The Donna Reed Show - Season 2 DVD + Extras

The Donna Reed Show is an American situation comedy starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children, Mary and Jeff. The show originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1958 to March 19, 1966. When Fabares left the show in 1963, Petersen's little sister, Patty Petersen, joined the cast as adopted daughter Trisha. Patty Petersen had first appeared in the episode, "A Way of Her Own", on January 31, 1963. Actress Janet Landgard was a series regular from 1963-1965 as Karen Holmby.[1]

Bob Crane and Ann McCrea appeared in the last seasons as Dr. Dave Kelsey and his wife, Midge, friends of the Stones, and Darryl Richard became a near regular in thirty-two episodes as Smitty, Jeff's best buddy. The show featured a variety of celebrity guests including Esther Williams as a famous dress designer, baseball superstars Don Drysdale and Willie Mays as themselves, teen heartthrob James Darren as a pop singer with the measles, canine superstar Lassie as herself, and young Jay North of CBS's Dennis the Menace.

The series was created by William S. Roberts and developed by Reed and her then husband, producer Tony Owen. Episodes revolved around typical family problems of the period such as firing a clumsy housekeeper, throwing a retirement bash for a colleague, and finding quality time away from the children. Then-daring themes such as women's rights and freedom of the press were occasionally explored.

The show had an uncertain start in the ratings and was almost cancelled, but fared better when it was moved from Wednesday to Thursday nights. In the show's middle seasons, Fabares sang what became a #1 teen pop hit "Johnny Angel", and Petersen had above average success with the song "My Dad", also introduced during the course of the series.

The Donna Reed Show was one of television's top 25 shows in 1963-1964. Reed was repeatedly nominated for Emmy Awards between 1959 and 1962, and won a Golden Globe as Best Female TV Star in 1963. She eventually grew tired of the work-a-day grind involved in the program, and it was cancelled in 1966 after 275 episodes.

The series was sponsored by Campbell Soup Company, with Johnson & Johnson as the principal alternate sponsor (succeeded in the fall of 1963 by The Singer Company).[2] Following first-run, the show entered daytime reruns on ABC and then syndication on Nick at Nite and TVLand for several years. The first five seasons have been released on DVD.

This show was the first TV family sitcom to feature the mother as the center of the show. Reed's character, Donna Stone, is a loving mother and wife, but also a strong woman, an active participant in her community, a woman with feelings and a sense of humor. According to many of Reed's friends and family, Reed shared many similarities to the character that she portrayed on screen, implying that the fictional Donna Stone was a near-identical copy of Reed herself.

In a 2008 interview, Paul Petersen (Jeff Stone) stated, "[The Donna Reed Show] depicts a better time and place. It has a sort of level of intelligence and professionalism that is sadly lacking in current entertainment products. The messages it sent out were positive and uplifting. The folks you saw were likable, the family was fun, the situations were familiar to people. It provided 22-and-a-half-minutes of moral instructions and advice on how to deal with the little dilemmas of life. Jeff and Mary and their friends had all the same problems that real kids in high school did." Petersen continued, "That's what the show was really about, the importance of family. That's where life's lessons are transmitted, generation to generation. There's a certain way in which these are transmitted, with love and affection."
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201 - That's Show Business

Mary is excited to be included in a school play. Kenny is a classmate who also was accepted, but he dropped out since he stutters. Mary convinces him to remain in the play. Kenny stays, and is paired with Mary for a dance routine.

202 - Sleep No More My Lady

Donna & Alex fly to New York where Alex will give a speech at a medical convention. Donna is so excited for Alex that she cannot sleep. After going on excitement for a full day, Alex gives her a tranquilizer to help her get some rest.

203 - A Penny Earned

After completing a newspaper quiz Donna learns she gets a perfect score for being thrifty, which impels her to become a spendthrift.

204 - A Friend Indeed

Doug is a new friend of Jeff's. Doug's mother praises Donna for having such a wonderful, perfect child when her child is noisy and impolite. Donna knows otherwise, so she invites the mother over to see Doug is the same as Jeff.

205 - The First Child

After a nervous couple have their first baby, Alex can hardly get any sleep or spend any time with the family because of their constant cries for help.

206 - Going Steady

Mary wants Jeff to be more friendly with a girl so that she will have an excuse to meet her older brother. Jeff might be willing to do so - if the price is right.

207 - The Neighborly Gesture

New neighbors move in next to the Stones, and Jeff finds the man interesting. He tells his father all the great things the man can do, and Alex finds himself getting jealous.

208 - Nothing Like a Good Book

A neighbor invites the Stones to dinner with a group of friends. She spends the evening bragging about the intellectual books she reads. Donna gets talked into joining a book club and has one week to read War and Peace.

209 - Flowers for the Teacher

Jeff complains the teacher at school does not like any of the students because she is so strict. Donna visits the teacher and finds she is actually afraid of the students as it is her first teaching experience. Donna finds a way to fix it.

210 - All Mothers Worry

Jeff's friend Phillip changes at Jeff's home after the football practices. Donna finds out and realizes Phillip's mother does not know he is playing football. The mother is afraid her boy will get hurt. Donna talks to the mother.

211 - Jeff Joins a Club

A new kid in town follows Jeff around all the time, no matter how many times Jeff tries to lose him. Donna wants Jeff to be nice to Walter. When Jeff & Walter try to join a club, the group denies Jeff since he is a friend of Walter.

212 - The Punishment

Donna is upset with Mary and Jeff arrive home late and reprimands them. Alex comes home and it is all smiles for dad. Donna & Alex try to work out a plan for punishing Mary and Jeff without either of them seeming like the bad parent.

