Last winter I binge watched some Leave It To Beaver episodes. I remember watching them as a child in the afternoons in syndication. My wife and I were watching them and I was thinking to myself it would probably not age too well. I was pleasantly surprised.
The show really had some good writers. They caught kids being kids and it holds up today minus the cell phones, video games, and modern distractions. They do catch how kids think and feel and also parents. Yea sometimes it could be a little too perfect but the writers would surprise me… Eddie Haskell. The name has lived on beyond the show. Everyone knows an Eddie Haskell.
In one episode the boys are playing basketball and June Cleaver is making sandwiches for them all. Eddie tells Mrs.Cleaver that he is allergic to mayonnaise. June doesn’t like Eddie and it’s clear in this episode…what does she do? She loads Eddie’s sandwich up with mayonnaise.
In another episode, the Cleavers get new neighbors and the wife of the neighbor kisses Beaver…Eddie tells him the husband is going to get Beaver back for kissing his wife. Later on, Beaver asks Ward a question about kissing women. This was more for the adults.
Theodore Cleaver: Dad, you’re a married man, aren’t you?
Ward Cleaver: Yeah, I think we’re safe in assuming that.
Theodore Cleaver: And Mom’s a married woman, isn’t she?
Ward Cleaver: Oh, yes.
Theodore Cleaver: Have you ever kissed any other married woman besides Mom?
Ward Cleaver: Well… now, Beaver, why would you ask a question like that?
Theodore Cleaver: I’m just wondering.
Ward Cleaver: Well, actually son, No.
Theodore Cleaver: I guess you were scared to, huh?
Ward Cleaver: Yeah, that’s as good a way as any to sum it up, I guess.
Theodore Cleaver: I guess a guy could get in a lot of trouble doing that, huh?
Ward Cleaver : [a wistful smile crosses Ward’s face] He sure could.
The Beaver had a great friend in Larry Mondello. Larry was on the show for a few seasons and then left. Larry would sometimes leave Beaver holding the bag but for the most part, he was good to him. On the other hand, his friends Gilbert and Whitey would trick the gullible Beaver. Again we have all known Gilberts and we have all had a Larry Mondello friend.
This show gets made fun of at times but after watching some as an adult…it is a solid and well-written show and the choices they make work for today also.
My favorite episode? In The Soup… Whitey again tricks the Beaver into climbing into the Billboard soup bowl.
It was a good show. I have watched some since my childhood in the 70’s and 80’s and you are right they still hold up. Still cracks me up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I watched that show in syndication practically every day in the 80’s. I saw the house at Universal Studios – it’s about as big as a shoebox. Whenever I think of June Cleaver, I can’t help but remember Barbara Billingsly’s cameo in Airplane. “Excuse me stewardess, I speak jive…”
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love that scene in Airplane… The place looked huge on television.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The actor who played Eddie Haskell grew up to become Alice Cooper according to urban legend…. I probably saw every episode growing up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s crazy how those legends get started… He was fun to dislike. Watching it through adult eyes… very clever writing .
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never seen that mayonnaise episode. That’s hilarious! I haven’t watched any Leave it to Beaver episodes in ages. I need to revisit it. What a great TV show.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got a new appreciation of the show after watching it again… It gets made fun of a lot but it was very good writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really was good writing, I agree. I don’t think we can quantify its impact on all of the generations who have watched it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a big impact…and I don’t want to sound preachy but it was a positive message…to do the right thing in life.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true about the positive message.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think the show started in 1957, the year I was born. It’s still a favorite show to watch. I have the series on DVD. And I agree, the writing was good and mostly solid. It’s a good mirror of what my childhood was like. I tried to get my grandkids to watch it with me, but it didn’t hold their interest for long. They have their phones and games to distract them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was really surprised going back over them on how good they were. Even my childhood…I was born 10 years after you was closer to Leave it to Beaver than to modern times… Going out and playing and having adventures.
So many things to catch their attention now.
LikeLiked by 1 person