Leave It to Beaver

Leave it to Beaver is one of the classic sit-coms of all time. It is timeless and has had meaning for every generation that has watched it since its inception. It is in that rare category of show that will be shown forever. Like "I Love Lucy" or "The Dick van Dyke Show", or "The Brady Bunch (although I call this one a cheap rip-off)", or "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"---THE BEAVER IS AMONG THE BEST OF THE BEST, completely watchable and understandable with concepts that are universal to all and can be understood across the years.

When my young children discovered it, valuable lessons were learned. We laughed at the "messes" Beaver got in, usually with the help of friends talking him into it. We all learned to trust our judgment and not be led into unnecessary trouble. If there was trouble out there Beaver would find it. Thanks to the Beaver, mine have had a little more trouble finding it than they might have otherwise. Lots of laughs and a lesson to be learned every show.

Please check my comments for "Still the Beaver", (a many years later continuation), and if you get the chance tune into it for some "Cleaver's: the next generation action". It was done with love and it was a wonderful job.

PS--I was surprised to learn (from the imdb info on 'beaver') that GWEN RUTHERFORD (fred's wife/lumpy's mom) was played by MAJEL BARRETT (RODDENBERRY) of later Star Trek fame. Live and learn.......

It is easy to criticize "Leave it to Beaver" today for being an overly romanticized look at family life in the late 50s/early 60s. Because, well, it is an overly romanticized look at family in the late 50s/early 60s. But so what? This is a well written, well acted sitcom. I love it for the show that it is and I don't worry about the more realistic show it could have been.

Ward and June Cleaver are raising two sons: Wally and Theodore, who everyone calls by the nickname "Beaver." (To answer an earlier reviewer, the nickname came from older brother Wally who couldn't pronounce "Theodore" when his little brother was born, instead pronouncing it "Beaver.)

Beaver is definitely not a Bart Simpson, constantly making trouble and outwitting his dad. No, Beaver is a kid who gets into trouble usually because one of his friends (Larry, Richard or Gilbert) talks him into it. It is then usually up to Ward to help straighten the situation out and gently but firmly teach Beaver the lesson to be learned.

Wally and June are equally as important. Wally is the older brother we all wish we had. And who else but June could look so perfect while fixing up a batch of our favorite cookies?

One of the biggest reasons why the show was popular then and is still popular today, however, is the supporting cast. Eddie Haskell. ("And might I add Mrs. Cleaver, that is a lovely blouse you are wearing.") Fred Rutherford. ("See you in the salt mines, Ward.") Larry Mondello. Miss Landers. Mary Ellen Rogers. Gus the Fireman. All have endured for more than 40 years and become permanent fixtures in our pop culture.

Overly romanticized? Sure. But so what. Years from now when people have forgotten almost all of the sitcoms airing today, The Beaver will still be bringing smiles to our faces.

Others have commented that "Leave It To Beaver" was not a true reflection of American life. Maybe they were not there. I was. When the series opened in 1957, I was seven years old, an exact contemporary of the Beaver character. I loved the show from the first episode. I used it as a forecaster of what I could expect to happen to me in the coming week. While I had no older brother, my other experiences were quite similar. There were in my class at school a "Larry Mundello", a "Judy Hensler", and many other characters who led me into mischief, then scattered, leaving me holding the bag. I remember the baby alligator ads in comic books, publishing a neighborhood newspaper (one issue), and getting caught climbing things I shouldn't have. My father went to the office, my mother tended to the housekeeping. Maybe my life wasn't typical, but it sure was real to me, and I relive it every evening with reruns of "Leave It To Beaver."

During a recent TVLand "Top 10 Characters You Love To Hate" special, a well-known (under 40) female actress was quoted as saying that she believed sneaky Eddie Haskell to be the only character in the show that she remembered for resembling "a real person".

Though I'll agree that Ward and June might come across at times as being unrealistically conservative (for example, their sitting at home in their Sunday best for no reason) her comment was something I found hard to understand, since, Beaver was known to be the first show of it's kind to explore such teen issues as, alcoholism, divorce, and troubled teens.

It seems that many viewers also do not understand the significance of Ward's frequent reference (often shown as his sad remembrance) to his own harsh encounters with his strict Father, who made a point of "taking him out to the woodshed" to let Ward know "just what his Father meant", and how Ward, as a Father himself, deciding that he would not do the same when teaching his own sons right from wrong.

While the conservative side of the show might be a bit too much for some, in the end there is nothing wrong with that behavior either - it's a far better lifestyle than what we see in today's world, where parents sometimes see their children as a liability rather than a blessing.

Those who regularly watch Beaver know that while the corn does sometimes grow high in Mayfield, the trueness of the show's stories is what makes Beaver the timeless show that many still enjoy almost a half century after it's debut.

Leave It To Beaver will always be one of my all-time favorite shows. I can remember coming home for lunch each day from school and watching Leave It To Beaver at 12.00 o,clock . It has been on the same channel(The New VR) & time slot for over 25yrs. I still love watching it now into my thirtys. This show has stood the test of time, and should still for generations to come.

There were some shows that were not as good as others. But there are some that are classics!! A few of my best ones are:

1) The Haircut: This is the one when Beaver keeps losing his lunch money. And when Ward gives him money for a hair cut, he loses the money again, he asks Wally to give him the hair cut. Wally really scalps him.

2) Wally,s Car: This is the episode when Wally buys a car for $25dollars. The car needs alot of work on it, so he starts to take it all apart. Ward gets mad & tells Wally to get rid of it. He decides to sell it for parts & makes alot more money that the $25.00 bucks he paid for it. Ward in the meantime has made arrangement to have the car towed away. When the man shows up to pick it up he says one of the funniest lines. "It Looks Like A Fish Thats Been Boned!!" This is a great show.

3) The Younger Brother: Beaver trys out for the junior boys basketball team but the coach soon realizes that Beaver is not the same kind of player that Wally was. He gets cut from the team. When Ward & Fred Rutherford decide to drop in on one of his practises they find out that he,s been cut from the team.

There are so many more great shows that I could have listed. Out of all of the cast members, I would have loved to met the late Hugh Beaumont. He was excellent as Ward Cleaver & is sadly missed.

It will be a really sad day if this show ever stops showing reruns. May it live on forever.....