"The Donna Reed Show" (1958) TV series 1958-1966

Creator:

William Roberts

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Release Date:

24 September 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

Another popular 1950's sitcom about a close family. The Stones consist of loving homemaker Donna, her pediatrician husband Alex...

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom | Mother Daughter Relationship | Doctor | Sibling Rivalry | Mother Son Relationship

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 4 of 112)

Donna Reed	...	Donna Stone (275 episodes, 1958-1966)
Paul Petersen	...	Jeff Stone (275 episodes, 1958-1966)
Carl Betz	...	Dr. Alex Stone (272 episodes, 1958-1966)
Shelley Fabares	...	Mary Stone (191 episodes, 1958-1965)

Runtime:

30 min (275 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Filming Locations:

Columbia Pictures Ranch - 411 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

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).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: The Best of Robin Williams (1991) (V)

QUINTESSENTIAL FIFTIES SITCOM

Although it lasted in the Sixties, this was the typical family Pleasantiville-style sitcom of the Fifties, along with Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriet, My Three Sons, and Father Knows Best. Reed's career was on a downturn, so this series was designed as a vehicle for her - and hence the uniquely egocentric title! Can you imagine "Beaver" being called "The Barbara Billingsley Show"? Donna was, admittedly, in the center of things more, and solved all manner of family crisis. The son, Paul Peterson, is now an advocate for child actors, and Shelley Fabares, who had a hit song during this series' run ("Johnny Angel"), had a career that went from teen idol to mature beauty in "Coach". The father was a doctor - at least he had a job unlike the goofy Ozzie! A somewhat contrived and formula show even by Fifties standards, but still a pleasant and wholesome series - unlike the smutty, cynical, and mean-spirited sitcoms of more recent times of which I have little use.