howard Snyder & Phil Sharp	March 2, 1961 (1961-03-02)
100	25	"Aunt Belle's Earrings"	Robert Ellis Miller	Henry Sharp	March 9, 1961 (1961-03-09)
101	26	"Poodle Parlor"	Jeffrey Hayden	John Whedon	March 16, 1961 (1961-03-16)
102	27	"Mary's Heart Throb"	Norman Tokar	John Whedon	March 23, 1961 (1961-03-23)
103	28	"Donna's Helping Hand"	Norman Tokar	John Whedon	March 30, 1961 (1961-03-30)
104	29	"The Merry Month of April"	Robert Ellis Miller	John Whedon	April 6, 1961 (1961-04-06)
105	30	"Music Hath Charms"	Jeffrey Hayden	John Whedon	April 13, 1961 (1961-04-13)
106	31	"Let's Look at Love"	Jeffrey Hayden	Clifford Goldsmith	April 20, 1961 (1961-04-20)
107	32	"For Better or Worse"	Norman Tokar	Teleplay by: Phil Sharp & David R. Schwartz Story by: Nate Monaster	April 27, 1961 (1961-04-27)
108	33	"Jeff, the Treasurer"	Jeffrey Hayden	John Elliotte	May 4, 1961 (1961-05-04)
109	34	"The Good Guys and the Bad Guys"	Robert Ellis Miller	John Whedon	May 11, 1961 (1961-05-11)
110	35	"Military School"	Robert Ellis Miller	Henry Sharp	May 18, 1961 (1961-05-18)
111	36	"Mary's Driving Lesson"	Robert Ellis Miller	Tom & Helen August	May 25, 1961 (1961-05-25)
112	37	"The Mustache"	Jeffrey Hayden	Phil Sharp	June 1, 1961 (1961-06-01)
113	38	"Mary's Little Lambs"	Jeffrey Hayden	Tom & Helen August	June 8, 1961 (1961-06-08)

Season 4 (1961–62)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
114	1	"One Starry Night"	Jeffrey Hayden	Summer Long	September 14, 1961 (1961-09-14)
115	2	"A Rose is a Rose"	Robert Ellis Miller	Clifford Goldsmith	September 21, 1961 (1961-09-21)
116	3	"The Close Shave"	Norman Tokar	Summer Long	September 28, 1961 (1961-09-28)
117	4	"Mouse at Play"	Jeffrey Hayden	John Whedon	October 5, 1961 (1961-10-05)
118	5	"The Monster"	Jeffrey Hayden	John Whedon	October 12, 1961 (1961-10-12)
119	6	"New Girl in Town"	Jeffrey Hayden	Michael Fessier	October 19, 1961 (1961-10-19)
120	7	"One of Those Days"	Jeffrey Hayden	John Whedon	October 26, 1961 (1961-10-26)
121	8	"All is Forgiven"	Andrew McCullough	John Whedon	November 2, 1961 (1961-11-02)
122	9	"The Electrical Storm"	Barry Shear	Andy White	November 9, 1961 (1961-11-09)
123	10	"The Paper Tycoon"	Jeffrey Hayden	Sheila J. Lynch	November 16, 1961 (1961-11-16)
124	11	"Private Tutor"	Earl Bellamy	Frank Fox	November 23, 1961 (1961-11-23)
125	12	"Alex, the Professor"	Jeffrey Hayden	Barbara Hammer	November 30, 1961 (1961-11-30)
126	13	"The Fabulous O'Hara"	Barry Shear	Douglas Morrow	December 7, 1961 (1961-12-07)
127	14	"Way of a Woman"	Norman Tokar	John Whedon	December 14, 1961 (1961-12-14)
128	15	"A Very Bright Boy"	Jackie Cooper	True Boardman	December 21, 1961 (1961-12-21)
129	16	"The Toughest Kid in School"	Norman Tokar	Henry Sharp	December 28, 1961 (1961-12-28)
130	17	"Dr. Stone and His Horseless Carriage"	Norman Tokar	Summer Long	January 11, 1962 (1962-01-11)
131	18	"For Angie with Love"	Norman Tokar	Barbara Hammer	January 18, 1962 (1962-01-18)
132	19	"Aloha Kimi"	Norman Tokar	Paul West	January 25, 1962 (1962-01-25)
133	20	"Donna's Prima Donna"	Barry Shear	Barbara Hammer	February 1, 1962 (1962-02-01)
134	21	"Explorer's Ten"	Barry Shear	David R. Schwartz	February 8, 1962 (1962-02-08)
135	22	"The New Office"	Norman Tokar	Leo Solomon & Ben Gershman	February 15, 1962 (1962-02-15)
136	23	"The Golden Trap"	Jeffrey Hayden	Paul West	February 22, 1962 (1962-02-22)
137	24	"Free Flight"	Gene Nelson	John Whedon	March 1, 1962 (1962-03-01)
138	25	"The Wide Open Space"	Jeffrey Hayden	Summer Long	March 8, 1962 (1962-03-08)
139	26	"The Fireball"	Norman Tokar	Paul West	March 15, 1962 (1962-03-15)
140	27	"Once Upon a Timepiece"	Robert Ellis Miller	David R. Schwartz	March 22, 1962 (1962-03-22)
141	28	"Hilldale 500"	Barry Shear	John Whedon	March 29, 1962 (1962-03-29)
142	29	"Winner Takes All"	Norman Tokar	John Whedon	April 5, 1962 (1962-04-05)
143	30	"Skin Deep"	Jeffrey Hayden	Paul West	April 12, 1962 (1962-04-12)
144	31	"The Fortune Teller"	Jeffrey Hayden	John Whedon	April 19, 1962 (1962-04-19)
145	32	"Man of Action"	Barry Shear	Paul West	April 26, 1962 (1962-04-26)
146	33	"Donna Meets Roberta"	Jeffrey Hayden	Summer Long	May 3, 1962 (1962-05-03)
147	34	"The Caravan"	Barry Shear	Phil Sharp	May 10, 1962 (1962-05-10)
148	35	"The Swingin' Set"	Gene Nelson	Paul West	May 17, 1962 (1962-05-17)
149	36	"On to Fairview"	Jeffrey Hayden	Paul West	May 24, 1962 (1962-05-24)
150	37	"The Man in the Mask"	Norman Tokar	Teleplay by: Paul West & Tom & Helen August Story by: Tom & Helen August	May 31, 1962 (1962-05-31)
151	38	"The Father Image"	Richard L. Bare	Paul West	June 7, 1962 (1962-06-07)
152	39	"Dear Wife"	Stanley Z. Cherry	Paul West	June 14, 1962 (1962-06-14)

