IMDb > "The Donna Reed Show" (1958)

"The Donna Reed Show" (1958) More at IMDbPro »TV series 1958-1966

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"The Donna Reed Show" (1958): Season 1: Episode 37 -- Alex collects money Jeff owes.
"The Donna Reed Show" (1958): Season 1: Episode 36 -- Mary gets advice on how to handle love.
"The Donna Reed Show" (1958): Season 1: Episode 35 -- Donna wants a day alone without kids. But are she and Alex ready for that?
"The Donna Reed Show" (1958): Season 1: Episode 34 -- A housekeeper is hired by the Stones while Donna is busy managing the Have a Heart Hilldale campaign.
"The Donna Reed Show" (1958): Season 1: Episode 33 -- Donna plans a testimonial for the retiring Dr. Jason. Problem is that he really doesn't want to retire yet.

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   154 votes
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Donna Reed Show on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 full episode list
Release Date:
24 September 1958 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Family more
Plot:
Another popular 1950's sitcom about a close family. The Stones consist of loving homemaker Donna, her pediatrician husband Alex... more
Awards:
Won Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
Magazine preview: Stupid parents, reality TV, and kids at risk
 (From EW.com - PopWatch. 23 October 2009, 5:30 AM, PDT)

Joss Whedon: Master of cult TV
 (From EW.com - PopWatch. 2 September 2009, 6:11 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Life as we wanted it to be, not necessarily the way it WAS... more (11 total)

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 4 of 96)

Donna Reed ... Donna Stone (275 episodes, 1958-1966)
Carl Betz ... Dr. Alex Stone (275 episodes, 1958-1966)
Paul Petersen ... Jeff Stone (275 episodes, 1958-1966)
Shelley Fabares ... Mary Stone (191 episodes, 1958-1965)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
30 min (275 episodes)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The character 'Dr. Alex Stone' was ranked #16 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" (20 June 2004 issue). more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Exclusive (1992) (TV) more

FAQ

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful.
Life as we wanted it to be, not necessarily the way it WAS..., 22 June 2005
Author: jairdo-1 from United States

Many people enjoy poking fun at all the 50s-60s family comedies such as "Ozzie and Harriet", "Leave it to Beaver" and our own "Donna Reed Show" citing how unreal and "perfect" they were.

Well, I suppose they were, however, none were intended to be taken as documentaries. They were there to entertain, and along the way, perhaps sneak in some moral to their stories, a facet sadly lacking from todays TV crop of "family" comedies. I submit that ALL television families lack realism just by virtue of their BEING television families. "Roseanne" and her ilk are no more real than the Donnas and Junes or yesteryear. And, I'd much prefer living next the Stones than I would the Connors.

Also, to those of us who were the only child, or members of a family who yelled instead of discussing, such programs provided surrogate siblings and a look at rational parenting. Being an only child, I sort of bonded with these video families who came to visit once a week, and felt better for it.

For those who've never seen it, "The Donna Reed Show" presented the Stone family: Donna, former nurse, now a typical suburban wife of the era, her husband, Alex, a pediatrician whose office was in their home, at least for the first 7 seasons, their teenage daughter Mary, whose life revolved around school dances, boys, and fashion and who could be a bit self-absorbed and selfish (no perfection there) and their younger son, Jeff, who got into minor trouble at school occasionally (once he was even suspended! - hardly perfection there, either), enjoyed sports, and driving Mary to distraction as younger brothers are wont to do. During the last couple of seasons, Mary had gone off to college, and the Stones adopted pre-teen daughter Tricia, who was the sister of Jeff in real life as well as "reel" life. Alex was played by Carl Betz, Mary by Shelley Fabares, Jeff by Paul Petersen, and Tricia by Patty Petersen.

The program ran for eight seasons 1958-66, on ABC and was enjoyable enough, though hardly as "perfect" as it seemed on the surface. Parents Donna and Alex were involved in their children's lives and usually patient and understanding with them, reasoning through problems, though Alex sometimes raised his voice to a very un50s type bellow. As a child, I watched every week, and had a slight crush on Mary, and would recommend the show to those not completely jaded by our "modern" age.

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