Series synopsis
Leave It to Beaver is an American comedy family television series that premiered on ABC on October 4, 1957. It ended on June 20, 1963. It was created by Bob Mosher. It stars Jerry Mathers, Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont and Tony Dow.
An inquisitive and often naïve boy, Theodore 'The Beaver' Cleaver, has adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood. The show also starred Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont as Beaver's parents, June and Ward Cleaver, and Tony Dow as Beaver's brother Wally. The show has attained an iconic status in the US, with the Cleavers exemplifying the idealized suburban family of the mid-20th century.
Premise
An inquisitive and often naïve boy, Theodore 'The Beaver' Cleaver, has adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood. The show also starred Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont as Beaver's parents, June and Ward Cleaver, and Tony Dow as Beaver's brother Wally. The show has attained an iconic status in the US, with the Cleavers exemplifying the idealized suburban family of the mid-20th century.
Premise: Gee, Wally!
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Jerry Mathers as Theodore 'Beaver' Cleaver
- Barbara Billingsley as June Cleaver
- Hugh Beaumont as Ward Cleaver
- Tony Dow as Wally Cleaver
Guest cast
- Aline Towne as Secretary
- Dorothy Adams as Miss Wakeland
- Beverly Washburn as Jill Bartlett
- Mimi Gibson
- Pamela Duncan
- Howard McNear
- Arthur Space
- Bill Erwin
- Stephen Wootton
- Bert Remsen
- Tommy Cole
- Cindy Carol as Penny Jamison
Episodes
This series spans 7 seasons with 241 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 7 | April 23, 1957 | January 1, 2005 |
| Season 1 | 39 | October 4, 1957 | July 16, 1958 |
| Season 2 | 39 | October 2, 1958 | June 25, 1959 |
| Season 3 | 39 | October 3, 1959 | June 25, 1960 |
| Season 4 | 39 | October 1, 1960 | June 24, 1961 |
| Season 5 | 39 | September 30, 1961 | June 30, 1962 |
| Season 6 | 39 | September 27, 1962 | June 20, 1963 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
It's A Small World (Pilot Episode) Wally and Beaver want a new bicycle. Frankie Bennett, a mischievous boy, tells them new bikes can be had a local dairy in exchange for 1,000 bottle caps from the company's products. The boys collect the bottle caps, but, in attempting to redeem them, learn they've been duped. Ward takes pity on the boys and buys them a bicycle. |
April 23, 1957 |
| 2 |
Beaver's Savings Bond A short episode of Leave It To Beaver produced for the U.S. Treasury Dept. teaching about Savings Bonds. |
|
| 3 |
Forever the Beaver: The Cleavers Look Back Cast members Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow and Barbara Billingsley, as well as renowned collector and co-creator of "The New Leave It To Beaver," Brian Levant reflect on the quintessential American family sitcom. |
January 1, 2005 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Beaver Gets 'Spelled Beaver's teacher, Miss Canfield, sends a note home with Beaver and the other kids convince him that it's news that he's getting kicked out of school. Beaver and Wally take steps to hide the note from Ward and June. |
October 4, 1957 |
| 2 |
Captain Jack Beaver and Wally send away for an alligator and they secretly keep it in the bathroom. When the alligator falls ill, the boys get some advice from Captain Jack, an owner of an alligator farm. However, keeping him a secret is going to be hard, the alligator is growing and they need a new place to keep him without June and Ward finding out. |
October 11, 1957 |
| 3 |
The Black Eye Beaver comes home with a black eye and Ward is upset when he learns that Beaver didn't fight back. This leads Ward to teach Beaver how to defend himself. Little does Ward know that the person who punched Beaver is a girl, Violet Rutherford, the daughter of one of Ward's co-workers. |
October 18, 1957 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Beaver's Poem Beaver comes to Ward for help on the night before a poetry assignment is due. This prompts Ward to totally take over the project and writes the whole poem himself. Things get complicated when Beaver wins an award for the poem and Ward is faced with explaining the truth to Beaver's principal. |
October 2, 1958 |
| 2 |
Eddie's Girl A school dance has Eddie swooning over his so-called girl, Caroline. However, it's obvious Eddie has made up their relationship when Wally and him visit her and she instantly becomes smitten with Wally. |