Season 5 (1962–63)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
153	1	"Mister Nice Guy"	Jeffrey Hayden	Paul West	September 20, 1962 (1962-09-20)
154	2	"Mrs. Stone and Doctor Hyde"	Gene Nelson	Barbara Avedon	September 27, 1962 (1962-09-27)
155	3	"To Be a Boy"	Gene Nelson	Paul West	October 4, 1962 (1962-10-04)
156	4	"Who Needs Glasses?"	Jeffrey Hayden	Summer Long	October 11, 1962 (1962-10-11)
157	5	"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary"	Andrew McCullough	Elroy Schwartz & Austin Kalish	October 18, 1962 (1962-10-18)
158	6	"My Dad"	Gene Nelson	Barbara Avedon	October 25, 1962 (1962-10-25)
159	7	"Fine Feathers"	Gene Nelson	Andy White	November 1, 1962 (1962-11-01)
160	8	"Rebel with a Cause"	Gene Nelson	Barbara Avedon	November 8, 1962 (1962-11-08)
161	9	"Big Star"	Jeffrey Hayden	Paul West & Barbara Avedon	November 15, 1962 (1962-11-15)
162	10	"Man to Man"	Andrew McCullough	Paul West	November 22, 1962 (1962-11-22)
163	11	"The Baby Buggy"	Andrew McCullough	John Whedon	November 29, 1962 (1962-11-29)
164	12	"The Makeover Man"	Andrew McCullough	John Whedon	December 6, 1962 (1962-12-06)
165	13	"The Winning Ticket"	Andrew McCullough	Phil Davis	December 13, 1962 (1962-12-13)
166	14	"The Soft Touch"	Andrew McCullough	Ben Gershman & Milton Pascal	December 20, 1962 (1962-12-20)
167	15	"Jeff Stands Alone"	Andrew McCullough	Barbara Avedon	December 27, 1962 (1962-12-27)
168	16	"Just a Little Wedding"	Barry Shear	Barbara Avedon	January 3, 1963 (1963-01-03)
169	17	"A Woman's Place"	Andrew McCullough	Norm Liebmann & Ed Hass	January 10, 1963 (1963-01-10)
170	18	"The Chinese Horse"	Gene Nelson	Paul West	January 17, 1963 (1963-01-17)
171	19	"The New Look"	Andrew McCullough	Phil Davis	January 24, 1963 (1963-01-24)
172	20	"A Way of Her Own"	Andrew McCullough	Paul West	January 31, 1963 (1963-01-31)
173	21	"Three is a Family"	Andrew McCullough	Paul West	February 7, 1963 (1963-02-07)
174	22	"Big Sixteen"	Gene Nelson	Barbara Avedon	February 14, 1963 (1963-02-14)
175	23	"Pioneer Woman"	Gene Nelson	Barbara Avedon	February 21, 1963 (1963-02-21)
176	24	"The House on the Hill"	Gene Nelson	Barney Slater & Michael Cramoy	February 28, 1963 (1963-02-28)
177	25	"Where the Stones Are"	Gene Nelson	Seymour Friedman	March 7, 1963 (1963-03-07)
178	26	"The Two Doctors Stone"	Barry Shear	Barbara Avedon	March 14, 1963 (1963-03-14)
179	27	"Everywhere That Mary Goes"	Gene Nelson	Paul West	March 21, 1963 (1963-03-21)
180	28	"The Handy Man"	Andrew McCullough	Paul West	March 28, 1963 (1963-03-28)
181	29	"Friends and Neighbors"	Barry Shear	Barbara Avedon	April 4, 1963 (1963-04-04)
182	30	"Boys and Girls"	Barry Shear	Andy White	April 11, 1963 (1963-04-11)
183	31	"All Those Dreams"	Gene Nelson	Barbara Avedon	April 18, 1963 (1963-04-18)
184	32	"All Women Are Dangerous"	Barry Shear	Phil Davis	April 25, 1963 (1963-04-25)
185	33	"The Big Wheel"	Barry Shear	Barbara Avedon	May 2, 1963 (1963-05-02)
186	34	"Day of the Hero"	Barry Shear	Phil Davis	May 9, 1963 (1963-05-09)

