Leave It to Beaver (TV Series) School Bus (1959) User Reviews

LITB's Writers & The Always-Annoying-But-Entertaining 'Judy Hensler'

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 30 July 2010]

This show, like other successful ones, can make a one-theme topic last for a whole half hour and still keep things interesting just with good dialog. Kudos to people like Joe Connelly, who did a lot of writing for this show.

Here, the story is Beaver beginning to ride the school bus. Previously, he just walked to school like many other kids but now a bus is being provided. Before long, he gets in trouble, but the odd thing is we never see it. We never see, only hear, what happened and then the second half of the program is Beaver trying to get back into the good graces of the bus driver with a note of apology.

I liked the bus driver in here, even though he didn't have a lot of lines. He was very realistic. I also always a kick out of "Judy Hensler," even though she is the worst of Beaver's school "friends." She's consistent, I'll say that - a consistent pain-in-the-butt, she's always entertaining. Jeri Weil did a great job over the years playing her. Jeri did around 30 episodes, finishing with one early in the fourth season....and that was it. At present, she's in her early 60s, age-wise, and, reportedly a successful realtor, a self-described "aging hippie" in the Los Angeles area who worships "Mother Earth."

A rather lackluster episode...

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 1 February 2024]

... that does say a few interesting things.

Beaver's school will now have a bus that will make sufficient stops so that everybody can ride it. There are rules, though, and if you break those rules you can get suspended from being able to ride the bus for a few days. Beaver gets into a fight with another boy and is suspended from riding the bus for one week. Ward suggests he write a letter of apology to the bus driver in hopes he'll let Beaver back on the bus.

Today, there would be about three levels of attorneys between the offending child and the bus driver. No bus driver is going to be empowered with the right to either revoke or grant privileges to ride the school bus. Also, Ward and June send Beaver over alone to give the bus driver the letter. Nobody would send their child to a total stranger's home to give them a note. Anything could happen.

Then there are Ward and June worrying about how to get Beaver to school - Ward will have to drop him off on the way to work because it is too far to walk. Wait a minute, just two weeks ago Beaver WAS walking to school from this address. Why is this suddenly such an emergency to do without something they didn't have a month ago?

It's the bus boss, it's the bus.

[pensman · 7/10 · 9 August 2017]

Miss Landers has an announcement for walkers, all students who have been walking can now ride the bus. There is a catch, there are rules of behavior that all students must obey. Judy Hensler is quick to volunteer to take the names of any student who misbehaves.

June is happy about Beaver being able to ride the bus, Ward has a fondness for having kids walk to school. The first morning Beaver is outside and ready for the bus; but June isn't ready with Beaver's lunch. The bus arrives on time and everyone on the bus seems excited, Larry even saved Beaver a seat. June wonders if Beaver was embarrassed with the whole family out on the sidewalk to see Beaver off; Ward knows the answer: of course he was.

Well there are always bumps on a school bus; and Beaver hits one by being suspended for a week for conduct unbecoming a fourth grader. It seems Charles Fredricks hit Beaver on the head; and Beaver responded by hitting Charles back. Since the driver didn't see the whole incident, only Beaver got a suspension. Ward doesn't seem to mind that Beaver has to walk to school, but June believes it's too far for Beaver to walk. But he has been walking for three years already, so what's the problem? June doesn't want to be embarrassed by being the parent of a boy who was suspended from riding the bus.

Ward figures there might be a way out. Beaver is going to write a note to Mr. Crawford, the bus driver, apologizing for his part in the episode. Beaver reads his note to Wally to offers a few suggestions to make the note seem more apologetic. Wally adds a few details and when Ward reads it, he detects Wally's hand. Ward asks Beaver to run the letter over to Mr. Crawford and when Mr. Crawford reads the letter, he reinstates Beaver.

After school Beaver gets a visit from Judy Hensler, the female Eddie Haskell and then some. Judy has been suspended and wants to know how Beaver got to ride the bus again. Judy claims her parents never believe she does anything wrong and she needs to get the suspension lifted. Beaver gives Judy his letter for her to copy. Wally can't believe Beaver would help Judy Hensler period because she will be giving him the business again as soon as she is back on the bus. Beaver explains he knows that but when Judy is being mean to him, he will know he was once nice to her. Wally accepts that as a reasonable response.

The very next day as the bus drops Beaver off, Beaver says goodbye to Judy, and Judy razzes Beaver and sticks her tongue out at him. The Beaver universe is back in order.

I enjoyed the scene with Wally, Ward, and June sending Beaver off. When June wonders if Beaver was embarrassed even Wally chimes in about June's embarrassing ways like introducing herself to Wally's teacher. This really is a how times change episode. When I was in grade school, we took a bus and one thing was certain: from day one, grade one, there was never a parent in sight. No one saw us off or welcomed us home. I used to shake my head watching all the parents on our cul-de-sac gather each morning to wave goodbye and assemble in the afternoon to give a welcoming hug. And the first day of school was a huge production with all parents filming the event on their phones. Then there were the parents who waited with their children in their SUV's until the bus arrived. No one was going to drive-by and snatch their children as they waited on the front porch.

Cute episode

[vitoscotti · 6/10 · 3 April 2021]

We get to see a different side of Judy as she wants Beaver's help with her bus suspension.

THE NEW SCHOOL BUS SCANDAL!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 9 January 2024]

Good News??? Beave and his classmates don't have to walk to school anymore because the school has now provided students with a school bus!

You know where this is going right? No sooner than Beave gets on the bus, another kid socks him, he socks him back -- and he's suspended in one easy lesson! Problem is the bus driver didn't see the other kid hit Beave, but saw Beave bam the kid back.

Naturally!

Inside joke here; Beave used to walk to school anyway and should have just kept on walking!

Yet another reason why the Cleavers should have lived in North Hollywood, where the series was filmed (Universal Studios). That way, he would have walked to school, rode his bike or used a skateboard!

Much more interesting than a bus.

Beave is a good kid and tries to make things up by writing a note to the bus driver, Mr. Crawford, played by familiar character actor James Parnell, son of veteran actor Emery Parnell. On a somber note, Parnell died very suddenly about a year after this episode.

I agree with the last reviewer, kudos and more to series producers and writers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher for making this one fun, especially for all us kids who had our fair share of bad days on the bus!

Judy (Jeri Weil) and Whitey (Stanley Fafara) appear in this episode, which is always good news. Whitey was everybodys pal, and we loved him.

The best of SEASON 3 EPISODE 3 remastered Universal dvd box set.

Beaver Learns Yet Another Valuable Lesson In His Youthful Life

[StrictlyConfidential · 5/10 · 23 October 2020]

(*Judy Hensler to Miss Landers quote*) - "Do you want me to write down the names of the ones who misbehave!?"

Grant Avenue Public School has now extended riding the bus to all students who live both near and far.

While riding the bus Beaver and Charles Fredericks get into a scuffle and Beaver is promptly suspended from taking the bus due to "conduct not up to 4th grade behavior pattern".

But, alas! - All is not completely hopeless for Beaver who writes a note of apology for his actions to Mr. Crawford (who is the regular bus driver on his route).