October 9, 1958 |
| 3 |
Ward's Problem Ward must make a decision when a conflict develops concerning which son to spend the weekend with. He can either go on a fishing trip with Wally or take Beaver on a father-son weekend. Thinking Ward is going to go fishing with Wally, Beaver makes up a wild story when his classmates start to tease him. |
October 16, 1958 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Blind Date Committee Wally becomes the chairman of the blind date committee for an upcoming dance. However, Wally quickly wants to resign from the position when he can't find anyone to go with the new girl, Jill Bartlett. |
October 3, 1959 |
| 2 |
Beaver Takes a Bath Ward and June allow Wally to babysit Beaver one evening, while they attend a party. However, things go awry when Beaver gets ready to take a bath he accidentally lets the bathtub overflow causing the water to leak onto the bathroom floor and into the downstairs ceiling. |
October 10, 1959 |
| 3 |
School Bus A new school year has the bus service being extended to those students living in town. However, after not even a week, Beaver gets suspended from riding the bus after getting into a fight. |
October 17, 1959 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Beaver Won't Eat Beaver is determined not to eat brussels sprouts and adamently refuses not to eat them when June serves them for dinner. In order to go to a football game, Ward makes Beaver promise that he will eat them the next time they are served. Beaver quickly finds himself confronted with the ""deadly"" vegetables when the Cleavers go out to eat at a posh restaurant. |
October 1, 1960 |
| 2 |
Beaver's House Guest A friend Beaver made at summer camp, Chopper, stays with the Cleavers for the weekend. Beaver is quickly introduced to Chopper's unusual life since he is the son of parents who have been married and divorced many times. |
October 8, 1960 |
| 3 |
Beaver Becomes a Hero While Beaver and Wally are fishing an abandoned canoe floats up and Beaver and Wally responsibly return it to the owner, whose name had been carved in the paddle. However, after telling his friends the story, they adjust it to make it sound as if Beaver had saved a girl from drowning. |
October 15, 1960 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Wally Goes Steady Ward and June find themselves in the dark when they hear through the grapevine that not only is Wally going steady with Evelyn Boothby but that wedding bells may be heard soon. Meanwhile, Wally gets a different picture of marital life through Evelyn's sister and her husband. |
September 30, 1961 |
| 2 |
No Time for Babysitters June, Ward and Wally are going out for the evening and not wanting to worry about Beaver, June calls a babysitter, despite Beaver's pleas against the idea. |
October 7, 1961 |
| 3 |
Wally's Car For $25, Wally buys a car and signs a contract with the owner knowing full well what he's getting, a car that doesn't start. Wally quickly finds himself with more trouble then he bargained for when the lemon becomes a fixture in front of the Cleaver home. |
October 14, 1961 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Wally's Dinner Date Wally has been constantly spending his time at Julie Foster's house and June suggests that he's old enough to take her out on a dinner date. Julie suggests a new expensive restaurant called The White Fox. However, during the meal Wally discovers that he forgot his wallet at home. |
September 27, 1962 |
| 2 |
Beaver's Football Award Beaver is scheduled to recieve a football award at a father son dinner being held in the school gym. While talking with his friends, Beaver learns that none of them are planning on wearing a jacket and a tie so when June and Ward insist that he wear one, he adamently refuses. |
October 4, 1962 |
| 3 |
Wally's License Now that Wally is 17, he feels it's about time that he get his drivers license. However, June and Ward are a bit apprehensive about the idea of Wally driving but Wally is persitant and finally gets his parents to agree to let him take a drivers class. |
October 11, 1962 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ABC |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 4, 1957 |
| Last aired | June 20, 1963 |
| Runtime | 25 minutes |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Thursday |