Season 6 (1963–64)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
187	1	"The Playmate"	Gene Nelson	Barney Slater	September 19, 1963 (1963-09-19)
188	2	"Brighten the Corner"	TBA	TBA	September 26, 1963 (1963-09-26)
189	3	"Whatever You Wish"	Andrew McCullough	Paul West	October 3, 1963 (1963-10-03)
190	4	"House Divided"	TBA	TBA	October 10, 1963 (1963-10-10)
191	5	"The Boys in 309"	TBA	TBA	October 17, 1963 (1963-10-17)
192	6	"The Bigger They Are"	TBA	TBA	October 24, 1963 (1963-10-24)
193	7	"It Grows on Trees"	TBA	TBA	October 31, 1963 (1963-10-31)
194	8	"Mary Comes Home"	Gene Nelson	Ben Gershman & Milton Pascal	November 7, 1963 (1963-11-07)
195	9	"Post Time"	TBA	TBA	November 14, 1963 (1963-11-14)
196	10	"Sweet Mystery of Wife"	TBA	TBA	November 21, 1963 (1963-11-21)
197	11	"What Are Friends For?"	Barry Shear	Barbara Avedon	November 28, 1963 (1963-11-28)
198	12	"A Touch of Glamor"	Barry Shear	Erna Lazarus	December 5, 1963 (1963-12-05)
199	13	"Air Date"	TBA	TBA	December 12, 1963 (1963-12-12)
200	14	"Moon-Shot"	TBA	TBA	December 19, 1963 (1963-12-19)
201	15	"Nice Work"	TBA	TBA	December 26, 1963 (1963-12-26)
202	16	"First Addition"	TBA	TBA	January 2, 1964 (1964-01-02)
203	17	"The Combo"	TBA	TBA	January 9, 1964 (1964-01-09)
204	18	"Who's Rockin' the Partnership"	Barry Shear	Ben Gershman & Milton Pascal	January 16, 1964 (1964-01-16)
205	19	"Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Altar"	Barry Shear	Barbara Avedon	January 23, 1964 (1964-01-23)
206	20	"Today I Am a Girl"	Barry Shear	Phil Sharp	January 30, 1964 (1964-01-30)
207	21	"Will the Real Chicken Please Stand Up?"	TBA	TBA	February 6, 1964 (1964-02-06)
208	22	"Guest in the Nursery"	Paul Nickell	Milton Pascal & Ben Gershman	February 13, 1964 (1964-02-13)
209	23	"Home Sweet Homemaker"	TBA	TBA	February 20, 1964 (1964-02-20)
210	24	"Teamwork"	TBA	TBA	February 27, 1964 (1964-02-27)
211	25	"Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be"	Gene Nelson	Tommy Tomlinson	March 5, 1964 (1964-03-05)
212	26	"Pandemonium in the Condominium"	TBA	TBA	March 12, 1964 (1964-03-12)
213	27	"A Day for Remembering"	TBA	TBA	March 19, 1964 (1964-03-19)
214	28	"One Little Word"	TBA	TBA	March 26, 1964 (1964-03-26)
215	29	"Love Letters Are for Burning"	TBA	TBA	April 2, 1964 (1964-04-02)
216	30	"Four's a Crowd"	TBA	TBA	April 9, 1964 (1964-04-09)
217	31	"My Son the Catcher"	TBA	TBA	April 16, 1964 (1964-04-16)
218	32	"The Pros and the Cons"	TBA	TBA	April 23, 1964 (1964-04-23)