213 - A Difference of Opinion

Donna is forced to accept a dinner invitation with a couple that neither she nor Alex enjoy. This causes an argument between them whether to go or not go, and they try to find their fight from Mary and Jeff.

214 - The Homecoming Dance

Mary is invited to a dance at a nearby college with a blind date, and she would have to stay overnight in the dormitory. The Stone's agree, but only because they are going to drive her to and from. Jeff gets to go camping with a friend.

215 - Lucky Girl

It seems as if all Donna's friends are complimenting her on having such a wonderful husband, and that she is such a lucky girl. Donna wonders if they think she is not good enough for Alex and that it was just pure luck she got such a guy.

216 - The Broken Spirit

Jeff's been causing problems lately, so Alex has a talk with him about behaving. Jeff's attitude changes, and everyone thinks it is because of the talk. However, Jeff causes a problem with a neighbor and is actually just feeling guilty.

217 - The Secret

Mary's friend Carol is engaged to Matthew, but does not want her family to know. Carol asks Mary to hide the ring and have her boyfriend's letters sent to the Stone residence. Donna and Alex start to wonder about Mary's secret and the mail.

218 - The New Mother

David Barker has run away from his boarding school and returns again to the Stone family. David's father is getting remarried, and David is afraid he will have to stay in the boarding school instead of being with his father and new mother.

219 - Just a Housewife

Stopped for an interview by a gimmicky showman at a grocery store, Donna makes a stand for women who often say they are just a housewife. Stay at home mothers are more than just stay at home people.

220 - The Free Soul

Dan, a friend of Alex's father visits the Stones and tells the family of his exciting travels. Jeff gets caught up in the excitement and wants to travel the world with Dan.

221 - The First Quarrel

Friends of Alex and Donna's, who have only been married a few years, have their first quarrel. Donna helps Alice understand how to handle a quarrel. Alex tells Donna she should try to keep out of the situation, but then he helps Jim.

222 - A Place to Go

Donna's woman club is looking for a project. When they find the neighborhood children are playing in an abandoned building, the women decide to build a proper gathering place for the children.

223 - A Night to Howl

Mary discovers poetry, and then worries that her mother and father lost their passion for life and things are boring for them. For a change of pace, Donna and Alex decide to go on a trip during a school night. It does not go as planned.

224 - The Editorial

Jeff is promoted to editor of his school newspaper. His first editorial is to speak out against too much homework. It is a good piece, but the teachers do not think it should be published.

225 - The Gentle Dew

When it seems Mary and Jeff are not always doing their homework or chores, Alex decides to lay down the rules and make sure everyone sticks to them. Donna thinks the rules are a bit harsh.

226 - The Fatal Leap

Alex is invited to a wedding of his former college roommate who had some wild nights and lots of dates. Alex is also invited to the bachelor party. Donna is worried about what might happen.

227 - The Perfect Pitch

Jeff is excited to try out for the track team and even plans to practice to get in shape for the tryouts. But then Donna finds out he has perfect pitch in music and thinks he should take music lessons and learn the trumpet.

228 - Pickles for Charity

The Woman's Medical Auxiliary host a dance event. While the dance was a success, raising funds was not. The Auxiliary decides to hold another event to raise money to pay for the dance. Donna decides to sell homemade pickles.

229 - Mary's Growing Pain

Mary's ski trip with friends gets canceled and she is disappointed. However, when an intern from the hospital visits Alex at his home, her mood lightens up immediately.

230 - Alex Runs the House

Jeff visits his uncle and aunt on their farm by himself. Donna is worried and misses Jeff so much, she goes to the farm as well. Alex and Mary have to take care of the house and meals while she is gone.

231 - The Career Woman

An old friend of Donna's comes to visit. She is now a well-known fashion designer, and about to marry a doctor. She wants to know what it is like to be married to a doctor. Donna thinks the life of a career woman is exciting.

232 - Jeff, the Financial Genius

Jeff wants an advance on his allowance to buy items for his latest project. When that fails, he tries borrowing from everyone. Alex finds out he owes a lot of people money, and puts Jeff on a strict budget until he pays everyone back.

233 - Mary's Crusade

Mary's friend Ellen is very smart at school, but plain looking. No one asks her out. Mary decides to give Ellen a makeover to show the boys in school that Ellen is just as pretty as she is smart.

234 - The First Time We Met

Donna & Alex have different memories of how they originally met.

235 - The Gossip

Donna's friend Kay tells her that she is pregnant, but to keep it a secret. Donna only tells one other friend, who tells another, who tells another, etc. Kay is upset because she might lose her job if her boss finds out she is pregnant.

236 - Love's Sweet Awakening

A neighbor's child returns home for a visit while on break from military school. Since Petie was a favorite friend of Mary and Jeff, he visits the Stones. Petie is smitten by Mary's grown-up looks.

237 - The Wedding Present

Donna purchases an expensive art object and is to tell Alex about it, so it gets hidden. When Alex's Aunt Lettie calls to say she is visiting, Alex says they have to put out her wedding gift. Alex finds the statue and puts it out.

238 - Cool Cat

A seemingly stray cat follows Jeff home, and the family votes to allow him to stay. Turns out the cat is female, and slowly brings her family of kittens into the house. Jeff & Mary give the kittens away just as Alex finds they are pedigree.


The Donna Reed Show - Campbell's Soup Commercial
The Donna Reed Show - Paul Petersen Extra
The Donna Reed Show - TV Ad Spot


Promo - Here's Lucy
Promo - My Favorite Martian
Promo - My Living Doll
Promo - The Doris Day Show
Promo - The Honeymooners - In Color
Promo - The Mothers-In-Law

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Donna_Reed_Show

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051267/?ref_=nv_sr_1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Reed