Season 7 (1964–65)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
219	1	"Operation Anniversary"	Fred de Cordova	Teleplay by: Tommy Tomlinson Story by: Frank Crow	September 17, 1964 (1964-09-17)
220	2	"Dad Drops By"	Gene Reynolds	Phil Sharp	September 24, 1964 (1964-09-24)
221	3	"Play Ball"	Gene Nelson	Sam Locke & Joel Rapp	October 1, 1964 (1964-10-01)
222	4	"Who's Who on 202?"	TBA	TBA	October 8, 1964 (1964-10-08)
223	5	"The Daughter Complex"	TBA	TBA	October 15, 1964 (1964-10-15)
224	6	"The Tycoons"	Barry Shear	TBA	October 22, 1964 (1964-10-22)
225	7	"Instant Family"	TBA	TBA	October 29, 1964 (1964-10-29)
226	8	"Royal Flush"	Gene Reynolds	Paul West	November 5, 1964 (1964-11-05)
227	9	"Circumstantial Evidence"	TBA	TBA	November 12, 1964 (1964-11-12)
228	10	"Anyone Can Drive?"	TBA	TBA	November 19, 1964 (1964-11-19)
229	11	"Surprise, Surprise"	TBA	TBA	November 26, 1964 (1964-11-26)
230	12	"Quads of Trouble"	Fred de Cordova	Mannie Manheim & Erna Lazarus	December 3, 1964 (1964-12-03)
231	13	"Donna's Bank Account"	Barry Shear	Keith Fowler & Phil Leslie	December 10, 1964 (1964-12-10)
232	14	"It's All in the Cards"	Barry Shear	Leonard Gershe	December 17, 1964 (1964-12-17)
233	15	"Old Faithful"	Fred de Cordova	Barbara Avedon	December 24, 1964 (1964-12-24)
234	16	"Overture in A-Flat"	TBA	TBA	December 31, 1964 (1964-12-31)
235	17	"Thy Name is Woman"	Gene Nelson	Ben Starr	January 7, 1965 (1965-01-07)
236	18	"Joe College"	Alan Rafkin	Barbara Avedon	January 14, 1965 (1965-01-14)
237	19	"Painter Go Home"	Andrew McCullough	Paul West	January 21, 1965 (1965-01-21)
238	20	"Home Wreckonomics"	TBA	TBA	January 28, 1965 (1965-01-28)
239	21	"The Windfall"	TBA	TBA	February 4, 1965 (1965-02-04)
240	22	"Now You See It, Now You Don't"	Gene Nelson	Richard Conway & Roland MacLane	February 11, 1965 (1965-02-11)
241	23	"The Gift Shop"	Gene Nelson	Paul West	February 18, 1965 (1965-02-18)
242	24	"The Stamp Collector"	Andrew McCullough	Sam Locke & Joel Rapp	February 25, 1965 (1965-02-25)
243	25	"Peacocks on the Roof"	Andrew McCullough	Paul West	March 4, 1965 (1965-03-04)
244	26	"Guests, Guests, Who Needs Guests?"	TBA	TBA	March 11, 1965 (1965-03-11)
245	27	"The Unheroic Hero"	TBA	TBA	March 18, 1965 (1965-03-18)
246	28	"The Mysterious Smile"	TBA	TBA	March 25, 1965 (1965-03-25)
247	29	"The Rolling Stones"	TBA	TBA	April 1, 1965 (1965-04-01)
248	30	"Indoor Outing"	Fred de Cordova	Milton Pascal	April 8, 1965 (1965-04-08)

Season 8 (1965–66)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
249	1	"Pop Goes Theresa"	Andrew McCullough	Paul West	September 16, 1965 (1965-09-16)
250	2	"With This Ring"	Lawrence Dobkin	Don Richman & Janet Carlson	September 23, 1965 (1965-09-23)
251	3	"Boy Meets Girl Machine"	E. W. Swackhamer	Paul West	September 30, 1965 (1965-09-30)
252	4	"Think Mink"	Lawrence Dobkin	David Braverman & Bob Marcus	October 7, 1965 (1965-10-07)
253	5	"Four on the Floor"	E. W. Swackhamer	Paul West	October 14, 1965 (1965-10-14)
254	6	"Charge"	Jerrold Bernstein	Sam Locke & Joel Rapp	October 21, 1965 (1965-10-21)
255	7	"Do Me a Favor, Don't Do Me Any Favors"	Lawrence Dobkin	Joel Rapp & Sam Locke	October 28, 1965 (1965-10-28)
256	8	"Author, Author"	Jerrold Bernstein	Barbara Avedon	November 4, 1965 (1965-11-04)
257	9	"Trees"	Andrew McCullough	Nathaniel Curtis	November 11, 1965 (1965-11-11)
258	10	"The Big League Shock"	Andrew McCullough	Lou Shaw	November 18, 1965 (1965-11-18)
259	11	"The Gladiators"	Alan Rafkin	Paul West	November 25, 1965 (1965-11-25)
260	12	"Rally Around the Girls, Boys"	Lawrence Dobkin	Jack Harvey & Irving Taylor	December 2, 1965 (1965-12-02)
261	13	"Slipped Disc"	Lawrence Dobkin	Jack Harvey & Irving Taylor	December 9, 1965 (1965-12-09)
262	14	"Uncle Jeff Needs You"	Lawrence Dobkin	Sam Locke & Joel Rapp	December 16, 1965 (1965-12-16)
263	15	"Never Look a Gift House in the Mouth"	Lawrence Dobkin	Gary Abrams & Paul Petersen	December 23, 1965 (1965-12-23)
264	16	"How to Handle a Woman"	Andrew McCullough	Andrew McCullough	December 30, 1965 (1965-12-30)
265	17	"My Son, the Councilman"	Lawrence Dobkin	Ronny Pearlman	January 6, 1966 (1966-01-06)
266	18	"Do It Yourself Donna"	Lee Philips	Lou Shaw	January 15, 1966 (1966-01-15)
267	19	"When I Was Your Age"	Andrew McCullough	Jack Raymond	January 22, 1966 (1966-01-22)
268	20	"Calling Willie Mays"	Lawrence Dobkin	Jack Harvey & Irving Taylor	January 29, 1966 (1966-01-29)
269	21	"All This and Voltaire Too?"	Lawrence Dobkin	Erna Lazarus	February 5, 1966 (1966-02-05)
270	22	"The Return of Mark"	Lee Philips	TBA	February 12, 1966 (1966-02-12)
271	23	"Is There a Small Hotel?"	Andrew McCullough	TBA	February 19, 1966 (1966-02-19)
272	24	"No More Parties, Almost"	Andrew McCullough	Clifford Goldsmith	February 26, 1966 (1966-02-26)
273	25	"So You Really Think You're Young at Heart"	Andrew McCullough	Rick Mittleman	March 5, 1966 (1966-03-05)
274	26	"What Price Home?"	Andrew McCullough	Paul West & Andrew McCullough	March 12, 1966 (1966-03-12)
275	27	"By-Line: Jeffrey Stone"	Andrew McCullough	TBA	March 19, 1966 (1966-03-19)

Syndication

The series was originally syndicated by Screen Gems, and, later, Columbia Pictures Television and Sony Pictures Television. In 2008, Sony lost the full rights to the estates of Donna Reed and Tony Owen.

Reruns aired on Nick at Nite from 1985 through 1994 and on TV Land from 2002 through 2004.

MeTV began airing reruns of the show (seasons 1 through 5) starting in September 2011.

In 2017 Decades began airing the show as part of their daytime "Through The Decades" lineup.

As at 2018, the first five seasons of the show are available on Prime Video in the US and Canada and on Tubi.

Home media

For a limited time in 2004, General Mills offered a DVD of two episodes inside boxes of Total cereal and Oatmeal Crisp.[8] Virgil Films and Entertainment (under license from the estates of Donna Reed and Tony Owen) released the first three seasons of the show on DVD in Region 1. Virgil also released a four-episode "best of" DVD on April 13, 2010.[9]

On December 17, 2010, it was announced that MPI Home Video had acquired the rights to release seasons 4 and 5 of The Donna Reed Show.[10] Season 4 was subsequently released on December 20, 2011 and Season 5 was released on December 4, 2012.[11]

On September 30, 2014, MPI Home Video re-released the first season on DVD.[12] Season 2 was re-released on March 24, 2015.[13] Season 3 was re-released on June 30, 2015.[14]

The show's sixth, seventh, and eighth (the final) seasons are yet to be released on DVD.

Season	Ep #	Release Date
Season 1	37	October 28, 2008 September 30, 2014 (re-release)
Season 2	38	July 28, 2009 March 24, 2015 (re-release)
Season 3	38	December 1, 2009 June 30, 2015 (re-release)
Season 4	39	December 20, 2011
Season 5	34	December 4, 2012

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Result	Category	Recipient
1959	Emmy Awards	Nominated	Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series	Donna Reed
1960		Nominated	Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead or Support)	Donna Reed
1961		Nominated	Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead)	Donna Reed
1962		Nominated	Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead)	Donna Reed
1963	Golden Globe Award	Won	Best TV Star – Female	Donna Reed
1994	Young Artist Awards	Won	Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award	Shelley Fabares
1997		Won	Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award	Paul Petersen
2004	TV Land Award	Nominated	Favorite Teen Dream – Female	Shelley Fabares

In popular culture

• In Gilmore Girls season 1 episode 14 "That Damn Donna Reed", Rory and her boyfriend Dean have a disagreement about women's roles after watching an episode of the show. The episode involved Reed's character making a lot of food. Later, Rory dresses up in a dress like Donna Reed and serves Dean a steak dinner.

References

1. Leibman, Nina Clare (1995). Living Room Lectures: The Fifties Family in Film and Television. University of Texas Press. pp. 58. ISBN 0-292-74684-9.
2. Glenn Garvin, “Life was better in 'Donna Reed' world, cast member Paul Petersen says”, Catholic Online. December 10, 2008 (Retrieved 2018-07-21.)
3. Tucker, David C. The women who made television funny: ten stars of 1950s sitcoms. McFarland. pp. 109ff.
4. "Don't Call The Donna Reed Show 'Situation Comedy'". Archived from the original on February 6, 2011.
5. Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits: The Inside Story Behind Every Number One Single on Billboard's Hot 100 from 1955 to the Present. Billboard Books. p. 107. ISBN 0-8230-7677-6.
6. Fultz, Jay (1998). In Search of Donna Reed. University of Iowa Press. pp. 151. ISBN 0-87745-625-9.
7. Donna Reed Org
8. Lambert, David (January 9, 2004). "Site News – Sony, General Mills serve TV-on-DVD for Breakfast: King Of Queens, Barney Miller, Mad About You, & Donna Reed". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008.
9. Lambert, David (February 10, 2010). "The Donna Reed Show – Box Front Art Changes on Virgil's 'Family Favorites' DVD". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
10. Lambert, David (December 17, 2010). "The Donna Reed Show - MPI Home Video Picks Up DVD Rights to the 4th and 5th Seasons". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
11. Lambert, David (September 24, 2012). "The Donna Reed Show - 'Season 5' Announced by MPI: Date, Cost, Box Art, More!". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
12. MPI Home Video is Preparing to Re-Release 'Season 1' on DVD Archived December 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
13. MPI Sets a Finalized Date for their 'Season 2' Re-Release Archived December 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
14. MPI Home Video to Re-Release 'Season 3' this Summer Archived March 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

External links

• The Donna Reed Show on IMDb
• The Donna Reed Show at TV.com
• The Donna Reed Show at epguides.com